Would You Rather Own A Good SET Amp, Or A Great Push Pull Amp?


Throwing this out there because I would appreciate the viewpoints of the many knowledgeable, and experienced audio people here. I'm really torn about a decision I am considering in this regard. And no, sorry, I cannot name the amps involved. I could lose one or both options if I publicized them here. And honestly, only the tiniest fraction of forum members would ever have listened to even one of these options. 

The speakers they would be used with can equally accommodate either of these choices per the designer/manufacturer, who I ran it by. 

Your thoughts would be appreciated. 

nightfall

It depends on the amp in question and matches with the speakers. Currently using 2a3 SET monos but I've used and loved PP amps as well.

Again, per the speaker manufacturer, either will work well with the speakers I have. 

I have loved SETS for a long time, but I simply cannot afford a "great SET". And, being retired, never will. 

I have no opportunity to listen to the specific push pull amp I am considering, but did hear its predecessor at an audio show, quite some time ago, and was left amazed. I am absolutely certain, based on a great deal of research, further show reports,  and many specific reasons, that it is unquestionably world class. 

I have two friends with smaller listening spaces, with low power SETs, both sound terrific, meanwhile we all love the sound of my 45 wpc P/P Cayin Tube Amp here (and the 30 wpc P/P Fisher 80AZ Mono Blocks before this). We all have tube preamps,

I've never heard a SET here, my 16 ohm horn speakers from 1958 are extremely efficient, my Cayin has the ability to play in Triode at 22 wc, I prefer the Ultralinear 45wpc option.

I occasionally hear a speck of hum in their systems at idle. Mine is always dead quiet. Both my friends have had problems and needed to ship their SETs out for repairs a few times.   

I cannot say that any topology is obviously superior to another even under narrow parameters, such as a particular output range, much less without any such restriction.  My favorite amps have all been relatively low powered tube amps.  The two very best amps I've heard are wildly different in design.  One is a Western Electric 59 amplifier which is a pushpull 252 amp (crazy rare and expensive). The other favorite is a custom made OTL amp that is one of a kind; the owner has jokingly said that he might be willing  to sell it to me for $250,000 for the pair.

Of the amps I own, I happen to prefer my pushpull 349 amp over a much more expensive parallel 2a3 SET amp, but, they are different in so many ways there is no way to attribute differences to topology.   Only on a very general basis of hearing many different amps over the years that I can sort of generalize that I tend to prefer low-powered pushpull amps over SET amps because they deliver a bit more punch.