Looking for help to choose KT88 tube

I'm not deeply embedded into tube rolling culture. I do understand that, when during the warming up one begins to hear scary sounds of thunder, lightling & bombing, then it's time to drop the old tubes in favor of a new set. Two or three sets will do fine with me.

Unfortunaly, can't find (the genuine) Svetlana's anywhere in the triangle of Finland-Germany-Russia. And I severely intend to have one working set of Svetlana's always at hand - despite that I will be using some other tubes, especially in the summertime when windows and doors are open, and singing birds and roaring trucks and barking dogs guarantee that finer nuances of music cannot be heard even if they were audible.

I'm not looking for xtra-class NOS KT88's (if there are any) that also, as a side effect, would ruin my bank account: I'd be happy with a set of better than moderate contemporary KT88's. One alternative could be JJ's KT88, I guess, but am not totally convinced yet. Should I try? I just don't know.

I'm not looking for particularly tubish sound, rather on the contrary, in a sense, I'm into neutrality. All-around usage (all sorts of music) requires something that, perhaps, can be called civilized, mannered, or polite. Something like that.

Thank you in advance for all your comments!

 

I use the Genelex KT88 Gold Lion's in my PrimaLuna Prologue 7's. They sound great and are reliable.

 

New Sensor = Svetlana ... so the new-production Gold Lion KT-88s are Svetlanas, IIUC.
http://thetubestore.com/goldlionkt88.html or other vendors ...

If the KT-88 sounds as 'clear' as the 12AX7 variety, the Gold Lions will be quite 'neutral'. The 12AX7s are very neutral and clear/resolving, not lush/tubey.

 

The Svetlana factory was sold separately to the rights to the name. The good tubes made at that factory are now sold as Winged-C SED - see here. IMO they sound great.

 

Gold Lion KT-88? Yes, indeed, had forgotten that totally. The new production in some Russkij plant, and reviews are quite positive. I must try that one. Thank you!

Yes, these are the ones I meant by "genuine" Svetlanas, the Petersburg-made "C"-winged/winged-"C" tubes. I bought a set of four perhaps 2005 or 2006 for ca. $150, few years ago I would have gotten a set for ca. $200 but thought it to be too pricey... What a moronite misscalculation...

OK, now there's Gold Lion and possibly JJ. Are there any other serious contenders? How Electro-Harmonix does in KT88 business?

 

Depending on your amp and its capacity to run higher heater amps, a set of KT120s might also be an affordable option with good sound.

 

I guess I still don't "get" the relationship (or lack thereof) among Svetlana, New Sensor, "Gold Lion", etc., but seems like these and the ones I linked to are at least two decent/not too expensive options!

 

Rick, the post-Soviet "high-tech" industrial relations in Eastern Europe are confusing. To say the least. I'm not sure, how things are today. Here are just few observations, but I may be totally wrong... sorry for that.

Question concerning power-tubes only. Originally, in the times of Soviet empire, both Reflector (Saratov) and Svetlana (then, Leningrad) made tubes with the name Svetlana. Today the situation is slightly different.

Electro Harmonix is both a brand (or label) and a company from USA: it relates to our story only because there's Russian factories that manufacture tubes for or under the name Electro Harmonix (something like "Electro Harmonix - Made in Russia"). EH tubes, however, are made in several locations. In general, I've understood, the main interest of Electro Harmonix is not in hifi but in guitar amps and the like. At least the background of EH is there.

New Sensor Corp. owns (at least North American) rights to the name/label of Svetlana and is the owner or in steady business relationship with the Reflector Corp. (Saratov). So, on the U.S. market you have Svetlana's made by Reflector. They don't sell these Svetlana's to Europe.

Mike Matthews is the owner of both Electro Harmonix and New Sensor Corp. I don't get why he has to run two companies - for historical reasons, I guess.

Sovtek is a brand (not factory) and the new Sovtek's are made by Reflector Corp., I've understood. Other brands from Reflector in 21st century are (according to the different sources) Electro Harmonix, Gold Lion, Mullard, Svetlana S-Logo and Tung-Sol. Obviously quite decent manufacturer, that Reflector, huh? And quite many of these brands/labels are related to Mr. Matthews owned companies. In these murky times when China-made tubes with false labels/signs on them are almost everywhere these Matthews-owned brands should be quite a reliable ones. At least when you buy the tubes directly from New Sensor.

Svetlana: the original "real" Svetlana tubes are today made in Petersburg, Russia. Before the collapse of Soviet empire both Reflector and Svetlana made tubes with the name Svetlana. (And that causes confusions because modern Svetlana-company doesn't own it's name in the West. Something like that.) Perhaps they both were parts of some Soviet Army related electronics company. I'm not sure. After the revolution, it seems, ownerships changed etc. so today the situation is such that there are two non-related producers left - Svetlana Electron Devices (SED, the company & factory in Petersburg) and Reflector Corp. - that share the main heritage of Soviet tube manufacturing expertise. And New Sensor owns the Svetlana-label (that's why SED-made tubes aren't officially Svetlana's but it's exactly them we call Svetlana's... - it's quite like Michael Jackson saying to Paul McCartney during a recording session in the Eighties: oh by the way, Paul, I just bought your songs).

Sorry for the repetitions!

Reflector-made (sold by New Sensor) Svetlana's have S-logo; SED-made Svetlana's have "C"-logo (in Cyrillic, the letter "C" means our "S"). For hifi-use it's the "C"-Svetlana's that are the most yearned for KT88's. 6550's are also very well appreciated, I believe, but there's no such religion around them like it's with KT88's. Holy C!

It's worth mentioning that the old Czechoslovakian Tesla-giant (electronics, tubes etc.: Bohemia and Moravia were the industrial heartland of the old Austrian empire until the 1st world war, so there are traditions in fine-mechanics and such) was split with the split of Czechoslovakia into Czech and Slovak Republics after the collapse of Soviet empire: for example, the Austrian engineer Heinz Lichtenegger began to produce the Project turntables in old Tesla factory in Bohemia/Moravia. (I got my first Project in 1990's. They have good quality and they give bang for the buck but aren't sexy in the eyes of hifists/highendists.) On the other hand, in Slovakia JJ Electronic was established on the remnants of the old Tesla tube factory. JJ produces today tubes quite well appreciated. I have few of them in one small pre-amp: they're OK.

(I once had a 12" b/w TV made by Tesla in the 1970's: it was futuristic-looking orange thing that could be in two positions: the screen in 45-degree angle in relation to the table, or in ca. 60-degree angle (say, if you had the thing on the floor). Unfortunately, it was impossible to get the circle/round of tuning picture as really round: at best, it was just roundish... that tube certainly wasn't high-tech.)

True, they're an option. Yet, right now, I just don't need more power (I'm in the impression that they'd deliver some more just like 6550 would deliver less). But they're good to keep in mind.

 

Excellent post! Thanks for the info.

 

Electro Harmonix, Sovtek, Gold Lion, Mullard, and Tung-Sol are all good choices. They are all basically E-H and Sovtek designs but the ones sporting the famous UK and US brand names are indeed more robust. That is if you want a KT88. I have used them all.

I also like the Chinese KT88 for their sound but quality has been spotty to say the least. The new Psvane KT88-T (Treasure KT88-Z) might be a good alternative. I don't like the gold plated bling on the Psvane, but whatever. They are supposedly high quality Shuguang made tubes, so likely the good old Mullard copy sound but without the fireworks. As far as durability and value go, I think it's be hard to beat the modern Gold Lion version by New Sensor.

As another suggested, you should also consider the KT90 and KT120 varieties if you have a tube hungry amp. These are even more robust and should last very well. The sound has been excellent as well. They will draw a little more power, so if your amp has transformers that are over spec'd a bit, you should be good to go.
-Bill

 

Thank you.

Thank you for the additional info. Yes, the EH designs are serious options, especially when there's no Svetlana's - those "C"'s - available. I just don't want KT88, the thing would be silent when my last KT88 (Svetlana) set is finished. So I need at least one set of KT88's. Actually, a KT90 could probably do.

Those China-made's are tricky issue. I expect the tubes to last a little longer thab 9 to 14 months or so. Not happy with such results. Just can't trust them.

I've even fiddled with the idea of getting one total EH set; all 6SL7's, 6SN7's and KT88's as Electro Harmonixes. That would be Harmonized Sound. Guess I should see the treasures on your site, too.

 

Winged C's for sound, not longevity in my case. I split original GEC's and Winged C's and couldn't tell the difference between channels.
I've had two Winged C kt88's lose vacuum sitting on a shelf. Boy do they sound nice, though.


Steve

 

If you could get Tesla KT88s, I would recommend them. I also second the recommendation for the Chinese KT88-98, provided it's from a reputable dealer that tests them.

Of course I'm often in the minority when I say I prefer Chinese tubes to Russian stuff - broadly speaking that is. I've heard good and bad from both, but for example, I actually like the Shuguang EL34 compared to the EH. I also like the Shuguang 12AX7, though it can be rather dark sounding. Of course the SED 6L6GC is also a really nice sounding tube, but I thought the SED 6550c was a tad hard on the ears.

 

I stay corrected.

 

Thank you for ideas concerning KT88's. I've also found DI Jac van de Walle's site very informing: http://www.jacmusic.com/

Weird how one could get excited. I've been for years firmly in opinion that two (or three) sets are enough: one in use, another just in case. Now, after several hours with JJ's KT88 - without any effort to characterize their properties, just listening music - I'm seriously thinking also some other power tube sets. Perhaps Gold Lion or Tung-Sol, in addition to some basic set like Sovtek, who knows. I bought another set of JAN/Philips 6188 after realisation that prices of NOS tubes are rising all the time. With them I bought RCA's 6sn7's. I kinda think that those pairs just want good Svetlanas with them. But I'd be alarmed if they won't be great with lesser power tubes, too.

Jac van de Walle writes about the Gold Lion: "... it is said to be a true copy of the Genelex GOLD LION. Which it is definitely not. The plate construction looks like the normal Electro Harmonix tubes to me, and fails the characteristic of the original Golden Lion." [www.jacmusic.com/KT88/kt88.htm] But at least it looks nice.

 

Regarding the KT120s, they might not necessarily provide more power (will depend on the amp design, but my impression is that in an amp designed for KT88s or KT90s there won't be a power increase in most cases). But power aside, many listeners have reported preferring KT120s' sound to the sound of KT88s or KT90s.