Every OTL I have heard had the quality of being very immediate and exciting sounding; the music comes alive to a degree I have never heard with solid state amps. But, that is not to say that some pushpull and SET amps don't do the same, it is just not a common characteristic of other types of amps. OTL amps, like amps of any other topology, sound different from each other based on tube choice, voicing by the designer, choice of other components, specific circuitry, etc. The Atmasphere amps, for example, are leaner sounding than the Joule amps I heard. Which is better depends on taste and system matching.
I have no idea which form of amp is superior to the other. I run fairly efficient speakers (@ 99 db/w), so I can use a pretty wide array of amplifier types, including low wattage SET amps. I have two pushpull amps (45 tubes, and 249 output tubes) and a SET amp (parallel 2a3s). I don't know if I really have a "favorite" between the SET and the 249 pushpull amp (I currently like the 249 and have it in my system, but, I like certain things about the 2a3 SET amp). One of my all-time favorite amps, however, are OTLs that a hobbyist built that two people I know own. Another great amp I heard is a Western Electric 59A (252 meshplate output tubes) which is a pushpull amp that is incredibly dynamic and exciting sounding (also insanely expensive). So, I have no idea which approach is superior in delivering the sound I like, much less what anyone else would like.
