effect of tubes in cd players

my experience with tube rolling and components produced in 2005 and 2006 is that, with the possible exception of very low powered amps, the changes in sound are small.

it is my belief that manufacturers design circuits which are insensitive to tubes.

i have experience with a cary, bat, minimax, jolida and audionote cd player. the audionote cd2 showed the most variation with changes in tubes. the other players were hardly affected at all.

i wish i could quantify the word small. i will try to explain it in two ways.

consider qualitative terms such as small, large, salty, sweet, as thresholds.

basically subjective in perception, a difference which is mall has to exceed some expectation in one's mind, whence hearing it any difference exceeding it is gretaer than small.

that is, one must first perceive a differnce between two instances of sonic reproduction but consider it below some expected difference which in a personal sense constitutes your idea of small.

this may be very vague. i will try another approach.

if iam listening to two 12ax7 tubes and hear a slight difference but am indifferent as to preference, that difference is surely small.

newbee, you are right in your observation that one person's large can be another's small, but it certainly defies logic how that could happen.

i hope i have shed some light on the subject rather than be confusing.

i can sum up my philosophy: a difference (is perceived) which makes no difference (it doesn't matter to the perceiver) is no difference ( will not motivate one to take an action)