you guys gave me some new cheap-ish tubes to check out. thanks!
i've been enjoying a Jolida 202A for several years now, and still wondering what, if anything, could beat it in bang-for-the-buck. i still haven't reached the tube upgrade stage but that will come shortly.
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0203/jolida202a.htm
http://www.jolida.com/catalogue/models/jd202a.shtml
http://www.ecoustics.com/avrev/jolida/