Glynn,
I know exactly how you feel and am in the very same pickle, ie. buy to try. Sometimes I get lucky (VAC preamp and mono power amps and most recently an Audio Experience A2 balanced preamp along with a few other well-informed dart throws) but I have also bought a few duds (Air Tight ATC-1, Singxer F-1, Curcio kitted Dyna Mk III mono amps). It has been kinda fun and at the same time it kinda sucks because of the losses. Before the crash of 2008 it was much more fun as the losses were minimal but now...not so much. I do a lot more research before pulling the trigger, but still, it is tough to make each purchase really count. I wish you luck and hope you recoup most if not all your investment.
If a set of Sophia tubes only gets the Ultravalve "closer" to the Shindo then it's a waste of time and money. Any upgrade to the VA amp must trounce the Shindo at the very least.
Hey, as long as it is still fun then carry on and keep a stiff upper lip!
