I don't know that I agree with your last statement C5150. I'm not sure what your point is there either. I'm not sure that all we need to do is agree on the fucntion. I may prefer a different rendition from a specific album than you prefer...perhaps I like the warmth of tubes and you like the detail and muscle of SS. I don't see either as having anything to do with an objective "truth", either yours or mine. It is simply what either of us prefer in the moment. It may change as well...maybe a year from now I tire of tubes and am swayed by SS. What does that indicate about the "goal of audio" as the original post asks? The "function" of this stuff is to bring music into our homes, and to provide enjoyment for us in doing so. Beyond that, every person has a different set of preferences which may or may not be suited by a given manufacturers answers, no matter how good the manufacturer is. Not everyone strives for the experience of "live music" in their home, while others may think "live" to sound a different way than you or me might. Tubes/SS, Med-Rare/Well Done, crank bass/no tone controls, vanilla/chocolate, Lamm/Pioneer, Dinner at 21 Club /Dinner at McDonalds. No decision is right or wrong or objectively "better" than the other. If there were one singular goal of any of these things, there would be far fewer alternatives and variations available. It is the fact that the world, and the people in it, are so diverse, and so in flux, that creates markets with such a tremendous variety to choose from.
Marco
Marco