Can excellent tubes transcend modest amps?

Actually- The better and more resolving the equipment and system, the more you will be able to appreciate the difference NOS tubes make. I'm referring to some of the Holy Grails here(ie: Telefunken ECC801S, Siemens CCa, TungSol JAN CTL round plate, Sylvania JAN CHS/6SN7W tall bottle, etc.) and not just any NOS tube. The benefits of finding and installing a strong pair of NOS drivers/phase splitters in your amps will far outweigh the costs/time involved. The differences between these NOS and ANY new production tubes are NOT subtle either. Don't allow your ears to be ripped off by heeding the nay-sayers who, for the most part, have never listened to a system equipped with the best of the NOS valves. As far as output tubes: The prices of matched sets of NOS anything are now obscene(I WAS using matched octets of Phillips ECG 6550s in my monoblocks). I'll now only purchase outputs from Upscale Audio, as their screening/matching/burn-in procedures are second to none, and Kevin has always directed me to the right power tubes to suit my equipment and tastes in music reproduction. Happy listening!!

My first comment was that the better and more resolving the system, the more the qualities of NOS tubes would be appreciated. NO- They WON'T transform junk, and I fully agree that a well built power supply, quality caps, etc. ARE an absolute must for "high end" reproduction, but: Quality NOS tubes will still take a mediocre amp to higher level, and the differences will not be subtle. Incidently: A high-dollar set of Michelins WILL have more traction, and result in better stability, ride comfort and handling on ANY given car(providing said car didn't already have a better set of tires on it). Will they transform an Impala into a C6? Of course not! They WILL however make an improvement.

A pair of these: (http://www.tubedepot.com/pa-6sl7gt-3.html), and NOS TungSol JAN CTL/6SN7GT roundplates or Sylvania JAN/CHS/6sn7W tall bottle tubes from the 40's as drivers in the A-88T would probably satisfy your craving for a taste of the high-end pie(entry level, but solid). That would depend on your SPL needs, and the rest of the source material/system/room combination of course. Personally- I'd use Winged 'C' 6550's(the latest iteration from the St Petersburg factory) as output valves, as I know them to be a very clean tube. Slightly more power with the KT-88's, and you could well be pleased by the stock outputs. You didn't mention your tastes in music, or listening levels. Be certain to buy matched/tested/certified pre-amp grade(very low noise) 6SL7's for the piece. Finding NOS 6SN7 "Grails" that are screened for noise will be tougher, but they shouldn't be in as high a gain stage anyway.

Behmene- Kudos on not heeding the(never having tried it) nay-sayers!