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.

Well, when I use a tube (or transistor for that matter) in anything other
than a guitar amplifier, I make damn sure that it doesn't saturate. If
the
mastering engineer in question is using a tube stage which is designed
to saturate (and cause distortion), then that is an effect, NOT
amplification (and a very dubious practice, IMO). A true preamp should
NEVER run its amplifying devices anywhere near that point.

Actually, that's always been the reason that I *like* tube preamps,
because they generally have very high overload margins and get nowhere
*near* saturation! I've no idea where this clown has got hold of a
tube preamp which *typically* goes into saturation - maybe he runs it
off a PP3? :-)

This would be an issue of semantics. I'm of the opinion that tube
saturation doesn't suddenly kick in once the power levels reach a certain
proportion of tolerance, and that even at low levels the effect is present.
If what I'm hearing at low levels isn't a result of the same properties that
are influencing the sound near full saturation, then I'm not sure I care.
My point was that tubes are not a benign audio component at any output
level.

To me, it sounds as though you believe that tubes intristically cause
coloration - a few minutes with a proper model and a SPICE simulator
will quickly set you straight. Better yet, listen to some correctly
designed and built gear...

Engineering excellence doesn't seem to be his bag...............

If you mean that I couldn't fix a tube amp to save my life, you're right.
What I can do is hear the difference between different brands and/or
vintages of the same tube in the same amp. But hey, if you've got the fancy
diagnostic gear that says tubes don't color sound then I guess I'm trumped.
Funny how I keep running into all these defective tubes that *all sound
distinctly different at any output level*.

If you mean audio engineering, I know enough to use tubes for coloration
effects, and to not use a tube amp for monitoring, instead to go the
"accuracy" route to better appreciate how the mix will sound on a variety of
gear, rather than just my own system which is tailored to my preferences.
On this matter I am not alone. I think I'll stick with the engineering
practices of the last 25 years rather than blindly follow the numbers
generated by a simulation gadget.