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The VTV EL34 shootout

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Sidegetter,

I looked into the EL34 a bit as someday I will revive my ST70.

If you haven't seen it, here is an old post with the results of the VTV EL34 "shootout". (Isn't it a quaint Americanism to call a comparison of tubes a "shootout"?)

FROM:

http://java.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=tubes&n=101917&highlight=captain+ocr+el34&r=&session=

Here is an OCR of the VTV issue number 16 "EL34 Hi-Fi Results" - with minimal proffreeding!

BEGIN QUOTE:

"EL34 Hi-Fi Results - [Vacuum Tube Valley no 16]


1. Amperex Bugle Boy Double-D Getter Brown Base 1961 - Lots of vintage OEMs used this tube in its hey- day. Our listening panel found it sounding cool, dry, and smooth. Transparency was very good as were frequency extension and dimensionality. Overall rating 3.82

2. Amperex (actually a Blackburn Mullard-made Xf4) Brown Base 1966 - An excellent- sounding tube with outstanding performance in our system. Dynamic range and frequency extension were exceptional and all other categories were rated as one of the best. These are not as expensive as the more collectable Xf2 version, so get yours now while you can! Overall rating is 4.03

3. Chinese (Shuguang) 2001 - This is a new production item from China that is obviously a copy of an Xf2 Mullard. Slightly above average rating with noticeably good transparency and frequency extension. Other cate- categories were about average. Overall rating 3.22

4. E.I. Small Bottle Tipped 2001 - This design has been around for a few years and is now available again. Reviewers felt that the tube was warm and kind of dry sounding. The tube was musical sounding with some noticeable liquidity. Use this tube with caution in high plate voltage amps. It may be subject to biasing problems and potential overheating. Overall rating 3.7

5. E.I. Fat Bottle Tipped 2001 - A fat version of the above, this tube looks very impressive. It looks like a smaller version of the E.I. KT90. Reviewers thought the tube was a lirtle on the harsh side with all three musical selections. Predominant tonal character was dry and warm. Overall rating 3.2

6. Genalex KT77 Gold Lion 1974 - This ultra-rare EL34 type is the most collectable of all. It is a beautiful example of British valve art. KT77s came standard in amps like the Acrosound UL120 and some British valve amps of the 1960s. The KT77 sounded very liquid and warm with an overall pleasing tonal quality. Overall rating 3.66

7. Japanese Split-top Glass 1970s - Matsushita sold EL34s that were essentially copies of Xf2 Mullards during the 1960s and 1970s, They did not have the Philips date codes and can be typically identified by the split seam in the glass on top of the tube. Amperex and RCA rebranded and sold those tubes during the 1970s. Sound characteristics were dry and cool. Overall rating 3.4

8. Mullard Xf2 Single-Halo Getter 1964 - This is the classic Mullard that was standard equipment in Dynaco, Fisher, Maranrz, Scott, and many other 1960s hi-fi amps. Now highly collectable and known for its smooth, rich sound, matched pairs of Xf2 Mullard EL34s can command prices in excess of $275US. Don't look for the price to go down either! This tube sets the standard for liquid, smooth and warm sonics. Overall rating 3.33

9. Siemens ITT Eastern Europe Dimple-Top 1991 - A few years ago, this tube was relatively common. Now, however, it is considered an NOS tube. This tube was liked by many reviewers who thought it was cool, liquid and smooth-sounding. Overall rating 3.44

10. Sovtek EH 1999 - Sovtek has redesigned their EL34 with more rugged construction including gold-plated screen grids. This tube is definitelyan improvement over the earlier version. Priced at the low end of the scale, the EH EL34 is a great buy. The tube is musical, warm and detailed, but a little on the dry side. Overall rating 3.48
-
11. Svetlana Brown Base 2000 - The Sverlana EL34 is now available in the US from a variety of tube dealers. This tube sounds very Mullard-like and is used in a number of high fidelity tube amps. Tonal characteristics are smooth, warm and musical. Overall rating 3.18

12. Sylvania Fat Bottle Double Getter USA 1970s - A US version of the EL34, the Sylvania 6CA7 has kind of a cult following in some circles. Prices have increased significantly over the last few years. This tube has a cool and liquid sound, but at least one reviewer did not like it very much. He thought it was a little on the harsh side. Overall rating 3.68

13. Tesla Brown Base (Mullard Xf2 copy) 1991 - Out of the blue, this once common EL34 was the top performer in our EL34 test. It was
obvious that Tesla used some of the original Xf2 Mullard tooling they received from Philips to make this tube. Everyone liked its musical performance above any of the other tubes. Tonal coloration was on the liquid and warm side. Dynamic range and frequency extension were both
rated as excellent. I personally used a quad of these in my Dynaco Stereo 70 for years and thought they sounded great. Some NOS dealers may still have some of these in stock at reasonable prices, but don't wait too long! Overall rating 4.36 Top Performer

14. JJ/Tesla Round Top 2001 - To the surprise of many, this tube performed very well. Tonal coloration was dry, warm and very smooth. Musical and balanced-sounding were other comments from the reviewers. Across the board, this tube was liked by all reviewers, Based on our results, the JJ/Tesla EL34 is a Best Buy EL34 for hi fi applications. Overall rating 3.97

Conclusion:

The bad news is that NOS Amperex and Mullard EL34s are getting hard to find and expensive. The good news is that several tube manufacturers
are producing excellent quality EL34s. Tubes from Ei, Sovtek, Svetlana and Tesla should be able to satisfy the sonic tastes of most tonal connoisseurs. The current Tesla EL34 is the clear winner in this EL34 hi-fi shootout. It can be had at bargain prices and according to our ears, can sound as good or better than many of the classic NOS EL34s. The Sovtek EH EL34 and the Ei EL34 (small bottle) are no high fidelity slouches either. There are enough good EL34s around for the near future and then some. "

END QUOTE<<""

It was interesting that so much praise was piled on a 1991 Tesla and in preference to the magic of NOS Mullards. New power tubes are quite encouraging- I wish the small tubes would catch up to the rate of improvement.

Cheers,

Bambi B


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