System Dissatisfaction - My Own Fault

If the Focal speakers are connected to the 8 ohm tap on your tube amp, you should try the 4 ohm tap. The speaker is rated at 8 ohm, however it drops to a low of 3 ohms. Using the 4 ohm tap will not cause any problem and likely sound better. That Focal speaker is better suited for a solid state amp.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one that has created their own dissatisfaction by just not choosing to be content.

Nope, in fact I would say that most of us have experienced this phenomena. I have screwed up the sound of my system several times over the decades by not leaving well enough alone.
Staying content is a challenge that not many of us handle for very long periods of time.

Join the crowd!

noromance - You noticed the rant like tone to my post?  I'm not necessarily looking for advice, it's more along the lines of looking for some similar experiences because I know most audiophiles have had similar experiences...especially, those that don't have the funds to be constantly trading out gear.  Thanks for listening.

helomech - I won't argue that my receiver is a weak point in my system and I really don't judge the sound of my system by anything other than my tube amplifier that is far superior.  I have the receiver for home theater applications and was hopeful that the Cambridge Audio might close the gap between the receiver and the tube amplifier for more background listening.  However, I have had the opportunity to listen to Focal speakers ranging from the $500 Focal Chorus 706v all the way up to the $180,000 Focal Utopia Grande speakers and I absolutely love the Focal sound.  I've heard my 836v speakers hooked up to the system that was there for the Utopia speakers and included Krell mono blocks and also on an inadequate Onkyo receiver that I quickly replaced.  My speakers are not a weakness to my ear, but I know they are a polarizing sound that many don't appreciate.

viridian - I agree with your assessment.  It just surprised me how much I missed the old sound when the Cambridge Audio was in the system and now it's just not sounding the same.  I did find the Cambridge Audio to sound fantastic on some recording (i.e. better) but a lot worse on others. It was odd to me how varied my opinion of it was based on the recording.

tls49 - I do have them hooked to the 4 ohm tap.  I've heard others say that my speakers are better suited for solid state amplifiers, but the Yaqin MC-30L brought my sound to a point that I could go to the local Focal dealer and listen to almost anything and come home and be happy with my sound.  I'm not saying that my sound was equal, but there are certain qualities/characteristics that remained.  The best I've ever heard any Focal speaker sound has always been with Krell amplifiers.  The local dealer made a switch from Krell to Asthetics and I was never as impressed as I was with the Krell.  The S-300i has been a bit of a dream amplifier and I had my chance to get a demo for a great price, but it simply doesn't fit in my cabinet and there's no other place for it.  The current Krell integrated is my new dream amplifier, but at $6,000 I'd have to be willing to move (my wife said I could have one if we got a bigger house) or possibly get her a camping trailer but then it just added that much more to the financial outflow.  I heard the new Krell integrated in a system just the other day and even though I absolutely hated the music I couldn't pull myself away from the sound.  I realized later that it was likely the Krell that drew me in.  It's a consistent result.

jmcgrogan2 - I probable should have used something like the following for that part of my post: <sarcasm on> <sarcasm off> I have a difficult time communicating without sarcasm.

I guess you are ready to trade in the wife. If she doesn’t net you the $6k, stick it on a card. Or buy used. There are a few KSA100/150 for $2k out there. #youonlyliveonce

noromance - Your username makes perfect sense!  I would throw away all of my audio gear before letting my wife get away.  At the moment my home is my only debt and based on cash in the bank could easily afford the Krell, but no just spending $6,000 on a “want” is the reason the other things are true.  Life is all about balance and priorities.  Part of the struggle is I hate not buying what I really want because in the end you often eventually get it while spending even more money along the way trying to be satisfied with lesser products.  I tend to get the Vitamix rather than trying multiple cheaper competitors, but at some dollar point things transition into the out of reach category for what it is.  Audio equipment like the Krell Vanguard is at the extreme edge.