I think the main point in using tubes today is to have them introduce distortion. If circuits with them sound ordinary and clean people would likely just think the tubes are broken or in there just for show. You know, you've got to hear that tube sound, right...?
If the intention is clean sound reproduction you might as well just use an OpAmp that introduces less than 1% of THD.
So, I figure that for modern applications of tubes the starved plate voltage is a actually a pretty good solution.
I think you have very good points there.
I am The Sandman.
Now my simulator has got some tube models.
For now I have played some with 6DJ8 and 6H30P.
As have dealt with transistors and tried to minimize THD
the old habbit is there when I sim with TUBES.
I do everything to get rid of that dist.
I think you are right.
Maybe I must change my way of thinking, when dealing with valves.
While transistor distortion can be terrible to get into music
probably some little level of Tube-dist wont hurt my listening experience.
Loooking at the circuit at hand,
we have Tube, which will induce some distortion. No doubt.
The Op-Amp we can say will produce zero dist. No distortion.
As a follower there is practically no THD at all.
SUM: We will hear the TUBE.
If there is any contribution, alteration to the input signal
it is coming from the TUBE.