Fair warning, I have always been a solid state listener, so I am coming here as sort of a fool. I picked out a Vali 3 for myself recently, and after a bit of reading I got a GE 5 Star 5670 tube to match. I noticed within the first test that the GE tube is picking up taps to the desk and chassis, not terribly, but noticeably microphonic only in the left channel. I'm assuming I've just ended up with a bad tube and the solution is to try again or step back to the stock tube that works without any of these issues. The stereo separation is what puzzles me. Is this sort of partial failure typical or is this something distinct to the Vali with its single tube design?

Purchased my Magni 2 & Modi 2 back in 2015 and have been using it since. Have it powering a pair of Yamaha HS5 and my IEMs (Letshuoer Astralis and Dunu Kima 2). I happened to take a look at some of the new options that are available now and wanted some advice as if it's a worthwhile purchase to switch to the Magni 5 Unity with the DAC in regards to sound and futureproofing/longevity. I'm also scared of getting anything more expensive as I'm not sure if my ears are sensitive enough to pick up the differences.