Mr. Big - don't disagree with your comments re: new sound might be "refreshing" and, at least for a moment, desired above other topologies. Strikes me as wise words. The interesting thing for me is that I've been a tube guy, mostly, for over 30 years. So, for instance, in the upstairs system, I'm all tubes (KT88, 300B, 6C33) and, as I've written, downstairs I run 845's. I love tube artifacts. But, listening to the Orchard Starkrimson monos upstairs, on the big Merlins (M3's are downstairs) a funny thing happened yesterday. I was listening to Kelly Joe Phelps "Slingshot Professionals," a great recording of great music. At first, the presentation struck me as somewhat disorganized and confusing. I kind of couldn't make sense of what was presented. But as I continued to listen, and I've listened to this recording many times, I realized that I was hearing information (harmonics off steel strings, deep background voices like organ, drum symbols, etc.) which I hadn't noticed previously. Tambourine zills had an astonishing pitch and location which I don't recall my tube gear presenting as clearly. After about 10 minutes I was able to "make sense" of the additional information and it was, I hate to use this word again but.... revelatory. I simply heard this music in a way that I had not previously heard it (or, at least, don't remember ever having heard it this way) and the experience was so pleasing.
Still, you could be right - perhaps I'll find this fatiguing and return to tubes. Too early to say. But, man, Kelly Joe sounded good. And one last thing: I know when I'm enjoying the sound of gear if I listen longer than I intended to or usually do. That's been happening everyday since I started with these GanFet products. Purely anecdotal I admit and, again, you could be right that I'll tire of the sound and return home to tubes. But I wonder...
I'm thinking perhaps, New Zoo nailed it when noting that, sometimes, a less expensive design/product can simply outperform more expensive competitors... Is that what we have here?