Tube amp forethought

When my original version Freya arrived a couple of years ago with its stock "mystery tubes" (actually NOS Russians) they were very quiet, and displayed no microphonics. Hardly crap. I ordered a set of new version Tung Sols anyway and they sounded fine and very quiet but I wondered if NOS anything else would sound better. I eventually bought bunches of NOS Sylvanias and GEs, and decided the GEs were a little more to my tastes. Note that all of the tubes I mentioned sounded and performed fine, no microphonics or noise, just slight tonal differences as one would expect. The various Russian power tubes I've used in both my previous push pull and current single ended power amps have performed brilliantly, and really lasted...KT88s, 120s, 77s, 6550s, etc., including my current faves 7581As. 

I recently watched the Guttenberg "audiophilliac" interviews with Nelson Pass and really enjoyed 'em. Pass, Atma Sphere Ralph, the Schiit guys, Dennis Had...all refreshing and hip as...well...you know...

I've said it before but don't mind saying it again: Tubes are more fun. These days I use an original version Schiit Freya into a Dennis Had Inspire "Firebottle HO" (12wpc more or less depending on tubes) with 99db efficient speakers. The detail this rig digs out of recordings, the physical beauty of the tubes themselves (no user biasing with these components, but my previous amp, a great sounding Jolida 502p, had user biasing and I liked doing that), tube rolling (unlike transistor rolling which isn't a thing for most people) to change things a little sometimes...all fun...with a couple hundred watts of (2) REL subs to assist. There are no tube subs (or ARE there?), but RELs do use the tube amp signal so there's that. Having said all this I am planning to get either a Pass XA25 or a much less pricey Schiit Aegir to see if I'm imagining all of this so called "fun." The Aegir got a great review in Stereophile recently so that got my attention.