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Hi All,Well, a few weeks back we had a good thread about the Gold Lion KT88 reissues after I posted my review. I suspect a number of other people have now tried them. I was just wondering about everyone's experiences with them. Are they worth double the price of a pair of good Shuguangs, EH, or others to you? After living with mine for 150 hours or so I would still answer with a resounding yes - best KT88 I've heard in my amp - what about yours?
Follow Ups:
After 30 hours the name in the glass :gold lion kt88, almost disapeared, I would like if this usualy happen?
Hi,
Mine have 100+ hours and the printing looks like when they came out of the box...weird. Are yours running really hot? Or has someone wiped them with some cleaning solution? Strange. Hope they aren't fakes of some sort. Did you buy them from a reputable dealer? Perhaps they had a bad batch of ink....
I bought from musicdirect $240, I use it in audio aero capitole classe A, 55watts , now it is gettin better.Do you think musicdirect is a good seller?
I have never dealt with them, but at $240 they are probably the real thing if they seem well built. Glad they are sounding better. Mine hit their best at 70+ hours...
I thought they were made by Shuguang.
They are Russian made, they're made in the Saratov plant owned by New Sensor. I sell them, but right now supply is far short of demand - I have a waiting list of people who want them.As more and more feedback trickles in, the consensus seems to be it's a really superb tube. And the build quality is excellent too.
Jim,I have heard these run a little on the hot side. Would these work well in a Rogue 90 with the amp cover on?
"I have heard these run a little on the hot side."The amount of heat the tube generates is simply a function of the amount of power it has to dissipate. The heater voltage & current are the same as any other KT-88, so that's not an issue. Plate (and/or screen) dissipation is a function of voltage applied and current drawn, so that won't be any different than another KT-88 in the same application either.
So what you heard is wrong, and it is based on not understanding what is going on. Now if that person who said that took out a set of KT-88s with a low bias current then put in Genalex with a high bias current - and then didn't (or couldn't) adjust the bias - then they would run warmer. But that's not a tube issue, that's a bias issue.
They should work fine in a given piece of gear.
" Would these work well in a Rogue 90 with the amp cover on?"
I can't think of any reason why not!
I'll check with you after I move (8/1) and get on the list. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by other things right now.
I tryed shuguang kt88sc, the JJ kt88 with more than 1000 hours used is better( these are the tubes that came with audio aero capitole amplifier- 50 watts classe A), when I changed for gold lion kt88 reissues the sound was better in the bass and more texture , but three friend prefer the old JJkt88 the higs and mediuns are more vivid, now the GL are burned near 30 hours, I think they are become better, I do not know how they compares with a new JJ KT88, maybe the result of these tubes depend on the kind of amplifier, I have one friend that listened to the old gold lion genelex, and told me that what impresioned him was the bass and texture , like these GL reissue.
If you only have about 30 hours on them they will continue to open up in the high frequencies for another 30 or 40 hours - then you can judge them. You are still only part way there. Still, the JJ's may be better in your system, thanks for the report.
I've had mine now for about a month. I'm not sure they're fully burned in yet but so far I'm very happy with the sound, performance, stability and build quality. Worth the extra $100, absolutely! I've had the RAM Labs Shuguangs that came with my Music Ref RM-200 and I've also got EH KT88's. My mini review of these tubes:Shuguang KT88 (with 3 holes in the plate) - Very nice top to bottom sound. Good bass, nice midrange and decent highs albeit a touch rolled off. Build quality is not the greatest and the worst of the three tube types.
Electro-Harmonix KT88 - Again decent performance overall but a tad "hot" on the highs and the bass extension seems less than the Shuguangs (not something you want when using Magnepan speakers). Excellent build quality. I'm thinking these would be great tubes in a system that leans towards a "darker" or rolled off presentation.
Gold Lion KT88 Reissues - Does everything that the Shuguangs do but better by at least 3X. Excellent highs with great but delicate extension. Deep bass that seems more textured and rich (may be my REL B3 doing it's thing though :)) and glorious midrange. Excellent build quality. I've checked the bias at least three times, and they haven't changed at all.
"Electro-Harmonix KT88 - Again decent performance overall but a tad "hot" on the highs and the bass extension seems less than the Shuguangs (not something you want when using Magnepan speakers). Excellent build quality. I'm thinking these would be great tubes in a system that leans towards a "darker" or rolled off presentation."Agreed on all parts.
- SJ
Hi
Pretty much exactly my results although I used the solid plate Shuguang KT88SC. I found that tube to be very good, but not nearly as good as these GL's - as you have also.
Beatlebum's evaluation of the 3 hole Shuguang (mine are Pentas) and the EH KT-88's pretty much mirror what I hear from those tubes, so if he thinks the Gold Lions are heads and shoulders above the Shuguangs and the EH's then I might just have to pick a set of the Gold Lions and see what all the fuss is about.
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