Lousy equipment is dumped on because it's lousy equipment. It remains true that one can make a good tube amp. One can make a cheap tube amp. One cannot make a good, cheap tube amp. It is a physical impossibility in 2021, no matter how much one tries to rationalize it. A decent output transformer alone will cost more than the retail price of the amp. @Schollaudio will be familiar with this.
Coincidentally, I have a tube preamp on my bench at the moment that uses input and output transformers, but is cheap. Guess what? Yep.
Coincidentally, I have a tube preamp on my bench at the moment that uses input and output transformers, but is cheap. Guess what? Yep.