Tubes can look cool on some equipment that puts them out front so all can see, but I have also had tube preamps that do not, and whether it looks cool or not, it the sound is what really matters.
Are tubes psychological?
This just occurred to me this morning as I listened in my rather dark listening room with the soft glow of tubed amps on the floor in front of me between the speakers: How much of my enjoyment of tubes gear is due to the relaxed state the glow puts my mind in?
Thoughts?