Sorry to hear that you're investing all this money in components that you ultimately don't like all that much. I guess my question to you is what your goals are for your system. Your previous thread mentioned that you were looking basically assembling a home theatre setup, and have since shifted gears and decided to focus on two-channel. And if I recall, you started with a budget of $1,000 and you've invested $3,000 and counting. I guess it is an object lesson in taking the time, but it's also a case of buying without a set of priorities.

But, geez buyer's remorse doesn't usually kick in until a few months AFTER you bought something! Dynaudio's a damn good speaker and once you bring it home, you very well might be surprised how well it works out. I guess another question is why you kept on adding speakers to your system and configuring for home theater when your main priority was two-channel music. Also, what it is about your current system that you don't like?

Don't take it personally, but I think your whole conclusion of preferring the tube setup is nothing but a blind leap because a lot could also have to do with the demo room where you tried them out. You're doing listenings of completely different setups in completely different acoustical environments, and trying to draw conclusions about specific reasons for causal differences. With that many variables, my guess would be just as valid as yours. Even if you took that Von Schweikert/tube system home, it still might sound unsatisfactory if the room acoustics in your home aren't right.

Tube equipment has its backers and I've heard quite a few tube systems that sound quite nice. But, they have their own sets of drawbacks in that they're fussier to deal with on a daily basis and typically have a much more limited range of functions.

A home theater receiver and tube amp are very different devices with different missions. The HT receiver is a nerve center for wide range of devices, and they have tremendous versatility, flexibility, and functionality. A tube amp has a much more stripped down purpose. If you can live with that, then the tubes are a good option. But, if you want digital format decoding, bass management, multichannel capability, multiroom functions, video switching, or audio processing capabilities, then you have to go with the AV receiver. I fully realized that some two-channel separates might sound subtlely better than the multichannel receiver that I bought, but without multichannel functionlity and digital decoding, those two-channel options had zero relevance given that my priority was to play back 5.1 sources.

While I sympathize with your situation, I DO NOT agree at all with the advice of just grabbing a $150 BB system in the meantime and start saving up for some high end system. In actuality, I would recommend going with entry level components and finding the best pair of bookshelf speakers that you can afford. For a first timer, I would not recommend going straight to high end components. The whole purpose of a good entry level system is to develop how you hear things, pick up on subtleties, and learn how to properly setup an audio system. For a lot of consumers, this might be all they want. Once the ears get attuned to a particular type of sound that they like, then you can start prioritizing how much you're willing to spend to go up to the next level.

$150 is about what I would recommend as the minimum price point just for acceptable speakers. The typical bundled systems below that price point make huge compromises in the sound quality. By going with an entry level receiver and some basic bookshelf speakers, you've got the full audio range covered, except the deep bass. Mini systems typically cannot cover that kind range at all, and the sound suffers. I went for 16 years with a pair of $150 speakers and a $250 receiver, and it suited me just fine for that duration. I was still into the hobby, going to high end stores and trade shows and listening to six-figure systems, but that still didn't detract from my basic enjoyment at home.