Audio Research VT80SE amp vs Prima Luna EVO 400 or 300

After much further research and consideration, I have decided to test drive a Prima Luna Evo 300 integrated.  The dealer offers a generous 60-day trial period, which raises my comfort level considerably.  The dealer also owns a pair of the same speakers as I do and chooses to use an Evo Integrated to power them.  He could use any electronics on the planet.

  I will report back. Thanks again for all your contributions.

@ps 

Don't hesitate to try different 12AU7 tubes and their variants in the two front center positions on the integrated. They will change the sound characteristics more than any other tube swap.
Although I also changed my power tubes to NOS Mullard EL34 XF2's and was rewarded with a sound with more weight and openess.

Enjoy and experiment with your 60 days....

My advice is, skip the tube amps and go for a Pass Labs class "A" amp! 

My pre-amp is an ARC LS 28. I have had the ARC Ref 75SE and VT 80 in my system, and they were pretty good. However, I noticed that they (the amps) were a little on the bright side. So I decided to try something else. I got out of the tube power amp business and got a pair of Pass XA 60.8's. All I can say is, "Wow!" The tube pre-amp in combination with the class "A" solid state is absolutely fantastic! I play all types of music, from Beastie Boys to Miles Davis to Led Zeppelin. My speakers are Harbeth Monitors 40.2. Everything sounds completely natural and real, almost like being in the studio with some vinyl recordings.

Don't be fooled by the low power ratings on the Pass Labs gear. Most of us don't push more than 10-15 watts during our regular listening anyway. Besides, the power ratings on the Pass gear are fairly underrated; they are much more powerful that the rated specs suggest.

I purchased my Pass amps from Reno HiFi (renohifi.com). They do in-home demo's for all their Pass gear. I recommend contacting them if you're interested. They are really great folks, and they have some incredible deals on demo and used components. 

Good luck, and happy listening!

I run PrimaLuna with Sonus Faber speakers. Great synergy!

Don't hesitate to try different 12AU7 tubes and their variants in the two front center positions on the integrated. They will change the sound characteristics more than any other tube swap.

i agree with this ^^^