Newb - Ideas For Quality vs Quantity For 2 Ch Amp/Pre or Integrated (and speakers)

@millercarbon
It was suggested to me that a tube amp (not preamp) is not recommended to play all day long, which is usually what I do. Do you have a different opinion?

And I should have stated that I listen to pop, rock, soft rock, country, light hip-hop/blues/jazz/pianos.  No classical.

Asking a one note Samba to play something else?

Good one.

I’ve had great luck buying used mcintosh on Audiogon and usaudio. Check out my system page. The stuff sounds great, built like tank and holds its value with the best of them

Try not to completely rule out “simple face plates”. Hegel for example are excellent integrateds, with minimalist, modern looks. Parasound is another good example with the Hint 6 integrated, or a separates system. Very affordable and capable. Pass Labs used is a nice start too. You can put together a nice, but “used” Audio Research separates system together if you choose wisely and even get a good hybrid tube pre/SS amp for good starter $$. Speakers are another discussion entirely. You will get a different “opinion” from every answer. You’ll need to see what you have available to audition. A recommendation from here can be good, but still a crap shoot as a speaker that sounds amazing in one room/setup, might not in another. Then there are cables... and everything else. Just realize you are embarking on a journey, and unless you get REALLY lucky, you will most likely be seeking out just the right everything for awhile.

Check out Hybrid gear like Vincent or Pathos Acoustics.

I have a Pathos Classic One MKIII and it is a wonderful hybrid and will drive anything speaker wise.