Try this integrated / hybrid amp once you have the chance:
(It sounds even better with E80CC tubes, picture is with 12AU7)
http://www.absolare.com/integratedAmplifier.html
Cheers
NOA
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Hey Christoph, thatās a nice (and impressive) set of tube gear. Are you running all of these in different systems, or are you rotating gear? What speakers do you use?
Iām very old school (and very old), so my tube gear is ancient, although modded and upgraded to modern standards of quietude.
Tube amps:
- a pair of (circa 1962) Harmon Kardon Citation-II amps run as monoblocks (120wpc) with Mcshane mods and upgraded parts (10 tubes each)
- an (1959) Eico HF-81 EL-84 integrated amp (slightly modded for reduced noise)
- a (1968) Dynaco ST-70 with Welborne/Kimmel driver board and modded power supply+transformer running KT-77 output tubes
- a pair of (1960-ish) McIntosh MC-30 monaural amps
- a (late 1950ās) Pilot SA-260 power amp running EL-34 Mullards
Tube Preamps:
- First Sounds Living Presence line stage
- Aesthetix Rhea (Signature) phono stage (10 tubes!)
Tube Headphone amp:
- Mapletree Audio HD+ Super
Tube Source:
- Logitech/Modwright Transporter with tube output stage + tube regulation
I also have a bunch of non-tube gear collected over more than 50 years in this hobby, but you didnāt ask about that.
Happy New Year!
Frank
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The clicking is immanent with relay-stepped attenuators. Nothing you can do about that.
My big Silvaweld Preamp does this as well and I even like the clicking sound.
It reminds me every time I use it, how good the volume control in the Silvie is 
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Two contestants you should give a listen to as possible next Preamps for you:
- KR Audio P135
- Aries Cerat Incito
Both VERY good sounding and very good bang for the buck, almost affordable 
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@Jeff_Botts and @Krutsch, I found these dampers to be very good at taming microphonic tubes. They donāt interfere with convective cooling either.
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Hi Frank
Your collection is also very impressive but more diverse. My tube(only) amps are all SETs
I run them in different systems and rotate them.
My speakers you can see here: Forum poll. Do you have active, passive or full range loudspeakers? What do you like about them?
Again, good taste on your part. I love your choices!
I also move between planar speakers and horns/hi-eff. Iām in the middle of a move, so everything is in storage, but usually I have Magneplanars (had Acoustats & KLH-9ās in the past) and just lately Audiokinesis Prisma speakers paired with OTL Atma-Sphere M60 amps, forgot to mention these in my tube list.
But Now Iām reduced to headphones and bookshelf/desktop speakers until the move is done.
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Iāve got a BAT VK3i and a pair if Rogue Audio Magnum M-120s. The Rogues are especially good in below zero weatherš
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@Christoph I will definitely give KR and Aries. Now I just have to find a dealer here in the USAā¦
Hi Jeff
No Problem 
Kr Audio P135 (with huge KR45 Output tubes 
): http://www.kraudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=9&lang=en
You have to scroll almost all the way down
Aries Cerat Incito: http://aries-cerat.eu/about-us/distributors
I prefer push pull tube amps.
Here is a great preamp that actually is almost affordable:
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Hi Scott
Is there particular reason why you prefer PP over SET?
What is your preferred music genre?
Thank you for the preamp recommendation.
That is certainly a nice sounding combo, though I never heard it myself.
But from what I read about those pieces of gear, you should have a lot of fun with them.
My tube gear, especially the KR SETs and my big Silvaweld Preamp heat up a LOT
I probably should not have commented as I have not heard that many different tube amps. Of those that I have heard, I seem to like the sound of the push pull amps better than the SET amps.
I listen to Classical Rock, Classical, and Jazz.
Thatās why I choose for tubes in the pre amp only.
You should consider a winter set (no pun intended) and a solid state summer set.
And I donāt mean the like of a Pass Aleph (which is the winter category as well 
).
I have a McIntosh MC275 MKV, which is surprisingly powerful for a tube amp (more than enough to drive my B&W 803Ds).
My amp has a line out/line in and I was thinking of adding a tube stage. Any suggestions?
My main system is biamped with one MacIntosh MC275 and two MC75. In the bedroom I have two very old MC40ās, but Iāll decommission them in Spring because of the heat they develop. They sound wonderfull though.
In the kitchen I used vintage Audio Research tube kit, but I switched to the modern Devialet stuff because most days itās playing over 12 hours, and itās hard to justify the huge amount of electricity they burn.
Further on Iāve got some vintage Quad IIās and a Dynaco. They where in perfect working order when I put them in storage. I canāt get to the point of selling them. Anyway, they keep on getting more expensive, so itās a good investment
Steven
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If you want to try it out for cheap: the ā¬100 Musical Fidelity X10 line buffer.
If you want to try it out for a lot cheaper: a ā¬10 DIY kit, eg http://www.benl.ebay.be/itm/6J1-Pre-amp-Tube-Preamplifier-Amplifier-Stereo-AC12V-DIY-Kit/162806396833?hash=item25e80477a1:g:gJIAAOSw6VRaNEMv.
In both cases youāll want to change the tubes for better ones.
Steven
Any particular preferences and likings to the following tubes? Please add yours if not listed here.
Power tubes:
6550
KT88
EL34
300B
845
2A3
Small signal preamp tubes:
6922/E88CC
12AX7/ECC83
12AU7/ECC82
12AT7/ECC81
6SN7
Tube rectifiers:
5U4GT
GZ34/5AR4