My amp has no faults

For me convincing is more a product of the speaker and the amplifier than just the amp.

That said:
My NuForce and now nCores have, to a large part, spoiled me for most linear solid state amplifiers. Of course there are new solid state amplifiers that I could never afford that I'm sure could hit most of the marks the switching amps do.

There is one area most linear sold state amps fall short compared to my switching amps. In driving my Eidolons they begin to get congested and distinctly fatiguing at higher listening levels. For me this is a big issue. The ability to listen to music comfortably at more realistic levels is THE luxury of high end.

Neither the linear solid state or switching amplifiers do second order harmonics like tubes which is why my nCores are relegated to the studio. I have finally found a pair of affordable 200 watt pentodes that can drive my speakers effortlessly.

Even though tubes may have the most amplification faults, those faults are an easy trade off for the characteristics I value in entertainment playback as opposed to the desired clinical playback the switching amplifiers provide in my studio.

Technical evolution will continue, for now its about the right tool for the job.

Thank you, Ralph. I did read that paper when it was recently referred to on another thread and just read it again. I'll probably read it a couple more times yet. Seems like it could be a game changer. Possibly in a mix. I like the bottom end to cut like a knife.

Bottom end cutting like a knife? Check OTLs then if you are looking to go tubes. Though the damping factor of the amp will affect how tight the bass is to some degree (this will differ according to the drivers employed for the low-end, another reason to think in terms of specific speaker-amp pairing). I have both amps that overdamped and underdamped the bass on my speakers. With some Atma-Sphere amps, the damping factor can be fairly low, so underdamping is potential risk.

Even though tubes may have the most amplification faults, those faults are an easy trade off for the characteristics I value in entertainment playback as opposed to the desired clinical playback the switching amplifiers provide in my studio.

The reason tubes are still around half a century after they were supposed to be obsolete is that people like them. They like them because it is easier to get a tube amplifier to obey human hearing rules than it is with transistors. Its that simple.

So I would not describe tubes as having 'amplification faults'. If anything they have less. We use them in our studio too :)

"They like them because it is easier to get a tube amplifier to obey human hearing rules than it is with transistors. "

They also look way cool!