Retirement integrated amp for a “fiscal conservative”

Find a used Luxman 509Z. I see them as low as $7500. I went through the "retirement gauntlet" over the past 2 years. I tried many integrated amps. Prices ranging from $4K to $20K. The 509Z was the best to my ears.

Tube replacement costs are simply a part of ownership of tubes. You have to weigh is it worth it to spend $8k on an unknown.

Tubes aren’t ultra expensive. So I don’t understand why anyone would consider giving up tubes for $500 every 3 years versus spending $8k on something else. So the cost of tubes is $150 every year. That’s a fiscally conservative cost in my book. What am I missing?

If you simply want something new I get wanting something else. But that doesn’t mean it will be better.

@re-lar-kvothe thank you and the many others who recommended the Luxman 507/509 integrated. Lots of love it seems for them. @ghdprentice I am curious why you sounded so down on Luxman when you posted your thoughts earlier?

@coltrane1 I hear you and your point. In this “last significant investment” in my system, I’m looking to improve the sound quality as I tried (hard to do with words) to explain in my original post. If I can get the SQ I “desire” with an integrated that doesn’t require multiple power tube replacements over the next 20 years I’m planning on living and enjoying music, then that’s a winner!

There are lots of different sounds available on the market. Well regarded companies have a wide variety of sound types. There are flashy "high end sounding", holographic, natural, overly powerful impactful, overly warm. At the center is natural and musical, sounding like the real thing. I understand different people are satisfied by different sounds, although I think there is a propensity as we get older for most (but not all) to gravitate towards more natural and musical. Tinny high resolution systems tend to wear on experienced ears. I try and allow for variation, but some brands fall outside of serious sounding audio and to me solid state Luxman falls outside that circle. It sounds like it looks. Sparkling analytical with a serious under represented midrange and nearly devoid of rhythm and pace... the heart and soul of music. Each time I listen to them... and I am including their very expensive pieces I am very disappointed. I try to give good advice... the kind that will hold up for most people over time as they learn and change. It looks just great... but to me it is the kind of sound that is just too far from natural to get excited about and so I try at least case some doubt, so that if someone is inclined, they listen a bit longer to it, so as to be really sure that is what they want.

CODA, Ayre, BAT, or Hegel H390 used/H400 new/H590 used.

I understand your cost constraints, but a separate preamp and amplifier will outperform the integrateds......but probably about $10,000 for the combo