Current production EL34

[Klimon]

A few years back I bought some SED =C= because of their good reputation and they were a good improvement over the stock Chinese tubes (in home-audio amp, not guitar). Recently the Mullard re-issues are getting very good reviews (even topping the =C=) so I'm wondering if the rankings - if performance-dictating variables of each different amp can partly be put aside - have changed.

As a side-note, how would the best-of-today hold up against the 'golden age-tubes', say xf2 Mullards?

Cheers,

Simon

[richwalters]

I've found good consistency with the JSC Svets winged C versions 6550 and KT88. As in an earlier thread I found the 6550C somewhat a better tube for UL p-p HiFi despite it's lower ratings.

The JSC KT88's do sweat/ red when 75mA at 530V is pushed through them. They sound just as good as the NOS GEC version but these can take higher B+ for the same current.

As for EL34's the only way is to listen and if you have a THD analyser then they can be scrutinised and compared. Modern day clones of originals........they need the test of time. No other way.

When I came across new type tubes to suss out I put them in a chassis that can take rap abuse and connect to a dummy load. ..as see if they s/c. Latter version KT90's with crummy quality control were very prone for interelectrode s/c's.

richj