Valve types

T

T-bone Sanchez

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At the end of the month I think I'll treat myself to a new set of valves :)

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about the new re-issue Mullard El34's?

Im also tempted by a set of new re-issue tung sol 6550's from srs in the states, much cheaper than over here.
 
i have a set of the new sensor mullards in my amp. they were noisy to start with and are still not as quite as the svetlana's i had in before, but they do have really nice tone. they're pretty good, but i'm not sure i would go with them over the svets next time... value for money... the svets are tonally a bit more neutral but a bit cool in comparrison, and much quiter.
 
I have svets in my quads and was wondering hoe the electo harmonics would compare? They seem well regarded or should I stick to svets? KT88's BTW
 
EH are quite well regarded but the real cherries appear to be the GEC ones, but you pay. I dont think you can go wrong with svets (the winged 'c' variety), srs have a matched quad set for $199 plus delivery.
 
If you can find them, have a look at Telefunken units, gave my Audio Note in hefty positive performance kick. The new EAT valves coming out of the Czech Republic are meant to be jolly nice as well if a bit pricey.
 
I had some KT88EH for a while and they beat Svet KT88 and 6550 in all area's

From what I've read, the Tung Sol 6550 replicas are very good.

My take on KT88 vs 6550 (using the above Svet's) is that 6550 are pacier, a bit more forward and a bit thinner, hence the KT88 were slower, fuller and more relaxed.
 
the only thing i will say is that the mid range on the el34 is very sweet. you will sacrifice that a bit. you will get slighlty tighter bass with the 88's, but personally i think they are a bit dry in the mids....
 
i haven't heard 88's but i have heard 6550's and 34's i started out with 34 amps primarily due to the lower cost, but i have grown to really like the 34 sound. now i have much better 34 based amps, but i purposely decided to stick to 34's. it's just different, but if you're used to the 34 sound you might find the 6550's a little hard sounding... (more bass and treble, at the expense of midrange) but you pays your money.....
 
Yeah I know its horses for courses, for the sake of £80 or so I think I'll take a chance on those tung sol 6550's, if I dont like em Im sure I'll get a decent price on ebay.
 
Why dont you go for the middle ground with 88's? Going from 34's to 6550's is a big jump.
 
Ive heard 88's and never felt they offer something that different from El34's, abit more balls perhaps but thats all. The 6550 is essentially a kt88 except,, I think the 88's use a kinky (ooooer) terode (KT) whereas the 6550's dont. I think thats about it, apart from that they are the same tube. Whats appealing about the 6550's is the thumping bottom end, I just feel that at the present time it might just suit my set-up better.

Traditionally the 6550's are loved by the Americans coz its a gutsy tube and us Brits tend to prefer the KT88 coz its more refined. Ideally Id like a decent set of all three but Im some way of that yet.
 
Other way round, kt is kinkLESS tetrode, 6550 is kinked.
I prefer the KTs to the others by quite a long way, not a fan of the 34 except in guitar amps, 6550 is nice but 'american' sounding as T-bone said, KT just sounds 'right'. More open top than the 6550 and brings the bass under better control. A decent set of kts doesn't have to loose out in the bass to 6550.
The sound stage is different too, the 6550 is deeper (front to back) than kt but not as wide, kt much wider but not as deep. Atkleast with the ones I've heard anyway.
 
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anex did you hear them all in the same amp? width etc. have as much to do with amps as tubes. i had a dynaco st70 when i got my vac, and i rolled the tubes from my st70 into my vac and found the vac had a HUGE stage in comparrison....
 


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