300B or EL34 is a better well rounded amplifier

Schubert,
good point, I still have an el34 PP amp and It does sound good. It`s just with direct comparison that the differences become apparent in favor of the 300b SET. I can still enjoy music with the eL34 amplifier.

A VW Passat to a Benz E-350?? C'mon, really??? Not even like comparing a Beemer to a Benz? That's even more disappointing..... :(

I might as well just get an Onkyo receiver, see to me, that would be like comparing a Passat to an E-Class Benz.

Could say Audi A-4 , just a Passat in drag.
Drive a Passat TDI Diesel some time, one sweet car !
BMW = Big Money Wasted

I concur with your observation about the BMW, though my VW experiences have not been good either. Hence my response about comparing a VW to a Benz. Though to be fair, I have not driven a TDI Diesel.

All German cars are over-engineered, when they get things right they get them really right, when they get them wrong, well...., just get a Honda if reliabilty is your goal.

Few years ago I rented a E-class Benz at Frankfurt airport at
Christmas time with 16 kilometers on it. Off-gassing from the seats was bad, rolled both back windows down, they stayed that way for two weeks driving around Germany in winter as neither were on their tracks.