Your favorite SET amp? Wavac EC-300B...

My understanding is the actual sound of SET amps is perhaps the most variable of any amp type, based largely on their relative high harmonic distortion measurements and how a particular design actually distorts accordingly. Also the potential cost for producing those few precious watts varies widely as well.

So I wonder where the point of diminishing returns is with SET amps? How much should a really good one really cost? How much of the cost with some is due to the brand name or other boutique-like factors? Do the better ones really distort less, or just in a more desirable way for whatever reason?

Given the variability, does one really end up paying for better sound, or just a specialized favorite flavor of SET sound?

Also I wonder which brands are reliable over teh long term and require less maintenance to keep running optimally.

IS there such a thing as a vanilla sounding SET? OR do they all have more distinct flavors of sound compared to other kinds of amps and real life music or sound based on how they distort?

Or is it more that some prefer a certain more esoteric flavor of sound and a SET amp is the design that perhaps has the best chance of delivering it?

Of course, most SET amps are way cool looking IMHO so I would expect that visual aesthetics is a big part of the equation in choosing a SET.

Audiopax would also be worth an audition.

Mapman, A good SET amp is at least as reliable as a push-pull tube amp, and in many cases a SET is about as reliable and trouble-free amp there is. For instance, my SE amps use a 46 output tube and a Western Electric 403b driver tube. Neither tube has any adjustments and each tube should last for many, many years with zero maintenance. The only control is a power switch. How easy and trouble-free is that?

A SET amp is possibly more "variable" due to speaker compatability but I can't think of any other reason why someone would say this. It is certainly not due to "how a particular design distorts."

SET amps vary all across the map in terms of circuit complexity and parts quality and this results in a wide variance in price. This is also true, however, for push-pull tube amps and solid-state amps.

The real reason for choosing a SET amp should be its sound quality, and with the right speaker the sound quality of a single-ended amp can be very special.

Salectric,
What an accurate answer, I agree with your response. It`s funny, people point out the 2nd order harmonics(which vary significantly from one SET to another). A good designed/built SET sounds more realistic and natural with music reproduction then 'any' other type of amplifier I`ve heard in the all my time in high end audio(that`s what won me over to this genre). Maybe I`m just sensitive to the odd order distortion(artificial/canned) of some SS and other non SET amplifiers in comparison(we all have different perceptions of how sound affects us).After 3 years of SET amp ownership I`m still amazed by it`s pure and honest tone and dynamics with acoustic instruments and human voices, spooky good.It comes to what`s most convincing for us individually. SET does it best for me YMMV.
Regards,

"A good designed/built SET sounds more realistic and natural with music reproduction then 'any' other type of amplifier I`ve heard in the all my time in high end audio(that`s what won me over to this genre)."

So what are the good ones that accomplish this rather than vary off in some other direction? How much of an investment is required to avoid a "flavor of the day" type SET?

IS the Wavac a good example? If so what less expensive SETs can compete and why?