Anyone ever heard of 'The Wave tube amps?

I have a pair in my bedroom system and they're worth every penny (big understatement!) 8 honest watts. If you plan to use them, be sure to run them into efficient speakers (89db at least.)

If you haven't tried tubes, this is definitely the place to start. If you don't like them, they'll sell in a day or less on Audiogon.

Just to keep the thread moving... I have actually built my bedroom system *around* a pair of these little amps, because of their combination of price, awesome sound and small size. If you use speakers >= 89db, you can get very good volume (my refoamed/sealed cab Boston A60s rock very nicely at 89db), though to really air it out, I would look for a little bit higher efficiency.

I have NOS '74 Sylvania tubes in them, and plan to do the 47uf Auricap upgrade at some point in the near future. These are great-sounding amps, don't let the price dissuade you.

My main rig is Rogue M120 monblocks with Svetlana KT88 tubes (120w per-side) with 104db efficient Klipsch La Scala (pros, larger bass driver)... and I still find much of the same magic in the Waves. They both have the liquidity and intoxicating tonality and involvement that tubes deliver, and I love them both for the punchiness of the push-pull design (I tried the Rogue M120s in Triode, and while the top-end was as sweet as any sound I've heard, the bass was just too shy for me to leave them there.)

I have interconnects costing more than twice as much that I would let go in a heartbeat compared to these amps.

Seriously, they cost less than a 1m set of Red Dawn or Neutral Reference.

I keep thinking... 1m of good interconnects, or 2 great little tube amps? 1m of good interconnects, or 2 great little tube amps? It still blows my mind. Almost everyone can afford to play with a pair, just sell a spare set of ICs off to justify it!

TWL, if you haven't read this article before, it's right up your alley. It's a great example of single-driver, low watt on the cheap. They hit on the same combo you mention:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0801/coolaudio.htm

These amps and their price put the fun back in audio.