@jslateiv Thanks! The noise makes me wonder if a better motorized pot would be an overall sonic improvement but not sure what to even change it to or how. That little bit of noise is a worthwhile tradeoff for how good the preamp is.
@gryphongryph Thanks! Good to know it's the same on your preamp too.
In completely separate news, a 6SN7 died in the Chardonnay last night. I was listening to music, heard a loud unpleasant sound from my right speaker and then the speaker went silent. Swapped around amps and speakers just to troubleshoot that they were working fine and then started swapping tubes. Visually, the tube looked fine, maybe a little dimmer than the other, but it was pretty dead sonically. Had a nasty ozone-like smell to it. Luckily, had a backup pair of tubes. Have never experienced that before and it definitely surprised me.
Any new production 6SN7 that anyone would recommend? I'm running Sylvania GTB now and would like to try a new tube vs a potentially old "NOS."