Ssssh, is your tube preamp really that quiet?

Trumweiller, please thank Ken from me. Ken's response was very illuminating and educational. I do agree that the noise from my CAT is quite minimal. I have rolled in tubes into both stages....NOS Mullards into the Line stage and NOS GE long plates into the phono stage Both sets were a nice upgrade to the stock Ei's. OTOH, the noise factor that we are discussing, has remained the same regardless of the tube used. As I stated earlier, the hiss ( noise) is NOT at all noticeable when music is playing. IF doing away with the noise ( or more of it, as I guess getting away from ALL of it isn't possible) also throws out the baby with the bath water....as Ken states; then I TOTALLY agree with Ken's decision to keep the current protocol. IMHO, the CAT preamps are STILL the best tube preamps that i have ever heard. Thanks again, Ken!

Cary SLP-05 is dead quiet through my 107dB sensitive horns (via Lamm ML2).

My Allnic H3000 is dead quiet coupled to my Edge NL12.1. I also use an Edge Signature 1.1SE pre and notice no difference in background noise-both are dead quiet.

When I bought my Counterpoint SA1000, it was fairly quiet for a tube preamp, but over the years that my current, Golden Dragon matched 6922 which has been in the preamp for 22 yrs, has been exhibiting a slight whoosh which was not there let's say 4 or so years ago. However, any program material masks the background hash. Still, this tube sounds so good that I have never found another one to match it. At the rate it is going, maybe I will have to replace it in another 10 years.

Hog-88, I think your Golden Dragon tube is going to outlive you.

It is obvious that most of the folks here on this thread don't experience any hiss at all, therefore the handful that do must be cursed.