young and new to analog.

i think i've decided, i think i want to go tube for my integrated amp...being that im a guitarist and i love the way a good tube amp sounds, if i can get my music collection sounding that way, ill be pretty happy. as far as tube amps go though, is there anything specific i should know about them before i dive in?

and i have another question as well...will adding a power conditioner to my setup really make my system sound exponentally better like all these things ive been reading say?

The amp question should be considered in tandem with your speaker choice. I would keep to the higher impedance with a relatively flat impedance plot and higher sensitivity end of the spectrum, such as a minimum of 89dB sensitivity and preferably 8 ohm impedance. That will mate well with tube amps and particularly single ended triode amps if you choose to go that route.

A good conditioner can make a big difference, particularly in high resolution systems. If you are keeping the budget low, it may not be a priority, at least at first. You can always add one later. My advice is always to stretch the budget on what you absolutely need, one piece at a time, then upgrade things like cables etc. later.

Klipsch Heresy speakers are GREAT for rock, GREAT with tubes, easy to pick up used and I save the best for last...cheap. You really need to keep this speaker in mind.

thanks for the suggestion synthfreek!