Tube Watts Vs. Soild-State Watts?


I am considering replacing a large solid-state amplifier with a decent sized tube amp, and was wondering what I may be giving up/gaining by making the change? My speakers are quite sensitive, about 98dB. I love the dynamics and bass control the big SS amp provides, but I would like to get more resolution and detail out of my music. I don't play music at loud volumes, but I do enjoy decent listening levels. Any info appreciated.
333jeffery
a Watt is a Watt the world around

you will be concerned with how the Volts and Amps balance out to make a Watt

watt speakers do you have?

the issue is current delivery into a complex impedance (good term to google....)
I just moved to an Atma-Sphere MA-1 from a McCormack DNA-1. I have to say the differences were startling, but in fairness, by going to monoblocks( and short speaker cables) and balanced connections, there were too many variables to be a fair comparison. I got a truly impressive soundstage with depth and clarity.
I am in the process of upgrading the Dna-1's to monoblocks at SMC audio (I found a second amp for cheap). It will be a few months (getting money together), but I will put them in a head to head contest.
B
The watts are the same.

In the end as much as we audiophiles hate to admit it, its all about what distortions exist and how much.

Tubes tend to have higher amounts of lower-ordered harmonics (which sound like 'richness' to the human ear).

Transistors have almost none of the lower orders but tend to have more of the higher orders than tubes do. The higher orders (5th and beyond) tend to cause the amp to sound brighter and harsher.

Both are colorations.

Regarding detail, I have often seen brightness masquerading as detail.  Its my opinion and experience that when you are really getting things right, you have detail together with a relaxed presentation. Generally that means that the system is low distortion, as the presence of distortion can mask detail.

I also feel that tubes are generally better at low level detail regardless. There are a lot of design considerations that make up an amplifier! So its at one's own peril to try to point at a reason why for something like this but my opinion nevertheless is the inherent higher linearity of tubes.