Linn/Naim user seeks advice on tube pre/ss amp

I applaud your interest in experimenting and trying new combinations. Clearly, what will work for you is a matter of taste.

I am NOT in any sort of Naim cult, although I currently own a CDS3, the only piece of Naim gear I have ever owned. As far as solid state equipment goes, I like certain Naim pieces I've heard, like the NAP 300 and the 252 linestage. I can't really say if they preserve timing and pace any better than competitive gear, but I do like the way they deliver the full harmonic palette of instruments without sounding overripe and soggy. Some other solid state amps I've heard and liked include the big Hovland amp and Ayre amps.

If the speakers you like are, as you say, power hogs, I think your approach of looking for a tube linestage to combine with a solid state amp makes sense. I personally find that most of the "magic" and charm of tube amplification is substantially diminished in high powered designs (I like low power triode tubes). I am not familiar with the Kabers, so I will not make any specific recommendations. In addition to any recommendation being system-dependant, tastes vary so widely. For example, the recommendation for the Audio Research setup would be the LAST thing I would recommend myself. I find their tube equipment, particularly linestages, to be dry, harmonically bleached and bright, more so than virtually any solid state gear of competent design. I cannot see how anyone who likes a CJ linestage would have any interest in the SP16, but, you should really see for yourself.

I'll second what Dodgealum has to say about Audio Research replacing Naim gear. Although I still believe that Naim is better than most of what's out there, I also agree that Naim has priced itself into the stratosphere. I've never heard as much life from a Naim amp lesser than the NAP 500 that could compete with what I'm now getting from my ARC VS110. $24,000 is just insane money when considering the ARC costs $4500!

I used to think tubes are slow, especially on the power amp end. Listen to the newer stuff from BAT, McIntosh, and ARC and you'll be surprised how much PRaT you can get without sacrificing your high-end detail and soundstage.

Another option if you absolutely hate tubes is the under-rated and under-marketed Exposure line. I first moved from an CDX2+XPS2/82+Supercap2/250/SBL/Fraim system to an Apple iBook/Musical Fidelity A3.24 DAC through an Exposure 3010 integrated and some Totem Hawks and my wife and I instantly agreed: a big improvement in sound quality and musicality with no penalty in speed or dynamics. Oh yeah, over $10k in our pockets helped matters too.

My advice: go and hear some of the modern alternatives before making your decision. Luckily for me and you, Naim gear keeps its value very well and I was able to get off the upgrade-itis elevator without taking a loss.

The Naim Nait 5i integrated offers tremendous value and wonderful music in a reasonable application. The Naim CD5x is an excellent mid-priced source that stacks up well against the competition. Seems to me you can only assess $24K components with reference to others in that stratosphere.

Certainly, Naim doesn't hold a monopoly on PRAT. Nor are its virtues limited to PRAT. Sticking to what I've heard myself, you get clean well- balanced music free of artificial effects, such as oversized images or added spatial FX. It is cool running and fuss free, and has proven longevity. Solid value, IMHO, at least into the 'Recommended System 2' range. After that, I can't comment from personal experience.

Naimfan;
Back to your original question, have you considered the Copland 305 hybrid pre-amp? I confess, I haven't heard it personally; but it comes highly recommended by a couple of sources whose ears I've come to respect. Sounds like it might pair well with your kit.

I'm more of a Linn fan since their products are so reasonable on the used market. The Naim prices chased me out of being a continued customer and I didn't reall care for the cabling issues associated with them. But, I don't really see why there is such criticism offered up in this thread. Sure, there are other manufacturers worthy of consideration. I've no problem with that at all. What I would urge you to do if possible is borrow a tube preamp and insert it into your existing mix. The results will astound you. I cannot comment with experience with Naim and what I propose but with the Linn gear the benefits by doing so will show you just how well designed their amps are. I continually get comments from club members about how wonderful my system sounds and for about 20% of the cost of theirs. And this is from members who routinely criticize each others systems fairly harshly.