Never Owned a Tube Amp and Want Advice

Another great thread, very informative! 

OP, what is your preamp?  Didn't see that mentioned anywhere.  My suggestion would be to get yourself a good tube pre and see how you like it with your DNA 500.  I'm using a DNA .5 (100 watts) with a Rogue Perseus tube pre and very happy for now.  Started small and cheap with a Schiit Saga tube pre which sounded good but knew I could do better.  As you've probably read here and elsewhere this could be the best of both worlds for you and a worry free entry into tubes (no biasing, etc.).   

I do have a Jolida 502b tube integrated (60 watts, Gold Lion KT88) that I used for years and still do occasionally.  The Jolida definitely gives you more of that "tube magic" but the .5/Perseus combo gives better bass control and punch.  

BTW, my speakers are old Snell Type D (rated at 87 dB and 5 ohms) and  not quite so old Gallo Ref 3.1 (88dB, 4 - 8 ohms?).  The Jolida powers them both quite satisfactorily for me in the 80 - 90 dB range.  Although, the Gallos do seem to play just a bit louder/cleaner before any hint of distortion.  I am very interested in trying some speakers over 90 dB with the Jolida.  Unfortunately, can't afford any Tannoys right now!  ;-}

Keep us posted

+1
@pkatsuleas My suggestion would be to get yourself a good tube pre and see how you like it with your DNA 500...

@dsper
Exactly. If you like separates, try this for a while if you want to learn and appreciate the differences a little more.   Allows you to leverage your current DNA-500 on the back end for a while. Add a really nice tube preamp on the front end. Get some good input/driver tubes. Still a bit 2D sounding, but it gets you half way there and its fun to learn how half tube and full tube sounds. 

Then curiosity about full 3D tube sound sets in for some after hearing the tube preamp in the loop awhile with SS amp on the back end. At that point, start eyeballing your future tube amplifier and decent interconnect cables to go along with the all tube setup.  Doing this in steps is fun too.

I own a tube amp and a ss amp. Swap them out to hear the differences and enjoy both greatly. Tube amps are more 'hands on' than ss amps IME. Tube amps also have a few idiosyncrasies that ss amps do not,IMO.
Firstly, what is not really mentioned here ( at least that I could find) is that tube amps are generally more costly to run. One has to budget for expected tube replacement. Also, typically IME the amps run hotter than ss amps. ( particularly Class D ss amps) So, if heat is a concern, and it should be in many parts of the world today, then this needs to be considered. Then we have the biasing scheme required by most tube amps...( unless they are self biasing, which is the way I would STRONGLY recommend you go). I used to own an incredible sounding tube amp, but the biasing protocols were bordering on criminal! This is less common today, but still something to be very much factored in. 
Lastly, expect a tube amp to require more warm-up than the typical ss amp. With a lot of tube amps one has to wait for the tubes to stabilize before listening to music, that generally is not a factor with ss amps. In case it sounds like i am down on tube designs, absolutely NOT, but one has to expect their 'requirements' to get the best sound. ( and that sound is one that I generally think sounds better than the best ss amps, at least that I have heard!).

OP, what is your preamp? Didn't see that mentioned anywhere. My suggestion would be to get yourself a good tube pre and see how you like it with your DNA 500.

I currently use two tubed preamps - CJ 17LS2 and PL Dialogue Premium. In my listening, the CJ is more nuanced and textured while the PL is more forward and analytical. The bass is better with the PL but that may be due to a slight impedance mismatch between the CJ and the DNA - 500. More tube rolling options with the PL, which I have done and can hear with the new Tylers even though they are not broken in yet. 

I also have a McCormack RLD solid state preamp that is not really that bad except it is a bit too smooth and polite for my taste.

My expectation is that a tube amp will improve the imaging, layered sound stage, and sense of aliveness I think I hear when the treble gets better detail without sibilance. 

Thank for listening, 

Dsper

LOL I should have just asked first before adding my 2 cents!