Your journey with lower-watt tube amps -- Can a kit be good enough?

@decooney Thanks for commenting. I’m not giving up my Pass XA25 or my QS Mono 60’s so I won’t be out on a limb with this next amp. I also know that these speakers have worked fine with SET amps in a room around my size, so it’s a question of finding the right amp for these speakers in my space with my other gear.

Sure. I do wonder if it could also be a functional and costlier challenge of finding a quality kit SET amp that's an improvement over what you already own right now - if overall performance is a consideration.  

@hilde45 I will keep it simple, it should always be about the circuit design. Whether the circuit is executed on a board or hand wired should not matter. What matters is starting with a well thought out circuit design. It's helpful if the design is reliable and if needed, easily serviceable as well. So circuit layout and parts selection are important intangibles as well.

VK Music assembled preamp and p/p Elekit amp and SunValley phono preamp with all the upgrades. Very Happy and very Good Service! Highly Recommended…

Many thanks to the additional posters and to the additional advice. Lots of brands to consider (Yamamoto, wow!) and varying advice about kit vs. used, etc.

One thing I notice at work that puts people on different sides of an issue has to do with framing -- is an amp purchase like "getting a car" or like "taking a vacation"?

We want to have a good outcome with both, but we want a "car" to do "the job." We want a "vacation" to not be unpleasant, but we often want "surprise," "novelty," and to gain "new perspectives."

Some people want audio to do a job. Some want from audio what they get from an interesting journey or vacation. After a vacation, that money is gone. You don’t resell a vacation. You come out the other side a slightly different person. That’s what I want from audio. That difference might come from trying something that is not "end game" but will teach me something, and add perspective.

@hilde45  I appreciate your vacation analogy. I enjoy the experience from trying different approaches to this audio hobby. Could not manage it in the past, however now have kids through college and have house paid off.