Tam - I have been swamped between work issues and a son healing from the three broken vertebrae in his neck/back.
The type of distortion you are talking about with a guitar tube amp would be a "grunge distortion" effect, and deliberate.
The distortion in a "regular" tube amp has been proven to be there, over and over, for 50 years. This type of distortion gives amps what is known as a "warm sound".
Floyd E. Toole is the best known source for this type of information, and The Audio Critic did 100's of tests over a 30 plus year period.
2x6 speeds - the monoprice amp you love has over 10 % THD when delivering over about 3 watts. This type of distortion in a tube amp gives lots of "warmth".
The Emerald Physics speakers rate their frequency response within a 3 dB window of the "target curve", instead of a flat response.
I have the latest generation of Klipsch LaScalas. They have a lot in common with the Emerald Physics speakers - high efficiency, compression driver tweeter, exciting sound, and a widely varied response curve.
Combined with a tube amp, they are great sounding, but not accurate. I don't mind it, as it's fun on occasion. I know I am listening to distortion and a widely carried response curve, but don't let it stop me from enjoying. You shouldn't let it stop you, either.
My comments were nothing personal. I didn't mention your wife, nor your dog. I kept the discussion to the issues of the amp, speakers, and the designer.
The only personal part of my post was about the designer being a convicted felon. The man is a convicted felon. He raised over $100,000 for children's charities on his website that never reached the charity in question. The fact that he did this is not your fault. However, he still did it, and people deserve to know the truth, especially when thinking about spending hard earned money.
Enjoy your system, and I hope you understand there was nothing personal towards you in my posts. There is the science side to this hobby, and there is the art side, and plenty of room for both.
