That's an interesting comment. Back when I used to play in quartets a lot I switched between the different saxes. The one I had most trouble with was tenor. It never sounded right but I really had no concept of what it should sound like. It seems I was not alone.
Quite right Nick, almost no one who studies classical saxophone at Music College has any idea what classical tenor can sound like, because most (not all) of the professors are principally alto players, and in my time at College, principally clarinet players. Also, most of the big star classical players on the continent have no real idea either. This is because most players do not start on tenor, so they transport their alto technique and developed musculature onto the other saxes without questioning. In some ways it is not surprising, because in order to get around the tenor parts of the Sax Quartet repertoire, one has to be just as adept as if one were playing one of the other voices. The problem arises that although that 'cludge' works OK for soprano and to an extent for baritone, it simply doesn't work properly for tenor. The alto's technique makes the tenor's low notes become difficult, the sound become strangled and often, the pitch and intonation a bit weird. The tenor has to be voiced a bit lower, but not too low. The lip has to be looser, but not too loose, the pitch centre lower, but not flat etc etc.
To be fair I have also seen this problem work the other way around. I once tutored a student who, although playing well, had a strangely unfocused and rather flabby sound on alto (in classical terms). I didn't understand why until she played something on tenor when it became obvious that tenor was her voice, or at least her frame of reference.
In my opinion each sax size has to be approached differently and one has to be sensitive to the requirements of each size. Unfortunately we don't always have the luxury of being able to spend the time to understand that fact properly, and on classical courses tenor is often a low priority.
