Would You Rather Own A Good SET Amp, Or A Great Push Pull Amp?

845 SET can drive some speakers not often associated with SET, power supplies with these quite substantial, around 900V plate voltage with these. With the right speakers a nice 300B amp running top tier 300B tube like the new Western Electric is sublime, never heard any pp that can replicate harmonic structure of these.

@sns A typical 845 SET makes about 20 Watts at full power, which will be about 10% distortion. By contrast a Dynaco ST35 can make 17 Watts with about 1% distortion. At any power level, the Dynaco will outperform the 845 not just in terms of distortion by also bandwidth- it will go lower and go higher. 

I get that the raw THD does not tell the whole story. 

So then it comes down to that seductive bit. I've found that distortion obscures detail, and having run an LP mastering operation as well as a recording studio, I have a number of LPs that I know exactly how they are to sound. That's the sticky bit; since I know how they are supposed to sound I've yet to find any SET at any price (including 845 based amps) that can do as well as a PP amp of only 15-20 Watts (usually EL84 based, FWIW). That is, if being faithful to the actual recording/signal is important while being able to present it in a relaxed way with authority that allows one to listen all day (or night). 

I'm still left with the million dollar question, being, 

" what makes a great amp and what makes a good amp? " 

Is there such a choice available? 

@pindac Yes, there is. 

It is a two camp showdown one camp being group 1, who evaluate through solely having used their experiences of End Sound produced and the impression made on them.

The other camp, group 2, who are much lesser in their number than group 1, and are using their understanding of Math to influence their assessment of End Sound having been experienced or not experienced for the supply of a description of what is occurring or expected to occur to an End Sound as a result of the Math.

I am in the camp of group 1, but spend a lot of time close to individuals trusted with what is required for being a in the camp of group 2. No mater where the discussions go when evaluations are going on, I keep my listening as the tool to assess. 

I still stand by " Is there such a choice available " , as I have indelible memories of very very satisfying moments around recorded music. Where musical encounters had, as a result of different designs for Amp's being resident in an audio system or being demo'd as an added experience of using an audio system are for the time of exposure inseparable for the good impressions being made.  

@atmasphere +1 - lack of distortion e.g. via excessive negative feedback - doesn't always speak of good sound, but significant levels of measurable distortion can never qualify an amplifier as high fidelity.

@yoyoyaya opinions very.

Never owned a Dynaco ST35 but my best bud had one back in the day, this with Dynaco speakers in quad setup, Linn LP12, very nice.

I built a Latino ST70 some years ago, adding some of my own mods, this with Merlin VSM. The Art Audio Carissa Signature 845 SET I was running at time was clearly superior. 

2nd order harmonic distortion is pleasing to some of us, much prefer that to odd order. In any case, different strokes for different folks.