I know you said the Valhalla 2 was out of reach, how about used? The Tyr 2 is a close second.
The Valhalla 2 transformed my McIntosh system. The most improvement was from my source DAC into the preamp. Mac is known for being a little light on top but with incredible bass/midbass. The Valhallas have greatly improved the highs while tightening up the bass. The midrange has significantly more clarity. The system is complete from top to bottom now which is not usually how McIntosh performs.