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Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements

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Posted on June 17, 2013 at 18:49:42
lennartj@swipnet.se
Audiophile

Posts: 4
Joined: June 17, 2013
 For a while I have searched for a reputable supplier that can sell me at least two matched pairs of recently produced Svetlana winged-C KT88 without success.
I have been told that the factory in St.Petersburg has stopped manufacturing those in 2012 due to quality problems that they have been unable to solve, and if I find any on the market they are probably a risky buy.
Can anyone confirm this?
If so, which other tubes in current production are most similar sounding and reliable?

Among my six different sets of KT88/6550 from various manufacturers the Svetlana winged-C KT88's are clearly the best sounding with their crispness and lack of colouration (according to my taste).
I use them in:
1. Dynaco Mk.III fully restored as original as possible
2. Dynaco Mk.III transformers driven by SRPP class-A redesign
3. McIntosh MC75 60th anniversary
and the winged-C's wins in all of them.

 

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RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on June 17, 2013 at 19:29:28
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 The "best" currently manufactured tube is the "reissue" GEC KT88. If those are too expensive, buy EH KT88s. Both of the above are New Sensor products manufactured in the Saratov, Russia, plant.


Eli D.

 

Which other KT88s have you tested them against?, posted on June 17, 2013 at 19:51:00
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 While I don't dispute the sound quality of the SED Kt88s,they have become very pricey,even more than the Genelex reissues or the more expensive Shuggie Treasures,both of which are very good sounding tubes.Here is a test comparison by someone but you have to real all the thread..This was in Mc75s also..
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

Parts Connexion, posted on June 17, 2013 at 22:26:59
dvb
Audiophile

Posts: 2444
Location: Vancouver
Joined: August 18, 2000
 Parts Connexion sells both the SED/ Svetlana (St. Petersburg) KT88 and the Svetlana (Reflektor) KT88.

The Svetlana/ SED thing can get confusing!

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on June 18, 2013 at 02:19:19
tubular.well
Dealer

Posts: 224
Joined: March 4, 2013
 If you lived in sweden i could loan a pair of jj-kt88 for evaluation. I know my ears but it's always interesting with more opinions.

 

RE: Which other KT88s have you tested them against?, posted on June 18, 2013 at 02:59:57
lennartj@swipnet.se
Audiophile

Posts: 4
Joined: June 17, 2013



After checking with the previous owner of my recently aquired MC75's I realize that they have been played as little as approximately ten hours total, and only one hour on the tubes shipped with the amps.
Comparing them visibly I notice that the McIntosh-supplied KT88 actually are identical to my old Svetlana winged-C KT88's so I suppose the uninvolving sound of the new tubes is due to lack of burn-in time compared to my old set that have several hundred hours on them.
Now that I know how good the MC75's can sound I suppose I should put back the original tubes and let them burn in and make a new comparison after summer.


I have compared the Svetlana winged-C KT88 against
Russian Genalex Gold Lion KT88 (sounding soft and rose coloured)
JJ KT88 (hard and and less resolved)
Sovtek SV6550C (rather neutral, medium resolution)
Chelmer 6550WA (similar to above)
Audio Glassic 6550 USA (crisp, medium resolution).

In my opinion the Russian Gold Lions are no substitute for the wingwd-C, they have very different sound.
However, I'm still eager for suggestions of currently manufactured KT88 that sound similar to the Svetlana winged-C.

I hope to get access to a good tube tester soon and measure my little stock of ten genuine GEC Gold Lion KT88 i various states of deterioriation and be able to select two reasonably matching pairs for later comparisons.

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on June 18, 2013 at 03:13:55
lennartj@swipnet.se
Audiophile

Posts: 4
Joined: June 17, 2013
 Thank you for your offer, I actually do live in Sweden, but I have already tried the JJ KT88, but they were unfortunately not to my liking as I wrote in a previous response in this thread.
In hindsight, the JJ's might have been insufficiently burned in to sound their best.

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on June 18, 2013 at 03:56:07
xti16
Audiophile

Posts: 82
Location: Streamwood Il
Joined: February 25, 2012
 Here is a quad of the SED 6550 Winged C
[url]http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Tubes/Svetlana/-39-Winged-C-39-6550C/Matched-QUAD-NOS/88669[/url]
I believe this seller also had/has the Svetlana KT88's too. I would contact him. There was a seller on Agon (stratosphere) selling boxes of 25 New but untested Svetlana's for 275 (He had both the round and square hole versions) and boxes of SED's for 375. I was ready to buy a box but instead I upgraded my amp and replaced my cdp with a music server.

I have both the SED 6550 and KT88's and IMO the 6550's are more linear sounding where the KT88 is warmer.

 

New Sensor products, posted on June 18, 2013 at 07:17:08
Mendel
Audiophile

Posts: 1233
Location: GTA
Joined: January 17, 2009
 Sorry, maybe the "best" to you, but not to me and many others. There is no "best" KT88 just like there is no "best" car or "best" woman. It all depends on individual preference. I prefer the solid plate KT88sc out of China myself in my amp, after having tried the Gold Lion Reissue and the EH KT88.

 

I did this test a while back of some of my KT88 collection., posted on June 18, 2013 at 13:02:23
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 I did the test in the MC275 Mac as well as the HK Citation 2s,and to be honest,I didn't care much for my vintage Genelex/GECs and believe it or not,it's the tube I have the most of as far as KT88s go..I have about as many TS 6550 black plates and several 3 hole versions and some gray solid plates.I also did testing in the Heath W6Ms..All my amps are upgraded with McShane's kits and this includes the MC275 so the amps would all be t their best.
What I didn't like as much about the vintage GEC/GENELEX was that they sounded a bit on the sterile side and wouldn't liven the music.They got better as they played but I am always willing go give up a tiny bit of detail for a more musicality and aliveness.YMMV/
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

"Best" tube, posted on June 18, 2013 at 16:02:42
lennartj@swipnet.se
Audiophile

Posts: 4
Joined: June 17, 2013
 I totally agree that it is a matter of personal taste which tube tube is "best" , but to start a discussion I use to keep the initial post reasonably short to get going and respond with more detail later on.
Here http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tubes/messages/25/251760.html are my short comments to tubes I have tried.

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on June 18, 2013 at 20:17:14
Medium Jim
Dealer

Posts: 1638
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 16, 2008
 I agree with the EH call...

Jim


Nothing Sounds Better Than Tubes To My Ears! The Asylum where slander/libel is rampant...

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on August 30, 2013 at 09:50:42
joefred@mailinator.com
Audiophile

Posts: 1
Location: Dallas TX
Joined: August 30, 2013
 I feel your pain. I too am a Winged C KT88 lover. They are what came in my MC275, and I fell in love with the sound. However, I have been wholly unable to find any RELIABLE replacements. I have scoured the internet for these things and have actually purchased about 5 or 6 quads from vendors all over the US and Canada. I even ordered two quads with high hopes from Lucas Miles Audio in Australia. My thinking was that perhaps someone still had a few good quads of these tubes left. Unfortunately, in every case one or more of the tubes blew in less than 50 hours. I actually still have one used quad and one new quad on hand, but am afraid to use them. How many more tubes can I blow before I damage the amp? So, I tried some Kt88-98s. Not bad, very honest but very generic. I then tried some KT88z. The KT88z have a rich, dark, sexy sound but they lack the dynamics and energy of the Winged Cs. But at least they are involving and interesting. I also tried EH KT88. Very dynamic, but flat as a pancake--even more so than my old SS amp. TS KT88 reissues were better, but still a little sterile and not much on the bottom end. All in all, I am as frustrated as you. I am looking everywhere I know to look to find a tube that captures me the way the Wined Cs do, but haven't found them. For now I'm using the KT88z. However, if you find what you believe to be a reasonable substitute for the Winged C, I hope you'll post it because I'm still looking. I always hate to take a step back in audio, but that's how I feel with the demise of the Winged Cs.

 

RE: Svetlana winged-C KT88 replacements, posted on August 30, 2013 at 16:34:00
xti16
Audiophile

Posts: 82
Location: Streamwood Il
Joined: February 25, 2012
 Let me first say I have never heard a bad tube. Some are better than others. I have the SED winged C KT88's and although a good sounding tube I prefer (OK my favorite) the original Tung Sol 6550 solid black plate followed by the solid grey plate. But they are quite expensive. IMO the original GEC/MO KT88 is good and pretty close to the sound of the EAT KT88 Diamonds (very detailed and linear) but a bit dry. Again very pricey. More reasonable cost wise would be the Ei KT90 type2. Not as good as the TS 6550's that I prefer but pretty close. Very musical and punchier without being too forward bright. Last is a TS KT120. Extremely reasonable in price but to me a bit forward and bright. I have an Octave V110 (designed for the KT120) integrated and if I change the input and driver/inverter tubes the KT120's can sound pretty good. I like the Rca 5751 (lower gain) triple mica black plate or a Telefunken 12ax7 for the input. Telefunken 5965 (long plate) or the Mullard CV4024's for driver/inverter tubes. Those to me these are very warm tubes and although the TS 6550 bp/gp is my favorite with these tubes it too much warmth.

 

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