What EL34-6CA7-KT77 u currently enjoying

[Handlebar]

I just rolled JJ KT77's in. Previous to that had EH 6CA7 fat bottles in. Next will be Tung Sol 34 B's. Curious if anyone running the SED Black Sables and are they worth the $$
Hbar

 

[bugs762]

How about Genalex KT 66s in my ST 70. I have a quad of Tung Sol 34 Bs that I like a lot too. How do you like the JJ KT 77s? I've heard good things about them.

 

[tshoejohn]

I’m satisfied with the 6CA7EH’s currently in my amp.
Previously I had JJ EL34’s that I wasn’t very fond of. They probably would have been decent sounding, but they made a hum in my amp that the EH’s did not.

 

[audiodyssey]

I'm using Genalex KT77's (re-issues, of course) and I love them. Also, I have used the KT66 in my Dynaco ST70 and they are spectacular too. However, I recently switched to the Russian 6n3c-e and they are just as good if you ask me...and way cheaper, paid about $6 a tube for them

 

[Suzuki]

I'm using JJ's slim EL34 and used to have Shanguan 5881A on my Chinese-made amp.
I prefer slim El34 to fat El34 or beam tubes as it sounds tight compared to the rest in low frequency range.

 

[JonL]

Original Dynaco branded Mullards in my Stereo 70. I've never heard any others.

 

[miniman82]

X2, I still have the stocker El34's in my ST-70. Been running Sovtek 5881WXT's fo rthe last week or so though, I like those very much as well.

 

[bronco]

I have since quit trying different EL34 types in my Curcio ST-70 and am currently thoroughly enjoying a set of 6N3C-E tubes in it.

 

[Handlebar]

How about Genalex KT 66s in my ST 70. I have a quad of Tung Sol 34 Bs that I like a lot too. How do you like the JJ KT 77s? I've heard good things about them.

the kt77's were real nice..but..:sigh:..i lost one of them.. the top of the tube was kinda like white and somewhat transparent..it will have to get replaced, I liked those..

 

[vfr800fiman]

I'm using JJ's slim EL34 and used to have Shanguan 5881A on my Chinese-made amp.
I prefer slim El34 to fat El34 or beam tubes as it sounds tight compared to the rest in low frequency range.

I found the same thing.
I like the small EH El34's I'm running in my SE amp, compared to the JJ fat bottle EL34's they are definitely more tight as you say. I also have tried JJ 6CA7's and Shuguang KT66's. The KT66 are more mellow and rounded sounding but have more bass than the small bottle EL34's. The 6CA7's also sound more mellow to me. I always go back to the small EL34's :thmbsp:
I should probably say that this is mostly for rock music.

Glenn

 

[BadassBob]

I have SED EL34s, 6CA7EH, and Russian 6P3S-Es in regular rotation, although the 6P3S-E seems to spend more time in my MC-10L as of late .

 

[burmashave]

using JJ EL34L. Took about 100 hours, but I love them now. Had Svetlanas EL34 in them. Won't go back. the JJ's sound great to my ear.

 

[Suzuki]

I found the same thing.
I like the small EH El34's I'm running in my SE amp, compared to the JJ fat bottle EL34's they are definitely more tight as you say. I also have tried JJ 6CA7's and Shuguang KT66's. The KT66 are more mellow and rounded sounding but have more bass than the small bottle EL34's. The 6CA7's also sound more mellow to me. I always go back to the small EL34's :thmbsp:
I should probably say that this is mostly for rock music.

Glenn

I couldn't agree with you more. We share the same taste for sound. Fat bottle EL34(6CA7) are originally desingned for use in guitar amplifiers, I suppose. Btw, we should thank guitar players who consume tubes constantly, which makes tube prices always this cheap.

 

[Handlebar]

the kt77's were real nice..but..:sigh:..i lost one of them.. the top of the tube was kinda like white and somewhat transparent..it will have to get replaced, I liked those..

..looked at the bad tube and see a crack that started near the base. Got a replacement coming. I really liked those JJ KT77's..

 

[Kegger]

My 2 favorites are the Sylvania Fat body EL34's and the JJ KT-77, those JJ's sound quite
nice for the price, I've seen posts from earlier batches where people had issues, I haven't.

 

[vfr800fiman]

I couldn't agree with you more. We share the same taste for sound. Fat bottle EL34(6CA7) are originally desingned for use in guitar amplifiers, I suppose. Btw, we should thank guitar players who consume tubes constantly, which makes tube prices always this cheap.

Funny, I'm also a guitar player and amp builder and I mostly clone Marshalls (EL34 based). I was doing this long before I got into building Hi-Fi amps. Must be I got used to the EL34 sound in those Marshall circuits

 

[seta1]

I just rolled JJ KT77's in. Previous to that had EH 6CA7 fat bottles in. Next will be Tung Sol 34 B's. Curious if anyone running the SED Black Sables and are they worth the $$
Hbar

SED or Svetlana EL34's sound great in both my guitar ans hifi amps. I've tried a lot of different current production EL34 tubes and I always come back to Svetlana. SED is the new name for what was originally Svetlana. They had a few runs of tubes that were not the greatest, but current production tubes labeled with the "Flying C" are excellent. The amps I build idle at over 25 watt plate dissipation and the SED tubes work fine with no hit of red plating. I have run these tubes in my amps as wall as a couple Audio Aero Capitoles (two EL34's and two 6550's per channel) and in all the amps the SED tubes sounded excellent. I like and use their 6L6, 6550 and EL34 output tubes.
If you have a tube guitar amp, these tubes add a warmth to the amp that other tubes lack (Unless you want to pay the big bucks for vintage Mullard or Amperex Bugleboy)

 

[Jim McShane]

EL-34 family tubes have a wide range of tone, there's probably more variation in tone between members of this family than any other power tube - so you can roll away and almost never find two exactly alike.

The 6CA7 is a beam power tube - EL-34s are pentodes. So a tonal difference shouldn't be a surprise. I have often heard the 6CA7 described as a "baby 6550" - an apt description since the 6550 is also a "beamie". Oh, BTW - KT (as in KT-77) stands for "kinkless tetrode".

On the JJ stuff - I'm getting ready to try another run of the KT-77 - BUT - to say they've improved over the older production is no big deal. The old ones were SO bad anything would be an improvement! :yes:

Also, do be aware that maybe 1/3rd of the SED/winged C EL34s now show up with some degree of bottle tilt. It's bad on some, and subtle on others, but if you need matched quads or larger groupings you are liable to have some that aren't 100% straight.

 

[WhiteSE]

I havent used any new stock of tubes...I have Amperex and Philips EL34's, and they sound quite good to excellent I think.

 

[jaymanaa]

EL-34 family tubes have a wide range of tone, there's probably more variation in tone between members of this family than any other power tube - so you can roll away and almost never find two exactly alike.

The 6CA7 is a beam power tube - EL-34s are pentodes. So a tonal difference shouldn't be a surprise. I have often heard the 6CA7 described as a "baby 6550" - an apt description since the 6550 is also a "beamie". Oh, BTW - KT (as in KT-77) stands for "kinkless tetrode".

On the JJ stuff - I'm getting ready to try another run of the KT-77 - BUT - to say they've improved over the older production is no big deal. The old ones were SO bad anything would be an improvement! :yes:

Also, do be aware that maybe 1/3rd of the SED/winged C EL34s now show up with some degree of bottle tilt. It's bad on some, and subtle on others, but if you need matched quads or larger groupings you are liable to have some that aren't 100% straight.

I have a quad of old GEC KT 77s and the bottles on those exhibit a little bit of tilt too. It freaked me out at first, but I guess it's not all that uncommon. It may be all in my head, but those are the best EL34 type I have heard. Telefunkens are also very good IMHO.