6550 tube vs KT88

I found zero bass with the 2 88 tubes I tested. Just a falt response, flat like the Kansas landscape.
I can see how tubes get a bad reputation vs a big ss amp.

Yes my limited experience of the 88's showed not much resolution for classical. Too smooth. Smooth being if you took the fq range as looking overa falt landscpe, you'd see few peaks and valleys. Bland IOW.
The 90's in my Jadis present descent bass/mids/highs and all 3 are separated, not mushed together like a 88 tube does. All 3 in equal balance. I'd say the highs are slightly limited with the 90's, but make up in a musical image.
I notice there are very few amps offering 90's.
I don't think I;d like the 6550's. seems got lucky, the 90 may be the ideal tube for my taste, offering dynamics.

Thanks Tvad I'll order that issue. I think the issue here is that my Seas speakers area MTM design rated at 87db, so its just not a match for the KT88 I demoed nor the EH88's that I rolloed in my JOR.
db rating must be 90+ to be effective.
This is the one drawback with Seas speakers, few tube amps can bring out the dynamics. The Jadis is one that can meet these demands, as their web site says, "our amps can drive any speaker" and they can. I've put their smallest amp to the test.
Not sure how the Jadis 88 tubes image? vs the 90's I'm using.
The thing is, if I order a Jadis amp in the future, I may just stay with the 90, as I like the sound. And may not be willing to give up the characteristics of the 90 in order to gain some benifits of the 88's or 6550's.
Trade off's are a part of this audio realm. But if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

I'm only reporting my experiments as a note to others who can use the info I provide. I'm saying that when I rooled the 90's to a quad of EH88's, all the timber/dynamics/sepaaration of bass/mids/highs had virtually disappeared when compared to the 90's.
Maybe the issue is that when you roll the JOR to 88's, the amp needs to be biased properly. Not sure how biasing could bring the 88's resolution up to the superior dynamics of the 90's. Maybe the Jadis stock 90's are a highly select tube for this amp. Gabriel did say Jadis 88 replacement tubes are expensive, possibly fora resaon. Not all tube amps are equal, maybe not all 88's are equal.
I also demo-eda 88 tube amp recently and found the very same results in the sound vs the JOR/KT90's.
The orchestral was flat, no peaks valleys in dynamics of fq's. Blues/jazz hada increase in dynamics, but not equal to the JOR90, not even close.
I should point out that the JOR does have tone controls and i use them to the max, at say 95% open. When I have the tone controls at neutral, 12 oclock, then the Jadis sounds exactly/very close like the 88 tube amp i demo-ed.
Maybe some feel that's not true musical image with the treble up, which beams the highs/steely, cold. But its the way i like it. I love the tingle and sparkle.
With the tone controls up to 95/98 % open I get to hear recessed instruments in the orchestra that CANNOT BE HEARD when treble is at say 50-75% open. Bass is also greatly extended at 95% open.

Its like the apature on a camera, more open lets more light in. Here the tone open allows a greater band width and more music comes through.

So open 95% the music is alive in the room. At 75% open the music has a image that its in the next room.
btw I listen with vol control at a very comfortable 25% open, 9 Oclock, maybe a tad more, but rarely. Its too loud for my taste at 10 oclock. I should also mention even at 11 pr 12 oclock vol, the sound is clean, not distorted.
With tone open 98% and vol at mid way, then the music is shattering loud.

The 88 tube amp i demoed vol at 9 oclock or 12 oclock, had little effects. The seas's showed no change in response.
Its kinda like that Audio esearch VS110 with 8 KT88's/LS12 pre with the Magnaplanars i heard the other day.
the salesman said, "if I turn the ARC to 10 oclock or up all the way, its the same, the maggies will not respond to any increase in vol" And it did so, sure enough, no change.

It was at that time I realized impedence load, some drivers were beasts on amps. I also realized how powerful Jadis makes its amps, even the tiny JOR has its muscle.

Tvad, what ia m saying is that if i roll the 90's in my JOR to the 88's, the speakers will voice differently, different response.
this is all i'm saying. That each tube has different characterists. IMHO the 90 tube works best with seas drivers.
For some reason the 88 tube does not match the Seas's heavy demands with 87 db SPL.
Its too neutral, too "tube-y" ofa sound. The 90's bring out a solid response.
What is difficult about that.
Tell you what maybe I;ll rya pair of JJ's in the JOR see what gives.
Paul

Thanks Dave, i'm trying to understand these tubes. . I'm just want to get at the bottom of things here. As you know many opinions and posts on this site can be just as biased as some sound systems I've heard.
Lets just cut to the quick.
What are the EXACT characterists of a 6550, 88, 90?
Provided we are usinga amp source of high clarity, superior purity?

I realize this can't be done, as each speaker will voice differently.

I need to order that quad of JJ 88's and then I can feel better of my opinion on the 88's.
I'll try next month, as I'm still unemployed post katrina and cash is low.