Retirement integrated amp for a “fiscal conservative”


I’ve taken the plunge and am now enjoying the 2nd week of retirement after 44 years of work, including 42 years with the company I just retired from.  
 

One of the retirement goals I’m really looking forward to is spending much more time enjoying music with my main system!

I’ve pretty much gone digital (but do have a Linn Sondek LP12 to enjoy LPs purchased in the 60’s - 80’s). 

My system consists of a Rose 150B streamer/DAC and a Primaluna CD player for digital playback. I use a Roon Nucleus for Roon/Tidal new music research and listening. Speakers are original Joseph Audio Perspectives. 
 

I enjoy all types of music, but mostly listen to jazz (preferably smooth but am exploring all of the various forms of jazz). 
 

I’m currently using a Primaluna Dialogue HP Premium integrated amp which I’ve enjoyed for many years. Here’s where the “fiscal conservative” part comes in; this amp has 8 power tubes. Even with Primaluna’s great low tube stress design concept, I’m not looking forward to replacing power tubes every couple years with my retirement bonus listening time. Also, I’d like to get additional damping factor bass control than my current amp provides. I love the tube midrange and treble range sound, but would like an upright bass to sound more like a wood instrument (hard to describe in words) and hear more natural note attack and decay
 

I’d like to get ideas/advice from A’gon music enjoyment experts on a replacement integrated that still provides the acoustic sound of tubes, but doesn’t require new tubes every couple years/2,000 hours and is a great match to enjoy jazz on the rest of my system which I plan to keep. I’m open to used or new with a cap of say $8,000. 
 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions. 
 

Eric

ezstreams

After years of tube amps but also facing retirement (congrats btw), I too decided that 9 tubes were too many. I had a Rogue Cronus Magnum II and loved it. My love for Rogue products got me to upgrade to the Pharaoh II and couldn’t be happier. I’d suggest you add it to your auditions. Best of luck!

Check out Lavardin ITx.  Great SS integrated that is famous for its analogue sound. 
Also well known for their build quality.

I’m also just entering retirement and have sensitivity to high frequencies.  I’ve been slowly converting my system to Audio Note.

Good luck

Atoll. I recently auditioned the SDA 200 and ordered an IN300 amp for my retirement system. The IN400 is supposed to be even better but out of my price range. Check out reviews by the British Audiophile. I also listened to the Bel Canto E1X all-in-one (long time Bel Canto fan and owner)—wow! Bested the Atoll but at a higher price point. Good luck — there’s a lot to choose from. 

I'm primarily a tube guy but also really enjoy my Luxman 550AXii.  Warmth of tubes with some solid state "grunt" for the bass.   Since getting it my tube amps have been getting less use.