Yeah, I'm an old tube-roller who has spent many years restoring vintage gear. IMHO, the finest pre-1970s amp I've worked with was the original Quad 2 monoblock. You can sometimes find them cheap online. I had a pair restored by the factory and it was worth every penny.
These little Class A amps have to be paired with the right speakers -- no Magneplanars, thank you! -- but when you do, they're remarkable. In my case, I used them with a restored set of original Quad ESLs. Dead friggin' quiet, fast as heck, transparent and overall, as J. Gordon once said, downright pants-wetting.
Yeah, they're not for everyone by any means, but I just wanted to add my 2c. Gear that you still remember fondly 20 years later doesn't come around too often.