Beginner looking for guidance into tube sound.


Hello all, I am looking for some input on the best way to add tubes to my current mess. I currently have what I am sure everyone here would consider barely a step up from my parents zenith HI-FI circa 1977. please keep in mind I am lucky if I can afford to look in the window of an actual audio store. 
I currently have a Peachtree nova 300 and a Marantz CD player and a pair of monitor audio silver 500 speakers. A friend gave me a blue sound node 2i also. I have always wanted a tube powered amp. I see these Chinese amps like the Muzishare X7 and Willsenton R8 that have lots of great reviews. Or maybe a tube DAC. Then I see the Black Ice for ss-x. Each having less tubes respectively. Not sure how much that matters but I would think the more tubes the more tube sound one could expect. I would like to be in the $1000. range but would go to $1500 if I had to. My goal is to find the best most cost effective way to enter the tube world.  
johnfritter
When I decided to go the tube route I bought a Jolida Fusion 6802 from Underwood Hi-Fi when Walter was blowing then out at a $1000 under MSRP. I didn’t want to get in too deep and figured I couldn’t go wrong. I absolutely love it. It’s powering 87db bookshelf speakers nicely. My next tube piece will be a phono amp. I’ll then start chasing speakers. With all that said a Raven will be next integrated amp.
Mechanic, see comments above:  40W monoblocks
These are beautiful amps, need to find the age and provenance.

atmasphere9,468 posts
05-25-2021 1:24pm@johnfritter If you get a tube amp use the 4 ohm taps for you connection to the speakers. Your speakers are not particularly tube-friendly due to the low impedances in the bass region (3.1 ohms). If you like what you hear, consider a speaker that is higher impedance and otherwise easier to drive- that is where tubes can really show off what they do.
The preamp is an option I had not considered but I can run the Peachtree in power amp mode as well as preamp. Maybe I would be better served looking into tube preamps. This just seems to make more sense the more I think about it.