I had a set of bugle boys in my system and to me they sounded great but not better than the 7DJ8s.
Herron NOS Tubes
Just wanted to report that I’ve found the Matsuhisa 7DJ8 tube to be a fantastic match for my Herron VTSP-1/166. Huge upgrade from the stock tubes that Keith uses and only $35 each at Upscale. Equal to the big money 6DJ8s I tried. Great tone and sound stage. This change has actually made me reconsider upgrading to Keith's current preamp which I've been saving for. I may just hold on to this one for awhile longer!