Help in putting together my system with used equipment on Audiogon and eBay.

I've had a LOT of recommendations on tubes. I don't even know there was a tube PRE amp. How does a preamp make a difference in the sound? I thought it was just a unit to plug all the sources into. Man do I have a lot to learn. I want to than you all for the posts, I have learned a LOT from you all. I know it will be my personal taste in the synergy of the system I put together, that tubes, if I decide to implement them, will add to the synergy. A few have said the Class A/AB Pass XA30.5 amp would go well with my system. If I decide to hang on to my Klipsch Heresy III's, I will have to give them a listen or hopefully hear the difference from an audio store. I really need to figure out the digital side of my system, I am totally confused on that. I don't need a unit that streams wireless or an amp, but they all seem to do that. So a good DAC and cd ripper is what I'm after. I appreciate your posts! Please keep them coming, I learn a little from them all, and I still have a lot to lean. Thanks everyone. Especially Mrdecibel who recommended I take it slow and just buy a cd player for now. I had been listening to the tuner on my Yamaha 5250 for so long I thought that was as good as my system got, and then a clean signal from a cd went through them and DAMN! A newfound respect! If it gets a lot better from here, I am hooked!

Skip the phono.  It costs too much for the rewards.  Don't buy a crappy system and waste your money tweaking the hell out of it.  For your budget, it would be hard to beat old B&W 802's, either Series II or III, preferably the latter.  The Bryston amp is wonderful.  I slightly prefer my Audire over my Bryston, but Audire is extrinct, and you are looking at an ST version, redesigned by Stuart Taylor.  He did a lot for several companies, including the Adcom 555, which if put to the specs he actually designed, before the accountants neutered it, was great.
Get a good preamp.  I would recommend an Audire, but not anything you will ever see, because the much praised Legato is a bit weak in the power supply, and does not have the impact of the Diffet 3 or 5 or the Andante. The two is pretty good, but also rare.  I have had most of these and settled on two 3's, after I missed an Andante.  Try to find a really good CD player and tuner.  Go to fmtunerinfo.com to learn about these.  I tried many over the years, and their listening tests are spot on.  I would suggest that a Sansui TU707/717 as a minimum for both listening and playing with.  If you want to just set some stations and listen, the B&K  TS107.  It sounds so good that I have to use my Audire Diffet 3 to tell that it sounds different from my Monster Kenwood KT-917 I bought in 1979.   My Diffet 2 does not bring out the difference.  Sadly, the B&K is better than the 17 in the lower bass, but only on a really good recording.  If you decide to go for a TT, I do have one to sell, as well as a couple of extra arms, but I recommend you save your money for the rest of the system. Unfortunately,  i am a bit ignorant on current pre-amps that are within you budget, But I would get a Bryston to match your amp. $1700 amp;  $800 preamp;  $400 tuner;  $!500 B&W's;  and you have money for a good CD player and, if you wish, a streamer.

Oh yeah!  Beginning around $3000, you can get some really good, newer B&W's, but don't go below a Nautilus or S series 803, or you will need subs.  (Exception: The 804 with the dual woofs is really good.)  I have the second generation 803's but must run subs with my second amp and pre-amp to get things phased properly.

...speakers: see what’s on the vintage market from Gershman Acoustics:
Can’t go wrong with anything from them (and no sub’s needed)!
And partner them with a PAIR OF PATHOS CLASSIC ONE MKIII HYBRID INTEGRATEDS IN MONO MODE, OPERATED FROM ONE REMOTE... ADD AN AUDIO MIRROR TROUBADOR DAC NEW!