Well, I use SET amp occasionally when I want to hear what it sounds like. Other times ss. Its true that some tubes, for example, DHT type triodes, are the most linear amplifying devices commercially available (VMOS fets are very near as good but no longer made for general consumption, I think Nelson Pass had some made for him special at one point). The triode does have an internal feedback mechanism and that's why its so linear. The more linear a device is, the less IMD products occur,and that's IMO one of the big advantages of tube gear in general. The clipping mechanism is an advantage if you are not using external feedback around the tube, if you are, you have lost most of that advantage. People clip music a lot more than they know. Many units with power meters have slow reactions so don't show the truth on the peaks anyway. For example if you are playing at about 1 watt, and your music is 20db dynamic, then peaks will reach 100W. So, power is important for true fidelity, but since tastes and preferences come into play, and peaks are fast, many get away with truly way underated power in their systems. Tubes do react differently during those clipping events, and their harmonic spray can be compressive as it says in the article, and thus the higher (and typically lower power frequencies) can get louder during the clipping events (soft clipping anyway in the triode) and so as it says can sound louder to your ear, remember fletcher munson. nice link.
