"12AU7 and 12AX7 long black plates vs short black plates. Any difference ?"
Microphonics. @mulveling goes on about it -
"Bigger plates can mean more microphony too, though. The way these things are suspended in the glass envelope makes them a vibration antenna, and the mica spacers have to retain a tight grip over all these years & heat/cool cycles."
"And with a tube power amp or integrated, the vast majority of heater draw is from the power tubes. You're getting into a fractional % of a delta on the filament tap from this."
To elaborate -
The small signal tube heater supplies AC or DC are taken from a separate winding on the power transformer and in the case of DC a separate rectifier bridge and ancillary components to present clean power to the filaments at 6 or 12 volts.

