Diving into the world of tubes...help needed!


Hi all,
I'm seriously considering diving into the world of vacuum tubes.  I currently have Focal Aria 906s which I adore...but may upgrade those in the future as well to a floor standing speaker.  For the beginning though, they will be my speakers.  Looking for opinions on the below amps/preamps, especially the pairing of the Emotiva pre with the EVO 100!

My choices have been narrowed down to:
  • PrimaLuna Prologue Classic Integrated Amp - would likely pair with a Schiit Loki to have tone control
  • PrimaLuna EVO 100 Power Amp - paired with EMOTIVA PT-100 preamp, would likely pair with Loki as well
  • Vincent SV-237MK Integrated Amp - needs nothing additional
Thanks in advance for your assistance :)
branden_8091
@berner99 Glad to hear.  One thing that really draws me to the PrimaLuna is the bad tube indicators.  I still think I'll go with the Vincent in the end though.  The only way I can audition a PrimaLuna is to buy one and then if I don't like it a 5% restocking fee would be charged.
Take a look at Rogue, had Primaluna Dialogue HP iintegrated and their straight non HP integrated. Sold them and bought a Rogue HP-1 Pre and a Atlas Magnum I sent both of them to Nick at Rogue, had the amp upgraded to a Magnum II and the Pre they checked out thoroughly, gave it a bill of good health and frankly, I think the sound is superior.
Additionally Rogue does it all in the US and I found their customer service to be unmatched! Actually spectacular more covers it!
For a tube set-up I recommend separates vs integrated as some have suggested. Mcintosh amps drive the tubes easily and auto bias, so you gain longevity and the engineering is not as subject to tube rolling as much. That said, I found getting a tube pre-amp first and hook it up to a solid state pre-amp. You'd be surprised at the results. Also, tone controls are cool and useful. Get them. One last note that tube amps are heavy because of their output transformers especially as more watts are added. Depending on your space tube amps need their own space or rack because you can't stack the components due to their unorthodox shape. Good luck with your search. Tubes are cool. 
Look into the coincident technology amps — the Frankenstein MK 2 monoblocks are exceptional. If you are only running one source, look into a passive pre. they’re simpler, and simpler almost always sounds better. Cheaper than a decked out active pre.. Placette makes an excellent one.

Separates will sound better if you’ve picked the rest of your system carefully. Synergy is all. iwhat you hear from whatever you decide to buy will also depend on your cables and isolation and room acoustics and other components. There’s a reason they are called stereo SYSTEMs.

I'll double down on good luck with Chinese made stuff. They have zero quality control. 
The Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III is awesome! If you can afford $17k for a pre and $20k for a power amp, the Audio Research Ref 6SE and 160S are exquisite. If you are not in that market, stick with an integrated amp.