EL34 to KT88

[chargerman426]

I have a question i hope can be answered. I have a Jolida 202a that runs EL34's. I have wanting to runKT88/6550's. Has anyone ever changed out an EL34 for a KT88 if so did it work. Also, if I was to try this I would want to do it on the cheep just incase it didn't work. Any ideas for some really cheep KT88 or 6550?

[george daniel]

I can use KT 88's in my Quickie,,but after trying them I went back to EL 34's for the "airy" midrange,,but eventually settled on 6CA7's,If you find that you can use them,I would suggest that you but a "decent" set of tubes,, for 88's ,possibly EH,Gold LION(new production,,NOS GL's will kill your wallet.Good luck,

[organ]

Check with with Jolida first. If you're amp was made to only handle EL34, you will kill the ps by running KT88's.

If you want to try something different than EL34, there are others to try. No mods or tweaks required. KT77 and 6CA7 are EL34 substitutes. Very different sound with these tubes.

[george daniel]

IF you can find em,try some EI 6CA7's,,,,ask Jesse about em.

[organ]

Those are rare and getting pricey now. The EH 6CA7 are a good ones too and still in production.

[thsmith]

IF you can find em,try some EI 6CA7's,,,,ask Jesse about em.

+1 I bought 2 quads of Jesse's EI 6CA7 and love them.

For the money the EL34 SED WING Cs are very nice.

[chargerman426]

I rolled a set of 6CA7 EH's and i thought they sounded shrill. Then I broke them in for 3 days straight and they have sounded fuller. I still liked the EL34 sound over them though. How would the KT88 or 6550 sound in comparison?

[doctorcilantro]

I have loved all the Winged C tubes I have used and heard. Not too pricey either.

DC

[F1nut]

How would the KT88 or 6550 sound in comparison?

Do as the man suggests......

Check with with Jolida first. If you're amp was made to only handle EL34, you will kill the ps by running KT88's.

I rolled a set of 6CA7 EH's and i thought they sounded shrill. Then I broke them in for 3 days straight and they have sounded fuller.

That's not a tube I would recommend, although some like it. Anyway, 72 hours is just a start, they need more burn in time.

[george daniel]

yep--I can run a variety of tubes in my Quickie GLA,, but not my Quickie Monos,,a phone call will work wonders and possibly leave you with some tips.I picked up a quad of EH 6CA7's just to try em out,, at first they sounded great,, then like crap,, they appear to be coming back now after about 150 hours,,still not convinced that I like them,,perhaps in time.Hurry up James.;)

[chargerman426]

I'm still useing the the EH's and to my ears I still like EL34 over 6CA7 at this point. In general though I feel that the EL34 are warmer while the 6CA7s are more powerful.

[F1nut]

That would be because the EL34's are known for their mid-range bloom, hence the perception of warmer, but at the expense of top and bottom extension. Where as the 6CA7 has a better overall balance with more balls in the bass department. Again, I would suggest trying a different brand of 6CA7.

[george daniel]

I'll go ahead and ask--What 6CA7 tubes would you suggest? IIRC you really like the EI's, but they are difficult to find now(for me).FWIW I should have my "special tubes next week) ;)

[chargerman426]

I agree with you Jesse but in my system I don't really need the balls in the bottom end because I have stereo PSW404 subwoofers that sound great with the LSi's. I think the 6CA7s need more time though.