I wouldn't consider spending $500 on tubes as a waste. The sound improvement can even be heard by my non audiophile wife, and on a $30,000 system, $500 is not that big a deal.
The telefunkens were $80, and sound good. The Amperex EL34's really helped out the bass and midrange.
The telefunkens were $80, and sound good. The Amperex EL34's really helped out the bass and midrange.