Tempted to buy a Macintosh

heh Dill, your sarcasm is inappropriate IMO. Many who come here do not have English as a first language. GTE, I owned the Almarro 318B for many years. It's a great low cost SET amp. The McIntosh SS gear you're thinking of will provide a very different sound presentation than you are used to.  Can you try a McIntosh at your home? If you really want to try out some SS there are many brands unless you have to have those blue meters. I've never been a McIntosh fan but many here are and will advise you.

@dill, thanks for pointing it out.  : )

@tuberist, yes, I think I either want a tube, or a SS with those cool blue meter.  I wonder how many people buy McIntosh because of those, LoL.  And your comment about SS will sound different likely very true.  That’s why I want to hear what other thinks.  Even though I like the look, the sound is more important.  If SS is the McIntosh thing, then I guess I will stay away from it until I am ready to change my whole set, to speakers like Focal or B&W.

You have a McIntosh dealer close to you.

https://definitive.com/bellevue

@dill 
there are McIntosh dealers in Vancouver, Canada.  It will be hard for me to find time to audition them due to the lock down with kids at home.  My question is more like, if there are successful story out there pairing McIntosh and efficient speakers like Zu.  And specifically people’s thought on MA252 compared to other models.  When I get a chance, I guess I can go to one of the dealer and try it with an Audio Note speaker if they have them on display.  The Audio Note are expensive and not a mainstream brand, but it is the only efficient speaker they have that is design for tube amps.

I'm not familiar with your speakers, but if they are as efficient as you note, then McIntosh power could be a very desirable choice.  While many might disagree, I find they provide super-clean power and uncolored flat presentation.  

Their tube amps are what made them famous and the one that most people reference is the MC275.  It's been made essentially the same way for decades and is now on its 6th generation.  If you're patient and watch the ads closely, I'm sure you could find a MC275 III, IV or V in decent condition near your budget target.  It features mono bridging if you want to go that route.  There are also standard mono units in MC40, MC60 and MC75 variants.

If you want to go SS, the second generation MC7100 (it features XLR input connections) could be a good way to go.  It offers 150 watts stereo and a mono bridge for 300.  It was made with a toroidal transformer, is well-reviewed for sound quality, is bullet-proof reliable and sells in the $1200 per unit range.  There are several others that you could consider, some of which are quite collectable and also near to your price point.  The MC2300 is a famous example and is the amp that powered the Wall of Sound back in the day.

A good place to start researching what's out there and find out the best potential match would be Audio Classics.  They're the foremost McIntosh retailer around, ship worldwide and have a stellar reputation.  They're located in Vestal NY, so not far from the Mc factory.  Surf their website - you'll find it a great source of information.

Good luck and happy listening!