Need advice - EL34 switchable Ultralinear/SEP

The best sounding amp that I know which also happens to be incredibly flexible is the Cary SA-280 V12. It will run 100 watts per channel in ultralinear then go in 1/3 increments on-the-fly into triode mode down to 50 watts per channel. Sounds awesome with EL-34's but will also run 6550's/KT-88's and more. I love mine. Great value on used market when you can find one... under your price point too. It tends to run hot but it's very well made and should be a good match with the Maggies (it has both 8 and 4 ohm spkr taps and is very stable, well behaved, and even easy to bias! An additional plus is how cool all TWELVE power tubes look glowing in their "runway" configuration. Good luck, it's worth seeking out. Happy Lissn'n.

No worries at all...They are very easy to bias, you will get several thousand hours (at least 2 - 3 or more) and the price of EL-34's are still quite reasonable. Each time you re-tube it's very easy to do and the sonic pleasure of running output - tube based amplifiers is both unmistakably pleasant and instantly addicting. The Cary V-12 series is an excellent example of a user friendly and extremely satisfying component in one's music system...it just makes wonderful music and is WELL worth the minor "maintenance requirements" for such soul-satisfying pleasure. YM ("Your Mileage") WON'T Vary... IMHO, as good as many fine SS amps can and do sound, you've never really become "One with the music" until you've basked in the sound of all those glowing music - making valves (no insult intended to you SS folks). Just do it. Good luck