Tube Integrated Under 1,500

+1 on the Willsenton R8.  I too wanted to experiment with an all tube integrated and after a thorough search of reviews, forums and comparative findings, chose the R8.  The build quality is absolutely top notch, which is unanimously pointed out in the forums.  Sound quality is excellent and it's a tube rollers dream.....it responds very well to a variety of NOS tubes so you can flavor it to your tastes.  I too preferred the lower powered triode mode driving speakers with a sensitivity of 88db @ 4 ohms.  Works fine in my smallish room.  

Enjoy!

Don't overlook the possibility of building one from a kit or set of plans. You will be surprised at the simplicity of an SET. If you know someone to guide you you will have a successful and satisfactory outcome. You can go for polypropylene filter capacitors in the power supply. These have an indefinite shelf life and life expectancy over the years and decades than electrolytic ones in amplifiers costing tens of thousands of dollars. You can have a chassis in any style you want. 

Bryland,

I've owned a Tubes4HiFi VTA ST-120 amplifier for 5 years, and loved every second of it. It ran my Thiel CS2.3 floorstanders for most of it's life, only being moved when I purchased my Thiel CS 3.6 speakers....which I've recently sold as well.

The Amp can be purchased as a kit with no tubes for $1,180, or an assembled unit for $1,600....I assembled my own, and it was easy (and not terribly time consuming).....directions were clear and precise. The driver tubes are 3 12AU7 (or equivalents), 6550 or KT88/KT120/KT150 output tubes, and a 5U4XX rectifier. Power with the 6550s is 60 high current WPC and the KT series runs up from there, capping out at 80 high current WPC?

I'm using NOS RCA "Clear Top" 12AU7 driver tubes, an NOS Phillips 5R4GY rectifier (swap in a Mullard GZ37 rectifier at times), and Tung Sol KT120 ouput tubes....total tube cost about $500.....this unit is a tube rollers dream if that is of any interest to you.

If you are up for a project and handy with a soldering iron, it's a fun project with the final product being a killer amplifier with very high end tubes for about $1,700

http://tubes4hifi.com/amps.htm

For the money a used Jolida is hard to beat IMO. I have a 302CRC and it’s just a really great sounding amp. Picked up for 600 bucks and has low hour RCA black plate input tubes and Eh power tubes. Plan on keeping it for 2nd system indefinitely. My first EL34 amp and I really like it. 

So I pulled the trigger on a Primaluna Dialogue One. It is set to arrive later this week. I expect I’ll be pretty smitten with it but will know for sure soon. It is an older design than my Dialogue Premium amp and pre so maybe the sound will vary more than I expect. Should be a nice little second system though with my Node feeding the Dialogue feeding my little Totems. 

Thanks for all the ideas given. I ended up with Primaluna anyways but all the opinions helped me realize I should just grab another Primaluna.