McIntosh Tube amps or Solid State?? Advices needed!!

For me, Just knowing that every time I play music, I'm wearing out my tubes makes me nuts (I can handle this in my preamp but power tubes cost real money these days). Also, while tubes sound awesome, they tend to smooth everything out (homogenize). I really like the way some artists use various textures in their music which are more accurately rendered by solid-state amps IMO.   

Don’t have the MC402, but do have the MC302 which is just a little less power. I love it and use it in my big system. I have an MC275 I rotate in on my secondary system which primarily uses a MA6600 integrated. When I want to switch out the flavor, I remove the integrated amps jumpers and use the MC275 II Gordon Gow Edition. Both different flavors but both very musical. To be honest, I worry a lot about tube wear so I only run the Mac tube amp 4-6 weeks out of the year, usually in January when it’s cold.

Can you listen to them side by side and let the sound to your ears decide?

What is your pre-amp? I have owned a MC402 for years and have used it with solid state and 2 tubed pre-amps. I prefer the tube pre-amp and solid state amp combo, although I have never had a tubed amp, so preference is based on what I have heard in stores or at friends. But the 402 has served me well and runs surprisingly cool.

generally speaking, if you are not running NOS or exotics, new production tubes sound amazingly good and aren't very costly.