Is there any benefit to a tubed phono stage?

I have a tube pre and tube phono, but you CAN have too many tubes if implemented wrong it can mush up everything.

pretty much you either like tubes or you don't

I like tubes, but they don't like me.:-(

I am sure the response is the same as many other subjects, "it ain't what you do but the way that you do it". In other words it is all in the execution. In theory, tubes are intrinsically more noisy, which should be most important in the area dealing with the smallest input signal, that is, a phono stage. In practice, I use a K&K hybrid phono stage and I have never heard a quieter stage or one less prone to RFI. Then I have'nt heard the best and most expensive phono stages around(not that the best and most expensive are synonymous)

David12, if you like the K&K phono you should check out Kevin and Dave's RAKK DAC. Does for CDs what the K&K phono does for vinyl. Dave's line stage is pretty awesome too.