but in my system, they sound quite veiled and choked...which is a criticism those speakers have earned over the years...but yes, maybe I should try preamp upgrade first!
Completely agree on your impressions of the 3As, at least the older versions — haven’t heard the newer ones but Vandy speakers have definitely upped the treble detail with their newer models. I heard the 3As many years ago (so maybe same version you have) with some good Quicksilver electronics and with my reference recordings, which I’d heard on many, many systems in addition to my own (and several that cost well north of $100k), and the 3A’s top end sounded rolled off and dull/lacking energy or life — kinda like someone threw a thin cloth over the tweeter if that makes sense.
If I were you I’d upgrade the speakers first because the 3As may not have enough upper-octave detail to completely reveal a preamp’s capabilities or character in that area whereas the speakers you’re looking at now will likely very clearly expose differences and which pre is right for you. Plus, those are the speakers you’ll ultimately be using with the preamp so it’ll be very good to know there’s synergy between them that works for your system and tastes. I think you’re totally on the right track here and that your system is about to take a monstrous step forward and that all your effort is going to be hugely rewarded. Keep us posted if you could.