SET the best?

For close to three decades I ran Naim solid state gear. Loved it. I was satisfied.

Then I had a chance to buy a pair of Quad ESL 63s and an Innersound Electrostatic amp. It sounded better than my Naim 135s on the Quads.

Then I picked up a pair of JBL 4430 monitors.

When I retired I bought a Supratek tube preamp. Replaced the Innersound with a Quad 909. Dipped my toes in the SET water with a 300B amp, which I use on the JBLs. 

Now I switch between the two systems. They both sound awesome. They both have compromises. But they both have synergies and areas where their performance excels. Neither is perfect.

The destination should be contentment, not perfection. Everything matters and there's always something better out there.

OK just tested the SET and havea  YT  uploading, will post when finished...
Look even 6 watts is too much power for these 92db WBers.
I should add, the desiner has pure COLBALT output transforers, which are the best, but pack a  super wallpo of punch.

I can not even imagine driving AER/Voxativ's 94db-100db speakers with this 250 tube pure colbalt trans amplifier.
I mean at 8 oclock, the SPL would be over whleming.

Seems to me, ideally, the best SETs are flear watts, 1 watt, - 5 watts. 
And not sure if pure colbalt trans, which are  very expenisve are necessary.
Why the added power of colbalt trans???
Not needed.
My 92db WBers are maxed out at 10 oclock on the vol pot.
I'm wondering if the  high tech super Class A JEFT opamps in the DAC are adding too foraward a  gain in the source..???
paid $100 each  for those guys, but perhaps these high tech guys are amplifiying the source too much..??
I'll go back to jadi's stock ops and see what gives.
I doubt if much ..if at all.

This test proves we do not need PP amplification. 
Low powered SETs have more, wayyyy more than enough power to drive any higher sens speakers, with massive SPL.

There is so much dis-information, mis-understandings surrounding SET amps. 
SETs have just as much if not more bass SLAM as any  PP amp. 
Can not see any reason why PP amps have  received so much attention these past decades.
SET amplification   is the most practical and most musical amplification. 

RIP PP amplification
You served us well....
GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!

Maybe a  Cayin low powered EL34 linear/Triode mode amp maight be acceptable along with SETs. 
Amp I had, but sold off, due to the reasoning *has not enough power* under the delusion, more power = better amplification.
More power = less superior amplification.
 Sold it off cheap.

PP amps = fidelity
SET amps = high fidelity. 
Close but 
No Cigar

OK 6 watt SET 250 tube with PURE COLBALT output tansformers.
Tiny but packa  super punch and very expensive trans.'
Wayyy more than enough power, Close to the  Defy's slam.
Defy and EL 34 amps, both max on SPL at say 930 on the linestage vol pot. SET 6 watt, 10:30 maxed out.
You might say thats only a  1 hour dif..
But its better than nothing.
I really want the freedom on vol control, which I don't have with PP amplification..
I should say, SET and PP power are  very close and musical image is close.
I have to recant some of my superlatives on SETs are superior to PP amplification..
I  bet  these 6 watt colbalt trans amps can drive even the big Sound lab, big magnepan, bif martin Logan's with  flair and finesse.
But of course not a  happy match.

WE really need to clean up, clear up the many misunderstandings, mis info surrounding SET amplification.

I feel these SET amps are the superior amplication and see no need for PP designed amps..
 Also,
Not sure if pure colbalt trans  are needed, as its actually too much power from the output transformers. 
But not sure, its possible low quality trans lack the slam  the colbalts deliver. 
SET amps  require 20 minutes to warm up for max output. 
As I just learned......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5cPEjgAVo8

I mean at 8 oclock, the SPL would be over whleming.

SETs generate up to 10%THD at full power. If you have a lower powered SET on a speaker of insufficient efficiency, the result will be a lot of distortion, which the ear translates as 'loudness'.

But if you use a sound pressure level meter, you see the truth of the situation.

SETs have just as much if not more bass SLAM as any PP amp. 

This is demonstrably false. SETs have a lot of trouble making bass because of limitations in the output transformer. If you really want to get the bass right, to prevent phase shift (since you have no feedback in most SETs) you have to have full power bandwidth to 1/10th of the lowest frequency to be reproduced (20Hz). That means you need bandwidth to 2Hz and SETs simply can't do that.

For that matter **most** PP amps can't either, but they get a lot closer. There are class A triode tube amps that do have full power to 2Hz FWIW.