@tablejockey I have highly regarded and appreciated your posts and responses over the years, but you are misconstruing my statements above. I also did not say “it’s only an amp you buy if you spend on tubes.” I am very favorable towards the PL above, and all I say is “You should plan to spend”.
This investment is typically made, but it doesn’t mean that it is incurred up front. The fact of the matter is that most PL owners end up investing in NOS or aftermarket tubes for the unit. Perhaps they purchase it first and live with it for a few months or even years. But then, they do end up buying tubes for it that in total increase the total investment into the amplifier.
The $1,000-1,500 amount I believe is fairly on point because it covers a gamut:
- whether someone buys a 300 with four output tubes or a 400 with eight output tubes
- whether only two 12AU7 or all six are replaced
- whether an owner tries one tube type like KT88 and wants to try aftermarket EL34 after
… and so on.
The unit is a gateway to tube rolling, and I just wanted to inform the OP of that, that most succumb to rolling to get it to sound its best, and what it might cost overall. I had no other intent other than to prep the OP for this.