I read this thread with a lot of interest and appreciated all of the responses, even the naysayers. I bought a 23.5 last Fall as part of the system I put together that was purposely vintage 90's gear (380s preamp, 360s dac, 37 transport). My goal was nostalgia for when I worked at a high end store during 1994 and 1995 in high school and couldn't afford this stuff. My other goals were sound quality and build quality. Although I didn't cross compare other gear like Krell and Classe (i knew from the get-go that i was seeking out vintage Levibson gear) I have still been very impressed and satisfied with my investment. Jeff congrats on getting your 23.5 and it is great to hear your impressions so far. Like you I will also be planning a tune up and electronic component work on mine and you know what, I'm fine with that. It is worth keeping going another 20-30 years with a $2k or so investment.
The question is, what will I use for an amp while my 23.5 is out for repair? Maybe I'll buy something else that I can use for a while but still easily resell.