newbie tube amp project questions

Dear all,

Can someone recommend a good starting point for a first tube amp? I have a number of tube newbie questions:
I was thinking about:
- a website with good introductory theory and/or a good intro level book
- a decent but not too expensive tube amp kit (but it should work on 220V, so Bottlehead kits will not apply, otherwise I need to buy an extra transfo). I have been looking at the Velleman kits, but is it correct that they are not highly regarded? I also looked at www.thel.de and I know that in Germany these have a good reputation. What do you think of audio note kits?
For all these 3 kit brands the price is a hurdle.
- or if not a kit, a good-sounding schematic and a pointer to a good vendor of tubes etc. Apropos my speakers are approx 91db sensitivity.
- I also wonder if there are sonic advantages of choosing "classic" audio transformers over the more recent toroid ones, or vice versa.
- Instead of DIY, wouldn't it be more sensible to let a hongkong based colleague buy me the Melody SP3 2x38W integrated tube amp for a very reasonable approx. 600 EUR? Or will it sound inferior compared to DIY costing roughly the same?
I must say that the cost of a tube amp project is a big hurdle, esp. the transformers. I can appreciate that they are not easy to make in audiophile quality and that the market is small but still they are damn expensive! It's probably heresy to mention it here but cost is a factor that tempts me to build a gainclone instead.

best regards and already thanks for any input,

Tom Alaerts

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