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Most of what I have read limits single tone audibility to around -80dB max...

And that is in the range of max sensitivity of the human ear (audibility thresholds depend on frequency!). When you add in masking effects of multi tone sounds, it is MUCH MUCH less, no matter what the frequency.

Keep in mind the playback media range as well- if you are listening to vinyl, the range is only 70dB or so, redbook, better, and dsd closing in 140 dB. So with vinyl, if your amp's harmonic distortion is -100dB, my understanding is the media is in capable of resolving it regardless! Lots of tube lovers also love vinyl. Maybe because its limited dynamic range masks some of the distortion of their amps which would otherwise be audible with cd....

All this talk about higher order harmonics, harmonic patterns, etc., is meaningless if your equipment is capable of reproducing the signal with distortion levels BELOW the threshold of audibility. Few amps are capable of doing this, certainly not tube amps, but there are some that can. Of course we'll then hear about how terrible they must be because they use feedback. And feedback is bad because it creates higher order distortion products. A circular argument that fails to understand that unlike SET amps and other tube amps, not all amps produce audible harmonic distortion.

Of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying that tube distortion. Many do...




Edits: 11/14/15

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