Next step: tube pre or tube power amp?

09-12-09: Jw94055
One more time, a tube pre will give you the advantage of tubes without the heat and cost of a tube power.

One more time, a tube pre is a good starting point and will give you some tube flavor. A tube amp will provide more tube sonic traits. It all depends how far you are willing to go, and for some, it is the wrong direction.

Cheers,
John

A tube pre is the best start. Tube power amps are hot and expensive. In order to get the best out of a tube amp you will need to roll tubes, and that can get quite expensive.

Orpheus10, I don't disagree that a tube preamp may be the best way to start, to see if one likes the tube sound.

However, your second statement makes no sense to me. One could say the exact same thing about a tube preamp, that to get the best out of it you will need to roll tubes......that also can get quite expensive, in many cases more expensive than rolling power tubes.

My preamp tubes are more expensive than my amp tubes, because I notice that rolling preamp tubes makes more of a sonic difference than rolling amp tubes.

I will have to also agree with Tvad's post;It has been my experience that going the pre amp route will only give you a peek into the tube world.
If you really want the whole experience I would go with tube
power amps(s);as far as the last part of your question of power with 91 db speakers I would think you would not need massive amounts of power however; I think the answer to this question is more of a personal choice; remember you may not keep those speakers forever and having a higher powered amp may give you more options when the time comes.