... contemplating either vintage Mac 225 or something from the EL34 family, as a change of pace.If you may be considering a vintage EL34-based amp I doubt that you could do better than a pair of Marantz 2 monoblocks. Although of course they appear for sale only rarely, and are quite expensive. I owned a pair during the 1990s, and they handily bested the legendary and considerably more expensive Marantz 9 monoblocks I also owned around the same time (although it's possible that condition might have been a factor in that).
I've never heard a Mac 225, but I suspect it would also be a fine choice. As you are no doubt aware it is considered by many to be the best sounding amp McIntosh has ever produced. Perhaps not coincidentally, I believe it was the only consumer-oriented separate (non-integrated) power amp McIntosh produced using the 7591 output tube.
Good luck. Regards,
-- Al