Solid State vs. Tubes - What if Transistors came first?

If transistors came first, it's probably true that we would not have tubes since there are no reasons and as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of all inventions, people wouldn't spend their time working on something that is not needed.  But that does not mean that tubes are inferior in term of sounding.  It's like saying a Ferrari is inferior to a Toyota because a Toyota is a lot more reliable.

Also another question to ask is that can we invent a device that sound even better than tubes and transistors?  Does such a device exist?

I mean it took lots of money and time back then to invent tubes and transistors.  It seems like in term of human well being and with respect to the planet earth, such a device is probably somewhere near the bottom of the list.  I doubt anyone will invest money into it.  Tubes and transistors we originally design for practical purposes like radio and communication.  Audio is just a byproduct. 

But theoretically can we invent such a device?  It's possible.  

You could say hybrid amps are better in some respects than either pure tube or pure solid state amps in some cases.

Nope. Upper U.S.