Phono Preamp Tube Rush

I have a Musical Surroundings Nova Phonemena (solid state with a DC power supply) and a Manley Chinook (tubes).  If I turn up my preamp to the 12 o'clock position with nothing playing, I hear no added noise with the Nova.  There is an audible increase in the noise level with the Chinook, but it's not overwhelming.  I don't notice the additional noise from the Chinook when I'm playing records and that 12 o'clock position on the volume dial is about as loud as I listen. 

Which pre do I like better?  The Chinook.  So yes, some noise is the price you pay for tubes.  I have low noise tubes that I purchased from Brent Jessee and I think they helped, and I'll take a little bit of noise to get that tube magic.

Thanks for the helpful responses!  Thanks mulvely and daveyf especially because I think our experiences are similar. I do listen to my Harbeth M30.1s in the near field which I'm now realizing is another factor. 

I can certainly identify with this topic and the advice so far has been spot on consistent with my experience.  I too have a Herron VTPH-2A and noticed tube rush only a foot or so from the speaker when volume is up quite loud and BEFORE needle touches the vinyl.  I have found a bit of success (in my quest to lower the phono noise floor) by moving from a 0.3mV cart to a 0.5mV and by dialing gain and loading through a Zesto SUT.  I've had discussions with Roger Modjeski about possible noise reduction using his SNL tubes (at ~$100/ea) in the 1st gain stage of the Herron. He thought it might lower the noise floor a few dB but he said it's hard to say.  Haven't pulled the trigger on new tubes yet.

Almarg, You are very kind to answer for Hagtech.  Maybe he will also answer for himself.  Just in case he was not talking about "Johnson noise".  Apparently every conductor creates Johnson noise, It's not a property inherent to transformers only.

I also have the VTPH-2A. Great phono stage. I am using a Hashimoto HM7 SUT with it. At one time, I did have a little tube rush that could be heard from my listening position if I maxed out the gain on my preamp with nothing playing. So, I tried different things - changed/added grounding for the TT; changed the tubes in V1 and V2, and also V5; made the ground wires/connections a bit tighter; moved my SUT around relative to the TT and phono stage; used different shielded interconnects; created some flexible outside metal/copper shielding for the shielded interconnects from TT to SUT and from SUT to VTPH-2A, with the shielding then grounded to the ground posts. Each had a small but additive effect on S/N, eventually reducing noise by about -12dB to what the VTPH-2A is specified at (e.g., around -90dB). You should try some of the little incremental improvements that are out there because they can add up nicely and reduce noise. Noise is rarely just because of 1 piece of equipment or 1 issue.

Now, with max gain on my preamp, I can only hear a faint bit of tube rush if I place me ear right against the speakers. That’s what I would expect at -90dB. Otherwise, from my listening position, it is dead quiet. YMMV.