Well that sums up why we are likely to never agree on this hobby, micro...you look at it from a resale or bang for buck perspective rather than one technology gives superior sound over another.Well, the main reason I stay mostly with tubes is that in the used market they mainly represent much better value for money - I do not consider that tubes or SET sound intrinsically better than solid state. Very often tube equipment can be a source of trouble and most users do not want to stand with it.
Based on psychoacoustic studies it is becoming clear that single ended topology (I won't necessarily exclude transistors) is more psychoacoustically preferred from it's distortion properties. I am like Bill, once I went SET I (almost) never looked back. Made sure my speakers fit the purpose of supporting the amps.
Do you not hear the clear difference in character that even the best transistors have vs. the best tubes (SET or PP triode)? Even amps like CH Precision, which are widely regarded as among the best SS, are not close in tonality and dimensionality of even a decent SET. Even a dense tonality SS amp like BAT or Vitus do not sound remotely similar to a SET or even a good PP triode amp (in Class A of course).
Even extreme class amps like the big darTZeel sound fundamentally different to, for example the Lamm ML3. I am reminded by Michael Fremer's review that painted the stark contrast. IMO, one of those is intrinsically better and it is the one with the better psychoacoustic distortion profile.