which tubes for which genre ?


i have finally decided to turn to tubes but have no idea where to start, i've been reading into 2a3 and 300b triodes but they seem to have a reputation to shine in accoustic and vocals. i mainly listen to rock do these tubes do well in rock or am i better off looking elsewhere? i use the dynaudio audience 42's
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2a3 and 300b triode output tubes used in single ended fashion perform their magic typically on female vocals and small acoustic groups. They are low powered, and require the use special high sensitivity speakers which also should present a high impedance (typically 8 ohms or more)load. You would probably be best served by a "push-pull" tube design. You don't state your budget, but a good starting place would be something on the order of a Dynaco Stereo 70, or one of its clones, (I believe some of the newer models put out 120 watts/channel) which would drive your speakers quite nicely in a medium or smaller room, provided that you are not looking for "headbanging" sound levels. If your budget can stretch higher, Atma-Sphere, Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, to name a few, are brands to have a look at. Please remember that tubed gear requires some maintainance which can be a pain in the A--, and can be costly, so consider the price of retubing, along with the difficulty in setting bias voltages (if needed) when making your decision. One other thing, tube amps can generate a lot of heat, nice in the winter, but not so nice in the summer. FWIW, IMHO, if you just want to get started into tubes. . .The Dyna's are, and have been for quite some time, hard to beat at their price points. If you don't like it, you should have little or no trouble reselling. Happy Listening
For what you're interested in, SETs might not be the way to go.

Do some research on push-pull designs which should give you the power to rock out. KT-88 based designs could get you there.

Another option is using a tube preamp with an SS amp.

Good luck!