Thoughts & experiences on tube rolling a phono stage?

[speedracer]

Just after some anecdotes and thoughts on tube rolling effects in a phono stage please guys.

After great results putting classic valves like Telefunkens and Mullards in my Quintet valve amp my own thoughts have turned to what possible gains can be had by "upgrading" the valves in my phono stage, an Art Audio Vinyl One Reference. As standard these are fitted with Sovtek 12AX7s and a Silvania 6FQ7 rectifier, and while I had no complains whatsoever with them I didn't know how long they had been in there when I purchased it so I thought it wouldn't hurt to change them.
Now I don't have a lot of experience with valves in particular & hi fi equipment in general, and when reading up and trying to learn I couldn't see how changing a rectifier valve could alter the sound, but change it I did, for a NOS General Electric 6FQ7, and expectation bias aside the sound was different right from the off.
I had spent an hour listening to tracks I knew well, but now they sounded cleaner, even louder, bass seemed more defined, wind instruments seemed more "reedy", the old cliche of "blacker blacks & higher highs" came to my mind. May be the old valve was way past it's best and this accounted for what I could hear, but I hadn't heard any signs of this previously.
Now I am not talking night and day differences you understand, just a bit more of everything, and it already sounded great to me. I understand a valve with higher gain could be responsible for it sounding louder, but it was a like for like swap, just a different manufacturer.

Does anyone have any similar experiences, even those which would contradict my own?

[paulf-2007]

I swapped the valves in my phono stage for mullards ecc82 and 83, much better all round and in my opinion a more noticeable improvement than with an amplifier. I swapped the driver valves in my PX25 and an improvement was had but not like the phono stage.

[Primalsea]

I just had a thought that the ultimate tube rollers amp would be one with some 4mm sockets for connection to a DMM so that the valves operating point could be displayed. This would help identify if inferior valves were so because they were out of spec and also if you had valves in each channel that were reasonably matched. I would of thought it would certainly be useful for detecting a duff valve.

[GJO]

Although my phono uses lots of valves,only 5 of them make any difference to sq,the previous owner had fitted some 60's Mullards,2 x 4002's and 3 x 4004's,after much swapping I settled on leaving the 4002 Mullards and replacing the 4004's with Raytheon ck5755's with pin adapters,I wasn't much taken with the Raytheon's at first,they were quite brash,but after 30 hrs or so they settled down and have much more detail and dynamics than the Mullards.

[Firebottle]

I just had a thought that the ultimate tube rollers amp would be one with some 4mm sockets for connection to a DMM so that the valves operating point could be displayed. This would help identify if inferior valves were so because they were out of spec and also if you had valves in each channel that were reasonably matched. I would of thought it would certainly be useful for detecting a duff valve.

I quite like that idea, I just take the top off to do the probing (don't try this at home if you don't know what you are doing).

[speedracer]

I just had a thought that the ultimate tube rollers amp would be one with some 4mm sockets for connection to a DMM so that the valves operating point could be displayed. This would help identify if inferior valves were so because they were out of spec and also if you had valves in each channel that were reasonably matched. I would of thought it would certainly be useful for detecting a duff valve.

I understand your point and I like it but for me at least it wouldn't work as I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing!

[speedracer]

I swapped the valves in my phono stage for mullards ecc82 and 83, much better all round and in my opinion a more noticeable improvement than with an amplifier. I swapped the driver valves in my PX25 and an improvement was had but not like the phono stage.

Well I had great results with my amp when I did exactly the same Paul, except I used old yellow marked Mullards (ECC82s) & old genuine Telefunkens (ECC83s) in that. I have just had a delivery of some old Tungsram Hungary ECC83s, which I will be putting in the phono stage later today, so we shall see if I can detect a change, but if not I needed some spares anyhow.

[Primalsea]

I quite like that idea, I just take the top off to do the probing (don't try this at home if you don't know what you are doing).

A quick question. Is it just me that wears a pair of industrial marigolds when doing this, or do glove-up as well?

[Firebottle]

No just a well insulated probe with only a small exposed tip, and keeping you second hand out of the equipment.