Compact ~20WPC Tube Amp

@dhcod 

With your budget you leave yourself with good flexibility in choices. I agree that Quicksilver amplifiers merit attention. I’d give Aric Audio a call/email. I believe that he could build a really nice quality amplifier within your price range. You’re in a good position with new and certainly used possibilities.

Charles

If you can find a Dynaco ST35, its a lot more linear amp than its bigger brother. But it makes about 17 Watts/channel.

SETs tend to have a limited amount of what I call 'usable power'. By that I mean its usually not a good idea to push them past 20-25% of full power. Based on your comments your speakers are nowhere near efficient enough to work with your SET.

If that 96dB number is real, your speakers are similar to mine which are 98dB. I find that I need a bit of power; at least 30 Watts. I have an average room, so I suspect you'll need at least that much.

So the amps you are looking for (if you stay with tubes) will be PushPull. They tend to have a much higher amount of 'usable power'; usually close to 95%.

The ST70 is not a bad suggestion in this range; the RM10 is another good one. Either should be properly refurbished. Another amp that might suit is the Harmon Kardon Citation 2 if you can find one refurbished. They make about 60 Watt/ch.

Another vote for Quicksilver.

And another for the Quicksilver Horn Monos!

agree with jasonbourne52 seek out a ST-70 properly refurbished.  I bought a new custom build recently from retroaudio on US audiomart for peanuts just to have a tube amp to rotate and it's more enjoyable in my system than my previous RM-10.  He's restored hundreds of Dynacos for decades and knows his craft.  He does ST-35's as well.

http://glowinthedarkaudio.com/chris-keller-st70.html