Which EL34 tubes for Hi Fi

[WE91]

Hello.

Just looking for some more solid pointers before buying a new set of EL34's

I have really tried searching for the best current production EL34's for my needs.
On the net "reviews" are all over the place in what to recommend and are often about tubes for guitar-amps, not Hi Fi.

Knowing that choosing brand of output tube is dependant on amplifier and also is dependant on input/driver choice, here's what I have:
Amp.: Lectron JH50
Small signal tubes: 6SJ7's red metal longlife RCA and 1950 6SN7's RCA silver marking, blackplate, side getters.

I have narrowed my search of EL34's down to these (not ranked):
JJ EL34L
JJ KT77
SED "winged C" EL34
Groove Tube EL34M (rating 8-10?)

What I need is deep, controlled bass, liquid and articulate midrange with good bloom without being "mushy" - and extended, sweet highs, rich in details together with a good and precise 3D soundstage.

My question to you is then: What's your best bet/guess/recommendation?

Best Regards

 

[audio845]

Hi WE91,

I use my EL34s in a Mullard style UL PP circuit with a 6SN7 driver, YMMV. For years I've been using NOS Mullards and Sylvanias quite happily but as you have probably noticed the price of these has gone through the roof. I've tried many of the newer versions to find a substitute. The SEDs are acceptable. I've had one tube run away and go up in smoke in two sets of the JJ KT77 so although I like the way they sound I refuse to get any more of them. The best sounding modern version BY FAR is the Genalex reissue KT77. I love this tube - I'm currently using them in place of Mullards and everybody who hears them and uses EL34s goes out and buys a set. I got mine from Jim McShane and they have been trouble free. Can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[RJ]

Hello.

Just looking for some more solid pointers before buying a new set of EL34's

I have really tried searching for the best current production EL34's for my needs.
On the net "reviews" are all over the place in what to recommend and are often about tubes for guitar-amps, not Hi Fi.

Not fully true.
Class A Combo Designed and built by Bernard Raunig. This is a true single ended class A amplifier, using a 5Y3 rectifier and a single 5691 pre-amp tube. With a volume and single tone control this amp really lets you hear the tonal differences between the tubes.
http://thetubestore.com/el34review.html

 

[azazello]

Mullard's very good choice!

 

[WE91]

Thank you all

I need a quad of EL34's

I'll be counting money and figuring out if it's going to be a quad of Groove Tubes EL34M (close Mullard XF2 copies) for 104USD or reissue Gold Lion Genalex KT77's for 190USD ...

Another option:
I see that "the tubestore" has just good things to say about the reissue Tung Sol EL34B (thank you for your pointer concerning your testing, RJ)
What do you guys think of these compared to the "competition"?
These are also made by "Reflektor" (Sovtek?) as the reissue Genalex ...

Looking very much forward to your answer.

 

[Panicos K]

When someone is selling tubes will always say good things for the tubes he is selling(no offence for any store).By the description you gave for your taste in sound wich seems to be the ideal for most,I do not believe that any new production EL34 can fullfill this task.Yes NOS prices have gone very high,but IMO as long as you can afford them,get them.Besides you will not be changing tubes everyday,and it is for your listening pleasure afterall.SED might be preferable than other new production,but older Svetlanas are more musical.Also look for Siemens NOS.For some reason they are not so expensive as other NOS and they are very good.

 

[audio845]

A year ago I would have agreed with you and I was scouring ebay for single Mullard EL34s to match up myself as that is the cheapest way to get them. Even buying them that way they were usually about $100 a piece Then I heard the reproduction Genalex and I have been happily listening to them since, even with the choice of using Mullards. I'm using a Tamura output and running the tubes UL with about 500v on the plate at 50ma. Sound wonderful and have held up for 7 months without problems. Of course all of us have our own sonic preferences.

Charlie

 

[sorenj07]

I say try the EH EL34's. They're cheap and reliable, and will provide a solid basis for comparison with later, more expensive purchases.

Personally I've used JJ E34L's and KT77's. I like the KT77's a little better, as far as I can tell.

Happy hunting!

 

[rknize]

My ears can't lend much help in the nuance dept and I certainly could never afford NOS Mullards, but I have tried Valve Art (Shuguang) and SED EL34s and JJ KT77s.

I have to give props to the Shuguangs. I bought them for bringing up and testing/thrashing new amps because they were the cheapest I could get. They actually sound really great, especially for the price. I've had no issues with the set even after much abuse and the build quality is consistent between them. Seen my share of Chinese firecrackers and I have steered clear in the past. I have no complaints about these. Since they are stamped "Valve Art", perhaps the quality is a tad higher.

The SED tubes are my current favorites in the SE amp for detail. They are quite good and I have come to really enjoy this amp now with these tubes now that it has broken-in some. They look like "normal" EL34s and are beautiful in operation as well.

The JJs have quality issues...look-out for slippery cathodes that slide down and out of the top mica when you pop the tube in. It will either cause a short due to the strap on the cathode touching something or the tube will arc over from exposing the heater inside the cage. My first quad had lots of issues, but the supplier was good about it and sent me a new set that is perfect. While they live in the standard, generic JJ-shaped bottle, the plate structure and cathode shape is unlike any other JJ I have seen...so they are unique. They sound great in both my VTA-70 Dynaco and the Simple SE. They are detailed like an EL34 but with more bass. Less of a compromise than the 6L6 IMHO. The difference in the PP UL amp is subtle, but it is more apparent in the SE.

I have to confess that I am a bit of a skeptic when it comes to New Sensor's "reissue" tubes. I can certainly see the marketing angle with picking-up the Mullard, Tung-Sol, and Gold Lion brands. If they are indeed trying to make tubes that are as close to the originals as they can get, then by all means have at it. No one else is going to do it. However back when they snapped-up the Svetlana brand while the original factory was still producing tubes gave me the impression that it was all marketing. I can't help the feeling that they are just "binning" tubes as they come off the test line. Tough, low microphonic tubes get EH stamps and nice looking, well testing tubes are Tung-Sol or whatever. When you look through the bottle past the silk screening, I don't see any difference between a Tung-Sol 6550 and a EH KT88. Do you? Do they really sound different?

 

[Panicos K]

It is true that many of these New Sensors look very much the same but they sound a bit different.When I was looking for EL84's I have been impressed somehow by the Sovtek EL84.Not as good as the Mullard NOS but better for my taste than other more expensive names from New Sensor.To my surprise I was trully amazed by Ei Elites EL84.I was able to get eight of those and I'm very happy with them.No problems either as we reed they have.Marketing war too ? In my amp they sound very musical and effortless with great soundstage and depth.

 

[rhone]

Try EH 6CA7's. Better than the JJ E34L and Valve Art EL34 I've also tried. SED EL34 also have a very good reputation.
AFAIK Groove Tubes don't make tubes, they just re-label "selected" Russian or Chinese tubes that are made at the same plant as Shuguang or Sovtek or whatever.

 

[WE91]

THANK YOU, guys

Many, many good replies ...
Thank heaven for ... DIYAudio ...

Finally it is possible to make a really good list of the better EL34's to buy - and now we think we know where to place Groove Tubes too.

Here's my try at a list (not ranked):

SED "winged C" EL34
NOS Siemens
Gold Lion Genalex KT77 (best of the reissues)
EH EL34/6CA7
Valve Art EL34

How would you grade these tubes mentioned in my un-ranked list above? Please suggest!
The reissue Genalex KT77 have been mentioned in the same sentence as NOS Mullards several times. Are these the best today? The NOS Siemens are on this list because they're available at decent prices. How do they compare to NOS Mullards and the reissue Gold Lion KT77?
Maybe it is impossible to rank these tubes? It may be that it will differ what tube one select as the better depending on synergy with amplifier, biasing and other tubes used in the amp? Maybe this listing (without ranking) is the closest one gets ...
The reference tubes (at astronomical prices): NOS Mullard XF2 and NOS Gold Lion KT77 ??

In my Lectron JH50 I have used older Svetlana and now the Mullard (New Sensor) reissue ... The Svetlana ones had beautiful imaging and highs, with tight bass, but sadly a somewhat forward almost agressive upper midrange. The reissue Mullards has tons of midrange prescence and are dense, but lack the sparkling treble of the old Svetlanas and they are really fat in the bass (good with small treble-forward loudspeakers).

It is very nice to finally have a list of recommended EL34's to use in Hi Fi gear, I have really been missing that!!!

Best Regards Aril

 

[Panicos K]

From the ones you have in your list I have tried the SED and Siemens.Starting with the SED I would say they are very detailed,dynamic and controlled and I would dare to say "neutral" in tonal balance with a slight reservation on their mid/upper mid agression as you said and slight lack of air throughout the range.In all a bit lacking in harmonics.In these areas is where the Siemens wins.It is clear and detailed,but its midrange is better balanced,plus very good harmonics air and sense of depth.Dynamically it is also more effortless than the SED in my set up.Very good tonal balance and not as heavy and fat as Mullards.More German than British

 

[sepolansky]

Genalex KT77!!!

I personally use their KT88s, also from Jim McShane. Wonderful tubes. I have heard the various EL34/KT77, even 6550 type tubes (NOS Mullards, JJ's and others, including the Genalex KT77s) in the same amplifier in the finest system I have ever had the pleasure of hearing (and I have heard it many times). I can heartily agree with audio845. They are the tubes to buy! Buy them from Jim McShane, he doesn't sell junk, he can hear, his prices are fair and he stands behind what he sells.

 

[Ty_Bower]

I can't help the feeling that they are just "binning" tubes as they come off the test line.

That's a good thing, I think. I'd rather pay more for a tube knowing the manufacturer has already sorted his inventory, and what he is selling is product from the upper percentile of the assembly line.

The American vacuum tube manufacturers did the same thing back in the 50's. RCA had their "Command Series", GE offered the five star line, etc...

 

[Panicos K]

That's a good thing, I think. I'd rather pay more for a tube knowing the manufacturer has already sorted his inventory, and what he is selling is product from the upper percentile of the assembly line.

The American vacuum tube manufacturers did the same thing back in the 50's. RCA had their "Command Series", GE offered the five star line, etc...

Those were the years when every manufacturer was making their own tubes and had to care about checking only their tubes.Now,one factory making so many "brands",I wonder if quality control will ever be so strict as it was back then.If quality has to do with price/brand,then we can assume that production quality today is not consistent and that the "famous brands"get the better tubes and higher prices and vice versa.Do you think that this is the case?In the old days,some famous tube manufacturers,were sourcing tubes from other makers and some were calling them "foreign made".I have heard some Brimar EL84 made in East Germany by RFT.You know what?They sound just like RFT's and no where near like Brimars.Why Brimar and Mullard among others were doing this?I don't know.But they cost as NOS,much less than genuine Brimars and Mullards.Each is free to make his own choice

 

[rknize]

We will never get back to the standards that were held in those days, at least not at these prices. Reflektor (or whatever they call themselves) knows how to make tubes a certain way and of course they are going keep doing it. If they are indeed making minor tweaks to the design to emulate some of the NOS stuff, then that is great.

As far as why Brimar would stamp their name on a German tube? Because it was convenient at the time for whatever reason in the region that the tubes were being sold in. I guess I am carrying some of the skepticism I attained when I disassembled several dozen oil filters years ago. Under the dozens of different paint and stickers were 3 or 4 filters. There are no brands, only branding. Some brands can be one of several manufacturers depending what country you are in when you buy it. Some brands had those manufacturers build filters to different specs, but the price difference could not possibly justify some of those changes. It is all about leveraging perceived reputation against the consumer as much as possible.

I hope New Sensor is doing the right thing here...but I have to wonder in this day and age.

 

[Panicos K]

I think that what New Sensor it doing now is good in the sense(!!!) that what they are doing is good enough for tube equipment manufacturers and the majority of consumers or end-users if you like.This way all are happy.As for the small number of consumers who wish to experiment with NOS,nobody really cares.They will keep on their lonely road till nothing is left for them to find Let us just hope that till then,current production or future production tube quality will further improve.But just in case,keep a spare set of NOS aside

 

[Panicos K]

One further comment to your post:I don't know if Reflector or other tube manufacturers know how to make better tubes.I believe they do.Problem is that if those involved in the tube busines chain(tube equipment manufacturers,consumers etc...)don't find a way to "demand"better tubes,nobody will make better tubes for them.

Oh.....just seen some NOS tubes at only $2000/pair.....

 

[Marcelinho]

A dutch repair guy rebrands softek 5881wxt as el34 and speaks highly of them.

A company as borderpatrol recommends 5881 as replacements for el34.

Does anybody have the sovtek 5881wxt spec-sheet? I can't find it on their website.