Tubes Asylum

• Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Beam Tube 06:11:14 12/17/00 (0)
  In Reply to: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Andy Dee on December 16, 2000 at 03:41:31:

  Dear Andy: From my experience of building tube amps for over (23) years, the best KT88 made today is the Valve Art KT88.. these are made in the same style as the original MOV/Genelex/Gold Lion KT88 tubes. They will dissipate 35-40 watts of heat with no red plates or screen grids. They also have heat sink radiators on the grids for reliable operation at high power. Svetlana also has a new verson of this tube; from what I can see this is a good tube also. Antique Electronics, Tempe , Az. stocks the entire Valve Art line. You mentioned 6550's: the original "black-plate" Tung-Sol tubes are still the classic version of this type. Please let me know what happens..Happy Holidays!!! Joe, aka the "Beam Tube"
  
  

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• Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Adam O 21:38:51 12/16/00 (1)
  In Reply to: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Andy Dee on December 16, 2000 at 03:41:31:

  Andy, I can second both the Svetlana KT88's and Upscale Audio. The Svetlanas sound great in my Music Reference RM-200 and Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio is a very helpful dealer. While I drool over the Gen KT88's (which Svetlana purportedly tried to copy) and the Tung Sol 6550's, I understand there's a sharp diminishing returns curve.

  Adam
  
  

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  • JJ KT 88's Andy Dee 03:35:04 12/21/00 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Adam O on December 16, 2000 at 21:38:51:

    Hi Adam,
    I wondered if you have heard the JJ KT 88's and what your thoughts on those are?
    Thanks,
    Andy
    
    

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• Re: Best KT88's and mail order source funkwrench 08:06:08 12/16/00 (1)
  In Reply to: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Andy Dee on December 16, 2000 at 03:41:31:

  If you are not quite prepared to spring for the best KT88s in your 1955 amp, there are a few distinctly lower cost options.

  I have heard the svetlana KT88s in a Jolida setup that sounded wonderful. Otherwise I do not have much experience with the tube. Current production tubes can be had from the usual suspects:

  www.triodeel.com
  www.angela.com
  www.tubesandmore.com
  www.tubeworld.com

  etc...

  I saw some Penta tubes at someplace called the Tube Store which looked interesting.

  Surf around to various dealers. All of the guys listed above are honest and fairly opinionated and have tons of info on their websites.

  Good luck,

  Joe
  
  

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  • Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Andy Dee 19:31:03 12/16/00 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by funkwrench on December 16, 2000 at 08:06:08:

    Thanks for taking the time to pass on the info Joe.
    Andy
    
    

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• Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Adrian 07:00:30 12/16/00 (6)
  In Reply to: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Andy Dee on December 16, 2000 at 03:41:31:

  There is little doubt that the best KT88 ever made is the Genelex/MOV version. This goes for about $270 each if you can find them. Western Electric will be making them (presumably licensed from Marconi) in the next few months if you can wait that long. It is even possible that when it happens, NOS KT88s will appreciate in price much like NOS 300B.

  Try these places:
  http://www.electron-valve.com/
  http://upscaleaudio.com/rare/rare.htm
  
  

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  • Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Eric Nelson 10:03:32 12/21/00 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by adrian on December 16, 2000 at 07:00:30:

    

    The Valve Art tubes are great! I love them in my
    VAC amps. Has anyone tried the new KR KR88? It
    is most likely the best ever made, if it is like their
    300B tubes, but at $250/pair it is too expensive an
    experiment for me.
    

    • KR Industries

    
    

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  • Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Andy Dee 03:38:29 12/21/00 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by adrian on December 16, 2000 at 07:00:30:

    Hi Adrian,
    I will probably need to buy less expensive tubes. What do you think of
    the JJ KT 88's?
    Thanks,
    Andy
    
    

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  • Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Beam Tube 06:17:19 12/17/00 (2)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by adrian on December 16, 2000 at 07:00:30:

    Dear Adrian: A friend of mine claimes he has seen prices for NOS Genelex KT88's (matched-pairs) going for $1200 per pair!! Have you heard anything about this?? Take care and Happy Holidays.. Joe.. aka the "Beam Tube"
    
    

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    • Just for your info.... Chris Garrett 10:02:05 12/17/00 (1)
      In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by Beam Tube on December 17, 2000 at 06:17:19:

      

      Back in summer a nice fellow from Emerald, Australia listed two matched quads on Ebay. All yellow/blue boxes were mint, each quad had identical date codes 74/22, 74/39 and heat sensitive stickers were in tact and not burned. All tubes were then tested on my buddies Maxi Matcher output tube tester and indeed matched and tested brand new. I have yet to install them as my Cary amps are being upgraded. I paid $966/Quad and got s/h thrown in for free due to a wire transfer snafu, but it would have been $40 for that.

      They are not cheap. I've been following Ebay a lot and there seems to be a consistent range of $200-$250 per tube for the ones that really DO look NOS. I'm looking for a spare or two. When my auction ended, another fellow from UTAH, RareTubes.com, listed his two Quads which were almost identical to my octet, sans two boxes, but tightly matched and NOS w/stickers, his reserve was $1100/Quad.

      Chris
      

      • Here's an auction and pair like mine......

      
      

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      • Re: Just for your info.... Andy Dee 03:43:00 12/21/00 (0)
        In Reply to: Just for your info.... posted by Chris Garrett on December 17, 2000 at 10:02:05:

        Hi Chris,
        These tubes sound very interesting but are way above mu budget. Have you heard the JJ's and if so , how would you compare them to the Svetlana's?
        Thanks,
        Andy
        
        

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  • Re: Best KT88's and mail order source Andy Dee 19:35:36 12/16/00 (0)
    In Reply to: Re: Best KT88's and mail order source posted by adrian on December 16, 2000 at 07:00:30:

    Thaks for the info Adrian
    Andy
    
    

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