Most people never get to hear tube amps at their best-which is with simple efficient speakers-or used to run just mid and treble with SS on bass duties.
The problem is that most speakers are built to handle SS power and as a consequence don't suit tube amps with their low damping factors and power output.
If you seek out the emotional elements in music then valve amps are still the best,although SS amps with good electrostats and a tube preamp will deliver this convincingly.
The tube versus solid state debate is all about how people listen or hear differently,not the products.If you really want to complicate the debate you need to include chip amps which have a different sound again-[their vibrancy and clarity are more SET like but with more SS tonal qualities]
The problem is that most speakers are built to handle SS power and as a consequence don't suit tube amps with their low damping factors and power output.
If you seek out the emotional elements in music then valve amps are still the best,although SS amps with good electrostats and a tube preamp will deliver this convincingly.
The tube versus solid state debate is all about how people listen or hear differently,not the products.If you really want to complicate the debate you need to include chip amps which have a different sound again-[their vibrancy and clarity are more SET like but with more SS tonal qualities]