Personal amp evolution

Over the last 20 years:

Some nondescript Akai integrated
Naim Nait (the first one)
Musical Fidelity A1
Mission Cyrus II/PSX
SimAudio Celeste 4070
Sugden Au51P
KR 18 BSI
Coincident MP-300B

My preferences have now come into sharp focus. I'm a tube person, and I'm not likely to leave the land of the glowing botles any time soon.

It's been up and down for me over the decades (yes, decades)

Looking just at the amplification side:

Magnavox receiver (I was a kid)
SAE (can't remember the model number any more)
Golden Tube 80
Electrocompaneit
Now moving back to tubes with a Manley Stingray or a modified JoLida 302B

F7

Started with a Yamaha CR-820 receiver in 1976. Excellent product.
Next was a pair of Bryston 2B-LP amps running in bridged mode for each channel. Terrific sound. Still about as good as I've heard.
Then have gone all over the map.
A McIntosh MC-300, then an MC-275 followed by a pair of VTL 200 monoblocs (all the tubes I would ever need) and then on to an MC-162 followed by an MC-500. The MC-500 is one of my favorite amps. Very big balls and microdynamics to die for. Had everything. Very sensitive to the correct preamp though (and McIntosh has never made a good one). Tried a Sony TAN77ES (very nice) and am now hooked on MOSFETs. Best of tubes and solid state. Downsized two years ago to move into a condo at the shore. Bought another Sony, though this time it was their largest MOSFET integrated amp, the TA-F808ES. Runs class A up to 25 wpc and then AB to 100. Wonderful sound. Am now thinking about bi-amping with an Aleph 30 for the top end. Any thoughts out there? BTW, I enjoy Stereophile. Has lots of info as long as you pay little or no attention to their BS. could do without Art Dudley, the putz supreme.

I got a suitcase style record player when I was 12
Bought a Pioneer SX-535
Sold the SX bought a Yamaha CR-820
Brought the CR-820 back (didn't sound right)got an Onkyo A-7
Sold the Onkyo and used my Dad's Radio Shack reciever 10wpc
Bought a Hafler kit combo built the preamp amp never came
so I took a Nakamichi 600 series amp in its place which I
didn't like so I traded that for a GAS Son of Ampzilla
Had a borrowed Arcam A60 in mt system for a while
Bought a used Ampzilla IIa from a competing store for $100!!
Bought two Citation 16as in 2001 and 2002
The Ampzilla has a blown output stack which I'd like to fix
The Son is working but currently not in a system
The Citations are used to drive my Vandersteens
Thinking of Bryston or Audio Research amps or maybe a second Ampzilla

I have resisted answering this thread for sometime now because I wasn't sure if I had really found my audiophile stride, but, now, I think that I have: I'm a tube guy. I think that I have always been but just didn't realize it.

So here goes:

--Sony integrated (not sure of the model or specs---maybe 25 watts/chn)

--Fisher integrated (when I was in college--back when all I thought I had to do to get high-end sound was go to the Good Guys and buy anything w/ 100 watts).

--Cambridge Audio A3i (bought new on Audio Advisor)

--Mistral Integrated (bought a demo from AA)

--Pass Labs Aleph 30 mated to a VTL 2.5 pre

--PS Audio HCA-2 with the VTL

--Rogue 88 w/ Electro Harmonics kt-88s with the vtl.

With that last set up, I have finally found what I'm looking for: Tubes. About the only thing I feel like I want to try is a VTL amp(s) of some stripe.

I don't think that I'm going to be spending much more money, though. Well, okay, I just thought of one more possibility: the SET mono 300b thing. But, still, I'm going to hold onto the Rogue until I know that whatever I buy next actually sounds *better* and not just different.

What's cool is that this whole thing, on balance, has been fun. I haven't really bought anything and felt that it was a "mistake." But fun is what it's all about, right???