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Looking to get some new tubes for my amplifiers - at present they have the Russian Gold Lion KT-88 replicas, which are about 8 years old. Still sound good, but are down on power a bit when measured. Am presently thinking Tung Sol 6550 is the way to go. Given the quantity of tubes these amplifiers need, I want to be sure I pick something reliable. Curious what others think!
Edits: 03/01/21Follow Ups:
I have SED SV6550C (winged C) in mine and really like them. Never tried KT88 of any brand, something to consider for the future.
Could someone describe the difference in sound between the 6550C and KT88 in this amplifier
I have a pair of VTL MB-450s and will be in the same boat as I'm on my last set of SED 6550Cs.
Here's Bea Lamm's advice from VTL:
"The Gold Lion KT-88 tubes are premium tubes that you would likely to appreciate. I think the midrange is richer and more textured and the top end less grainy - overall soundstage is fuller than the 6550. However, if you like a punchy, tight bass, then the 6550 tubes would be a better choice for you."
I had the exact observation as Bea Lam of VTL , once I shifted from Svetlana 6550C to a EH KT88 in my Classic 150 . The reason I chose the EH KT88 over the GL KT88 reissue was bec of Jim McShane 's write up at his web page . He said it had 90% performance of the GL but it had a very tight bass . This is what appealed to me the bass tightness because my Duntech C5000 has very prodigious bass and I don't need much more , because I was afraid it might muddy up the mids and high's if I chose the GL KT88.
How long have you had the EHX tubes for?
Had it from 2014 to 2016 until I sold my Classic 150 . My friend got my Classic 150 recently and when I saw the pictures I recognised that it was my old amps . It's still has the EH KT88's I installed in 2014 .
Cool, they're a little cheaper too.
Mind you I just spent the evening listening to a 300B SET amplifier with my speakers, and didn't once run out of power. So I am not entirely sure why I'm so worried that the ARCs are putting out 112W instead of 140 with the existing tubes!
Since I have full range stats, I don't worry about damping nor muddy bass. :)
ARC changed from supplying the amplifier with 6550s to KT88s mid way through production, and Stereophile did a review about it, which seemed to favor the KT88.
I was thinking to install 6550s, because ARC appears to like the 6550 in most of their amplifiers and it is fun to try different things. To be honest though, if the consensus is to stay with the KT-88, it seems like an expensive gamble to take to change tube types.
Agreed, with 4 sets of matched quads to replace it is an expensive experiment.
I have a highly modified Sonic Frontiers SFS-80 in which I rolled the KT88s to 6550C (used previously in my Classic 150 prior to a retubing). I preferred the 6550C in that application.
If I could get SED 6550C at the prices they sold for 20 years ago, I'd be all over it.
I've ruled out using JJ or Chinese tubes on the basis of reliability. NOS tubes like GE are not realistic to obtain for a reasonable price. This leaves the New Sensor products.
I've ruled out the 6550WE due to reports from guitar techs about Sovtek quality not being what it was. The Tung Sol 6550 is attractive, and known to be reliable, but I haven't read much about it being used in ARC amps.
I still don't really know what the difference is between the Gold Lion and EHX KT-88 besides price, but the Gold Lion sure gets a lot of good reviews and very few bad ones.
Just FWIW - I sell quite a few of the Sovtek 6550WEs, but almost none go into guitar amp service that I know of. I find the 6550WE does an excellent job, and I have VERY few problems with them other than some crooked glass bottles. And that issue has ZERO effect on anything but the cosmetics of the tube(s).
The EH (not EHX) KT-88s have a different tonal balance than the Genalex/Gold Lions. The Genalex has more and better deep bass than the EH, and I think it also has a bit better mids and highs. The EH is a very good KT-88, but the Genalex is better.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your reply! Which tube would you suggest for the Classic 150?
I would suggest the Sovtek 6550WE - I tend to want to retube ARC gear with the same tubes they use/recommend. It often makes life easier for the amp's owner if they ever have to deal with ARC regarding any amp issues.
My 2nd choice would be the GL KT-88. It's not because it's not as good as the Sovtek, it's other considerations (as I mentioned above).
This is great info, it seems like there are several choices here.
Have you got any thoughts about the Tung-Sol 6550 in ARC gear?
I don't recommend the Tung-Sol 6550s. I don't even stock them right now as they are having issues with excessively high bias currents.
Thanks for this!
jim, you´re right. i should have written my statement in " - " as a personal impression. and yes, it was ment as gentle provocation.
nevertheless i am sure that once when EH KT88 are no longer avaialble they will be hyped and glorified just as the SED winged c...
N.
only "tuby" sound likers like GL KT88. i am afraid they never tried crispy, straight forward and dynamicly sounding alternatives. i bought GLs twice and sold them twice again. too charming, unprecise (muddy) bass performance, too tame hights.
although i once had a retention against EH KT88, i meanwhile even prefer them over SED KT88 winged c. more crispy, tight and deep bass, excellent midrange and highrange also. some folks say the EHs acts on the cool side but i would characterize them as clean and neutral/natural. stable like solid state but fast and clear like a tube. best buy for the buck. you just have to endure the breaking in period (~ 50 hours).
N.
Your statement that "only "tuby" sound likers like GL KT88" is far from a universally held opinion. In fact, in my experience it is a rarely heard description of the tube's performance.
If that is your opinion that's fine - but I'm not sure it's an opinion you can project on to other listeners.
So you vote EH KT88 - that's interesting!
For me it depends upon once's system . I've heard a Classic 30 w/ the GL KT88's and it sounds so good , very musical specially when the amp is paired w/! the ARC SP14 . My Classic 150 when it was using the Svetlana 6550C's was tuby as well and because the Classic series were in triode configuration that's why I opted for the EH KT88's . They were musical in the mids but not to fat in the upper & lower bass .
no, not vote but just wrote MY experiences. you have to make your own ones. ("people who do not move won´t notice their chains...").
N.
Love the Classic 150 when I had mine it had the Svetlana 6550C , when I had retubed I installed EH KT88's w/c I bought from our sponsor Jim McShane . If I were you I will stick w/ KT88's , the Goldlion's are very good .
That's two for staying with the gold lions!
I really like the amplifiers, I read mixed things about the classic series before I got them, but they really do it for me!
Stick with the New Sensor's "reissue" Gold Lion KT88s.
Eli D.
Thanks!
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