Very true.
I would have sold the HA-3A at least twice, but rolling better and better tubes stopped me doing so and rejuvenated my growing love towards this amp.
As long as someone is willing to spend the same amount on NOS tubes as the amp's retail price, their ears will be highly rewarded. With such NOS tube set, at that value, the HA-3A is able to compete with some really serious amps.
Two things I have learnt recently:
1, with a tube amp you just purchase some sort of a 'base', a platform which you can significantly improve with good tubes. The retail price of a tube amp with stock tubes is pretty much half of what your amp will worth and will be capable of with a proper tube set.
2, for all these reasons I can't see another upgrade path for myself apart from the new Aegis. That is a little bit out of budget right now, and I haven't even calculated with rolling the plethora of compatible tubes including KT88s and so on. I am not sure if I will ever get there financially, but the HA-3A with some really decent NOS tubes is a killer amp already.
Betula
How true it is what you wrote
When I first started looking to get back into a desktop amp, Luckily it was at and I was able to at Can Jam walk around with my own headphones and listen to different amps, and the affect just changing the amp will create.
Showcases at Can Jam like ZMF where you can use the same headphone and plug into different amps is of SO MUCH value, thank you ZMF team!.
Having done this I had a nice but short list, so then it was look at the stock tubes, the cost of "good" NOS tubes, and then what are the cost of Holy Grail Tubes. (ALL of us wonder what those sound like, Admit it!)
This is how I came to choose the HA-3A.
It tested well against amps similar and even higher in cost.
But as you pointed out it was the cost and availability of NOS Tubes. (no slam to those who like to use new production tubes, as I've said before this is the beauty of this amp, you can do what you want, its not a narrow predetemined path.)
As an example, GOOD tubes for a 300B based amp using 6SN7 preamp tubes, the Power Tubes are usually aound $1000-$2000 a pair and the good Pre Amp tubes range from$100-$500 per tube
For the holy grail, 30's to 40's 300B tubes, they are $10K for a pair, and the Pre-amp tubes are approaching $750-1000 per pair.
For EL34/KT88 tubes, they are also getting up their for NOS, and getting harder and harder to find
The HA-3A as it utilizes 6V6 which are also used in Guitar amps seem to now also having runs on them and I've seen prices go up from even a year ago and availability plumet.
But the what many call the Holy Grail of 6V6 Tubes (the 5992's) are about $500 a pair currently. The Holy Grail (again other reviewers words not mine) is the G73R Telefunken and these will set you back about $750-$900 a pair.
While both are not cheap, much more reasonable than the holy grail tubes of other amps.
And you DONT need to get the Holy Grail tubes to get a great sound on the HA-3A. So as you noted, its reasonable vs other amps.
Taking the cost of tubes and the fact I could hear as example the HA-6A and HA-3A back to back, I chose the HA-3A.
So YES, agree with you 100% in all you have written above.
Changing tubes can dramatically change the sound of this amp.
Inputs into it (DAC's - either Sigma Delta chips or R2R, or going direct connect to a source like a PC or streamer or even a portable DAP) will also have a great impact.
Using good interconnects (RCA or XLR) will also have an impact. I've posted my findings from going from a good copper, to a good all silver (3n-5n) to a great all silver cable for my interconnects, and how it helped the sound.
As you have noted its balancing the entire sound chain end to end, of which the tubes play a part which allows this amp to shine, and while as wrote upgraditis is a thing we all deal with in this hobby, (funny I too have been eyeing the ZMF Lordgwyn Aegis Amp) as I don't have endless funds, the HA-3A with its flexibility, its price of entry and costs of upgrades (tubes and cables) has put it in a sweet spot for me of price vs performance vs value and for now, nope no new Aegis Amp for me, just going to sit back and listen for a while...AND enjoy it, but everyone has their cost limits and wants and needs so YMMV
Thanks for keeping us honest Betula with your posts!
And as always, what I write is IMO, and when it comes to tubes/tube amps, YMMV