I don't think it would be possible to establish a long term commitment to solid state once accustomed to tubes. Once the new and different aspect wore off, I think I would need to gravitate back to tubes. I had both types of systems at one time and always preferred the tube system. Now, both systems are tube based.
can a tube-o-phile be happy with ss?
I switched to tubes over a decade ago, after realizing that I no longer listened to the stereo because it did not sound like real music and ss and digital were irritating, on a subconscious level. Went to all tubes and mostly LP's. It worked. I even prefer triode with no negative feedback settings, usually. Now ss has supposedly improved, and its advantages beckon, e.g., less heat, electricity and trouble, better bass and perhaps more detail and clarity. Have any of you voluntarily gone back to the dark side and been content? (with the understanding that it never really ends, for an audiophile). On an unlimited budget one might have few complaints, but this question is necessarily in the context of a semblance of fiscal sanity, not top of the line Boulder, Ayre or Zanden.