i am an ARC fan all the way. I started about 6 years ago with a pair of Classic 120 monoblocks. They replaced a pair of bridged Parasound HCA 2200ii. I also bought an HCA 3500 to try as well and sold all the Parasound amps. I later went to the REF 150 and then decided I wanted simple and got a GSi 75. It was a fantastic integrated but was not enough for my Wilson Sophia. The bass would cut out at high volumes. I went back to separates and got a REF 75SE. Boy did the Sophias love that amp! Never strained and so sweet sounding. I highly encourage you to stick to the plan for a tube amp. I tried some Wilson Alexia 1 last year and took the REF 75 SE with me to get the speakers. The man had a brand new McIntosh 450wpc amp, forget the model #. We both like the REF 75 more and the output was the same! I don’t know what it is about ARC wattage but with the REF 75’s power supply, you are set. The GSi 75 doesn’t have the same power supply and I would confirm with ARC about the VT80 SE before getting one. The bias procedure on the REF 75s is super easy as you do it from the faceplate. The 150s suck as you have to remove the cover and do on the board. REF 75s will always sell so as long as you get one at a fair price you have no worries. Good luck!
Tube amps under $7500
Ready to experiment with combinations never before (or not recently) tried. Step one requires a tube amp. Now looking at Prima Luna EVO 400 which sells for 5K. Any other tube amps I should consider in this price/feature range? Must come in silver with balanced input. For pairing experimentally with various tube and SS preamps. Efficient 4 ohm Legacy speakers (and the room/setup) are the constants.