6922 Tubes!

I had been having  issues with noisy tubes in my preamp, mostly NOS Amperex, and was getting sick of shelling out big bucks for NOS tubes. Went with some JJ 6922 Gold Pins from The Tubestore, an extra $5 for balanced triodes made them $29.95 each. Hands down the quietest 6922's I've ever used and they sound excellent.
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/6922-E88CC-Tube-Types/JJ-E88CC-6922-Gold
A good current option especially if your preamp uses a lot of tubes, mine takes 6 6922's.

You would need to check with Manley for sure, but Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio turned me on to, several years ago, the National (Matsushita) 7DJ8 tubes. I have used these in dozens of different preamps, phono stages, DACs that use 6DJ8/6922/7308 tubes with never a problem. Plus they are KILLER sounding. One of favorite tubes.

The platinum version, (the best testing and sounding) are only $35 each.

http://www.upscaleaudio.com/6922-6dj8-7308-pcc88/matsushita-national-pcc88-7dj8/

Strateahed:

In my system, while the Russian rocket logo 6N1P’s were indeed very quiet, they’re a bit sterile for my tastes. I think I have a quad of those in my accessory drawer somewhere.

Well, yeah. I can see your point, but it can also be related to system matching. Not long after I got my 6N1Ps, I put in a Denon DL-160 I had lying around, and it suddenly sounded engaging and dynamic. Then I got a Shelter 201, and it wowed me with its transparent and fulsome midrange, and strong but not overwhelming bass. Now I’m using an AT150 with Shibata tip mounted to a cherry wood headshell, and the combination is marvelous. The 6N1Ps may sound a little sterile with your current setup, but maybe if you warm things up a little elsewhere (wood headshell, warmer mat, etc.) it may help you appreciate the lower noise floor and broader dynamic range that the 6N1Ps bring to the party.

@mofimadness Thanks for that tip I bookmarked that page to try those out on my next retube, the price is right!

I got a full set of Philips 7DJ8 from Upscale Audio and I'm very pleased with them in my Chinook. Especially at $40 a tube, the price wasn't bad at all. You can save a little money and try a pair on the input stage (rear tubes) of the Chinook. Eva told me that this is where you'll have the most effect on the sound.