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Done some research but would still like some input. I am trying to decide between these three to try: Ei 6CA7, EH 6CA7, and JJ KT-77.I am not great at audio terminology so what I can say is I have tried the Svet (winged C) EL34 and JJ’s E34L. The Svets are a little too dark for me. I really liked the JJ’s clarity and overall it just sounded like a really good well balanced tube. Perhaps I should just get another quad of E34L but I would like to try something new. Any opinions would be welcome.
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a "lighter", more extended top end and a great balance, substance and clarity from there all the way down. I've used the Svet (winged C) EL34 and JJ’s E34L as well (and other current production EL34 as well as vintage Mullard XF2). Haven't bothered trying any current production 6CA7 as the KT-77 are so superb.
"I always play jazz records backwards, they sound better that way"
-Thomas Edison
My Dynaco has all new output tube sockets, so the fact that many (most?) of teh KT77's have undersized tube pins isn't a problem for me. It might be for you. And if you check the archives, there are several threads about quality problems with this tube. Suggest you buy it from a tube seller who tests & guarantees it. I know Jim McShane no longer carries it because his experience with the tube quality was so bad.All that said, I really like the sound of the KT77's in my Dynaco ST-70. I prefer it to the Mullards I've been using for the past 30 years. I think it's more linear, without the bloat. You do lose a little of the midrange magic, but I think it's far better than the other modern production EL34's I've tried (EH, Svet, SED).
Maybe I will order a quad of the EH and the KT-77 and try them both. I think doing the Ei might be a mistake. What if you like them? They are going to be very hard to come by in the future I would imagine. Might as well go NOS.
Kind of a sketchy memory hear with the Ei Fat Bottle I tried a few years ago...but I distincly remember being very unhappy with them.I still have them and maybe should give 'em another shot, but the unhappy experience contrasted with the happy experience with all the other EL34 I've tried (and especially the KT-77!) make that an unlikely event.
Have fun no matter which route you take!
"I always play jazz records backwards, they sound better that way"
-Thomas Edison
Well I have a quad on the way of the EH 6CAT. I hope I like them better than you did! Even if they are great I still want to try out the KT-77 and see what all the hype is about.
The EH and the Ei 6CA7s are much different! You can definitely like one but not the other.
Well I am all for finding out which. Tube rolling is half the fun but I think I am going to pass on the Ei. I actually don't think I want to know if I like them they are getting so hard to come by. EL34 Teslas (old stock) were magnificent but I can't afford NOS quads of those. So I will try the EH 6CA7 and the Kt-77 and see (throwing in the JJ E34L which I already have) which ones I like best.
If you found the SEDs too "dark" then the EH 6CA7 would be a very good choice. They are livelier for sure! The extended top end and solid bass make them a nice tube for a system and/or set of ears like yours. Their quality is excellent too.
I am shooting an email to you now. Let's give these a whirl and see what we think.
This has been an interesting thread for me......with my ST70, I will agree that the JJ E34L's sound really great with my set up....tried the SED's.....tried to like them, but just could not and sold them....anyway, I would like to see your comments on how the tubes you are trying out compare with the JJ's that you already found to sound quite good....as I do myself.
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