Audio advancement - why?

At it's most basic, the answer to you question is that audio deals with music, and music is art. Comparisons to things like computers, which are devices that are required to perform functions that have nothing to do with emotional content are, for the most part, irrelevant. There is a great deal of art that goes into the design of a truly great audio component. That is why many feel that as audio design "advanced", in many cases something was lost. As designers (and sound engineers) rely more and more on test measurements, and less on their ears, more and more of the human element gets lost: less art The trick is to use these "advances" in technology to serve the art, not to define it.

Not sure anyone answered the original question, which in other words is why can't the SS technology progress enough to rival that of tubes (that is, rival SS for those qualities most admire in tube design).

It seems there's a large number, if not majority, that prefer tubes despite their fussiness and maintenance. Then again, this is not the same demand that is there for faster computers, better cell phones, etc. Small market demand versus global need (and thus less money to be made by those with the capital to back the advancement of the technology). Most people that pay $ for music are ok with a cheap $500 receiver that plays music (or an IPod even...).

Sort of on the subject of this - Steve Nugent and Gordon Rankin were involved in a thread somewhere before (perhaps computeraudiophile.com) where I remember Gordon saying that tube design is inherently simple compared to solid state (less parts, less areas for address). In other words, tube equipment affords a simpler design and signal path, linearity, etc. Solid state has yet to match this. I'm too lazy to go find the thread, but it was interesting to hear the two debate the use of tubes versus solid state in equipment design.

Thanks you everyone for your informative posts.
Frogman/Elizabeth, I get your point about music as art. But I guess I will have to do some reading before I digest the fact that human progress could not achieve in audio, what they achieved in other fields. Interesting indeed!!

Because size matters!

Sony can't build a walkman with tubes inside, same goes for 99% of mass market audio gears out there. Imagine if Sony had to build a 5-channel HT receiver with tubes, it will take up quite a bit of floor space.

Same goes for media. Reel-to-reel, LP, cassette, CD, MP3, and who knows what's coming next. Each generation degrades the sound, but 99% of people out there don't care because they can carry more garbage with them everywhere they go.