Hi, since my time at a place of higher learning is drawing to an end (puh), the thoughts are yet again creeping towards.....not primarilly to work but the soldering iron 😀
aaanyway.
i've read that kt66 is directlly compatible with the el34 and you can change between them without modifying the circuits. However, the kt66 is way more expensive but sonicly better.
After checking the options i found that i can get either svetlana el34 OR Billington Gold kt66 for about 6$/valve less.
So, my problem is to choose between cheaper kt66 or more expencive el34
So, have anyone experience regarding this and can recommend wich way to go?
aaanyway.
i've read that kt66 is directlly compatible with the el34 and you can change between them without modifying the circuits. However, the kt66 is way more expensive but sonicly better.
After checking the options i found that i can get either svetlana el34 OR Billington Gold kt66 for about 6$/valve less.
So, my problem is to choose between cheaper kt66 or more expencive el34
So, have anyone experience regarding this and can recommend wich way to go?
Although circuits designed for and EL34 will probably work with a KT66 and vice versa, that has more to do with luck than compatibility. The two tubes need slightly different operating conditions to get the best out of them.
Have had good experiences with Svetlana EL34s but recently bought a couple of Sovtek from tube-shop.com. They look rough but work rather well and are very cheap (£9.50)
Have had good experiences with Svetlana EL34s but recently bought a couple of Sovtek from tube-shop.com. They look rough but work rather well and are very cheap (£9.50)
Hi,
Maybe there are ways (O.K. there are) to make a circuit compatible so that EL34s and KT66s can be used. Most circuits aren't though.
However, current KT66 production could be just about anything, from a selected 6L6 to who knows what.
On top of that, how can one confidently say that a KT66 is sonically superior to an EL34?
Personally, I'd rather have a few good quality NOS EL34s (old Tesla are excellent, for instance) , than some Chinese copies of a KT66.
Cheers, 😉
Maybe there are ways (O.K. there are) to make a circuit compatible so that EL34s and KT66s can be used. Most circuits aren't though.
However, current KT66 production could be just about anything, from a selected 6L6 to who knows what.
On top of that, how can one confidently say that a KT66 is sonically superior to an EL34?
Personally, I'd rather have a few good quality NOS EL34s (old Tesla are excellent, for instance) , than some Chinese copies of a KT66.
Cheers, 😉
I sent an e-mail to the designer and asked about changing valves, he responded that changing from el34 to kt66 was a good idéa so that doesn't seem to be a problem.
I'm just wondering if cheaper kt66 still are better than svetlana el34? If i can get kt66 for almost the same price as el34 then i will go with the alternative that gives the best result ofcourse 😀
Edit,
missed your post frank but since i'm going to use 4valves/channel it could be hard to find those matched (i suppose)
I'm just wondering if cheaper kt66 still are better than svetlana el34? If i can get kt66 for almost the same price as el34 then i will go with the alternative that gives the best result ofcourse 😀
Edit,
missed your post frank but since i'm going to use 4valves/channel it could be hard to find those matched (i suppose)
Hi kmj,
Cheap anything is a poor bet. 6L6GC's and EL34's are not interchangeble, but they might both work. The circuit should be optimized for one or the other. Use the intended tube, buy decent ones, good if you have the money. KT66 is a 35W plate like the 7581A, a super 6L6GC. These are my choice for that family so far. I am currently using Electroharmonix. Good value, really good tubes.
Common sense I guess.
-Chris
Cheap anything is a poor bet. 6L6GC's and EL34's are not interchangeble, but they might both work. The circuit should be optimized for one or the other. Use the intended tube, buy decent ones, good if you have the money. KT66 is a 35W plate like the 7581A, a super 6L6GC. These are my choice for that family so far. I am currently using Electroharmonix. Good value, really good tubes.
Common sense I guess.
-Chris
Hi,
Here's an idea that should be much better than being hung on KT66s IMO:
Why not buy some NOS 807s or their Skandinavian equivalent (STC subsidiary) ?
I'm sure I can even find you a vendor in Sweden, UK or (biggest source for those) Australia....
One of the best tubes to use in triode mode and tough as the proverbial boot too.
NOS EL34s are so popular that a) prices are hitting the roof and b) current production is definetely not as good as NOS 807s...
Of course you'll be needing five pin sockets and topcaps for the 807s but that's not hard to source....and the amp will at the very least look a bit more distinguished than all those "me too" amps you find at the shops...
Voila...
Cheers, 😉
Here's an idea that should be much better than being hung on KT66s IMO:
Why not buy some NOS 807s or their Skandinavian equivalent (STC subsidiary) ?
I'm sure I can even find you a vendor in Sweden, UK or (biggest source for those) Australia....
One of the best tubes to use in triode mode and tough as the proverbial boot too.
NOS EL34s are so popular that a) prices are hitting the roof and b) current production is definetely not as good as NOS 807s...
Of course you'll be needing five pin sockets and topcaps for the 807s but that's not hard to source....and the amp will at the very least look a bit more distinguished than all those "me too" amps you find at the shops...
Voila...
Cheers, 😉
Hi Frank,
Not hung on the 6L6 family. I use 'em all. What you really want are the top caps for the 807's without insulation. More fun with the family pets that way. Makes you more patient when replacing tubes.
-Chris
Not hung on the 6L6 family. I use 'em all. What you really want are the top caps for the 807's without insulation. More fun with the family pets that way. Makes you more patient when replacing tubes.
-Chris
Hi Chris,
Careful with what you wish for...
Upupa Epops (Pavel?) may read it and ask you if you have children....😀
BTW, one of my fav current production 6L6s is the Sovtek thin wafer socket 5881.
Crisp clear sound with fair amount of punch...
Something I almost invariably find lacking from all the EL34 based amps I ever heard.
Guess I'll put my stash of E34Ls to waste in a shunt regulator some day...
Cheers, 😉
Careful with what you wish for...
Upupa Epops (Pavel?) may read it and ask you if you have children....😀
BTW, one of my fav current production 6L6s is the Sovtek thin wafer socket 5881.
Crisp clear sound with fair amount of punch...
Something I almost invariably find lacking from all the EL34 based amps I ever heard.
Guess I'll put my stash of E34Ls to waste in a shunt regulator some day...
Cheers, 😉
Try this tube (5B/255M CV391):
http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/frank/sheets/130/5/5B254G.pdf
It's a high quality - much better than any Chinese tube - loktal version of the 807, without the plate cap (no idiotic "have you children?" comments). They are usually STC-made, or ITT. They are gorgeous compact tubes and available from Billington.
John
Damn, more reading....
I who hoped that I should get away with just ripping of someones design 🙂
Well, well....much more fun this way.
Damn, many quotes there 😀
I who hoped that I should get away with just ripping of someones design 🙂
Well, well....much more fun this way.
I'll take a look
I was hoping that their "billington gold"-brand meant that the looked for top quality to lowest prices, guess i got hooked on their sales pitch
The reason i avoided NOS is that they usually are, as you say, expencive as h**l. Since my current speakers need quite a lot of power i thought that a quad of el34/channel in Pushpull would most definately solve that problem....However, since you guys have some more options there will be some more reading.
Damn, many quotes there 😀
Something you might like to consider when weighing up valve choice is that it's not the initial cost of the output valves that is important, it's the cost over the lifetime of the amplifier. I suggest that most DIY amplifiers have a lifetime of about five years (before their builder decides to do something better). A careful design using NOS valves might not even need valve replacement in that time (but probably will). A careless design, or one using poor new valves might need replacements every three months. All in all, carefully chosen NOS are bargains compared to some of the recently made stuff. When choosing valves, I look at the price of three complete sets of valves (just in case I exceed my predicted lifetime). Remember, if you've built an amplifier for specific valves and they turn out to be junk, or you can't get them anymore, then the entire amplifier is junk. That can make "cheap" valves very expensive.
Cost of replacements is a key point and often the killer. A friend of mine who shall go nameless told me that the 13E1s I wanted to try were not expensive, only 75 pounds each. Doing a quick calculation, that ended up at $1200 for one set of tubes and one set of replacements.
Cough. I think I'll stick with the $6 sweep tubes.
Cough. I think I'll stick with the $6 sweep tubes.
Hi Frank,
I do and they are still alive. They generally don't stick their fingers inside my stuff any more. I started putting pretty lights inside to see what they will do. Prototypes end up in my livingroom if the wife likes the sound.
Pavel, I have three daughters. Their hair is still straight. We still have a pair of dogs. One is very old and stays away from these things. I wonder why ....
-Chris
I do and they are still alive. They generally don't stick their fingers inside my stuff any more. I started putting pretty lights inside to see what they will do. Prototypes end up in my livingroom if the wife likes the sound.
Pavel, I have three daughters. Their hair is still straight. We still have a pair of dogs. One is very old and stays away from these things. I wonder why ....
-Chris
Hi, I have designed many amplifiers that are on sale to this day so I do know what I'm talking about.
The KT66 is not really an equivalent to the EL34 although many people do use them in EL34 amps with success. If you do this try using 8 ohm speakers on the 16 ohm tap if this is possible. The '66 is a high impeedance valve the '34 was designed to get the most power from a limited supply voltage. For example you will get 30w with just 250v, the KT66 would need about 350v.
Hope this helps,
Phil.
The KT66 is not really an equivalent to the EL34 although many people do use them in EL34 amps with success. If you do this try using 8 ohm speakers on the 16 ohm tap if this is possible. The '66 is a high impeedance valve the '34 was designed to get the most power from a limited supply voltage. For example you will get 30w with just 250v, the KT66 would need about 350v.
Hope this helps,
Phil.
Consider a 2a3 PP amp. Seriously better sound than all the EL34, KT66, 6L6s you could talk about. Tubes should be available as long as any other type, and you could also use 6C4C Svetlana tubes from ebay, e.g. siberian-shop. Simple no-feedback triode design. Good parts and you won't want to build another.
The bias
for KT66 is different to EL34....I think it sounds better..however you can get more power out of EL34....🙂
EL34 seems to make more bass and KT66 seems clearer...However compared to triode connected EL34??
Regards
M. Gregg
for KT66 is different to EL34....I think it sounds better..however you can get more power out of EL34....🙂
EL34 seems to make more bass and KT66 seems clearer...However compared to triode connected EL34??
Regards
M. Gregg
Earlier in this thread someone said that KT66 is rated at 35W Pa; this is incorrect; it is rated at 25W, same as EL34. I doubt that in reality more power is obtainable from EL34 than from KT66 - except of course at very high anode voltages and in Class B, and we're not interested in Class B are we?
I think if I were interested in building an amplifier with this type of valve then I would opt for 7027A or 7581A - 35W 6L6s; sadly and not unsurprisingly they are rare and expensive!
I should add that on paper, EL34 makes a nice triode with its soothingly low anode resistance.
Paul
I think if I were interested in building an amplifier with this type of valve then I would opt for 7027A or 7581A - 35W 6L6s; sadly and not unsurprisingly they are rare and expensive!
I should add that on paper, EL34 makes a nice triode with its soothingly low anode resistance.
Paul
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