going to tubes, just one question..

FWIW power ratings can be misleading. My Audio Note Soro (SET) is rated at 18 watts and can drive my 88db speakers to near all they can handle. The Soro sounds like it has closer to 80 watts and very vibrant and flowing it is, the music flies out of the speakers.

Speaker impedance is usually the issue with tube amps, they usually do not like to go down to 4 OHMS. This can be helped with an autoformer like Paul Speltz sells at zeroimpedance.com. You replace your speaker wires with them and can increase the impedance load the amp sees depending on which wire you use. You can fine tune the sound to tighten up the bass as much as you want, they are fun and very good.

Just my 2 cents

Spearker impedence (as indicated by posts above) is very important, not only nominal impedence but minimum impedence, as well as a fairly flat impedence curve. The output impedence of the amp is also important as well and should be as low as possible. When I last shopped speakers for tubes I settled on a speaker which had a minimum of 5ohm and nominal 8ohm rating and a fairly flat curve. Even though its efficiency is only 86dba I drive can drive it to very high levels (for a medium sized room) with only 80wts from a PP amp. It is all about proper matching of the speakers and the amp.

Dear Gelmhirst: If you don't care about music then you can move anyway you want, but if you really cares about music then you can't go with tubes: 1- when the signal goes inside any tube the tube it self produce harmonics at audible levels that does not exist in the recording, 2- the signal in a tube amplifier has to goes through several metres of wire inside the transformers that degraded the signal ( this not happen with a SS amp ) and ( not the last one )3- a tube amplifier change the frecuency response according to the changes in the speakers impedance, so that tube amp is functioning like an equalizer.
If this is what you are looking for then how Kehut told to you: great move.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.

the journey to tube can be exciting and can also be heart breaking. start with medium powered amps that are dependable. although there are many speakers that do not require a lot of power, none may suit your taste. 100 watts of tube power will play most speakers. here are some modestly priced, great sounding, dependable amps. MUSIC REFERENCE RM9 MkII about $1200 to $1500. AUDIO RESEARCH D 115 Mk II again about $1200. YAKOV ARONOV 9000 MONO BLOCKS around $1800 and there 960i intergrated amp about $1000. yes I have owned all of them and would own them again. good luck

the journey to tube can be exciting and can also be heart breaking. start with medium powered amps that are dependable. although there are many speakers that do not require a lot of power, none may suit your taste. 100 watts of tube power will play most speakers. here are some modestly priced, great sounding, dependable amps. MUSIC REFERENCE RM9 MkII about $1200 to $1500. AUDIO RESEARCH D 115 Mk II again about $1200. YAKOV ARONOV 9000 MONO BLOCKS around $1800 and the 960i intergrated amp about $1000. yes I have owned all of them and would own them again. good luck