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Catmandu - whooee - that could spawn another huge thread! I suppose that gets back to the question of: what is the right sound? With stereo gear, we are trying to reproduce what was recorded at the studio or site. Without having access to that gear, then its a tough call. Shooting for a flat frequency response doesn't do too well either as it usually sounds bland. So are we coloring the sound to be more pleasing or to make it more like the original sound? I'm not trying to make this more difficult, but it's a tough question! I'll think some more about it and try to get more info to you.
As far as tubes sounding laid-back, I can safely say there are tubes that strive to be clean and accurate like an ss sound. With the wrong speakers, these could burn your eardrums just like ss! On the other end of the scale, there are tubes that sound like what we all remember: smooth and buttery. Like any audio gear: component matching is key. And if the current tubes don't sound great, start shopping for more!
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