A little know secret of the used high end is the Forte 1a, the predessor of the 4a. Outstanding amp for the money. 50 watts per side deeply biased into class A but sounds much more beefy than 50 watts. They go for right around $400-500. The Forte 4a is also a consideration at ~ $700. More open and dynamic than the 1a "very much like a good tube amp" says Robert Harley of Stereophile.
I need tube sound without the tubes
I've been running tubes for awhile and am just about fed up with all the problems that tubes entail. I've spent the past five years putting out fires...sometimes literally. Problem is I love the tube sound. Now, I'm a poor social worker with a taste for caviar and a pocket for tunafish...anyone out there have any recommendations for a great cheap amplifier that sounds sorta tubey. I need at least 75W per channel to run my speakers effectively. Cheap, my doctor and lawyer friends, means around $400. Maybe I'll be able to afford more in my next lifetime. Anybody want to make a donation to charity?