Let me start off saying that I love tubes, particularly as they pair with the mainly acoustic jazz music I enjoy most. My main system until recently has included tubes in most of my components (amps, preamps, phono stage). I’m going to throw out a suggestion since you characterize your aspiration as a retirement system - which, all things equal I’d want to be as versatile and trouble free as possible w/o sacrificing the sonics you crave.
Consider a Pass Labs Class A amp and pair it with tube gear up the line - a XA25, XA30.5, or XA30.8 (if lower power is required consider the First Watt line as well). What I have found that by replacing my all-tube amplifier with a Pass XA30.8 is that I’ve retained everything I like about tube sonics - the warmth, sweet mids, smooth lack of grain, and fluidity yet gained immense detail, bass slam, depth/width of soundstage, lower noise floor and imaging - it simply digs so much deeper and plays a wider variety of music in a much more compelling manner. The overlay of tubes in my line and phono stage provide such a complimentary accompaniment that I really feel like I have found the "secret sauce" that works for me.
I never found things like biasing tubes to be a chore and in fact enjoyed the engagement with the equipment. But the reduced maintenance associated with much less tube replacement and dealing with inevitable tube noise has been welcome.
Just an idea to consider - good luck with your fun project.
Consider a Pass Labs Class A amp and pair it with tube gear up the line - a XA25, XA30.5, or XA30.8 (if lower power is required consider the First Watt line as well). What I have found that by replacing my all-tube amplifier with a Pass XA30.8 is that I’ve retained everything I like about tube sonics - the warmth, sweet mids, smooth lack of grain, and fluidity yet gained immense detail, bass slam, depth/width of soundstage, lower noise floor and imaging - it simply digs so much deeper and plays a wider variety of music in a much more compelling manner. The overlay of tubes in my line and phono stage provide such a complimentary accompaniment that I really feel like I have found the "secret sauce" that works for me.
I never found things like biasing tubes to be a chore and in fact enjoyed the engagement with the equipment. But the reduced maintenance associated with much less tube replacement and dealing with inevitable tube noise has been welcome.
Just an idea to consider - good luck with your fun project.