Anyone else have the new Mullard EL34's?

[JayH3]

I picked up a set to replace the constantly failing JJ's for my DIYTube ST70.

They sound pretty good except for a huge loss in the bottom end compared to the JJ's which is very distracting.

I probably have 5 hours on these. Has anybody put a decent amount of time on them? Do they change any with time?

[Jim McShane]

IMHO the JJ E34Ls are pretty bassy, almost to excess. If you've been listening to them it will take a while to get accustomed to the Mullard reissues.

[JayH3]

Originally posted by Jim McShane
IMHO the JJ E34Ls are pretty bassy, almost to excess. If you've been listening to them it will take a while to get accustomed to the Mullard reissues.

What kind of speakers did you use when listening to the JJ's?

My speakers dont have a ton of low end (Paradigms with 2 6.5" midwoofers and a tweeter) so the JJ's made them sound very balanced.

If I had speakers with 10 or 12 inch woofers I wouldnt be surprised if they had too much low end like youre saying.

[Evenharmonics]

Couple of questions regarding the new Mullards.
1. I know they are not the vintage Mullards but how reliable are they?
2. Compared to other tubes in its price range, how do they do?

[45]

Originally posted by Evenharmonics
Couple of questions regarding the new Mullards.
1. I know they are not the vintage Mullards but how reliable are they?
2. Compared to other tubes in its price range, how do they do?

I have never had problems with JJ's. However, given the large production (and less quality control in comparison to the best NOS production) it can happen.

IMO, the Mullards are reliable as any other tube of current production.
They are russian and should be manufactured with some more care in comparison to EH's, given the higher price.....

I like the JJ 6L6GC over any current production EL34.

JayH3:
with your speakers you could try the triode connection with the Mullards (with and without global feedback). Even without Fb you should get 15W with very low THD (around 1% or even less!) and the clipping starting around 20W.
The sound will change a lot in balance.....

Otherwise to get back the previous balance in UL configuration you could modify the present quiescent point (a bit lower anode voltage and a bit higher anode current, I would say).

Cheers,
45

[Panicos K]

Originally posted by JayH3
I picked up a set to replace the constantly failing JJ's for my DIYTube ST70.

They sound pretty good except for a huge loss in the bottom end compared to the JJ's which is very distracting.

I probably have 5 hours on these. Has anybody put a decent amount of time on them? Do they change any with time?

When you say constantly failing,how many times,for how long and in what way do you mean?

[JayH3]

Originally posted by 45



JayH3:
with your speakers you could try the triode connection with the Mullards (with and without global feedback). Even without Fb you should get 15W with very low THD (around 1% or even less!) and the clipping starting around 20W.
The sound will change a lot in balance.....

Otherwise to get back the previous balance in UL configuration you could modify the present quiescent point (a bit lower anode voltage and a bit higher anode current, I would say).

Cheers,
45

I was thinking of trying that, but some things I read said they didnt notice much difference between triode and UL. Ill have to look more into it, I guess.

Originally posted by Panicos K



When you say constantly failing,how many times,for how long and in what way do you mean?

I would say 4 in a 8 months. I think one lost output all together and the others wouldnt bias.

[Ty_Bower]

Originally posted by Jim McShane
IMHO the JJ E34Ls are pretty bassy, almost to excess.

Originally posted by JayH3
My speakers dont have a ton of low end (Paradigms with 2 6.5" midwoofers and a tweeter) so the JJ's made them sound very balanced.

Curious. I've currently got a pair of JJ E34L on loan. They seem to be perfectly good tubes. I won't be able to comment on their long term reliability, as I'll have to return them to their owner shortly. They sound good to me. I don't think I'd describe them as bass heavy. If anything, their bottom end doesn't have the impact of the few 20 watt beam tubes I've used (6L6GC, 6CA7, and 6p3s-e). They certainly don't have the big bass sound I get from my KT88. I wouldn't describe the JJ as bass shy, but they're definitely not bass heavy to my ear.

Which Paradigms do you have? I own a fifteen year old set of 7se Mk3. They're the second set in the photo. My previous speakers were a pair of 2nd generation 11se, which I thought were too slow, heavy, and boomy in the bass. My impression of the 7se is that they go nearly as deep, and are much more refined and accurate. They won't play as loud, but I never thought of them as lacking in low end at the volumes I normally play.

[JayH3]

Originally posted by Ty_Bower





Which Paradigms do you have?

I have a set of Phantoms (V1 I think). They arent the best, but they are the best $400 set of speakers I have heard. Given the performance of these I would really like to hear some of the better models.

[Ty_Bower]

Off topic, but anyway...

Paradigm uses a very good 6.5" woofer. Don't underrate it. The tweeters used to be Vifa units of excellent quality. I don't know what they're putting in the newer stuff.

I bought a pair of Vandersteen 2ci, looking for an upgrade to my 7se. They're approximately the same age. In their day, they sold for 3x what my Paradigm cost. I had them in my system for a few weeks. The Vandersteen tweeters are obviously better, and the high end really shined. The midrange was extremely recessed, and just plain sucked. The bass was OK, but I expected better from an 8" woofer plus a 10" active (?) radiator. At the end of the month, I went back to my Paradigms. They had more life, and were more fun to listen to.

Price isn't everything. The more expensive unit isn't necessarily better. Anyone want to buy a pair of used Vandersteens?