Any thoughts on KT88 vs EL 34 regarding music genre?
I listen often to Jazz and female vocals.......wondering which type of power tubes you folks prefer regarding the KT 88's vs EL34's
I'm told the EL 34 focuses on the midrange area as opposed to KT88
Supposedly the KT 88 is best for the entire frequency.....
Any thoughts to share would be appreciated.
My experience has been that it's hard to generalize. It comes down to the amplifier and it's design.
If I had to comment, based on hearing a lot of tube amps in my system, EL-34's are less linear than KT-88's. What I've heard with EL-34's tends to be less imediacy and dynamic contrasts. Smoother and more classically "tubey". I've heard KT-88's sound anywhere from low end and high end emphasized, to extremely clean and linear sounding. I don't think of sonic signatures as being a genre thing although I might think about it differently if you had said "I only listen to Swedish death metal."
It's either clean or it's not and there's a thousand graduations in between.
My .02
My experience has been that it's hard to generalize. It comes down to the amplifier and it's design.
If I had to comment, based on hearing a lot of tube amps in my system, EL-34's are less linear than KT-88's. What I've heard with EL-34's tends to be less imediacy and dynamic contrasts. Smoother and more classically "tubey". I've heard KT-88's sound anywhere from low end and high end emphasized, to extremely clean and linear sounding. I don't think of sonic signatures as being a genre thing although I might think about it differently if you had said "I only listen to Swedish death metal."
It's either clean or it's not and there's a thousand graduations in between.
My .02
Any thoughts on KT88 vs EL 34 regarding music genre?
I listen often to Jazz and female vocals.......wondering which type of power tubes you folks prefer regarding the KT 88's vs EL34's
I'm told the EL 34 focuses on the midrange area as opposed to KT88
Supposedly the KT 88 is best for the entire frequency.....
Any thoughts to share would be appreciated.
I found the Psvane EL34PH not versatile if you listen to all types of music as opposed to Psvane KT88C.
I'm sending mine back for Psvane Acme KT88 and my Psvane KT88C are going back to Jadis for Tungsol KT120s.
I do not know the EL- 34 is better in any way than the 6550 or later the kT-88. But what the E:34 does well it did very well. The glorious midrange is a wonderful match for female vocals and jazz.
The question is why settle for the midrange, when you can have it all or at least so much more with the KT-88.
If you run across a vintage EL-34, go for it. Otherwise, I recommend the KT -t88.
I do not know the EL- 34 is better in any way than the 6550 or later the kT-88. But what the E:34 does well it did very well. The glorious midrange is a wonderful match for female vocals and jazz.
The question is why settle for the midrange, when you can have it all or at least so much more with the KT-88.
If you run across a vintage EL-34, go for it. Otherwise, I recommend the KT -t88.
Fair statement about having it all with KT88-----
Regarding Thomas Jefferson---He was listening to Dark Side of the Moon when he signed off on the Constitution.
Learned that in law school
Any thoughts on KT88 vs EL 34 regarding music genre?
I listen often to Jazz and female vocals.......wondering which type of power tubes you folks prefer regarding the KT 88's vs EL34's
I'm told the EL 34 focuses on the midrange area as opposed to KT88
Supposedly the KT 88 is best for the entire frequency.....
Any thoughts to share would be appreciated.
It really would depend on the output transformer and its screen connection method (tridoe vs. ultra linear) But the EL34's I like to use for reproduction are marketed as 6CA7 which are a little bit bigger in diameter than the EL34. The JJ EL34 is a nice guitar amp tube, but I don't like them in stereos.
Kt88, I like the Ton Sol black plates that is hard to get, but I find the JJ black sable 6550 a good substitute for these and the GE 4 star 6550, for stereos. Guitar amps with higher B+, I like winged =c= 6550 (Svetlana).
I have a Found Music Blade amp. KT88. A friend has the Found Music Blade EL34/KT77 amp.
My amp is a littls more percussive and linear. Very articulate and fast. My amp slaughtered my Dartzeel on bringing out details that make instruments sound like instruments.
My friends amp is a little more mid full. Still has great extension top and bottom. Both amps have a lot of Monolith Iron. His amp.is not quite as percussive. But it has great flow. Its very musical. It was the first stereo that got me into the hobby and I strove to recreate the sound.
Both amps are highly sensitive to tubes. I am hoping people whill share what they hear with KT88. I atsrted with JJ. Very robust build. Dead quiet. Lacks life. Not flat. Just not engaging.
Also had some Genelax Gold Lion. More percussive than JJ. I never warmed up to it.
Shuguang Hidden Treasure 50th Aniversary. Now were getting into a better tube. I do have more noise than the JJ. But the music is so much more. Much more life and detail that make a stand up or piano sound like the real thing. Perfectly acceptable bass to treble extension.
I am wondering about the KR Audio. But $1400 for a quad is a lot. And will it really play better.
Psvane ACME. I had a ACME 845. Very good tube. I assume the KT88 is good. Have not tried. Not sure they are even making it anymore.
Rex can you borrow or do you have 1 KT88? These are KR, I have 3 quads and another 3 individual KT88's. PM me I would be more than happy to let you borrow the 3 individuals for you to try, if you can get a 4th. It sounds as though you need a quad. Not looking to sell or anything like that. Just help you out. One of the values was smudged out but I'm sure its up with the other 2...John
I've used them only in my H/360. Low distortion, rich warm mid-range. What I don't like about them is at higher volume, levels that I don't typically listen at. Saturday night after too much wine! I hear smearing. Some of that lushness takes away from detail. I have no clue with amps. Might be great? In the H1/360 OS1, P17c are also in my repertoire of pentodes. I would be more than happy to lend them, its no big deal...
p17c is an 807 equiv - it sounds...ok but not spectacular. there are other variants that runs rings around the p17c. best kt88 variant for sound it the sylvania narrow tube not the coke bottle
Keep my offer on the back burner. Its truly not a big deal for me. All three are NOS. They are just tubes and they are replaceable. With a DAC its difficult to not include all the tubes being used in the DAC when making observations on pentodes, triodes, rectifier. They work in unison. Just to point out these or those pentodes are "just okay" doesn't represent the entire picture. The grouping makes a huge difference...
