Considering switching to Tubes


Hello all, 

For the last ten or so years I've been listening to music on my home stereo, and for the last 10 or so years I have been 100% content with everything about it. And then my best friend brought by a Chinese integrated tube amp, and my world fell apart. 

Currently the set up is:
Speakers: B&W 805s 
Amp: Rotel RB1070
Preamp: Rotel RC1070 
CD player: Rotel RCC1055
DAC: TEAC UD301 

The B&W and Rotel gear was purchased whe  I worked at an electronics retail store through the employee purchase program (I think it was cost -10%), the TEAC was added to try out streaming through the system, which in all honesty is what I do 99% of the time now. 

My friend and former colleague brought over a recently acquired Yaqin MC100B, and I simply can't stress enough how much more I enjoyed listen to the music off of that integrated Amp. 

Which leads me to my questions, should I just give in, and grab a relatively affordable tube amp? And secondly, I've been reading (mostly about Yaqin, because I'm not in the position currently to invest 5000+) up on their various models, and the two that seem to be what in looking for are either the MC100B which I've heard on my system and the MC13S, which I have not. The first uses KT88s and the second uses EL34s, I'm not a big bass loving guy, and the EL34s intrigue me, but I'm a hesitant to jump in without listening to them. The snag is, I live in the arctic, and the only really way for me to try them at home, is to purchase them. 

I'm open to arguments for and against swapping out the rotel, for yaqin.


Cheers, 

esp803
About six months ago I decided to give PrimaLuna a try based on all the favorable reviews and comments.  I started with a Dialogue Premium HP amp, replacing a McIntosh MC152.  The sound through the PrimaLuna was significantly better than through the McIntosh, even after less than the recommended burn-in time.  I was sold, so I then bought a Dialogue Premium preamp, and the sound is even better.  The PrimaLuna products (bought new) can be tried at home for 30 days, and if the buyer is not satisfied, he or she can return for a full refund (excluding return shipping charges, of course).
I've owned a Yaqin mc50L for a couple years now. I absolutely love the music it makes. Having said that there are always caveats. The original tubes were junk, in fact one was dead on arrival. I'm currently using jj kt88s, nos mullard, 12at7s and jj 12au7s. The parts used to produce these amps are of decently high quality. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Yaqin product but, a person could find a used amplifier right here on Agon as well. Either way, tube amps are the right choice for people who love music.
Oh yeah esp803, if you have the budget for a Prima Luna integrated and they'll give 30 days to try, highly recommend you go for it. Unlike SS where its a crapshoot with tube gear the similarities are to where after a while you can just look at what tubes and how its made and with a few choice comments be pretty sure what you'll be getting. Then on top of that you live with tubes you come to appreciate which features really matter and which are merely nice to have and which are pretty much a waste of money. If I were looking the Prima Luna would be top of the list it ticks all my boxes.  

Didn't have time with my first post but wanted to say I had a similar "rock my world" experience with a tube integrated. Made a trip out of state to listen to something else wasn't thinking at all of a new integrated but that's what they had running their main system. Never before had heard anything even half as captivating, and that included a lot of three and four (and probably even five) times as expensive solid state amps. Because of where this was I had to sort of drag my wife along and that tells you something too because afterwards it was her more than me who wanted to talk about how good that system sounded. Tubes just have this natural ability to draw you in that is hard to explain technically but you know it when you feel it. Its hard to overstate the value of this because even going beyond the sound of the tube amps themselves merely by being in your system they give you a reference that if you listen will help guide you to getting even more of that same quality from everything else. If you can do that, have not only the amp but everything all the way down to the power cords drawing you into the music, wow. What its all about.
Esp803, for me,tubes are still the best. Music in Class A is warmer, deeper,more holographic, more detail . But i think it’s not a match with the B&W 803. I don’t like B&W on tubes, because these speakers are more analytic,not a good ratio between high,mid and low.
I suggest : Ear, Papworth, Audio Note , Jadis, PrimaLuna. And other speakers.
When you said Chinese I was awaiting the magic words "Line Magnetic".
Not sure where the budget is but this company is #1 right now in the
"reasonable" price world. Any tube selection will make you happy!!