I need suggestions and ideas in picking a preamp.

go with BAT balanced and quiet. interconnects wouldn't matter. you can get $20/pr Mogamy XLR and try them against Nirvana or Cardas NR etc...

I agree with Blindjim's mention of cable upgrade so you can hear what you currently have equipment wise. First I'd pull the Monster Power Center and hear what happens, my experience was a big improvement when I pulled mine!!! If there isn't a big improvement upgrade cables than try again.

BlackZimbo, you will find as much tonal variability on tube gear as you will find with SS. Rather then deciding a priori on tubes or SS because of any form of external said-so, it is worth while making a hypothesis on what kind of sound you may be after, then make some listening experiments and determine if the results match more or less your hypothesis.

I have owned tubed pres from 1992 to 2008 and truly enjoyed them. In March 2008 I switched to a Rowland Capri, not because it's SS, but simply because I enjoyed it more than my tubed ARC Ref 3 for a variety of reasons, on which I waxed poetic in too many places around here. I tend to enjoy sound that is neither stereotypically tuby, nor it sounds SSish. I love loads of harmonics, good extension, linearity, good but not unnaturally magnified transient speed, quiet operation, and little/no maintenance/upkeep. I am after a musical experience that lets me sink into my sofa and get lost in the music, and not sit on the edge to feel adrenalin and anxiety. My listening prefs are classical with a smidjin of female vocals.

The bottom line is that only a lot of auditioning of both SS and tubes will let you discover what may be right for you.

G.

I'd say think about replacing the monster interconnects. Even Nordost Blue Heavens for maybe $100 used I've had great luck with.

A tube preamp? Do you want new or used? If used, $1K can get you a very good tube preamp. $1800-$2000 can get you a very, very, very good tube preamp. Cary, or C-J would be at the top of my list, but also VTL, ARC, you can't go too far wrong......

Try to "have fun" with the search!

Give this Sonic Flare article a read and see if it doesn't help you better understand what kind of sound you are after. Tubes and solid state have naturally different qualities, but there is wide variety and even crossover between them.

Start with the overall sound you are after, then dig in from there. It's a lot easier to create a shortlist when you know if the component works with or against your preferred sonic qualities.