tube or tube-like amp recommendations?

Mhyde2, Do you have a price estimate or guarantee that a certain price will not be exceeded when you restore your amp at Vintage Amplifier Restoration?
I found that when I stumbled onto a pair of Dynaco A-25 speakers, for only $5, the vintage sound was shockingly enjoyable. The price was almost as good as being paid to take them. I have not taken for any restoration, but your idea to optimize a classic is intriguing, if it is cost effective to do so. Whoever decided on the "voicing" of components at Dynaco seems to have hit the mark with your amplifier, too.

Well..... you could get a nice tube integrated... or tube preamp and save your money for a tube amp.... There is some quite good sounding solid state out there but I've always ended up having to go back to tubes for a lifelike presence of music and real enjoyment. Lot's of integrated choices: Jolida, ASL, Cary... For powerful music seen a 6550/KT88 based ultralinear push pull integrated, for more intimate and seductive sound, go for triode amp, EL-34 based amp, or both.
Art

Same old same old !
Tubes VS Transistors its like comparing apples to pine apples, both have their merits and pit falls, I use an old Dyna ST-400 at 250HZ down in a biamped system for driving my EV-18's sub, the tube amps are MC-60's that are crossed over 250HZ up for mids and highs which are very sweet in this range, transistor amps make very good Low frequency amps and tube amps make wonderful mid to high frequency devices, tube amps tend to get soggy at low frequency due to the output transformer its hard to pass what is close to DC through a transformer, thats why at best 30HZ is the cut off point of MOST tube amps for the exception of OTL's transistor amps seem to screach at high frequency, mosfets has helped that some what but still the same is noticeable
Try mixing and matching with a cross over bi-amped system you may like the results.

I use an ARC LS 16 tube pre. It is just slightly tubey but did the trick. I don't think too many SS amps are going to do what I think you want. Try a tube pre, you won't go back. Also some tube pre's have a home theater bypass so you can run through them using a home theater preamp when watching movies.

Hey Mark,I noticed your using MC60s. How will they match up with my Cremona Auditors?