B 4 I made any major move, and the sound you have now is good, I'd go back and re-examine the tube selection in the Int.
I've found a mix of tubes whose properties are dissimilar in the preamp section, and/or amp section makes a great diff in the involvment of the sound.
Perhaps in de-detailing or smoothing off the rough spots as you alluded too with previous tube rolling, you went a touch too far... or didn't get the combo of tubes just right, and settled.
ON my tube preamp I have smooth NOS RCA on the input (rectifier) side, and and dynamic NOS Amperex Bugle Boys on the output.... on my tube monos I keep the detailed dynamic thing going with NOS Tungsol input tubes, but go to Winged C EL34 on the output sides.
Try some Amperex whites, Tungsols, Sylvania, or some other snappy dynamic tubes in there somewhere but not in place of those which eased up the presentation and see what happens.
Then... look to amps or speakers.... it's easier and cheaper to do tubes first
.
I've found a mix of tubes whose properties are dissimilar in the preamp section, and/or amp section makes a great diff in the involvment of the sound.
Perhaps in de-detailing or smoothing off the rough spots as you alluded too with previous tube rolling, you went a touch too far... or didn't get the combo of tubes just right, and settled.
ON my tube preamp I have smooth NOS RCA on the input (rectifier) side, and and dynamic NOS Amperex Bugle Boys on the output.... on my tube monos I keep the detailed dynamic thing going with NOS Tungsol input tubes, but go to Winged C EL34 on the output sides.
Try some Amperex whites, Tungsols, Sylvania, or some other snappy dynamic tubes in there somewhere but not in place of those which eased up the presentation and see what happens.
Then... look to amps or speakers.... it's easier and cheaper to do tubes first
.