Good budget tube amp?

as far as compatibility with my speakers goes, is it just the impedance I need to worry about? So, whether it can handle 4ohm/8ohm, etc? Also, in my searches, are there any amps that I should definitely stay away from?

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the time you put into your responses. I am going to spend some time later today going over them in depth. So far, I really like what I'm reading. The idea of putting my own tube amp together is exciting, from both a performance point of view and an economic one. It would also be a good educational experience for me since I know very little about tubes (even though I'm an engineering student and an audiophile). I also understand that there may still be good deals out there that are better than anything i can put together, so I will definitely do my homework in that regard. I will probably have more to say after I'm finished going over all your responses in depth and googling everything I don't yet understand. Thanks again.

I regards to my totem speakers, what exactly isn't great about them for pairing with tubes? I've heard them with a rogue audio Cronus and i thought it sounded great. So, what exactly do you mean--do other speakers pair much better with tubes, and if so why?

another question I have...other than power, is there any reason I should prefer the ST-120 over the ST-70 or vice-versa?

Please, by all means ramble as much as you'd like, because I am eager to learn about tube amps. I've been reading as much as I can lately about them. In addition to the Totems, I also have a pair of B&W CM7's that I use for TV-system. Since they're 8 ohms and higher efficiency, would you say they would be a better candidate to match with tubes? I know people have reservations about B&W, myself included, but for some reason the CM7's sounded particularly nice to me. Either way, I'm sure that I will eventually upgrade my speakers as well.

In regards to the amp, I am seriously considering putting together my own from a kit--so far I've only seen kits from Bob Latino, but are there any other noteworthy places to get kits that are worth comparing?. I'd like to take advantage of any potential good deals that pop up on here or ebay, but it's hard to pull the trigger on an amp that I've never heard solely based on faith, and it's hard for me to evaluate the condition/quality of specific listings of old tube amps since I don't have the experience. I can't find anywhere to audition these either, as much as I'd like to listen to them. My only source of reference are new tube amps that I hear in local audio stores selling for much higher prices. The places near me carry brands like Rogue Audio, Rogers, PrimaLuna & McIntosh. I imagine I'd learn a lot by putting together my own as well. However, since I still want the best bang for my buck, I would still just buy a complete amp if it were a much better deal. What do you think? There is still the worry that I don't know exactly what the finished product will sound like. So, how would you describe the sound characteristics/overall quality I can expect from the Dynaco amps versus something I might hear at the store? Also, what about other brands like Jolida? The Chinese Yaqin amps?