Adding a tube amp is a good idea?

I certainly hope so because I’m about to build a little 6L6 tube amp for my 95db speakers. I’ve driven them with small Pass DIY Class A SS amps. They have such a sweet sound, but now I want to hear what tubes do. I’m told 6L6 tubes are particularly clear. It’s fun to play with such different gear.

@jfuquay  Curious. What amp kit do you have and what speakers?

You kinda have to go out and hear some of the candidate amps.  Tube amps vary in sound MUCH more than do solid state amps.  I am a tube amp fan, but, I find that a lot of high powered tube amps sound brittle and unpleasant on the top end.  This has been the case with some, but not all Audio Research amps, so at the fery least, listen to some tube amps.  Also, consider not going the high powered route; a lot of people starting out with high powered tube amps amps end up buying more modest 40 or lower watt per channel tube amp.

You have a nice linestage so I know you are looking for a power amp, but, you should listen to something like the Synthesis Audio A100 tube integrated amp (it has a very good built in DAC too).  The company makes power amps too, but they might be a bit high in price.  My local dealer has a lot of customers switching to A100’s (100 watts per channel) or its baby brother the A40 from some pretty exotic solid state amps (e.g., D’Agostino, Pass Labs) and tube amps (e.g., top end Jadis).

@corelli

The amp is an Elekit 8200R from Tube Depot. It’s supposed to arrive today. It comes with JJ 6L6GC power tubes and the usual 12AU7 inputs. A guy in our local audio club built Elekit’s 300B kit - went all in with the WE tubes and other upgrades, like Lundahl output transformers - and paired it with 93db speakers. I’ve heard it and it’s wonderful. I’ll probably set my amp’s jumpers for ultralinear (8 watts pc) at first, since my understanding is it’s optimized for that. You can also choose triode (4 watts pc) and pentode with the jumpers. The thing also has an auto bias circuit that adjusts for different tubes, so you can pop in EL34s, KT66 and other, similar tubes. I’ll feed it from my DAC at first and then from my Pass diy preamps and see what works best. It’s got a volume control of its own. I’m excited. Hope I don’t fry myself with the voltages these things operate on.

The speakers are DIY bookshelves with one 6.5-inch full-range driver each. I sourced all the parts from Parts Express. I searched for an 8-ohm speaker with 90+db sensitivity and carbon fiber cones (just because I like the sound of Wharfedale speakers and figured their woven Kevlar cones had something to do with it). I was a little shocked they sounded as good as they do. No, they don’t make much bass, but I added a little Martin Logan sub I got cheap and it all works together nicely. The setup is just for a family room we spend a lot of time in, so it’s not intended to be the end game system.

I knew it!!  I think you will like the Elekit 8200.  Read some very good things on that unit. If you like it (and I'm quite sure you will), consider upgrading to Lundahl OPT.  I think it will pair up great with your FR driver in triode.

I have a Ray integrated with the 6L6/Lundahls driving Omega speakers.  They work great together.  Very synergistic. 

Let us know how you like the Elekit.