For those who wish to try tubes, a tube integrated amp (power & preamp in one chassis) would be the cheapest option. For branded, locally made AMX comes to mind as the cheapest brand, then up the ladder we have those chinese brands like Cayin, Bada, Dared & Xindak. Of course, any preowned of those brands should also be considered.
One feature that you would probably want in a tube integrated amp is a pre-out for expansion. With a pre-out, you can connect a solid state power amplifier in the future for a hybrid setup or possibly add a powered subwoofer to compliment your bookshelf speakers. Then again, having 2 pre-outs would be heaven!
Now, for those who would prefer jumping to the next level should probably consider "separates" - a tube preamp and a solid state power amp. Having this setup would lessen your upgrade bug in the future & should last you for years if not decades
For a 2ch solid state poweramp, consider preowned as a cheaper option. Poweramps have no moving parts, so they truly last for decades. There's always a poweramp for sale in our market section or you could also find some in the pier.
For a tube preamp, here's where the DIY rules because they will always be cheaper & will sound similar or sometimes better than branded preamps. Besides, branded preamps are always more expensive than poweramps.
The best advantage with having a DIY preamp made is that you could always have it custom done to your specs. You choose how many inputs you like, choose how many pre-outs and you can even add a phono section inside the chassis if you think you might like to try a turntable down the road.
Jojod's custom aikido preamp ranks as one of the best options out there when it comes to DIY preamps, then there is also the Tono Violin made locally as well.
There are many sources for DIY tube preamps around our community & they will always sound similar or better compared to branded preamps....at lower costs of course
If in the future you wanna change the sound of your preamp - just change the tubes to a different brand & you'll get a different flavor