Thank you everyone for your responses, I feel it is worthwhile information to lurkers viewing this thread with interest.
Rob your comments regarding the Decapos sounding thin and lean "yelping down the street" (LOL) kind of underscores MY point. If everyone recalls very early on when Rebbi asked the original question about "best value in SETs" this very point was questioned with some of the manufacturers' claiming "no problemo", others questioning whether 92 db is enough for a SET amplifier for all types of music. I WILL say this Rob, I don't know if you have listened to the Decapos with a good tube PP amp but I can attest they are anything but lean and can throw a HUGE soundstage, up, out and back, for those interested. I've listened to these speakers to date with 5 different amplifiers including a First Watt SE M2 but not an SET where my opinion might be valued less than someone that HAS listened first hand which is fair enough.
The Tekton/Decapo comparsion is a perfect example of how a speaker with higher efficiency is better suited and in direct comparison with a speaker with less efficiency gives a seemingly negative impression to you Rob. Your amp is different than Rebbi's but the power is similar enough. The Kit 1/Decapo combo may have been less objectionable to him but still, not enough for him to keep them, "lets explore further options". So if one is going to explore the options, what might be the BEST option? Good enough for me is not necessarily good enough for someone else. The question has hardly been put to bed as far as I'm concerned, only for some it is quite satisfactory. I have listened to numerous SETs over the years the most recent a pair of 7 watt DHT 300b sets with a 95 db speakers which I've listened to numerous times over the past 4-5 years in different rooms as well. Another I'm quite familiar with are different, integrated stereo 845s in parallel producing a whopping 35 watts with a diy compression driver in a very large transmission line enclosure! In both cases I hear limitations in large scale music, at least I DO. The dynamics on transients are just not the same with less power IME, this is where I HEAR the limitations first, things just sort of level out. The clipping characteristics on these amps are quite benign so I don't hear anything objectionable, just a ceiling.
Roxy, the speakers you are using are getting closer to the type of efficiency required that is going to minimize constraints on the music offered by an SET/DHT 8 watt amplifiers, IME.
It appears that what may be good enough for one listener may not be enough for another, at least speaking for myself. If someone is influenced to try the SET route it is important to pay close attention to all considerations MOST IMPORTANTLY, the speaker used! The higher the efficiency, the greater chance of long term success. There is NO substitute than listening first hand.
