thanks for the suggestions. I have tried both the Russian NOS 6H23s and the Siemens gold pin 7308s since starting this post. The 6H23s are a nice improvement on the stock tubes. They are smoother and have a bigger soundstage, and I think they are a good value, but the Siemens took me to a new level! They are unbelieveably fast and transparent, much more low level detail, better width, depth, better placement from front to back, more natural voices----you get the idea. Unfortunately, they were obscenely expensive, but worth every penny to me. Now I understand why Emmanuel Go recommends them for his preamps.