Anyone else constantly curious about amps?

@dogearedaudio I think that’s a reasonable statement, and it’s something I’ve thought about. I don’t feel on the day to day that I’m lacking power, but I have considered several higher power options. The class A power is consistently surprising. Like I said, I’m honestly quite happy with my amp. This is much more of the case of wondering eye than trying to fix a specific problem. There’s a reason it’s one of the longest standing pieces in my system. 

Even when I’ve demoed other higher power amps in my room, I still very much appreciate the tone of my Mastersound. That’s also why I have the curiosity around the Class A solid state options. I’ve not felt my power was lacking, so that makes me curious what similar powered SS would bring to the table. And in my original post I even mentioned the ultra high power Rowland options. That’s a direction I hadn’t previously considered, but after hearing their higher end products, I’m curious what the integrated would be like. Honestly the research rabbit hole changes constantly and I tend to refocus to systems that really stood out in my mind. I’ve only heard Rowland twice, and both times the systems really impressed me. I’ve heard Acoustic Research in a number of systems, some that I loved and some that didn’t appeal to me. Pass and Sugden have escaped my ears to this point, which is what has really sparked my curiosity. 

@jrareform  this is the same guy who says a sound card is just as good as any DAC.

It seems to me that in the quest to find the best sounding audio system, many audio enthusiasts may start out with the intent of upgrading their current system one component at a time, and eventually upgrade further components until the system is one that they are happy with.  From then on, it seems that they tend to focus on what they perceive to be the weakest link in their system, and then routinely change out that component, whether it's a turntable, CD/DVD player, streaming device, amplification or speakers. 

I’m also a tube guy at heart and I tend to keep tube gear a lot longer than when I have solid-state electronics.  I get bored with SS amps/integrateds after 6-8 months and look to try something different; whereas, whenever I’ve had a tube setup (tube separates or a tube integrated), I’ve held onto it for as long as 5 years without making any changes.   

In the late 90’s, I attended this Stereophile Single Ended Symposium in Philadelphia and it was the first time I ever heard SET amps and was completely blown away.  It literally was a whose who of industry people and I heard SET amps from Audio Note, Berning, Cary, Fi, Caztech and a few others using 845s, 211s, 300Bs and 2a3s on very efficient horn speakers and concluded while they all sounded incredible and was the b3st thing I’ve ever heard, it was the least expensive and lowest powered 2a3 monos from Fi that sounded best to me.
 

About 7 years later, I attended another stereo show in Central NJ put on by Vacuum Tube Valley magazine. On that day, I heard her many different setups, solid state Class A, AB, SET, PP, Class D, Class D with a tube preamp, and 15 or so different tube amps ranging from 300Bs, 2a3’s, 45s, 10s, 845s, EL84, EL34s, 6L6s, 6B4Gs, 6550s & KT88s.  Prior to that day I never heard a Class D amp or single driver speakers.  At the end of the day, my 2 favorite setups was an Italian SET amp that was demoed using 45s,10s, 2a3s, 300Bs and 52s on single driver Laemhorn speakers and an EL84 Dyna mkII reissue on single driver Omega speakers.  A close 3rd was a custom Dynaco Stereo 70 using 6B4Gs in PP Triode on Rogers LS3/5as. 
 

So, to the original post, maybe just pick up a couple SS amps of excellent performance at a reasonable price with different power ratings that you can swap in and out to keep it fun.  You can run the SS amps in the summer and the tube gear in the winter.

Some reasonable priced Giantkillers are:  

(200 wpc) B&K EX442 or EX442 Sonata, PS Audio 200C or 200CX, Perreaux 2150, Aragon 4004

(150 wpc):  Tandberg 3002, Moscode 300, VSP Labs TransMos 150, Odyssey Stratos, Nakamichi PA5

(100 wpc & below):  Classe Ten, Aragon 2004, Meitner STR50, Robertson 4010, Quad 405-2, PS Audio 100C, Acoustat TNT120.

Have fun and enjoy the journey.