Help: low Maintenance Tube Amp short list.

I highly recommend the Atma-sphere M-60 Mk2.2's (and so does T.A.S.)! Ralph's equipment is VERY stable, no output transformer (but you would want a speaker with around 8 ohm impedance or higher) and has the sweetness of tubes, with the bass punch of transistors. There are adjustments for bias, and DC off-set. On this amp, adjusting these settings is about as difficult as throwing the power switch on, and adjusting the volume knob on your pre-amp. Don't let these adjustments frighten you...they're real easy, only one for each set of tubes in the amp (some amps require 2 or more adjustments FOR EVERY TUBE!), and once set, they stay set for a long time!

The Bat amps are among the simplist to operate of all. The 4 main power tubes (the big ones) are on a auto bais circuit. Plug and play. a green led tells you everything is ok. The other tubes do not require adjustment.

About the only thing you'll need to do is if a tube goes bad, which happens about every 1 or 2 years for me, isolate it and replace it. By bad, you'll hear static, rushing water noise, popping, etc. Just slowly change (with powered OFF) tubes from one channel to anouther until the offending noise swaps channels. That's the bad tube.

This is one easy amp to operate. Don't miss out on one the best amps around.

The EAR 534 has no bias adjustments to make and is 50 wpc. Go to the website of EAR and check it out . It retails for 3595 and up. I do own one and have it for sale now for 1900 shipped to you in an ad on Audiogon. Mine has balanced and rca ins/outs and gain controls for each channel. It can be in a mono mode or stereo. I recently went SS in my amp areas because of ventilation problems in my new cabinet area after the move. I am by no means saying it is the only choice available but it made my Quad 989's sound extremely good.

Berning ZH-270 is 70 wpc, has auto biasing, runs cool, has 10-20 year tube life, and has about the highest reliability rating of anything. Also has about the best sound, and is under $5k. Hard to beat. Plug and play. No long warmup required. Downside is that it looks very plain.

Note the CJ Premier 11A listed on Audiogon today. It's in your price range, is very reliable, easy to bias, and has the power you're looking for. (No, it's not mine.)