Seeking advice on tube amps

Speakers first it is, then amp shortly after!
I'll keep everyone posted, but now this will be delayed a bit.

How can you pass-up the Genesis M60 Monoblocks if they are priced right?? Take them with you to audition speakers. If the dealer won't let you connect them to his demo speakers then eliminate that brand & model from the list. Dealers know the limitations of their products and won't willingly let you discover what those limitations are.

T, I relize you have now committed to the 'speaker first' process, which I highly indorse (like Tvad, I have wasted a lot of money trying speakers without paying enuf attention to proper amp matching, just using what I had on hand), but FWIW slowing down the process is a very good thing, because matching amps and speakers to get what YOU want to hear isn't a walk in the park.

Its easy to buy based on what you THINK you read in a review, but reviews can be a serious trap for the unwary, those who are unfamilar with the lingo, or the priorities assigned to the reviewer, and interpert them too literally. For example, I didn't think that 6moons review of the Genesis was all that much of a 'rave', in fact it convinced me that I didn't need to explore it further than the review, even though I was/am in the market for a high quality tube amp.

As I said, FWIW.

03-10-09: Commcat
How can you pass-up the Genesis M60 Monoblocks if they are priced right??

Easy. They may not properly drive the speakers one owns or wants to own. Then what?

Buying a component solely based on a "good deal" is a poor way to assemble an audio system, unless the good deal is well below the current market price and you're certain you can resell the item without a loss.

Tmesselt,

Yeah, we've all been in your shoes. Just enough money for one upgrade, but needing (well, wanting really!), to do two upgrades.

One thing I have done is to do the optimal upgrade first, and do it properly, and then do a "place-keeper" upgrade quickly thereafter. As an example, about 5 or 6 years ago, I wanted to upgrade my speakers first, and then my amplifier second. I finally settled upon the Revel Studio speakers, but I knew that my amplifer was not quite up to the task of driving the Studios, as it was not quite powerful enough. (At the time, I had a Mark Levinson No. 27 stereo amp, that was only a 100 wpc amp.) So what I did was buy the Studios, and live with the somewhat inferior sound for a couple of months, while I sold the Levinson No. 27 amp (for $1,500). As soon as I sold it, I quickly bought a "place-keeper" amp, a used Levinson No. 23, (for $2,000), which had 200 wpc, which was the proper power for those speakers.

FYI, what I mean by a "place-keeper" amp, is one that is of sufficient quality, (and more importantly "power", in this case 200 wpc), that it will work for the time being, but as soon as finances permit, will be upgraded to something more fitting the speakers you've chosen. Typically, using a vintage amp works best as they can be bought, and more importantly sold, for nearly the same price, so that you don't lose a significant amount of money, as you know you'll be upgrading it within the next year or so. Ultimately, I sold the Levinson No. 23, (for $1,800, which was only a 10% hit for two years of use), and I ended up with the Lamm M2.1 monoblock amplifiers, which drove the Revel Studios to their ultimate best sound. And in fact, the Lamms were so good, that I kept them when I finally upgraded beyond the Studios to my current speakers, the Eggleston Works Andra II speakers.)

That is my two cents worth anyway.
Good Luck in your search!