Pre and power amp for Vandersteen 3A Signature?

Audio Research will give you the best sound with Vandersteen speakers.

How about the Naim SUPERNAIT or NAC 282 preamplifier/NAP 250 power amplifier if PRAT is your main concern? I think this would be an excellent combination with the 3's.

Ayre is an excellent match with Vandersteen and also matches your needs for HT bypass.

I agree that if you want to go SS, Ayre would be hard to beat with Vandersteen - that would be my first choice. But if price plays into it, McCormack DNAs would be do just fine.

You must have a really large room, that 13 foot distance from the Vandy's would require almost the same separation between the speakers to get the best sound from them (Wow that's large enough for an IMax screen). I second Unsound's recommendation because they are a very synergistic combination, plus its the same combination I use in my Vandersteen HT setup. I use a TLC-1 Dlx Ultra to drive a DNA-1 Dlx Gold for the 3A Sig's and a DNA HT-1 Dlx and DNA 0.5 Dlx for the Vandy center and surrounds. At one point I was vertically bi-amping a pair of 3A'Sig/2Wq combination with a pair of DNA-1 Dlx Golds that made the most awesome sound. Unfortunately they were removed from my possession during a recent move. Anyway McCormack makes a couple preamps with HT pass through or a feature that can be used as that, I just turn my TLC all the way up for the pass through. Plus the McCormack's offer an upgrade path through SMc Audio (Highly recommended) as your budget allows. Planning a pair of DNA-1 monoblocks myself. Try all the recommendation made here but try them used that way you have little to no lose when you sell something your not happy with. Good Luck in your search and above all else have fun doing it.