Have any of you folks suggesting ss amps > 50 watts listened to them extensively with 100db+ speakers and been blown away with the resulting sound quality? If so, I think many of us would like to know what combos they were.
IMHE, lower powered designs optimized for very efficient speakers (aka QUIET) are almost always going to be a better match. If your enthusiasm for an 80w Widget Amp is based on listening with a for example 90db speaker, you should make that clear because it's apples & oranges vs. a 100db speaker.
Yes, most of those low power amps are tube designs. Many of the better ones are single-ended-triode. Single-ended isn't limited to tubes though. Pass Labs and First Watt have many lower powered ss amps that might just be the ticket for @alaindexe. First Watt can be had within the target budget. Nelson Pass has done youtube interviews explaining the differences in sonics of the various models. Cheers,
Spencer