Aestheix Calypso owners,tube advise needed

Thank you all for the good advice. I checked the gain jumpers in my Calypso and they are in the low gain position. I did not think I had a noise problem...but after trying Viiu's test I had a considerable hiss at the 8 volume setting. My last preamp was a Pass Labs X-0.2 and it was dead quite.
The sound I am looking for is similar to my X-0.2, very transparent and detailed but with a more natural presentation from top to bottem. My system at this point sounds like someone threw a blanket over my speakers... as if the sound has been muffled slightly.
I was not sure replacing my solid state pre with a tube pre would be an improvement...but I thought I'd give it a try. My objective was to reduce the amount of money I had tied up in my system without losing any qualities...build, esthetics and sonic performance. I have come close but my preamp is still lagging behind the Pass Labs X-0.2 in overall musicality. Hopefully with your tube recommendations I will be able to do so. Thanks to all.

Gandme, I would also treat your Calypso to one of those pricy Isoclean fuses. Yeah, I know, crazy. But it opened mine up to a worthwhile extent, and I now have ~$240 worth of the silly things throughout my system. Power cords also make a difference, in case you haven't experimented with them. Dave

Dopogue- I have looked into audio fuses and power cords. I believe they have a place in my system. I am of a mind that they account for a very small % of the overall sound. So they are on the back burner. I say that now....but who knows what I will do tomorrow!!! I just spent $350 on tubes for my Calypso...Made a call to Brent Jesse and pealed out the Visa.

I'm glad you ordered tubes, that is what you need to do, start somewhere. You never explained what you wanted from the stock sound, and what you were hoping to gain. As stated above the Mullard CV 4004 is an excellent choice, but I am on the opposite view, I prefere the lusher Mullard 10M gold pin (or any Mullard 12AX7 gold pin tube from the '60's. I used the 10M myself.

In the 6922 I went through many tubes, and eventually found a quit non microphonic pair of '50's Amperex pinched waist that are perfect matches with the 10M. The issue is in today's market that is $1000 plus dollars for four tubes, if you can find quit ones. There is some real question if $1000 in tubes in a $4500 component is even logical, but in my mind it made the Calypso a remarkable unit.

BTW, I kept mine in the high gain and it was dead quit. Also last year I upgraded to the Callisto, many more tube variables to deal with.

jd

Jd - I talked for some time with Brent Jesse and took his recommendations on my tube selection. I told him my taste and what my system consisted of and what tubes were recommended by Audiogon members in this thread. I bought a matched pair of nos Telefekunken 12ax7s smooth plate, 60s vintage. A matched pair of nos Amperex 6DJ8s Bugleboys 60s vintage. I was looking for a transparent, detailed, natural sound without any coloration. Basiclly I want the same thing my Pass Labs X-0.2 preamp gave me but at a lower price point. My used Calypso came with 2 sets of 12ax7s (seller had a bad packing day)so I ended up going to a small electronics shop in Marin (north of San Francisco)and buying a pair of nos Sylvania 6DJ8s so I could get up and running. I am not disappointed with the sound I have now...but it is not up to the standard I was use too.