It could also be said that for most of what's on the market, little is neutral, SS or tubed, and everything equals a listening bias. Not meaning to stir the what is neutral debate, and or trying to dead end the natural progression of how you determine what's neutral, how do you really know, are you sure you really exist?....
But if we're going for the give me warts and all, good and bad, the equivalent of a playback system that a studio engineer would love -- we might as well understand that we shouldn't be talking about all of consumer audio, or all of high end audio, but most likely a few, very few products....
After all, we'd end up with one company -- the neutral company. Or maybe several that have finally attained their neutral position...but through a different philosophy.
So you're right back to preference, which in turn was the original idea in the thread -- someone not liking the sound (or filter, or enhancer, or op amp, or binding post, or tube, or transformer, or magic pixie dust) of one broad range of equipment....like 'tube amplifiers.'
Times I like much of a very 'tuned' system, times I might enjoy something aiming for the mythical neutrality.
But the tubes as an enhancer, as a 'tuned' audio system is not much different than you "dialing in your system to dance music (salsa)" or playing around with subtropical wetlands redwood vs, other wood.
At that point, you're playing to preference and not neutrality. No harm in that, and no harm in being more towards either side of the discussion, but I think it makes more sense to talk of the different flavors and why we prefer some, dislike others, and the shortcomings of each in our experiences....
Apologies for the ramble...
