Current Production Tube Compliment?

[BBQLS1]

How's this for a Current Production Tube Compliment?

I was thinking Tung Sol 12AX7s and Winged C EL34s for an Express. Not looking for anything vintage yet.

Better suggestions?

[geetarpicker]

For preamps I still like the old Sylvanias from the 60s. However I really like the new Groove Tube EL34M mullard clones. I think they even sound better than old Siemens EL34s, which is what my original Express amp originally came equiped with. I haven't heard any new production EL34 that beats the GT EL34M in an Express. They don't like alot of plate voltage, but in an Express they are fine. I bias at about 45ma.

My CD was recorded with Siemens EL34s way before the new GT EL34s even came out, but all my Youtube videos are with the EL34Ms.

I tried some of the Tung Sol 12AX7s when they first came out and they sounded really good but hummed badly. I hear they fixed the problem, but in the meantime I just went back to the old Sylvanias as the are still fairly easy to find and not that pricey yet.

[castor]

In my clone now I use 1 x 12AX7 NOS Telefunken from '70 i 1st position, then 2 x 12AX7 EI + 2 x EL34 NOS Siemens

I suggest you:
- 3 x 12AX7 EI ... the harmonic content is fantastic but in tube 1 you may have microfonic since they're very sensitive (I suggest you tu use a NOS)
- EL34 Svetlana winged C (generally known only as 'winged C'): they are really good and give the sound something strange .. I gave them as a gift to one of my friend and he's using them in his HI-fi amp (they replaced 2 EH EL34 big plated)

I used the 3 x 12AX7 Tung Sol for 2-3 months but when I replaced them with 3 EI ones I was really shocked in how much the sound changed so I kept them and replaced only the 1st tube with a nos telefunken.

I tried these 12AX7: tung sol, JJ, EI, sovtek normal, sovtek LP, sovtek LPS, philips, GT, NOS telefunken
--> according to my tastes the order is: NOS telefunken - EI - Tung sol - .. then the others

tried these EL34: MULLARD new production, JJ, NOS Siemens, Sovtek, Svetlana winged C (some of them comes from an hi-fi system of one of my friend)
--> I choose: NOS Siemens - Svetlana winged C - then the others

But anyway everyone has different ears and different peception of sound.. when I'll have some money I'll buy 2 Gt as per getaarpicker message.. I'm very curious to try them.
NOTE: NOS tubes are not cheap.. for example With the mony I paid for 1 nos telefunken I could buy 3-4 Ei!

castor

[BBQLS1]

For preamps I still like the old Sylvanias from the 60s. However I really like the new Groove Tube EL34M mullard clones. I think they even sound better than old Siemens EL34s, which is what my original Express amp originally came equiped with. I haven't heard any new production EL34 that beats the GT EL34M in an Express. They don't like alot of plate voltage, but in an Express they are fine. I bias at about 45ma.

My CD was recorded with Siemens EL34s way before the new GT EL34s even came out, but all my Youtube videos are with the EL34Ms.

I tried some of the Tung Sol 12AX7s when they first came out and they sounded really good but hummed badly. I hear they fixed the problem, but in the meantime I just went back to the old Sylvanias as the are still fairly easy to find and not that pricey yet.

Where is a good place for the GTs online?

[gearhead]

The newer, and most of the older, Tung Sol 12AX7s are rock solid. Have used them before, and just got some from Lord Valve. Dropped the new ones into my VTV tester. Not only is their gain in the zone, but they aren't the least bit microphonic (my biggest complaint by far for other tubes) and all the ones he sent were suitable for PI!

Understand that the GT (Mullard XF2 clones) are absolutely great sounding, but there have been some pretty severe infant mortalilty issues. Lord Valve won't stock em anymore because 10s of % (20-40??) were failing his 24 hour burn-in. Things might have changed, I sure hope so!

[dartanion]

IIRC, aren't the SED (Winged C) EL34s a direct descendant of the Mullard? This is one of the reasons it gets such good reviews.

The GT EL34M looks like it is sourced through New Sensor/Sovtek.

I just noticed that NS has released a Tong Sol version of the EL34 that looks interesting.

[Tubetwang]

[quote="gearhead"] Not only is their gain in the zone, but they aren't the least bit microphonic (my biggest complaint by far for other tubes) and all the ones he sent were suitable for PI!

Thanks for the tip!

[gearhead]

The GT EL34M looks like it is sourced through New Sensor/Sovtek.

It's a bit confusing.

Groove Tubes has done a clone of the Mullard XF2 EL-34. They don't own the name, so as with their 12AX7, added an "M" on the end and are sold as Groove Tubes.

New Sensor, who owns the Mullard name (at least in US) has done a clone of the Mullard XF4 EL-34. It is sold under the brand name Mullard.

Cool site for some of the Mullard history: http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Va ... 4/EL34.htm

[dartanion]

The GT EL34M looks like it is sourced through New Sensor/Sovtek.

It's a bit confusing.

Groove Tubes has done a clone of the Mullard XF2 EL-34. They don't own the name, so as with their 12AX7, added an "M" on the end and are sold as Groove Tubes.

New Sensor, who owns the Mullard name (at least in US) has done a clone of the Mullard XF4 EL-34. It is sold under the brand name Mullard.

Cool site for some of the Mullard history: http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Va ... 4/EL34.htm

It is confusing as there are very few factories that actually make tubes anymore, so most "Brands" are relabeled stock from one of these factories. So companies like GT, Ruby, TAD, etc. source their tubes from what these factories produce. I would wager that some of these companies work directly with the factories to build tubes spec'd to their needs too, but they don't actually make any themselves.

[BBQLS1]

My head is going to explode!

[leaveitalone84]

The GT EL34M looks like it is sourced through New Sensor/Sovtek.

It's a bit confusing.

Groove Tubes has done a clone of the Mullard XF2 EL-34. They don't own the name, so as with their 12AX7, added an "M" on the end and are sold as Groove Tubes.

New Sensor, who owns the Mullard name (at least in US) has done a clone of the Mullard XF4 EL-34. It is sold under the brand name Mullard.

Cool site for some of the Mullard history: http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Va ... 4/EL34.htm

It is confusing as there are very few factories that actually make tubes anymore, so most "Brands" are relabeled stock from one of these factories. So companies like GT, Ruby, TAD, etc. source their tubes from what these factories produce. I would wager that some of these companies work directly with the factories to build tubes spec'd to their needs too, but they don't actually make any themselves.

From what I have read that is the case for the GT EL-34M.

[Structo]

For preamps I still like the old Sylvanias from the 60s. However I really like the new Groove Tube EL34M mullard clones. I think they even sound better than old Siemens EL34s, which is what my original Express amp originally came equiped with. I haven't heard any new production EL34 that beats the GT EL34M in an Express. They don't like alot of plate voltage, but in an Express they are fine. I bias at about 45ma.

My CD was recorded with Siemens EL34s way before the new GT EL34s even came out, but all my Youtube videos are with the EL34Ms.

I tried some of the Tung Sol 12AX7s when they first came out and they sounded really good but hummed badly. I hear they fixed the problem, but in the meantime I just went back to the old Sylvanias as the are still fairly easy to find and not that pricey yet.

Where is a good place for the GTs online?

http://www.groovetubes.com/tubes_list.c ... oup_ID=108

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

http://www.dougstubes.com/

The thing about GT tubes is that they are just relabeled tubes.
If you look at the GT site he says what factories they come from.

[Structo]

Anybody know anything about Kuhl Tubes?
Supposedly they are cryogenically treated.
Is this just hype or is there something to this?

https://www.tubeworld.com/kuhltube.htm

[CaseyJones]

Anybody know anything about Kuhl Tubes?
Supposedly they are cryogenically treated.
Is this just hype or is there something to this?

https://www.tubeworld.com/kuhltube.htm

Oh good, an opportunity to drag the thread off topic!

IMHO cryo is audiophool hype. It's a gimmick to seperate a fool from his money. A crap tube once frozen is still a crap tube. Stick yours in the freezer and save some bucks! Yeah I know, real cryo is a liquid nitrogen dip. We use liquid nitrogen down on the farm to keep bull jizz fresh. Maybe I'll soak some 12AX7s in with the "Bull in a Tube" to see if there's anything to it!

There might be something to it. But refer back to the "crap tube" part. Cryo treating junk isn't going to make it better.

Like "NOS" the term has been mis-used. "NOS" has been applied to burnt junk pulls so unless you know your vendor you may not be getting NOS anymore. I have a couple thousand tube boxes that NOS tubes came in, I could probably sell them for good money to scumbags who want to make their junk "NOS". I'm not going to promote erosion of integrity. I've heard at least one vendor describe his NOS JAN inventory as "cryo treated", the military cryo treated all their tubes, no? Well... NO! The military didn't give a damn how their tubes were treated as long as they made spec right out of the box. Nice attempt to start a new urban legend, though.

[rfgordon]

When things are deeply frozen, as in the cryogenic treatment, the crystalline structure can be altered a bit, which may or may not be desirable, depending on the thing being frozen and the way in which it is brought back to earth temperature.

In order for a deep freeze to work any real "magic" on items made of metal, the temperature must be at least as cold as liquid Nitrogen. However, because a vacuum tube's metal components are different metals, and some have special surface treatments, all it really amounts to is thermal stress in the extreme. It wreaks havoc on the pin-to-glass seals, since the glass and the pins have differing specific heat and thermal inertia, and, thus, their rates of expansion differ.

One must also recognize that the cooling of the internal parts is not uniform across time, since the pins act as heat sinks, cooling the parts closest to the base/attached to the pins first.

If you want to pay extra for frozen tubes, be my guest. All you're really paying for is another way to weed out (or even create) bad/weak tubes.

But, hey, if it makes somebody's car payment to freeze tubes for people, who am I to judge?