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What do you think are the best current production vacuum tubes?

mcgjohn said:
When a person says best tubes, it really depends on what the definition of best is and the application or amp they will be used in. Some of the PSVANE and Shuguang tubes are really great sounding but can have a lot of problems with ELFs. If your amp runs B+ anywhere near the tube spec limit then pass on the Chinese tubes. All you will end up with is fireworks.

The Russian made tubes can sound very good and are much more robust than anything made in China.

For those who go all out, the US made Tungsol and GE tubes and UK made Gold lions are tough to beat but will thin out your wallet very fast.
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excellent points. seems to me there are a few front runners among basic tube offerings, but i think u gotta cherry pick here and there.

for example, ge signal tubes are cheaper than new production—power tubes like 6L6GC and 6550 not so much.

JJ and EJ 6SL7 arent setting the world on fire, but JJ E83CC, ECC803S AND EH 7025 are really good.

current production “tung sol” 6SL7 and 6SN7 are proven winners.

then theres the 5AR4 problem, and so far tad redbase, which i believe is chinese, wins the least likely to flame out award.
 
Mr Boochie said:
I like the JJ EL84. Warm-sounding tubes! :thumbsup:

The TAD EL84 premiums are getting good reviews.
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i heard that a lot of TAD tubes sold to usa customer are shguguang while many of the same
model sent to european customers are jj. i have not verified this, only seeing whats in the pictures on their site.

im most curious what is so different about the TAD red base 5AR4 that ot behaves so differently—it survives.
 
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Mybig8ohm said:
This was just the type of thread I was looking for. As a person who has never used el84 types I could use some solid advice on reissues or specific NOS Soviets.

I need a quad for the Tubes4Hifi version ST35 power amp. The board looks identical to the ANK el84 integrated kit. I have a 2nd hand Completed ST35 kit amp & an unpopulated PCB being shipped right now. Driver tubes I have but no experience with the el84 types. I need to order some ASAP. I'll avoid the usual expensive NOS suspects til I decide what I think about the amp.

Side note..I really liked the Mesa Boogie GZ34 rectifier in my ST70 & Icon Audio preamp. Completely different than the Mullards but in a good way.
I was about to roll the dice & try the Mesa el84's. Has anyone ever tried the Groove Tubes el84?
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The Russian Sovtek EL84M's, Soviet era 6P14P-EV's and JJ EL84's are a good choise for the ST-35. Supposedly the Tubes4hifi ST-35 is based on the Dynaco circuit. I dunno how true that is though. All three of these tubes are pretty rugged and sound good though.
 
Lavane said:
The Russian Sovtek EL84M's, Soviet era 6P14P-EV's and JJ EL84's are a good choise for the ST-35. Supposedly the Tubes4hifi ST-35 is based on the Dynaco circuit. I dunno how true that is though. All three of these tubes are pretty rugged and sound good though.
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I had always assumed it was based on the Dynaco as well. Then I compared the layout & values i could make out on the Tubes4hifi to the ANK kit. Mind you I'm only going off online photos of the ST35 & the PDF (BOM/Schematic)on the ANK kit.

For the record I am saying that they look similar but I do not know if they are indeed alike. I dont want to get myself in trouble by misleading people to believe in something that may not be true. In hindsight I probably should not have even mentioned what I did til I had the unit in hand.

Anyway, I'm thinking of grabbing a quad of the el84m's. Though I have a 'bay seller that I've bought numerous Soviet tubes from at good prices for good tubes. Many of them he ships from inside the US which is a plus. So I'll probably just grab one or the other. Thanks for the help
 
Lavane said:
The Russian Sovtek EL84M's, Soviet era 6P14P-EV's and JJ EL84's are a good choise for the ST-35. Supposedly the Tubes4hifi ST-35 is based on the Dynaco circuit.
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its not. its a chinese reproduction of an earlier generation ANK (audio note kits) circuit board.
 
Mybig8ohm said:
I had always assumed it was based on the Dynaco as well. Then I compared the layout & values i could make out on the Tubes4hifi to the ANK kit. Mind you I'm only going off online photos of the ST35 & the PDF (BOM/Schematic)on the ANK kit.

For the record I am saying that they look similar but I do not know if they are indeed alike. I dont want to get myself in trouble by misleading people to believe in something that may not be true. In hindsight I probably should not have even mentioned what I did til I had the unit in hand.

Anyway, I'm thinking of grabbing a quad of the el84m's. Though I have a 'bay seller that I've bought numerous Soviet tubes from at good prices for good tubes. Many of them he ships from inside the US which is a plus. So I'll probably just grab one or the other. Thanks for the help
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I haven't checked prices recently, but the Sovtek EL84M's are supposed to just be relabled 6P14P-EV's, or at the very leased built the same.
The 6P14P-EV's were cheaper than the Sovtek's the last rime I checked.
Originally when I built my Dynakit ST-35 I bought the EL84M's. They were only $20 each at the time. They're still in that amp.
 
ceylon said:
do they actually claim it to be their version of the dynaco st-35?

if they do, that sure is deceptive.
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I think that in their (Tubes4Hifi) description of the ST35 they say it is based off a kit that normally costs $1200. I'm going to look it up right now...

It says "This is based on a popular amplifier kit that sells for $1200, our basic KIT price is $595

I actually stumbled over it's PCB being similar to the earlier ANK (without choke) el84. I've been able to locate boards that look exactly similar on the 'bay. I'm just not sure about all the values being the same..but I'm guessing yes? But I'll see on Monday
 
Either way I've read from only a few supposed users that the amp is nice sounding. Which is all I personally care about..but, naming the amplifier an ST35 while also dealing in ST70's & 120's could be confusing to some people. Me being one initially.

I'm just excited to have an el84 amp to play with soon..push pull anyway. Venture into some el84 type tubes.
 
Mybig8ohm said:
Either way I've read from only a few supposed users that the amp is nice sounding. Which is all I personally care about..but, naming the amplifier an ST35 while also dealing in ST70's & 120's could be confusing to some people. Me being one initially.

I'm just excited to have an el84 amp to play with soon..push pull anyway. Venture into some el84 type tubes.
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Thats just it, due to the other amps they sell that are based on the Dynaco ST-70, especially the chassis and iron, people probably assume the ST-35 is similarly based on the Dynaco ST-35.
"Based on a popular amplifier kit that sells for $1200" could infer the Dynakit amp that sells for $750 before shipping plus the cost of tubes, cage, etc. It kinda did for me since I built a Dynakit ST-35 and know what I have into it.
 
Mybig8ohm said:
Either way I've read from only a few supposed users that the amp is nice sounding. Which is all I personally care about..but, naming the amplifier an ST35 while also dealing in ST70's & 120's could be confusing to some people. Me being one initially.

I'm just excited to have an el84 amp to play with soon..push pull anyway. Venture into some el84 type tubes.
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They are nice sounding tubes.
 
Mybig8ohm said:
I think that in their (Tubes4Hifi) description of the ST35 they say it is based off a kit that normally costs $1200. I'm going to look it up right now...

It says "This is based on a popular amplifier kit that sells for $1200, our basic KIT price is $595
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that statement refers to the ANK kit. it is accurate.
Mybig8ohm said:
I actually stumbled over it's PCB being similar to the earlier ANK (without choke) el84. I've been able to locate boards that look exactly similar on the 'bay. I'm just not sure about all the values being the same..but I'm guessing yes? But I'll see on Monday
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the VTA st-35 is a chinese reproduction of an earlier ANK el84 amp board. i have the VTA board and "audio note" rev E. the one in the pics on the ANK site is rev F. for E you can use diode or tube rectification. jims audio sells them also.
 
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ceylon said:
that statement refers to the ANK kit. it is accurate.

the VTA st-35 is a chinese reproduction of an earlier ANK el84 amp board. i have the VTA board and "audio note" rev E. the one in the pics on the ANK site is rev F. for E you can use diode or tube rectification. jims audio sells them also.
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Yes, I saw that rectification PCB version from that seller a couple nights ago. I might want that.
 
Lavane said:
Thats just it, due to the other amps they sell that are based on the Dynaco ST-70, especially the chassis and iron, people probably assume the ST-35 is similarly based on the Dynaco ST-35.
"Based on a popular amplifier kit that sells for $1200" could infer the Dynakit amp that sells for $750 before shipping plus the cost of tubes, cage, etc. It kinda did for me since I built a Dynakit ST-35 and know what I have into it.
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I totally get it. I've been eyeballin' their ST35 on & off for years now. The whole time thinking it was based on the Dynaco with toroidal transformers.

I just happened to come across a lvl1 ANK el84 integrated kit. I went to their site & was checking it out & then thought the PCB looked familiar.. especially since I was just on the other website. Then I googled el84 push-pull PCB on the 'bay. It all came together for me.

I would still love an original chassis Dynaco ST35.

To keep talkin' toobs in the mix..Any Apos tube owners here? Some of their tubes are kinda pricey. Are they worth it? Are they great? Like the 6sn7 & 12au7
 
Currently running the reissue Mullard EL34's in my Kenny Russell built ST-70 and love the sound. I have some NOS Westinghouse that I should try but not really in a hurry.
 
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