I understand what you are saying it's just I think you are being nit-picky. We all have heard/used the term 'sounds more like SS or more tube like' to describe the sound of a component and most of us completely understand what that generally means without completely dissecting the terminology. The following is an excerpt from a review in SoundStage written by Doug Schneider comparing the Simaudio 870a with 3 other amps.
Another characteristic of the 870A is something I now consider to be a hallmark of Simaudio’s top integrated and power amplifiers, as I’ve heard it in every such model I’ve reviewed: an ultraclean sound combined with a subtle richness, fullness, and sweetness in the top frequencies of the audioband that’s quite unlike the sound of any other solid-state amp I’ve heard, including the three discussed in the foregoing paragraph. For me, golden is the word that best describes this characteristic, which sounded not unlike the top-end smoothness and richness of a great tube amp. This quality revealed itself readily with recorded cymbals. For example, 42 seconds into “Within,” from a high-resolution version of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (24-bit/88.2kHz FLAC, Columbia/Édition Studio Masters), cymbals begin to be lightly struck. Through the 870A, the golden tone at the top gave the cymbals real weight, with the authentic sound of wood on metal.
He goes on to say.I wouldn’t describe the 870A’s midrange as being as “golden” or “tube-like” as its topmost frequencies, but it was still subtly richer and warmer than all but the Ayre VX-5 (and Ayre’s more expensive VX-R, which I reviewed almost two years ago). As a result, voices had enough body, texture, and weight to sound authentic and real, as opposed to the thin, lifeless sound that many associate with solid-state amplification. Petra Magoni’s silky voice on Musica Nuda’s self-titled debut album (16/44.1 FLAC, BHM) was rendered with absolute purity, and just the right amount of presence to give it realism. Willie Nelson’s voice is usually quite close-miked on his recordings -- it tends to sound full, present, and rich no matter what kind of system you use -- yet even with a hi-rez rig, he can still sound dry if the electronics lean that way, as I’ve heard in my house with various amps. But through the 870A, Nelson’s voice throughout his new album of duets, To All the Girls . . . (16/44.1 FLAC, Columbia/Legacy), had the fullness and presence inherent in the recording, along with the subtle richness and warmth that’s inherent in the 870A’s sound, which made it sound nothing short of spectacular. If you think that all solid-state amps sound inherently lean, listen to the 870A -- it’ll likely change your mind.
In Doug's review he uses terms like ultraclean, subtle richness, fullness, sweetness, golden tone, tube-like, warmer, thin, lifeless sound that many associate with solid-state amplification and so on.....Again he states "I wouldn’t describe the 870A’s midrange as being as “golden” or “tube-like” as its topmost frequencies, but it was still subtly richer and warmer than all but the Ayre VX-5 (and Ayre’s more expensive VX-R, which I reviewed almost two years ago). As a result, voices had enough body, texture, and weight to sound authentic and real, as opposed to the thin, lifeless sound that many associate with solid-state amplification."........Here Doug uses the term golden and tube-like to describe the top end and richer and warmer to describe the midrange.
I think my description of the Sim in my system being "almost tube-like in the mid and top end" isn't that far off of this reviewers description of the same amp.
I really don't think nit-picking the way posters describe the way they think a component sounded in there system is beneficial to anyone in this thread.
