Next step: tube pre or tube power amp?

A tube amp will make more of a difference than you think. I went from a Carver C-1 Pre to a Cary SLP98P and thought it made a big difference. Then I went from a McIntosh 7270 SS Amp to a Cary CAD 120S Tube amp and it makes a HUGE difference. Good luck in whichever direction you move towards, I think you'll love the tube sound.

It depends on the nominal and low impedance specifications of your speakers.

If your speakers are 8 ohms nominal, and if the lowest impedance does not dip below 6 ohms, then I would suggest a tube amp will get you more than a tube preamp.

If your speakers do not fit the above profile, then a tube preamp would be the choice (but it won't deliver the sound of a tube amp).

75 watts should get the job done.

While your speaker profile will come into play, I can't quite agree with Tvad's numbers. I've been driving a pair of speakers that are 8 ohms nominal and 4 ohms minimal, 89 db sensitivity, in a fairly large room with a 80 wpc tube amp for a year now with no problems.

Tube amps will give you more *tube* flavor than a tube preamp, however, if your speakers are a difficult load, a tube preamp is the way to go. Another possibility is a good tube integrated amp.....plenty of them out there.

Cheers,
John

Thanks guys for the feedback. My speakers are GR Research AV3s in an AV2 cabinet. They are 8ohm nominal/6ohm minimal and 91db sensitive. I may one day move to the GR Research Neo2x which are the same rating, but much less sensitive - 85db.

I'd prefer a tube power amp for WAF and convenience - I can hide it behind some fake greenery in our AV cabinet...

I am also researching the Peachtree Nova - the integrated tube amp with built in DAC. A bit beyond my budget, but it looks like a great all in one package. My local Rotel dealer is also a Peachtree dealer, so I could a/b them and see what I think.

thanks for the feedback so far

09-09-09: Stevecuss
My speakers are GR Research AV3s in an AV2 cabinet. They are 8ohm nominal/6ohm minimal and 91db sensitive.

You should have no problem with a tube amp. Depending on the size of your room and the volumes at which you listen, you could probably get away with less than 75 wpc, but I'd still suggest 75 wpc minimum.