[Bill Baker]

Over the past year or so, I have been receiving more and more bad tubes right out of the box. The worse have been EH EL34's and KT88's. Second in line would have to be the Svetlana EL34. (I don't use a lot of different brands)

 I really like the EH KT88 and Svetlana EL34 but it starts to add up when you have to throw 10% - 20% of your tube stock away.

 Is the quality control during manufacturing really getting that bad? Do we need to starting buying "select picks" from any given manufacturing run? Curious if others are experiencing the same.

[ndeslions]

Well anyway 98% of current production tubes have no interest.

[aerius]

If I remember right, there's been some on-going troubles with the Russian mob and so forth at the tube factories in recent years.  I think they've had their power cut at times along with other disruptions to production, and that can't be good for quality.

[Bill Baker]

Maybe I should look at another line of tubes to supply with some of our products. I also like the Shuguang EL34 and KT88 tubes. I just don't like having to spend money on more expensive tubes when the consumer is going to install the tube of their choice when they receive the product.

 Now I just have to find a good supplier for the Shuguang power tubes.

[rollo]

It all depends on the Manf. in my experience. JJ, Chelmer, Penta Labs, all have been dependable so far. Then of course KR, TJ Meshplate and some Sovtek. Good luck.

  rollo

[gooberdude]

Hey bill,

Check out the Shuguang dealers on ebay.  I bought a matched set of 12ax7's from one guy who seemed to have the most Sales and 100% satisfaction, for $5 including shipping.   I gave them to a friend & he likes them more than some quite expensive tubes he replaced.

there are several ebay vendors of them, one guy sells the most though.    If i can find him in my Sellers list i'll forward the info to you....this guy is in China i believe and sells all types of Shuguang, however my tubes were mailed from California.

[rollo]

Maybe I should look at another line of tubes to supply with some of our products. I also like the Shuguang EL34 and KT88 tubes. I just don't like having to spend money on more expensive tubes when the consumer is going to install the tube of their choice when they receive the product.

 Now I just have to find a good supplier for the Shuguang power tubes.

 

  IMO if you select a tube that makes your component shine then that's the tube you use regardless of cost. Yes tube rollers will be tube rollers, however if the Manf. designs and voices particular tube for said component the chase is reduced. I mean how much more money are the so called better tubes. If the Manf. charges a reasonable mark up say 20 % who would complain. I mean it is just an additional cost to purchase tube, if only that cost was carried through its reasonable to include. It is when the Manf. overcharges for the tube that is the problem. Same goes for part upgrades. Its only the cost of the part no additional labor or anything else. I have seen up charges for better caps for example of $300 to $400 dollars. When I did the math it was 5 1/2 times cost. That is excessive IMO and kills sales. Besides OEM pricing offsets the cost to consumer if Manf. just charges retail price everyone is happy.
 My 2 cents anyway. Sorry if I got carried away but this is a subject that always bugged me .

  rollo

[lcrim]

The Shuguang 12AX7 is probably what came stock in my Eastern Electric Minimax phono section and also my Jolida JD-9 phono section and it is not a bad 12AX7 at all.  It doesn't have the extension at the extremes of NOS but it doesn't do anything bad.  Great for burn-in.
The JJ EL84's are very nice power tubes.  I like them a lot. 
The 12AU7 Shuguang that came w/ the EE MM pre were also decent.  So maybe things are getting better.  I automatically swap out 6X4 rectifiers for Tung Sols because they're relatively cheap  and sound fine.

[WEEZ]

Quality from JJ seems to be pretty consistant. Do they make a 6550/KT-88?

WEEZ

[bunky]

Quality from JJ seems to be pretty consistant. Do they make a 6550/KT-88?

WEEZ

Hey Weez, i have a Quad of JJ Tesla KT88's for my Sonic Frontiers SFS 80.the JJs sound really good but i really like the Ei KT90s which are out of production and almost impossible to find   thanks....WCW III

[WEEZ]

 

[Bill Baker]

IMO if you select a tube that makes your component shine then that's the tube you use regardless of cost.

 It's not about the cost. It's about the voicing. The amps I am referring to are the 3205 units. These were voiced on Sovtek 6550WE and Sevtlana and Shuguang EL34s. At the time I started these amps, I felt the Sovtek 6550 was one of the most reliable 6550 tube types available. I like both the Svetlana and Shuguang EL34's due to their warmer more involving nature.

 Since this time, I have come to really enjoy the Vavle Art / Shuguang KT88 for my personal preferences but also still very much like the Sovtek 6550.

 I am not a huge fane of the EH EL34 as they are a bit to hard for my personal taste, especially when using the SoniCap Gen 1 capacitors, but many out there have found them a perfect combination for their preferences.

 I am going to stay with the Sovtek 6550WE and the Svetlana EL34 but will start looking for a decent Valve Art / Shuguang EL34 distrbutor. I guess I will just have to put up with the  having to warrant tubes on a regular basis.

 

[richidoo]

EH is made in the sovtek factory owned by New Sensor. Likely your quality problems are due to the tough business environment over there since Putin pulled his finger out of Yeltzin's dyke.

Here's an article about it. Not as specific as the one I read when this was all peaking, but somethin.

I love the SED 6550C, that is a great tube.
Rich

[jrebman]

Does anybody have any impressions yet of the new Gold Lion Genalex KT-88s that are supposedly being produced to exact specifications of the originals?

Thanks,

Jim

[JoshK]

Do a search on diyaudio for the gold lions.  Some feel that people are getting seriously ripped off by these.  Don't know if it is true or grinding axes, but the people who comment tend to have a lot of experience. 

[JoshK]

Quality from JJ seems to be pretty consistant. Do they make a 6550/KT-88?

WEEZ

THey make a KT88....I know a lot of diy'ers that swear by JJ and they seem to get consistently good reviews, but take caution on the KT77, apparently it is flakey.  Its too bad because it apparently is a killer sounding tube, but too many ship are defective.

[avahifi]

JJ makes a really nice EL34 and KT77 BUT they have slightly smaller pin diameters than typical and may cause an intermittent or bad contact with your sockets.

Frank Van Alstine

[yo2tup]

Do a search on diyaudio for the gold lions.  Some feel that people are getting seriously ripped off by these.  Don't know if it is true or grinding axes, but the people who comment tend to have a lot of experience. 

Can you point us to a specific thread there?  I just did a search there and nothing came up?

On audio asylum, however, everyone that's tried the gold lion kt88 reissues have had nothing but good things to say about them.

[JimJ]

My Svetlana SV811-10's seem very consistent, the only one I've killed is because a of a fuck-up on my end, not the tube's fault

Although the Chinese tubes that came with my Decware Zen when I had it were horrible. The 5U4G buzzed like a bug zapper, and the NOS GE that I replaced it with was dead quiet like it's supposed to be.