However I would discourage you from going without a tube preamp, which
offers a lot of the tube saturation coloration, a big part of the tube
sound. Having had so much fun swapping preamp tubes and customizing it
for
my tastes, I think it's daft to avoid that component. I'd be much more
inclined to have a tube preamp and solid state poweramp.


I'd rather hear what the artist(s) intended.

Please don't even start with that naive and over-debated point of view. You
going to buy a different stereo for each album? Or carry a variety of
studio monitors? Renovate your house to have a variety of sound rooms?

Furthermore, if you're a proponent of "absolute accuracy", what the hell are
you here for? There is no tube circuit that doesn't put some flavor on the
sound. Go join your misguided friends on the class A solid-state forums.

Tube saturation coloration? I love it when people don't have a clue what
they are talking about... :-(

Guess that makes you a narcisist. Ask any mastering engineer how tube
saturation affects sound.