@Canada Rob
I had bad experiences with solid state so far. But I will have a look. Thanks!
@Beatlebum
Thanks for the offer! Does the Inspire IFA-1accept EL34 or 84 tubes too? How can I get more information about Dennis Had amps? Can barely find anything about them. Looks like a secret club or something..!
Dennis sells his amps directly on Ebay under the username Radioman731. You can contact him via Ebay for information. The Audioaficianado thread I posted earlier is the single biggest repository of information about these amps on the Internet. There are a number of Audiocircle members who also post over there. Dennis is the former owner and chief designer of Cary Audio. He "retired" a few years ago and started fixing up old Magnavox console amps a few years ago before selling scratch amps under the Inspire Fire Bottle name.
Dennis has two basic amps: a SEP amp with one tube, driven by a 6SN7 (earlier versions such as my own use a 6DJ8 or 6CG7). The amp will run any pentode or tetrode you can plug into it, from an EL84 with socket adapter to a KT150. It will put out about 5wpc with a 6V6 or 12wpc with a KT88 or KT150. His other basic amp is the PSE - parallel single ended power amp (I have one of these as well). It is largely the same as the previously described amp, but uses uses 6SN7 > parallel output tubes. It runs from 10wpc (6v6) to about 20-24wpc (KT88 or KT150). It is pretty easy on output tubes. According to Dennis the KT77 is the killer tube with this amp. The amps are all handwired point to point and looks professionally done in the small volume manufacturer sort of way. He chooses parts he likes that that he thinks are worth the money. He does not use uber expensive boutique parts, though he will substitute if you like (to a degree). Currently he likes the Jantzen Silver film coupling caps. The output transformers can drive anything from 2-16 ohms.
Pricing for the amps run about $1,300 for the single SEP amp and $2,300 for the PSE amp. If you buy an amp, you can also get the insider price on a killer tube line stage as well. He sells the LP-27a preamp (type 80 rectifier, 27 or 56 tube > 6SN7). It has three inputs and two outputs. It comes stock with an ALPS pot but he will upgrade to a DACT stepped attenuator if you wish at cost. I think I paid about $1,400 for mine with the DACT.
The filler setup would be an LP-27a with a KT-77 PSE for about $4,000 total. This combo would drive any speaker with a sensitivity over 90dB. The sound can be tweaked by rolling 6SN7 tubes and the output tubes. There are owners who have spent as much on tubes as they have on their amp, experimenting with as many as 20 or 30 different tube types and brands.
The sound of the Inspire amps is more McIntosh than Dynaco. The PSE amp reminds me as much of a McIntosh MC225 as any other amp I've heard. Keep in mind that these amps are two stage and like to be driven by a preamp (or high output source). The LP-27a is a perfect match for them.
He also will do some special versions such as a triode wired SEP amp or even a SET 45 amp, but most of his amps are the SEP or PSE amps I described.