Anyone permanently convert from tubes to SS?

Thank you Rwwear, as I suspected, switching amps belong to the SS phylum. . . which is just fine by me.

Bill, I have very fond reasons to suspect that my old girlfriend was a superior hybrid device. . . and that the one that followed was regretably based on switching technology. . . just thinking about the number of times she could turn from moderately warm to icy cold in a scant minute.

"Not sure about "no tubes needed", but I would say with B&W SS is needed. Some speakers B&W, Thiel, Vandersteen seems to need what SS can do and don't thrive with tubes because of their need for high current and drive into the low frequencies. The speakers you own has a lot to do with whether you get better perfomance for tubes of SS."

B&W's are a tough load, but I have heard high powered tubes and prefer SS. I got tired of the headaches associated with tubes.

But to each their own.

I think SS will almost always work better with B&W, even high powered tubes, tubes need speakers with flat impedances, the higher the better, otherwise SS will handle the speakers better. I do find that no matter how hard I try to want use SS, even some of the finest like Pass XA.5 series, as wonderful as they sound in their own right, something is missing for me that only tubes provide - tubes make me feel more involved, engaged and connected to the performance - my ears and preferences and indeed to each their own. Some extra "maintenance" is required for tubes - no doubt. Then again, my speakers are designed for tubes (Merlin VSMs). If I had B&W I'm sure I would not be so happy with my tube amps - well maybe CAT JL2s or 3s - but not cheap.