Scott you seem genuinely sincere but for the life of me, other than some obvious mismatching, I am mystified at all the hiccups you've had concerning tube gear. I DO agree that some SS gear can be quite satisfying and the gap between the best of both technologies is negligible if even notable in a great set-up BUT you note tube gear to be more preferable to you as it still is for some of us.
Your last example with the Modwright is simply hard to believe, I would give Dan Wright a call, I'm sure he could help you identify the problem. I doubt highly it was caused solely by his preamp, THAT is a nice piece and all his products are highly dependable. You just need to get more educated it seems to me. There is simply no unknown reason for anyone to have such a continuation of problems using well designed tube gear, there just isn't, unless there really is a tube gremlin god that frowns on some. I for one am a non-believer.