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)
