Metropoulos Forum

I like the JJ EL34L in my 100 watter, but also remember liking the EH EL34s a lot in my 50 watter. Not as keen on the Svetlanas though.

SED winged "c" for the vintage fill!!

Put you know me know I'm a NOS converted bastard now

When you say "Svetlana" do you mean the Winged =C='s (the real Svet's) or the tubes now marketed under the name "Svetlana"?
The EH's are pretty good sounding tubes but I've had troubles with them matching and biasing right, and they run smoking hot compared to JJ's and =C='s I think.

I really like the Cryovalve Winged C SED, that I bought on recommendation, not from advertising. So no I wasn't sucked in by the hype. They just have a super beatifull clean, and that classic growl when pushed. I paid $115 for the quad, and they are the closest matched tubes I have ever seen.

I'd take my NOS GE Fat Bottle 6ca7 out, and put them back in
if I wasn't worried that I break off the center pin again.
(I glued it back)

Hey Mightymike, Antique Electronic Supply carries a little slip-on base with molded keyway that you could glue onto that tube if it would make you feel better.

What is you guys recommendations for an aggressive new power tube? I like the way my JJ's break up but now they are starting to go south and I cannot deal with the pulsing they are getting (volume fluctuations/gain level fluctuations). That and the JJ's seem to be voiced a tad nasally. I would like a tube that has a bit flatter a voice q but still retain that EL-34 crunch. 6550's have too much headroom for my liking. That and I like the "slop" that I get with EL-34's.

Yeah, the Svets I have are older pre winged C tubes.

=C= here. Even with my 900 4100. I crank it on the "clean" channel and it is very classic sounding.

Flames1950 wrote:Hey Mightymike, Antique Electronic Supply carries a little slip-on base with molded keyway that you could glue onto that tube if it would make you feel better.

THX for the tip, I'll have to check that out. Hopefully the extra base isn't too thick so I can still turn the chassis upside down without the tubes touching, but if worse comes to worse, I can put a piece of wood or something under the trannys when Biasing to keep the amp from resting on the tall tube.

I just saw it and it's thin. Ingenious.
Perfect! Just ordered them

Necrovore wrote:What is you guys recommendations for an aggressive new power tube? I like the way my JJ's break up but now they are starting to go south and I cannot deal with the pulsing they are getting (volume fluctuations/gain level fluctuations). That and the JJ's seem to be voiced a tad nasally. I would like a tube that has a bit flatter a voice q but still retain that EL-34 crunch. 6550's have too much headroom for my liking. That and I like the "slop" that I get with EL-34's.

Go NOS you'll never go back after, beleive me!!!!!!!! I'm sorry to say but all new (modern) el34 I've tried is miles away behind NOS Siemen's that I've got from Tubetramp at PP, and they last for ever, since I installed them they didn't drift 1ma and they should last for many years, 12ax7 also is the same thing the NOS ones I got (Amperex bugle boy is a hot one, Brimar, Mullard...) will last for 8000hrs or more and they just sound so fuckin good, even the GT12ax7M is not near what a bugle boy will give, new, modern tubes sound like old AM radio to me now, and they just don't have reliability compare to NOS....just my 2 cents!!!

Yeah I agree the GT Mullard sounds nowhere near as sweet as the real thing. I'm dissapointed in that tube, but now I have enough NOS to last me for a LONG time!!

What's the most robust current EL34? I just had another EH6CA7 go south on me and I want to try something else that's a little tougher.

I'm not sure Chris about that one, the Mullard reissue will last for 15hrs with 500B+ that I know, JJ and Winged ''c'' are robust ones but nothing to compare with NOS, Terry told me that the Siemen el-34 he sold me would last up to 10years or more if I use them correctly, B+ is suppuse to be around 460VDC for those but the amp I have has 495B+ and they didn't move one milliamp and lots of guys use them at 500B+ with no problem for 7-8 years, they could last a life time almost, the Raznov are the most strong NOS el-34 those can last for 20,000hrs can you beleive this? They all do on reliability, Siemens rft's goes for 150$ for a match quad, they will double in price within a year, that is not bad considering you want have to buy any other soon. I'm buying all the NOS I can know, got 2 Brimars, 3 Telefukens 12ax7s.

... and I guess you've got your volume on 10?

I've got about 15 preamp tubes now ... Mullard, Miniwatt, Bugle Boy, Amerex, Brimar, and one Mazda. I should be set for a while unless I REALLY start digging the Mullards and have to buy some more.

NOS - otherwise Winged C or JJ E34L are the best IMHO.

I'll have to mail tube tramp on the Seimens.

For Preamp - Of new production, I like JJECC83s best. The GT-Ms are not as consistant as they were at first. But the best are NOS Mullard, period, end of story. I also like the RFT ECC83s, easily as good as the Brimars especially when pushed. I'll have to try the bugle boys...