Question for tube aficionados

You can try swapping tubes for sure but even better is to change a few of the resistors.  Carbon film, metal, shinkoh, caddock, etc.  cheaper way to go and a lot more fun!

Happy Listening.

Yes try NOS OS 5751s they were all the rage 10 years ago.  They are more reasonable these days.  I advise you get Sylvania blackplates, RCA easier to get and even GE again blackplate and their 5 star brand.  If your up to a search the Raytheon windmill getter 5751 is very good,  Get triple mica preferred over doubles.  Sylvania's Gold Brand and RCA Command series are worth looking for. Good Luck tube rolling is a slippery slope.it can be addictive, PM me for more advice/help.

I agree with previous comments to first replace the 12AU7’s. But, substituting Gold Lion 12AU7’s will be a horizontal move; there will not be a dramatic improvement. To really open up your preamp you need to go with NOS tubes. There is so much good info on the sonic signature of NOS tubes at Joe’s Tube Lore... https://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/joes-tubes.html
and Brent Jessee’s site...
http://www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

And almarg has stated an important point about the use of the 5751 variant in your CJ preamp...
Please note: The indiscriminate substitution of type 12AX7 tubes for the 5751 will seriously degrade the sonic performance of the unit.

The 5751 has lower gain, so it's recommended to stay with a 12AX7.

lowrider57,

Based on the recommendation at Joes Tube Lore, I’m getting a pair of RCA 12 AU7 in place of the Gold Lions.  According to Joe, they should cost around $5.00. Tube Depot has them for 12x that  price, but it will cost me about the same as the credit I’m getting.

The Joe's Tube Lore posting is from 1999 from the looks of it, but I didn't read down through the pages. You'd be hard pressed to find much for $5 these days!

The 12**7 tubes last quite a long time, so it's well worth it to step up to something really nice. The Brent Jesse descriptions of the sound qualities of various tubes is very helpful and accurate. As long as the 5751 and the 12AX7's in your PV11 are quiet, I'd go for the gusto on the 12AU7's for line stage... unless, of course, your budget allows for doing them all right now.