Advice on selecting a tube amp

Nicknac,
Regarding the SET amplifiers it depends.
Speaker load 'ease' drivability, room size and typical listening levels. I'd guess 6-10 watts as a minimum to manage 90 db sensitivity and an 8 ohm load would be a good starting point. At your stated price range there are more choices with integrated push pull tube amplifiers. The Coincident Dynamo is an 8 watt el34 SET for $1300.00 . And is
said to use very good transformers. What volume levels do you usually listen to?
Charles,

Charles1dad,
I sometimes read and listen at the same time. The music is usually medium to low, Almost background with favorite parts turned up a bit. Nothing LOUD.

I had been looking on ebay and found a few things I had been considering. There is so much there it's easy to get lost.
1) YAQIN MS-650B 845 x 2 Vacuum Tube Hi-end Tube Integrated Amplifier silver

2) STEREO TUBE AMPLIFIER INSPIRE by DENNIS HAD KT88 TUBE SINGLE ENDED AMPLIFIER Had was the head designer for Carey. I had read a lot of favorable things about Carey. This is hand built by Had.

CharlesDad
Coincident Dynamo, Price starting at $999.00.
SPecs and reviews look very good. One reviewer mentioned it was hard wired. Is that the same as point to point?
Sorry for the nub like questions

Hi Nicknac,
I don't mind the questions at all, that's how we learn and develop some sense of organization. Hard wired= point to point, the 999.00 ptice was the introductory price (may or may not still be in effect).
With Dennis Had (Cary) or Israel Blume (Coincident) you'll be in very good hands. I'm more familiar with Coincident and can say that their products are simply top quality in built, sound and customer support. I have no reason to doubt the Dennis Had amplifiers, word of mouth is very good.

You actually have quite a few choices in your range when you factor in the Chinese products. Some of these are better than others, Line Magnetic (Chinese) is said to be one of the premium level amongst them.
Given uour type of music and the listening levels I believe that a SET amplifier is a very viable option to consider. I wish I knew more about your speakers as that's really a major factor in determining a successful match. SET amps are very simple circuits and easy to maintain (fewer tubes to worry about). The key is having good quality transformers and well designed power supply. This is where I'm most confident with Coincident's track record (high quality transformers and part selection).

Take the time to learn about the different brands mentioned and get a basic understanding of SET vs push pull tube amplifiers. I'm partial to SET amps but either type is capable of providing excellent music reproduction.
Charles,

Nicknac,

You can't go wrong with Quicksilver. Amazing sound and built like a tank.

What pre-amp do you plan on using?