Cary SLP-03 pre-amp: Does it need better tubes than stock to sound its best??/

Sunnyjim is trying to connect 3 balanced components together
the 98 is an RCA design not at its best here.

It would be hooked to a BAT VK-200 amp,.... and like the amp, it has both XLR and RCA connectors  

Thanks to those who have responded so far. For the record,  I have only two components that need XLR to XLR  connections. The BAT VK-200 and an Ayre CX-7e mp CD player. Any turntable I choose can be hooked to an RCA phono input or line input.

The issue is whether XLR connections will offer better sound and/or less less noise than an RCA connection. I have not been able to get a consensus about the merits of XLR connectors. Ayre claims their CD player will sound better using an  XLR  hook-up

To Brf, I appreciate your comment about the performance of SLP-03; I was somewhat wary when a few reviews recommended tube rolling to get the best sound from.SLP-03. However, I will check out the SLP-98

To Audioconnection, I am looking for the best sound possible That is my major goal, and compatibility with the BAT amp.

There is an ARC SP16i for sale on AG for $1200. What is your opinion of that unit?? I have read  a few reviews that claim that a few ARC pre-amps have problematic remotes,  that is,.wide swings in volume up or down; in particular, ARC LS-17 pre-amp.

It is nice to have a remote that offers good control over volume levels, and works without glitches  

In answer to your original question, many people, myself included, believe that there are significant sonic differences between tubes and that you can improve or tune the sound of your gear by trying tubes other than the stock tubes that come from the factory. Some people find New Old Stock (NOS) tubes to be too expensive and prefer to buy current production tubes. There are plenty of both available.

"Extreme tube sensitivity" means that the differences between tubes can be easily heard through that particular preamp.

If you don’t want to spend a good amount of time learning about the characteristics of different tubes, it’s best to buy from a knowledgeable, reputable tube dealer who can explain what type of changes to the sound you can expect from different tubes. It would be best to have a handle on the sound of the tubes currently in the preamp  and an idea of what kind of changes you would like to hear before you contact a tube dealer.

To tomcy6.   Thank you for comments and advice.  They make good sense.

Yes, I would evaluate the sound quality before doing any tube rolling. I did this when changing the two stock tubes to Mulllards in my  Rogue Sphinx integrated which is currently being used as a pre-amp.

On the other hand,  I never was a big fan of  tube rolling because of its expense, and complexity of finding the right tube.  Fortunately, SHOULD I decide to go with the Cary SPL-03,  I have a good and knowledgeable audio dealer near of L..A...... Upscale Audio. 

To audio connection, Thanks  for the reply about the ARC SP16.

BTW, I am not sure the seller identified the pre-amp correctly, listing  the piece as a SP16i,  not  a SP16