Tube Suggestions: EL34, 6L6-5881

jdhdiggs
jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
edited January 2007 in Electronics
The new power amp will accept either the EL34 or 6L6 type tubes but I'm looking for some info on what companies are solid and perhaps a little info as to the sonic advantages of one brand over another.

Ready, set, holler out y'all! :o
There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited November 2005
    I have Sovtek 5881s in my ASL Wave 20s, and so far, I'm very pleased with them. I didn't know that 6L6s could be subbed with EL34s. I have a set of Electro-harmonix 6L6s on the way. I think that most of the Russian tubes are pretty solid.
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited November 2005
    Typically they can't, this was a goodie that Russ and Gary added for fun.
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited November 2005
    You should be able to use KT66s, too. They are cool looking tubes, you know..that bottle look.
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • BlueMDPicker
    BlueMDPicker Posts: 7,569
    edited November 2005
    JJ/Tesla E34L (slightly higher amplification factor over most EL34) are my personal favorite current production, followed by

    Ei thin bottle, pinch top EL34

    EH EL34

    My observations in my gear really wouldn't help much. From my perspective, all tubes sound different in different circuit designs. All the mentioned variants are from solid manufacturers, reliable, and readily available.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited November 2005
    The JJ E34L are my favorite as well. I've tried all of them except the Ei thin and fat bottles and Mullard reissue.

    SED: The warmest and most romantic out of all the EL34's I've heard. High freq extension is great but it does roll off.

    Electro Harmonix EL34EH: The least colored sound with more emphasis in the mids and highs. Still sounds very smooth. Bass is very good too. More high freq ext than SED.

    EH 6CA7: Very similar to EL34EH with better extension on bass and treble. Bigger overall sound with greater dynamics.

    Svetlana (New Sensor, not SED): Similar in contruction and sound to the EH but I still prefer EH.

    JJ E34L: This is the perfect balance between EH and SED. I feel this tube fits right in between. The sound is rich and full without being bloated. Bass is excellent and the mids just shine.

    Shuguang EL34B: Sounds like SS to my ears.

    Sorry, I haven't tried 6L6 so I can't comment on them.

    Maurice
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited November 2005
    James, you are MORE than welcome to roll whatever current production tubes you want - but nothing short of hunting down a $400 quad of Amperex or Mullard EL34 is going to even come close to what I sent the amps up with.

    You've got a matched quad of GE 6CA7 big bottles. I could have easily just thrown in some Sovtek 5881 or JJ 34's - I sent those amps with the 'good ****' already in them. Believe me, I would have been PERFECTLY happy to keep them for myself - they'd be in my Anthem right now.

    Like I said, more power to you (your amps, your tubes!), BUT I'd suggest saving your money, and if you want to roll, roll some 12AU's on the front end. Not that you 'need' to there either - NOS GE 6681/12AU7? Not a whole lot out there that can top them either - but you'll spend less on your experimentation.

    Not that we have the same tastes in sound, or associated gear for that matter - but any tube peice I sell, I sell 'voiced' with what I feel is the best tube compliment available to me, at any given time. I just want to make sure you REALLY know what you have. ;)

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited November 2005
    Russ,

    Sent you an E-mail with some (hopefully last ???)...

    This search would be more to experiment and get my learn on than any fault in the system at this point. Maybe I'll start with the AU7
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • Crispycircuit
    Crispycircuit Posts: 49
    edited January 2007
    Substituting 6L6s and EL34s.... 6L6 has the suppressor grid internally connected to the cathode. EL34 is externally connected. 99% of the time you'll see pin 1 and 8 jumped to each other. Now you can plug in a 6L6 into an EL34 socket (rebias) but to plug in EL34 into a 6L6 socket you must jump pins 1 & 8.... The 6L6 will work in either or but EL34 needs pins 1 & 8 jumped..... The suppressor grid keeps the electrons from returning back to the Cathode...
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  • Crispycircuit
    Crispycircuit Posts: 49
    edited January 2007
    Substituting 6L6s and EL34s.... 6L6 has the suppressor grid internally connected to the cathode. EL34 is externally connected. 99% of the time you'll see pin 1 and 8 jumped to each other. Now you can plug in a 6L6 into an EL34 socket (rebias) but to plug in EL34 into a 6L6 socket you must jump pins 1 & 8.... The 6L6 will work in either or but EL34 needs pins 1 & 8 jumped..... The suppressor grid keeps the electrons from returning back to the Cathode...
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited January 2007
    Crispycircuit wrote:
    Substituting 6L6s and EL34s.... 6L6 has the suppressor grid internally connected to the cathode. EL34 is externally connected. 99% of the time you'll see pin 1 and 8 jumped to each other. Now you can plug in a 6L6 into an EL34 socket (rebias) but to plug in EL34 into a 6L6 socket you must jump pins 1 & 8.... The 6L6 will work in either or but EL34 needs pins 1 & 8 jumped..... The suppressor grid keeps the electrons from returning back to the Cathode...

    The amps in question are highly modded by one of the world's top tube gurus. They are capable of running either.
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited January 2007
    Not to mention the thread is over a year old....
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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