"Adding distortion, such as poorly designed tube devices, can add warmth. This is a Band-Aid at best, masking distortion by adding more distortion of a different type. Kind of like using cables as tone controls."
No It is not a poorly designed tube amp. It is an excellent tube amp !
All components have a sound signature. Some are warm & lush some are analytical & lean and some are somewhere in between that does not mean that they are poorly designed. It is about what type of sound the end user prefers.
"It is better to rid the system of distortion that causes harshness, such as jitter from digital devices and poorly designed preamps that add distortion and compression for example."
???
"Not all tubes add warmth BTW. Well-designed tube circuits are every bit as fast and clear as SS devices. This is mostly a function of the power subsystem and the tube selection."
Some years back I bought into the idea that a stereo system had to be completely transparent and accurate. So I bought an expensive (for me anyway) system. It was a tube amp and SS pre It was so quiet that with no playback and you turned up the volume all the way you heard nothing.
This stereo was so clear and transparent that when I played my cd’s it would reveal every flaw the recording contained. With an excellent flawless recording the sound it presented was breathtaking no doubt about it. However in my cd collection there were many cd’s that were not recorded to that high standard.
To make a long story I have changed my thinking on the matter and have decided I prefer a less accurate less resolving presentation. I have found that now all my recordings are easy to listen to. The stereo I have now at a third of the cost to my ears in my room sounds far more musical and is definitely more enjoyable.
Thanks
Bob