hello from DownEast!! We rebuilt our trans summer before last and upon starting the car I immediately noticed the same thing. Of course I was listening really hard, trying to make sure everything sounded and shifted okay. We also did new disc, bearing etc. and I've determined that the new bearings just sound a little different than the old ones. I believe the new throw out bearing has some plastic parts to it that I was not real jazzed about as the old (orig.?) one was all metal, but the trans shifts great and it is nice to have third gear back!!
I agree with the earlier post that if you have it out, put in all the new stuff and hope you don't get so good at pulling and replacing the trans that you remember the exact set up of swivels and extensions for the bell housing bolts