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

@hilde45 no problem...I was just babbling on about whatever was popping into my head. Your thread is a topic I've been thinking more about recently though. I always just assumed one needed speakers with just a high sensitivity like 98db plus to be able to use an oldskool sound SET amp. Trying my Fritz speakers with a 25watt tube hybrid amp made me think that I might be able to get away with a low watt SET amp. 

I didn't have my Fritz when I listened to the GU50. I sold this guy an old pair of speakers & drove almost 2 hours to hear it & some other things he had. All of his speakers were older & mostly diy stuff. I just took his word for it that the couple speakers we listened to were 92-93db sensitivity when using the low powered amps. Everything sounded natural, big dynamic swings, clarity, just realistic. But I couldn't honestly say if my speakers would sound or could be handled the same way with low power. 

So I debate that if I'm really going to invest in a true SET amp that I should first build or own some speakers that where designed to really thrive with that type of amplification. Though I would take a chance on a good budget priced kit. Maybe it's all in my head but I do think there is something different yet enjoyable to a tube rectified single ended triode preamp & amp. 

I do think that going forward I will be more interested in diy & kit stuff..speakers included. I see now that I'm better off buying quality drivers using crossovers someone else designed & then implement quality parts. I've only done budget type preamp & tube amp builds but the outcome so far has exceeded my expectations. Low noise simple circuit tube gear sounds pretty good. 

I guess it just depends on where one is in their audio journey. If one is still out there striving to find the best sound possible then a kit is probably the very last thing on your mind. If you've gone that route, spent that cash, seen what you really get every time you up your budget & want to explore something really different..try some DIY. Get your feet wet with a kit that has great build instructions. Buy a soldering iron. It's kind of a cool feeling when someone comments that the stereo sounds good & I can say, thank you..I built that. My wife thinks it's amazing. I have yet to tell her that I'm just following someone else's instructions. 

Just my two cents, but having owned multiple ST70s and ST35s, I like the ST35 much better.

@hilde45 This is a comment worth exploring! The ST35 uses a triode Voltage amplifier while the ST70 uses a pentode. In addition, the smaller output transformers of the ST35 have wider bandwidth.

The input of the ST35 uses a 7247 tube, which is a 12AX7 section and a 12AU7 section in one envelope and is in current production. The 12AX7 section is the Voltage amplifier and the 12AU7 the driver. Since the 12AX7 is far more linear than a pentode (and has the most gain of any miniature triode) when feedback is applied, the tube distorts the feedback less (than a pentode) so the feedback is more able to do its job properly. This results in less higher ordered harmonic generation, so this is a much more interesting and relaxed amplifier to listen to and will fulfill your lower powered amplifier interest.

If one of these is properly built/refurbished it will give any SET a run for the money! It will play bass better, be more revealing (less distortion) and more neutral (less distortion).

And there’s a kit! Or there was. Their website says out of stock.

Go with the metal film option. Carbon resistors are really terrible.

Another source for pre-built all things Dynaco is: GetDynaco GETDYNACO.  My understanding is that Kenny Russell is the builder.  I have no connection to his products, but learned about them from the You Tube channel drD E Audio who uses a Kenny Russell ST-70 and Pas-3 preamp.  The combination sounds stunning with his Klipsch speakers.

Wow! Thank you @jetter and @atmasphere for the additional comments. The thread is really becoming a resource for others, as well as for me.

I built the Analog Ethos 2A3 Legendarium kit.

Perry is very helpful and the instructions are easy to follow.

Along with the instructions is a section explaining how it works.

Good parts, I didn’t feel the need to upgrade anything but the coupling caps.

You can download the instructions on his site.

I have to say though, a James Burgess 2A3 amp sounded a bit better for just a bit more money.