Best KT88 tubes?

trav0810
trav0810 Posts: 1,056
in Electronics
I'm going to be purchasing a Quad of KT88 tubes and I have NEVER owned an amp that used 6550's or 88's. Looking for advidlce from someone who has experience with this particular tube.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2018
    Original Gold Lion/Genelex KT88
    Post edited by [Deleted User] on
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited October 2018
    Check with Jim McShane. Have a look at his website, he makes solid recommendations on the new production tubes. I don't sue KT88's so I can't say based on experience.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,408
    heiney9 wrote: »
    I don't sue KT88's so I can't say based on experience.

    H9

    Did not know there was a field of law specializing in this area. I wonder if KT120's and other tubes can be sued. :p;)

    I use KT-120's and love them. I find they have a little more punch in the bass department and more extension up top than do the KT-88's. If your amp can run 88's then it should be able to do the 120's without difficulty, but check with the company that built the amp to be sure...

    What will you use them in?
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

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  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    The amp can run either. It actually comes with 120's, but I have generally found that the lower the wattage of the tube, the more I like it's sound, so I was going to drop down to 88's

    It's basically the Carver Crimson 275
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    Shuguang Treasures
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  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    Shuguang Treasures

    If you're going with new production tubes then I think Shuguang Treasures are probably best for the money.
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    Shuguang Treasures

    What he said.
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  • dhart86
    dhart86 Posts: 1,594
    kharp1 wrote: »
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    Shuguang Treasures

    If you're going with new production tubes then I think Shuguang Treasures are probably best for the money.

    What they ^^^said
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