Question for tube aficionados

Hello, I’ve owned the PV-11 for over 20yrs now. It was my main preamp for 10yrs but I have moved onto a AR SP-11 Mk 2. I still have the PV-11 in my collection of preamps. The tubes that sounded the best to me in the PV-11’s linestage is the Amperex 7316. I think other Bugle Boy 12AU7’s may sound good also but the 7316’s were the most musical and revealing tube for me. Keep in mine that the linestage of the PV-11 is fine but it’s phonostage is totally awesome. 

Just another note, if anyone knows more about 12au7, 12ax7,5751 tubes, it’s me. I’ve been rolling tubes for years and I have a huge stock of all the top vintage brands. I can’t believe how people comment on subjects they know nothing about. No wonder people get so confused when they need direction. I tried a lot of tubes in the PV-11 line stage and the 7316 will be the tube that will give you most satisfaction. It’s because it is very revealing but smooth and musical too. If you desire a more analytical sound, RCA clear top.   Mullard Old Logo 1960’s 12au7’s are my 2nd favorite along with the French made Cifte 12au7’s.  I personally felt the phonostage of the PV-11 was way superior to its linestage and I actually found putting in all quality tubes in the phonostage didn’t improve its sound. So for the  phonostage, I used a vintage 5751 black plate triple mica (doesn’t matter their all great), basic current production Russian 12AX7’s and a Mullard 12AU7 or 7316 Amperex for the 12AU7. Good luck.  

Hello Rvpiano, I had no intention on visiting this forum again but I’m on a email list that generates recent and past discussions and I browse the list for interesting topics. 
So to answer your latest question, I believe that the unit can play it’s phono section without tubes in the line stage- but I also believe that when tubes are in the line stage, it may affect the sound of the phonostage slightly. 
When I used my PV-11 as my main preamp, I chose to use the purest and most revealing digital / cable front-end but for for my phonostage, it was very different, I chose a very musical cartridge. This was how I balanced both sections of the PV-11 to sound close and very good.  I still do not understand why CJ would make preamps where one stage would sound so superior to the other.  This is not the only preamp they have done like this.  I believe CJ really believed at the time that digital sources were all analytical and hard sounding. As I mentioned before, my main preamp now is the Audio Research SP-11 Mk2 and it has a wonderful phonostage that is definitely on par with its line stage but I actually prefer the sound of the phonostages from CJ tube preamps.  I have my system setup to use the line stage of the AR but my vinyl is played via the phono section of my CJ PV9a.  Rvpiano, if you check eBay, you’ll see 7316 tubes labeled all different names, but you want the ones made by Amperex and it does not matter if the getter is round or D shaped, they sound identical. Good luck enjoying your PV-11 and try balancing your system as I did when I had my PV-11 as the main pre. If you ever think about upgrading, don’t do what I did and sell the PV-11. It took me years before I got mine back.  Keep it because many of Conrad Johnson preamps made in the 1980’s have killer phonostages. My favorites CJ phono sections are the, CJ Premier Three, PV-5, PV-8, PV9a, PV-10a and PV-11.  All of these have their own special tube magic.