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I'm looking for a robust midrange EL-34 that still maintains a good top end. My amp, a VTA ST-70 will be using a subwoofer. So 20-50hz is pretty much covered by that.
I'm currently using Shuguang's. A very impressive tube with few if any shortcomings. Extremely accurate with excellent tonal balance. However I've come to realized that I like a big fat midrange!
Any suggestions? Decent suggestions??
charles
Follow Ups:
I love el34 .
Since 1994 i've tried every brand i could put my hand on .
In these years i've developed several classifiyng methods :
1)reliability
2)sound
3)reliability and sound
4)life reliability and sound
on the 1) every russian el 34 /6ca7 i had was robust and did not
show electrical problems ;the worst el 34 i put on my
c-j mv 50 was a selected quartet bought from the
officiial italian c-j distributor ;it was 1994
:mr Falchi is not wih us anymore and c-j changed
distributor in italy long time ago .
It was a russian no brand el 34 marked gz 1 rmo
or something like that ;it sounded awful ,but
you could put anything on that plate (an that screen);
a champion by numbers ,a torture for haering .
I changed my mind about russian valves when svetlana
from san pietroburgo ,and then, eh 6ca7 appeared
2)the first el34 i heard on my c-j mv 50 was a sylvanya 6ca7
:magical,dark soundig ,but very focused ,with a midrange to die
for ,and air and music breathing,musical scene was so deep
and involving ..a stereodrome !but they were lackin on punch
and violence when playing hard rock.
Then i tried ge 6ca7 :more magic less punch then sylvania
(no impact at all with haRD ROCK) very short life (3 months)
3)then came Svetlana el34 (then winged=c=,now dismessed)
For a long time i thought that all i was seeking it was there :
deep scene,the magic of tubes without smearing sound,punch
and violence when needed,great midrange and fast transient
(the 6ca7 major lack)
Reliability and acceptable life duration (8 months
of extensive use with the best performance)
4)xf2 mullard :i don't think they are better than winged =c=
,they are on par ,with better bottom end (with very low
frequency you can't tell if the sound came from inside or outside
the room)and great balance between deep music scene ,tonal
balance ,transparency and no listening fatigue ,great on
rock ,classical and jazz; just a little bit "old"sound than
winged=c= svetlana
5)Old and new entries:the last quartet i bought were 4 el34 b
shuguang ;i was really impressed for the price and sound :
a bit of magical ,very open sounding ,not a great bottom end
,but cheapy luxurios in some way ;they replaced a qurtet of
Rft telefunken marked el 34 ,great sounding,one of them
made some firework after 0ne year of normal life wearing.
After a month el34 b shuguang made a a noise on right
channel .
iturned back on svetlana winged =c=:it is like coming home
6)jj e34 l :they made my transformer hum ,not stable with bias
ei 6ca7:very thin and fatiguing (i own 3 matched quartet)
Alwyas imho
The Valve Art are very good tubes and inexpensive. My all-time favorite are the Penta Labs EL-34LS made in the Czech Republic--can't get them anymore.
I have had excellent results with the JJ 6CA7. Now that you can get them burned in from antique Electronic Supply this should reduce some of the potential problems. I have never had one fail on me.
Sound wise they are powerful yet delicate. The characteristic I find most enjoyable is the liquidity of the sound. There is an organic quality to these tubes that sets them apart. When I used EL34 type of tubes, these were my favorites, even more so that the Shuguang Treasure 6CA7.
Datman,
What amp were you using them in? I tried them but preferred other tubes.
A Decware Torii Mk III. I have also been reading good things about the JJ EL34 II.
Edits: 10/16/15
EH 6CA7 Fat bottles.
very musical sounding tube in the ST70, and other amps.
This set of 12 just sold on ebay for less that $100 each.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
I have an older VAC integrated amp using EL34's and have tried most over the counter brands. I am staying with the Tung Sol's as for me they have the punch, mid range oomph, and smooth top end, good bass etc. and have bested, JJ's, Winged C's, Valve Arts, E.H. Tried the compatible KT(77)? sorry can't remember, hated the sound and resold them.
VAC uses and recommends the Shuguang's, but I beg to differ. YMMV.
Electro Harmonix big bottle 6CA7
EL34 Electro-Harmonix skinny bottle tube
Mullard reissue EL34 tubes
Tung-Sol EL34B - No reviews are in yet????
charles
and whereas they were really clean, well balanced tubes, I just don't remember their
mid's to be quite as ...sweet?... ephonic? ... lovely... as the Mullard reis or the Winged C
or even the EH EL-34.
Then again this was a few years ago and I'm running on memory.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Are there any current production 6L6's that have the same sound as the older Svetlana C wings?????
charles
The answer is no IMO - I have "Winged C EL34's and they sound nothing like my favorite tube for my ST70 - the new Tung Sol 6L6C "Coke Bottles" that Jim McShane recommends. The have a very big, fat, sound (beautiful midrange)! You will have to change rectifier to 5U4GB to get a proper bias which I run at 1.35 mv. I do like the "Winged C's but find them to clinical for my tastes. They like the Genalex KT66 have gone up in price to $50@ however.
had a great, full midrange as did the reissue Mullard EL34 from a few years back.
Both had a more satisfying, fuller midrange than the current production GL KT-77 that I preferred overall.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I've been using the Sylvania 6CA7 fat bottle tubes in my Dodd Audio mono blocks. Solid tube, especially in the midrange. Hard to find tube. I found some with the side getter a while back, don't use them too much. Cost too much to replace. EH 6CA7 is a good tube for a lot less $$. I have heard the Groove Tube EL34 LS has nice mids.
Thomas
I'm also a fan of the Shuguangs, although you'll find plenty haters out there. I've tried JJ KT77 and there is more at the top and the bottom, not fat. NOS Teslas are fatter sounding and might be the ticket. The original Svetlanas also (earlier winged C).
Edits: 10/14/15
Like I said, I've come to realize I LIKE EL34's and that big golden midrange.
I understand why others like the KT66,-88's. But I don't want to thin out the midrange any more than I already have.
And yes - I am impressed Shuguangs. A very linear and lively tube. With few if any flaws.
charles
What caps did you use in your amp? PIO's?
Yep, Russion PIO
O.K. You want to ask Bob Latino about where to use some carbon comp resistors. They can add some vintage midrange magic.
This has nothing to do with tone, it has to do with freedom from defects and failures.
And I know how to use carbon comp resistors, but thanks for the info in any case!
The post was for Charles not you. I am using the JJ tubes in single ended amps and the demands on the tube may be less. Blanket statements about anything are useless. If you don't care to sell JJ tubes..no big deal.
I want you to understand something - I used to sell them! I sold the E34L, the terrific red base 6L6GC, etc. But I had to stop when I found reject rates of over 25% on some of my orders - one occasion the reject rate was 50%! I would be delighted to sell JJ product - but not if it means selling suspect quality stuff.
I'd love to have it to sell again, that's for sure.
My initial response was directed to Eli and his perfunctory JJ sucks post. It does appear that the QC issues are behind JJ today. If I were a dealer and had been disappointed in the past I may not bother with the line either. Yes, there may be some old stock out there with issues so you have to be sure you are getting newer production tubes.
There are a couple I would suggest you try. The fattest midrange I use is the Electro Harmonix big bottle 6CA7. A 6CA7 is an EL34. The second which doesn't get much notice is the JJ E34L Blue or Red bottle. I like the blue but not sure it matters. E34L is not a typo, that is the tube it's slightly larger than their regular JJ EL34.
Steve
When it's properly made, the JJ E34L is excellent. Run them with a bit more "idle" current than other variants.
Unfortunately, JJ has had serious QC issues among all of their Octal production. Can a good E34L set be sourced reliably? It would be very nice if JJ gets its act together and ships good Octal tubes. New Sensor needs the goad competition provides.
Eli D.
Eli, this is 2015 and the issues with new JJ octals are nil. :-)
I don't agree, and neither does one of my competitors who has a very good reputation - Kevin Deal/Upscale Audio. He and I agree the JJ tube quality is not good. You can read his thoughts on his site.
My standard is this - if I won't use it in my own gear, I won't sell it.
O.K. Kevin doesn't like/sell them but I got some KT77's recently from a dealer that does test them, nice pins and no issues. No one expects a dealer to carry every tube line.
See the thread below. Many of the tubes are JJ's. Seems like they are more aligned with the guitar guys though. I have no skin in the game nor an axe to grind.
"Eli, this is 2015 and the issues with new JJ octals are nil."
Tell that to Jim McShane. When Jim starts selling JJ Octals again, I'll think about using them. For the past few years, JJ's Octal production has been untrustworthy.
The Jamona plant can make good Octal tubes, numerous examples from the not so recent past are known. The will to make and ship good Octals needs demonstration. What seem to be "floor sweepings" are what's available in the U.S.A.
Eli D.
Yes, the E34L can sound good. Using a couple in a single ended amp right now. But QC stinks and they tend to have thin pins. The 6CA7 is a good suggestion. Darker sounding than the Chinese EL34.
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