Tubes vs. solid state definitely makes a difference. I also think there are differences between solid state amplifiers.....just not a whole lot, especially of similar quality.

It would be smart to make the speakers sound "good" with a wide range of electronics rather than specific ones. It can get pretty subjective, but since DaveF seems to trust objective measurements more, I'm not sure he would mess with consumer grade stuff when designing. Then, as a consumer, you can tailor your electronics to your preferences.