I should've edited that before posting.. got in a hurry earlier.. I don't hate tubes, they're not a nightmare..
I have found tubes to be a hassle for me.. and once you're settled into the hobby, and your system is pretty stable, swapping tubes to tailor the sound can be fun.
Noting a few hassles with tubes...
Cryo'ing tubes can make 1 go bad.. not always.. some preamps I've had EAT tubes (and are easily avoidable)...
Most amps require yearly or more replacements...
Finding that 1 bad tube is a real pain..
Checking bias every once in a while is required.... not huge but something else to 'do'.
Then there's the warm-up time.. can't just flip it on and listen... I don't like leaving them on all the time, either.
I only listen once or twice a week. With the SS it can stay on and ready all the time. The preamp and DAC tubes stay on all the time and I'm not worried about them.. they're small and protected... and don't get much juice... and are easy and inexpensive to replace (most of the time). But if I do turn it off, I can listen in a matter of seconds... and with remote turn-on.
So, that's what I meant... I don't hate tubes by any means. I'd like to hear a set of Rogue monoblocks in my system one day... we'll see...
-C