[TONEPUB]

Just curious what you all think about this, new vs. NOS, etc.  I've noticed that NOS EL-34's are SPENDY!  If you are willing to share, where are you buying yours?

[silver_strings]

I've tried some nos tubes before and I wasn't really that impressed with them I didnt think they were that much better than newer well made tubes, I only buy new production tubes nowadays.

[TONEPUB]

What I've noticed with small signal NOS tubes, is that they may or may not sound better, but they usually last longer.  Don't have that much experience with NOS power tubes.  Very hesitant to spend this kind of money...

[Mariusz]

Input tubes - yes
Rectifying tubes - sometimes
Power tubes - depends on design and tube but IMO and in most cases, it is hard to justify the cost v.s the benefits.
I had Russian, Czech and German EL34/6CA7 tubes.
When I sold/traded my amps I kept JJs and EH and gave away Siemens which were the the most expensive of the bunch and supposedly a step below famous Mulls.

[dangerbird]

^^^^^ what he said^^^^^^,,,I cannot justify the expense of NOS power tubes,, so I pretty much stick to the current production EH and Svetlana 6CA7's and EL 34's.BTW the older Tesla (not JJ) EL 34's with white lettering are not too shabby,, good luck.

[jcmusic]

In my opinion the Mullard XF1 00's are the best overall sounding EL34's that I have tried, followed by the Seimens, and the Winged C's. I still have these but don't use them any more, since I changed amps.

Jay

[Bill O'Connell]

The new re-issue  Genelex Gold Lion KT77's are superb if that can be considered an EL34/6CA7

 The out of production  EI 6CA7 fat bottles are also some of my favs.

Agree totally on the old Tesla EL34's. beautiful warm sound.

[starkiller]

I really like my EI 6ca7's...very nice sound, had a quad of the Winged "C" and they did not sound as good.  Have a quad of the Sovtek 6L6WXT+  which i am going to try when I get some time

[Jehuty]

Philips Miniwatt double D getter. Expensive but worth every penny.

Has anyone heard the Shuguang Treasure? I really want to try them out but for the price I can get second hand double D getter...

[toxteth ogrady]

JJ KT77 if they weren't so damn unreliable.

[raindance]

Just curious what you all think about this, new vs. NOS, etc.  I've noticed that NOS EL-34's are SPENDY!  If you are willing to share, where are you buying yours?

JJ E34L is my current favorite. More extended at the ends than anything else out there. Just wish the pins were a little fatter...

I also like the (cheap) Shuguang EL34B. Decent standard Chinese tube with a grand midrange. They get the pins the right size too!

[Audioclyde]

In my previous amp, I tried all of the following tubes of this family in the pwr section:

1--NOS Amperex/Mullard xf2 el34
2--NOS Tesla brown base el34
3--JJ blue glass el34
4--GL reissue KT77
5--JJ reissue KT77
6--Black Treasure 6CA7

The BT 6CA7's were easily my favoritie....seemed to have much of the slam and definition in the frequency extremes as my beloved NOS Tung Sol blackplate 6550's, but still retaining the magical el34 family midrange.

I like both the GL and JJ KT77's a lot as well.

I still have the Treasures and the KT77's; I use a pair as driver tubes in my current 300B SET amp.  Although closer in this application, I still think I prefer the BT 6CA7's.

The NOS Amp/Mullards and brown base Teslas were very nice; but to me they both gave up too much in the definition, clarity area.

Best,

Randy

[Listens2tubes]

Currently Genelex Golden Lion KT77 with Winged C EL34's as runner up. I'm also curious about the Shuguang Treasure's.

[mjosef]

Second/third the Genalex Golden Lion KT77...beats out the EH6CA7, JJ 34 in my Response Audio 3205.

[rpf]

I've tried the following EL34/6CA7s. In order from best on down:

Black Treasure 6CA7; far and away the best: rich but detailed, large soundstage and highly three dimensional

Gold Lion re-issue KT77

NOS black base Tesla EL34

Svetlana EL34

[starkiller]

Wish the Black Treasure's weren't so expensive....

[carusoracer]

The Treasures are very, very nice and are my current favorites.

The GL KT77's are a close second especially in the midrange, but are not quite as balanced with the slam factor.

The Svetlana Winged C's are good bet very fragile, IMHO