I think so much of high end audio falls into this category. Case in point: I temporarily switched from the VT80SE to a much more powerful class D amplifier with the budget Topping D90 DAC for the two 90+ degree days we just had in the Bay Area. On the surface, these two components have great specs. But our ears tell a different story. Midrange textures suffer and there’s bleaching of the harmonic structure that is so essential to reproducing live music. Switched back to my ARC 6SE with the VT80SE and the Lampi Pacific today as temperatures went back into the 70s. Even though the VT80SE has much less power, it’s so much fuller in harmonic richness. It’s not loudness that matters as much as harmonic richness. It’s what makes high end audio worthwhile. Yes, it’s a pain to maintain tube gear and large speakers. But at the end of the day, the musical satisfaction of the sound makes it all worthwhile.
Agreed on harmonic richness. Have you teased out if the Topping DAC or the class D amplifier was the bigger problem? I have heard a Topping DAC, and while the sound was clean, it also was rather thin with, indeed, a bleaching of harmonic structure.