Tube Watts vs. Solid State Watts - Any credence?

I don't remember where but once I read that someone was comparing the sound of 100 wt Gryphon with 600 wt Krell, both transistor amps. Same speakers,forgot what that was. Besides sounding a lot better in every respect, Gryphon also sounded more powerful. Dynamic speakers, this I remember.
What are the possible explanations?

Uh - a watt is a watt ...it is a unit of measure there is no difference by virtue of the device that produces it.

Now frequency characteristics, load interactions and clipping or distortion characteristics- that is different.

A practical question out of all of this is power tube choice in the same amp. Currently am running eight EL34's tubes in a primaluna HP integrated amp to Sonus Faber Olympica III speakers. The Sonus Fabers are 91db, 4 ohms, and recommended amplification of 50-300 watts.

Tube choices in the amp are as follows:

ULTRALINEAR MODE:
85 watts x 2 (KT120)
73 watts x 2 (KT88)
70 watts x 2 (EL34)

TRIODE MODE:
45 watts (KT120)
42 watts (KT88)
40 watts (EL34)

I know tubes have there own characteristics, but besides that, from a power standpoint, would it be better to go to KT120s to get more power to my speakers? Would the difference in wattage moving from EL34s to KT120s (15 watts increase in ultra linear, 5 watt increase in triode), be beneficial or even perceptible to my ears? Would this be better for the performance of the speaker, or at least the health of the speaker?

Wow thats a tough one i was up all night thinking about that!!

It's all about the sound of your amp not the juice. i just went back to a tubed separates set up, trading in a 3 month old McIntosh MAC6700 solid state receiver for an MC275 tube amplifier. Since I rarely drove the receiver past 30 watts, and it was "voiced" to emulate the McIntosh tube "sound" I figured why use solid state in the first place?
(MC275, Audio Research LS3 SS preamp, Von Schweikert VR 3 speakers)
The 275 sounds true, with an openness the solid state appeared to muffle. I don't believe I have ever clipped any one of my amps over the years since I listen at fairly moderate levels. If I return to solid state I will go back to Pass Labs