[DanEC]

Is it still a hydraulic roller cam type?

Could be a slight exhaust leak which sounds like a light ticking, but typically they are the most pronounced on a cold start and then seal up to some extent as the motor gets hot. But since you described it as sounding like it's at the front and on the driver side and you can't distinguish anything on the engine itself with a stethescope - that's sure what it sounds like.