Looking to get into tubes?

I'm 58, started with tubes at age 16, went SS later but was never really happy. Now I have tubes again and I love them. I think the Rogue Cronus is a good suggestion and so is the Audio Space AS-3i. Both unfortunately near the top end of your budget if you can find them used.

Another good brand which was marketed for a while here in Canada is Passion Audio. The i-11 model is a bit better-sounding than the i-10 and should still be close to the low end of your budget. These amps were produced by Antique Sound Labs and voilà, that's another brand you might consider and a little easier to find.

Remember the output transformer is the key to sound quality in a tube amp. I recommend the Audio Space and Passion units for that reason. I have heard the Cronus briefly at a show and liked it but I didn't get to ask about it.

tube gear is cool, but you're stuff...as you already know..is totally classic ss hifi. a dynaco 70 is a nice alternative to ss, and in many ways, as sweet as many more expensive esoteric pieces. a blue collar marantz b if you will. i have had an mc275 for years, but it never displaces my revox gear for long. not because it doesn't sound a bit better, but because its so minimal, its meaningless (at least to me).

What makes tubes sound good are not the tubes, but rather the circuit. How many times have you heard that tubes sound sweeter, mellow, less bright, blooming, natural sound decay, etc.? What does that is the pure class A circuit for which tubes are known. You don't have to have tubes for pure a class A circuit. There are solid state amps that have that same sound and you don't have to put up with the high maintainance problems with tubes. Check out Pass Labs, and Esoteric. There might be other solid state brands that have pure class A circuits as well. Perhaps others can contribute more solid state amps brands with this tube sounding circuitry.

So, this is turning into an interesting debate. Talking about tubes, it goes from set, push-pull choices back to solid state and class A solid state. My vintage Yamaha has a class A circuit which does sound a bit better but runs much hotter(but is stock and way old). Ok let's discuss the pros and cons of Class A solid state... Monarchy, etc, etc...? You tube guys, don't be shy about anything you might want to say either. Not only are these forums informative but someone always puts a smile on my face. Thanks guys, please keep posting your ideas.

To me there's no point arguing about the relative sonic merits of tube and solid state. Class A solid state is an interesting option to me, I have heard ones I liked, but I have not heard any that I would willingly give up my tubes for. Which brings me to my point. The only way to decide the SS vs. tube question for yourself is to listen to them, and of course that's been said many many times.

I think there _will_ be a pertinent debate appearing more and more strongly in the future, and that's low power designs vs. the classics, whether tube or SS.