Meridian 568 v ARC Tube preamp for digital scource


My current set up is: Meridian 508.24/Meridian 568.1/ARC VT100 MkIII/Proac Response 2, running as a balanced system. In the current set up, I'm using the 568.1 as a 2 channel preamp. It gets a digital feed from the 508.24 and provides upsampling to 96MHz. On its own the 508.24 gives 24 bit processing, but no upsampling. I'm thinking of getting an ARC Line Stage with balanced connections (LS16, LS17) to replace the 568.1. Any comments about what I could expect from making this change and/or which ARC Line Stage is more suitable if I make the change?
roberts1897
Abramsmatch..which ARC preamp would you recommend that has a bit of a tubey sound ?
Jim - Thanks for your input. I suspected that I might need to go that way to get the optimal sound and I can only think that if the 861 wasn't up to it, the difference with the 568 would be even more pronounced. BTW I checked out your system. Looks phenomenal!

Abramsmatch - Thanks for your comments about the LS17. I think the VT 100 is fairly revealing so something tubier in the preamp might work, but I'll need to hear it before deciding. What would you recommend in the ARC range (balanced) in this respect? Maybe the LS16 MkII?
My setup is a Meridian 568.2, Aesthetix Calypso, Theta Dreadnaught 1, Thiel cs1.5. You will find that a tube pre will improve the depth and width of the soundstage. It will also improve sound of strings and voices. Good Luck.