Favorite Output Tube?

[TubeHead Johnny]

I'd like to know what everybody's favorite output tubes are and why.

I like the EL84 for their crystal clear clarity and the've got decent bass as well. They don't need much power and they're dirt cheap now a days.

Second would be the EL34.

~~~Johnny~~~

 

[mississippi]

For me is it the EL34.
Beause of its realibility and the liftime.
I build a lot of amplifiers, a few I put on a story readable via internet.

 

[korneluk]

I truly like the 45 for the purity of tone and balance from top to bottom. If I need more power I go for the 2A3, but the 45 is still my favorite.

-- josé k.

 

[Mikael Abdellah]

KT88!

haven't tried much more, but it sounds great, is easy to work with and looks awesome. Also the price is not too high. I would like to try 845 some time.

 

[the_manta]

Currently it's the EL38. I made many experiments with this tube and now I'm building two monoblocks.
Here two pics, The Frame for the chassis isn't ready yet.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

I love uncommon tubes and love especially uncommon circuits for them !

Tubes like the above mentioned EL38 or the EC8020 and many others are my passion (I'm not keen on talking about that all, because then the prices will explode and everybody wants them. Happend all to often ! Example is the EL509/EL519/PL509/PL519. A few years ago you could get them cheap at Ebay, a few bucks for a couple. And now ? Just look !. All because a few guys published their High-End Amps with this tube. And of course it is labeled with that stupid DIamond, even it wasn't manufactured by Tele...)

Also I love strange circuit Ideas, like a full bridge, a single ended circlotron or the so called "Accordion Amp".

Regards, Simon

 

[Eusebius]

Of all the tubes I've used so far I like 6AH4 in push pull. I'm using an O-netics output transformer of 6.6K Sounds the best of all the small triodes (6CK4, 6BX7, 6S4, 12B4) though I haven't tried the 1626 in output yet. Andy

 

[Fuling]

I´m not sure I can pick an absolute favorite, but I´ve had good luck with the following tubes:

PCL82 (16A8)
6B4G
PL519
807

There are others too, but of all the tubes I´ve played around with these ones has made impressions.
No fancy stuff at all, but they have certain qualitys.

 

[TubeHead Johnny]

Golden Boy

I didn't know it was picture day! Here's one of my EL84 "Golden Boys".

~~~Johnny~~~

 

[Eli Duttman]

A (not the) favorite is a triode wired 6V6 or "equivalent". The 6V6 family is extremely linear in triode mode and they are pretty darn good UL and "pentode" too.

 

[powertriode]

PX4 by a million miles.

Murders a 300B in cold blood and stamps on it's grave.
No other bottle I've used comes even close.
It was designed for single-ended use for the highest quality audio, in radios and radiograms.

 

[Jeb-D.]

6C33C-B as Cathode Follower SET or OTL.

 

[HollowState]

The RCA type 1623 triode. It's basically a low mu 809. Or a lower power 8005 with lower plate voltage requirments. Very hard to find even here in the states, but cheap when you do because no one knows the number.... until now

Victor

 

[Wavebourn]

The history proved that the best output tubes always were 6L6* (6P3S, 807, etc...) and EL84 (6P14P, 6BQ5, etc...) -- they always were in demand.

 

[gingertube]

EL34 Fans - Something for you to try:

The latest production JJ Electronics KT77. I tried it (in triode mode) in place of JJ EL34s (also in triode mode) and thought it was marginally better at the frequency extremes - that is the deeper bass and the topmost highs.
Cheers,
Ian

 

[CarlyBoy]

I'm a cheap-skate and can't justify boutique tubes and so can't offer an opinion on those. You can't go wrong with the 6L6 family of which the 807/1625 is my fav. Cheap, plentiful, and reliable.

 

[TubeHead Johnny]

The KT77

GingerTube,

Have you ever tried the KT77 in other modes, like Ultra Linear? Last year I built an ST-70 clone, I think I'll give them a try.

~~~Johnny~~~

 

[gingertube]

Johnny,
I haven't tried the KT77 in other modes but a fellow audio nutter just down the steet from me has used them in Pentode mode in a guitar amp in place of EL34 and he claimed it made a huge improvement in the bottom end. He's a very experience guitarist and reasonably knowledgable amp builder / repairer so I respect his opinion.

The KT77 has a Screen Grid voltage rating of 800V (same as the anode rating) and that makes it very suitable for Ultralinear Connection.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Klimon]

Big love for the R120..... Even without ever having heard them (I'm saving two pairs for when I can afford some Lundahls, hopefully the dream comes.....true?)

6ck4 is my best pick for now....

Simon

 

[sorenj07]

I can't say I have that much experience but I like the 6P14P. I cringe to even type the letters, because each time I do, those Soviet Bloc b4stards are inching up their prices lol. Got 10 for $40 shipped, very sweet and clear-sounding.

 

[TubeHead Johnny]

KT77

gingertube,

I see the KT77 at AES and TubeDepot for around $60 - $70 for a quad. Is that pretty much what you paid or do you know a cheaper source?

~~~Johnny~~~