emergingsoul,
I may have had a similar path as you.
I've used a solid state preamp in my HT chain (EMM Labs Switchman).
A friend suggested I try tubes, so I swapped with a Don Allen tube preamp I had lying around. I liked the change in sound.
Last year, I decided to upgrade to something which has a remote control. I use a Linear Tube Audio MZ3 as a preamp, and is more transparent, with better bass/treble than the initial Don Allen preamp.