When to go solid state vs. vacuum?

It depends on the speakers. Some speakers sound better with tubes and other speakers sound better with solid state. Choose your speakers according to the type of amplification you intend on using. To me tubes are for music. Who wants to burn up expensive tubes watching a movie?

Butler amps would seem to give you the best of both worlds: Tube sweetness mated to MOSFET output. And the Butler amps NEVER need biasing and they will last 25 years or more - truly set-and-forget. Check 'em out:

www.butleraudio.com

-RW-

I have nothing against tubes , I still use tubes in my second system. My main system has slowly gone all solid state, didn't plan it that way but when I auditioned each component for upgrade S.S. just sounded best, and less hassle, no tube changes, less tinkering, more music.

There are some very good suggestions here and you already seem to understand the speaker first part of the equation.

Combining two channel and HT compromises both or at best one over the other. When I tried it I lost a good portion of the delicate two channel sound stage of the two channel and the speaker balance and location needed for optimum 5 or 7.1 HT. Its at this point were you must be honest with yourself on what your priorities are.

IMO you don't have to go high end on an HT system. A modest but modern solid state receiver with up to date codecs and decent room correction, economical matching speakers, and a good subwoofer, can be surprisingly satisfying. The same can be said for a two channel system were the setup has room for the speakers to do their best at sound staging.

On your amplification choice, if you like the relaxed presentation that only tube second order amplification can provide then jump in with both feet. There are many choices and levels of quality of integrated and separates that are easy to maintain.

You like the sound of tubes and good bass? I know I do and it ain't rocket science. There are many small subwoofers that can integrate seamlessly and reinforce the very bottom octave better than any solid state amplified system working alone.

I can second the Primaluna for tubes. It was my entry to tubes and after 5 years still in love and have added another tube system at my cabin in the mountains.

there are a number of autobiasing Int Amps out there so you have a good selection. You will need a speaker that works well with tubes.

if you dont need much power and have a good effincient speaker try something with EL84 tubes sweet sound