Should I move on from my Hagerman Trumpet MC Phono Pre?

Suggest that you detail your entire system along with what tubes you have "rolled" through the Trumpet and your take/opinion of them.

"NOS high end tubes" is too vague a description to be useful.

DeKay

Currently at 12au7 in Hagerman: '50s Raytheon matched set. RIAA 12ax7s NOS RCA. Very balanced. 

Key 12au7 in Rogue Amp: Mazda '60s 12au7. Clear sounding. 

Have you tried the 60's Mazda's in the Trumpet?

If not try switching them with the Ray's.

Realize this gets complicated it you are running other sources through the Rouge - but this is also part of the fun - right?

DeKay

I can’t respond to your question of should you stay or should you go but do hope you decide to sell as I have been waiting on A Hagerman Trumpet to use in my headphone system, like the Herron, they don’t come up often in the used market. Enjoy the music

Koetsu Urushi Wajima@$7K is entry into "major leagues." The Trumpet has great reviews for what it is. Your Technics/ Koetsu deserves a big league phono- not  AA  divison.

Time to pony up...

NOS tubes for tone controls only goes so far, especially  with price point gear.

Live on the edge - go ALL tube-no FET's and tube rectifier.

Koetsu Urushi Wajima@$7K is entry into "major leagues." The Trumpet has great reviews for what it is. Your Technics/ Koetsu deserves a big league phono- not  AA  divison.

Time to pony up...

NOS tubes for tone controls only goes so far, especially  with price point gear.

Live on the edge - go ALL tube-no FET's and tube rectifier.

Give me a recommendation! 

Consider a Modwright PH 9.0X or 9.0TX. No noise, great all around sound. My prior phone stages were Parasound and Pass. Another huge plus with the MW, no hard to reach dip switches.

@fastricky I have quite an amount of experiences under my belt listening to Phonostages, out of all audio equipment the Phonostage is the one I have been most willing to travel and learn what is achievable as an End Sound.

Valve Input / Output Phon's are presenting with a Tonal Richness that can be overwhelmingly heavy, through to being almost perceivable as Transparent.

For the record, I am looking for as close to transparent as possible as the perception of the End Sound Produced. I then have my own methods to add a hint of richness of tone, if felt needed. 

Valve Hybrids are similar in their range of Tonal Richness, but I have found there is certain circuits where they do not present with a unique sonic signature as do the above, there is a much of a muchness, with a variance to the lowest frequency or upper frequency, that becomes the noticeable separator between models.

If one really wants to step aside of a discernible Tonal Richness that comes from the trait of using a Valve in a Circuit there is a hunt required to discover the Valve Phon' that can do this, which might only be a Valve Phon' with a particular Valve in use, so not the easiest to discover.

To walk away from the richness influence of the Valve, the SS option is the design to consider. 

A SS Phon' with a SUT is a way to tweak tonal richness, as is including umbilical's with D.U.C.C Wire on the Signal Path.   

The Wajima with a 0.4mv output there is easy options to match the Cart' to a configuration for a Phon.

The Cantilever being Boron should also be tidying up tonal richness, even when used in conjunction with a wood body. 

A Tenuto or AT 666 Platter Mat both can produce an End Sound that is seemingly moved away from a richness of tone being present. 

I'm suspecting you have a sensitivity to a richness of tone and when detected it becomes a detractor. I have the condition that is sensitive to weight of tonal colouration.

When listening to certain genre, the discernible tonal presence detected in an End Sound, impacts on my enjoyment of long periods of listening, I know today how to substantially diminish the perception of a tonal colouration being present when using an analogue source and the amplification for the sources sent signal .

There is also certain genre where noticeable tonal colouration is welcomed as being detected in the End Sound, but I like to be the individual who is able to decide which permutation of the Source and Amplification of the Source Signal is put into service.

+1 Modwright PH 9.0X. I’m very satisfied with mine. Using w/ Koetsu Urushi Black, and others. 

My experience with turntable, cartridges and phono stages is that the phono stage can hold the sound back until they are of very high caliber. I have used a number of phono stages, but have the most extensive experience with Audio Research. One of Audio Research’s strengths has been Phono Stages, like Conrad Johnson and Zesto. 

I will say that noise that you can hear from a phonostage is very bad. While it can be covered up by the music, it is still detracting from the music. You will not hear it, but your system will sound better with out it. A phono stage should be silent.

Each upgrade of the phonostage for me resulted in very large improvement in sound quality until I got to roughly the value of the tt + phono cartridge = the phono stage. . This has happened with my current system and its predecessor. Currently my Linn LP12 (near Klimax) and Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge is mated with an Audio Research Ref 3SE.... roughly $22K each. 

No, no and no. Get yourself the Sbooster 15 volt linear power supply and it will completely transform the Trumpet. I added it to mine and it was like a whole new phono pre. After that, tube rolling seemed to make more of a difference, especially in the first position.

Very salient points thanks all. 

I'm going to keep an eye out for a used MW Phono Stage, sounds like it'll be up my alley. For the record (hehe) I'm not opposed to warm tone from my phono stage, it's just that with the tubes I had incorporated into the Trumpet MC and the cartridge it was too mid heavy. 

Well I had a lengthy listening session last night, and beforehand I was surprised to find a pair of Sylvania 12au7s I had forgotten about so I put those into the front-most row on the Trumpet and a BIG improvement in openness. Also I have added the SBooster to mine and yes, a worthy move. 

So in short I'm going to buy some more open sounding tubes and experiment further. The sound of the Hagerman is outstanding, of course I haven't tried something much more expensive but aside from @medium_grade who here has tried the Hagerman? I suspect once I arrive at the right tube set I'm going to be satisfied. The elevated noise floor isn't that bad truthfully. 

Relative to what you have and might want to spend, sell the Trumpet, and as suggested look at a used Modwright 9X or Luxman EQ500.

I found one of these for $2500. Comparable, subjectively "better" in some areas but MIC, which to many here, claim to avoid😂

The latest price bump puts it at $4500. Make it in the USA, it would be priced much more$$

https://www.ebay.com/itm/157060441509

https://www.hifinews.com/content/primaluna-evo-100-tube-phono-preamplifier

Do the NOS tube thing, decent cable, now you have something that will approach $$ SOTA- as the Technics/Koetsu does.

I have no doubt the Trumpet performs well, but all the tweaking won't match any of the above "next step" models which are can be had for a sane price.

@fastricky 

Have you ever tried Sylvania Gold Brand Gold Pin (3 mica) 5751's? Best sounding 12AX7 variants I've ever used. RCA clear top 5751's were right up there as well. Remember 5751's are a tone down in gain from 100 to 70, which can help or hurt, depending on the rest of the system. I've been very happy with the Sylvania 5751's in my Cary phono stage for over 20 years. I also use Sylvania Gold Pin 6189's in the 12AU7 MC gain stage and Sylvania 5814A in the buffer spot. I have alternated from the 6189's to 12AU7 Amperex long plate bugle boys but usually favor the Sylvanias in my system. Obviously, results vary from one system to another but these have been my go to's for a long time. Mullards often get suggested but I have not found them to my liking and that might just be the variants that I had or who knows what? I would not object to trying teles or siemens but just haven't had them to try and I have no reason to feel the need to anyway, just that I might. My 2c.

@fastricky

"aside from @medium_grade?" What am I, chopped liver? 😭 

@billpete Yes those are the exact tubes I'm using! Sound terrific. 

i suggest 

1) RCA clear Tops

2) Telefunken 

IMHO, both can present something opposite each other. but you are now at the point of mixing tubes to create the synergy you want. Also, the SBooster will do wonders on the Trumpet. 

Here's a thought I hadn't considered - what about adding a SUT in front of the Trumpet MC?