Greetings:
This is the kind of post yo0u would see in Audiogon but I will not go there- those guys can be brutal. I am looking for an upgrade path. I have the full stellar stack with M700s and the P3. Speakers are LSA 10 Statements Oh and a Denafrips Iris USB converter. Got imaging space and dynamics galore. Recommendations to improve tonality is what I need. New Preamp maybe? I am a retired man don’t have the big bucks. Maybe a tube preamp? Budget 3,000?
Thanks
Permit me to help you spend an extra $$500: 
I don’t have anything to do with this posting, but I have been watching it.
Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestion.
Robert
The cables you are using? Not suggesting using cables as tone controls, but some cables are not on my list because they can be threadbare. So maybe you can get the tonality inherent in your gear with a cable upgrade? $3000 may or may not get you a whole new loom, but that budget can buy you very strategic cable upgrades that could get you closer to what you’re after.
Thanks for the tip
I have these cables I got from Raven Audio as interconnects and speaker cables. The USB cable is shunyata audio.
Any suggestions?
Robert
Interesting. I can get away with this on-line without being lynched by Shunyata fanboys (I think), but I am not a Shunyata fan. Many of us on another thread very much like Audioquest USB cables. You don’t mention what model of Shunyata USB, but if you wind up paying less for an Audioquest USB and still like it more don’t let lower price sway you. Buy it from a dealer like, say, Music Direct and if you find it isn’t better and gets you closer to what you want you can return it. Easy as that.
If you can find a used BHK preamp, it should be your next step.
And I’ve got one I’ll sell him.
If you are at all tempted by a preamp I recommend a Decware one, any of those offered. They are excellent and I have been using them for over 20 years.
Lead time is very long for new items (3 to 5 months now!) but there are used ones out there, this is an excellent example:
Maybe a Don Sachs DS2?
Don is easy to talk with and can customize (within reason) to match your needs. I use one in my office system and really enjoy it!
Best,
-JP
Funk is a very small but highly professional manufacturerer in Berlin, Germany. They produce very, very good studio stuff. Try their Funk MTX Monitor in their current version. Absoluteley pure sound, not any edges just telling you, what your sources are producing. Never boring, very fast, not sounding the sources of your choice. For instance my DSD and DMP, perhaps very soon the awaited PST 
Funk MTX Monitor is made for decades of enjoyment …
Since you want to improve tonality, you may want to consider a tube preamp where you can roll the tubes to dial in your tonal preferences. If you don’t absolutely need new, go to US audiomart or audiogon, click on preamps and then tubes. With up to 3K to play with you have a lot of great choices. Here is a listing for prima lunal dialogue premium with additional tubes well within your budget. I have it and love it. The only thing to consider is that it is not balanced. I don’t think that is a problem with the 700’s but OMKM.
Good hunting!
That looks interesting. TY for the advice
+1 on a used BHK preamp. This thing is truly magical. It replaced my perfectly fine Innersound Pre. Also let’s you get your feet wet with tube rolling without going broke. I currently have Baldwin/Raytheon 12AU7s in the BHK and they are fantastic ($40 for a perfectly matched pair).
I agree with others that have posted above. The BHK pre is a stupendous pre, and would be a fantastic addition to your Stellar stack.
I just sent you a brief DM.
To add another useful feature of the BHK preamp, the built in headphone amp sounds quite good.