Seeking advice on tube amps


So, I have decided that I would like to step on over to tube amps. So far I have 2 different amps in mind

1. Genesis m60 monoblocks
I have heard great things about these amps from personal friends, to a great review in 6moons, although I have not heard them in my system.

2. McIntosh MC275 v4 or v5
I have heard this amp at a mc dealer but not in my own system.

My speakers are currently paradigm studio 60 v3 91db 8ohm.
They are the next thing to be upgraded after the amps.

So of those 2 choices, does anyone have any input of the 2?, or more amps to add to the list the fall into the same price point / performance level?

I have also entertained the idea of looking into SET amps with high efficiency speakers, but I don't want horns or some really funky looking speaker. I know some exist out there, I have just been finding it hard to find the information on it.
tmesselt
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!
First... lots of great advice here that is backed up with meaningful reasoning and experiences .

But , my experience has shown me that the amp can affect how a particular speaker will sound especially if it is a neutral and revealing speaker .

Case in point , the particular speaker that I am now using sounded just wonderful with a tubed intergrated amp . And just terrible with a SS amp driven by a tubed pre . A different speaker was ok through the tubed pre/SS amp and really dark and muddy through the tubed int. ! A third brand of speaker barely showed any difference at all between the two different amp setups . These auditions were done in the same location with the same cables , source and music .

That day showed me the importance of system synergy .
Shop for your speakers first if you want but please pay attention to what is driving them !

Good luck .
03-12-09: Saki70
...the amp can affect how a particular speaker will sound especially if it is a neutral and revealing speaker .

Absolutely! Which is why it's important to choose the speakers first. If you own neutral speakers, then you can buy an amp to tailor the sound however you like...neutral or colored.

That day showed me the importance of system synergy .
Saki70 (Threads | Answers)

I'll bet synergy had a great deal to do with impedance match and whether the speakers were designed using the Voltage Paradigm or the Power Paradigm (see this white paper written by Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere).
I don't know that I necessarily buy all of this 'you must pick the speaker first' talk. I know many who choose the speaker around the amplifier....SET fans for instance. They choose to enjoy the SET sound, then go out and find speakers that cater to the flea-powered amps.

In a system, one does rely upon the other, amp and speakers, however, which one is the priority is up to the system coordinator.

Cheers,
John
John, those who assemble a SET system enter a very specific audio realm
where amplification and speakers are designed to work closely together. One
can safely assume speakers designed for SET amplification will work with
nearly any SET amplifier. It's easier to match gear, and comes with less risk. Do
you agree?

IMO, this is a different paradigm from someone searching for speakers to use
with push pull or OTL tube amplification where speakers designs are much
more varied.

I agree that one can select an amp first and buy speakers second IF the buyer
knows what to look for in a speaker that is tube friendly. Still, if one is starting
from scratch, why design a system around an amplifier rather than around the
sound of a speaker one likes (that is also tube friendly, if a tube amp will be
used)? This seems counterproductive to me.