Devore 0/96 - Integrated AMP help

Lots of Line Magnetic recommendations!  I would have suspected more Leben pairings out there with Devores.  Questions to the Line Magnetic owners:
1) Are the big power tubes (845, 300, 805) easy to source?
2) Are decent tube replacements expensive?

The Line Magnetic is one of the cheaper alternatives recommended in this thread for sure but I am curious about longer term ownership with these big power tubes.

Thanks!

 

It’s interesting that @rs67 felt his Pass edged out the LM805 when my experience was just the opposite - I had the Pass XA30.8 paired with a VAC Ren MKV pre and the LM805 was actually quite a bit better when paired with O/96’s. The only caveat I will add is that I do tend towards jazz much of the time but the bass extension, texture, air, and 3D soundstage was simply much more impressive to me with the LM amp. I do run the LM805 with the VAC pre and found it makes a material improvement versus running the 805 as an integrated. I suspect VAC integrated the volume control much better than LM.

@crandell The LM805 does benefit greatly from replacing all of the stock tubes and it can get a bit pricey depending on your tolerance, but it doesn’t have to. I run a vintage Mullard ECC35, a pair of 60 yr old Tung Sol 6SN7GT round plates, a pair of Psvane ACME 805’s ,and a pair of EML 300b-XLS tubes. Really a stunning presentation of music.

The Leben is a well-known great match with the O/96’s and offers more flexibility because of the tube choices it accepts but you may feel it doesn’t quite comparatively deliver the dynamics and certainly the "SET magic" of the LM805.

The XA25 has a different SQ compared to any other Pass amp. Once broken in it has a very SET like presentation that works well with DeVore speakers i also had the DeVore super nines which were my favorite DeVore speaker.

In a few weeks I should be able to tell you how an eight watt SE zero negative feedback Class A amp sounds with O/93's. I also use Auditorium 23 loudspeaker cable which is a match made in heaven for the Orangutans. The amp in question is https://ampsandsound.com/products/nautilus
I will run it balanced between preamp and amp with my ARC Ref 6. 
This amp will be quite a contrast to my other amp, an ARC Ref 150 SE. 
My room is on the small side-18 x 14 x 8. 
I am also biased in favor of heavy transformers. But transformers come in all levels of quality and engineering. A lighter Japanese precision hand-built all silver transformer can sound far better than an off the shelf no-name transformer built with average wire three times its size and weight. Very few amp manufacturers build their own transformers and even those can be outdated designs. Finding a source of precision made well engineered trannies is a challenge for any amp manufacturer. I am also biased against ALPS volume controls. I just don't like them. In my view, they are cheaply built. I intend to bypass the stepped attenuator that comes with the Nautilus-even though it should far surpass any ALPS, and use the more sophisticated volume control in my Ref 6. 

@rh67

The XA25 has a different SQ compared to any other Pass amp.

I was wondering if perhaps I extrapolated my XA30.8 experience too far when comparing it to the XA25. This is good to know!