EL-34s New issue Mullards vs. Teslas

Dave and Bojack Thank-you for your input. Maybe I will take the leap on the Mullard re-issues as I already have the 12AX7's and they sound really nice.

Cheers,

Jim

To me, the Teslas sound best in the Mini-Mites, but they are not reliable in my experience (1 sparked and imploded in a blaze of blue and orange glory, and I've had 2 arc)...never again. Also, the JJE34Ls are crap FYI/no QC.

Well, like I said earlier, I haven't actually heard the reissues myself, but I have heard the original Mullards, the original Svetlana's and their Winged C offspring. If you want to give them a try, I don't believe there's anything wrong with the new Mullards.

You might want to try the new Mullards. You'll save some money, and you may find that you love them. If you don't like them and decide to sell, you can probably get a good chunk of your money back.

Here's the current price list from thetubestore.com (I have never used them, but they had a convenient list of current production tubes with their prices). Each price listed is in USD and for a matched pair:
27.95 Shuguang EL34-B
33.95 JJ E34L
35.95 Electro-Harmonix EL34
35.95 JJ 6CA7
37.95 JJ KT77
39.95 Svetlana
43.95 Electro-Harmonix 6CA7EH
45.95 Mullard EL34
49.95 Tung-Sol EL34B
69.95 Winged "C" (SED)
89.95 Genalex - Gold Lion KT77
169.95 Shuguang Treasure 6CA7-Z

For all I know, the Tung-Sol sits at the top of the "bang-for-the-buck" curve. To a certain extent I do believe that you get what you pay for with the new production tubes, but I think the =C= sit at a good point in the value curve.

Thanks Dave,
So you think I would like the winged C's better than the Mullard re-issues?

Regards,

Jim

If you've tried the GL KT-88's, and want a change, you may want to try the GL KT-66 or the KT-77. I have a quad of the KT-66, and I do think they're closer to the "euphonic" midrange. They aren't compatible with my main setup, but they sound great in my original circuit ST-70 (though I do have to mess with the bias). I would probably give them a chance if I were you.

Upscale Audio still has a bunch of NOS Siemens EL34's in stock if you just want to try those. As far as I've found, the closest current production tube to the original Mullards is the winged C ( =C= ). It's the same tooling/design/factory as my NOS (pre-Sensor) Svetlana's. They're usually price around $150 for a quad.

Thanks for the input guys. Funny, I just went from Gold Lion KT-88s Re-issue to the El-34s in my Mini Mites. I agree that the 88s are more exciting to listen to, but they do not have the euphonic midrange that I seem favor over the harmonic shadings/contrast the 88s provide. I currently have the Mullard re-issue 12AX7s in the Mini Mites and they sound really nice. It sounds like the recommendation is the Mullards as opposed to the somewhat problematic Teslas. If there are any other recommnedations for EL-34s that I did not mention, please feel free to chime in with your thoughts. My system consists of NAD preamp/Mini Mites driving the Harbeth Compact 7s (second generation)with Music Hall 5.1 TT and Shure 97XE cartridge with Vincent Phono preamp and Musical Fidelity M3CD player.

I have used the Tesla EL34 in my Quicksilver's for years with no problem,but I just went to KT88'S and I will never go back to the EL34. The 34's are boring in comparison.

I haven't heard the new Mullards, but in my experience, the tubes out of Sensor (Mullard, Tung-Sol, and Svetlana reissues plus the Winged C's) have been more reliable than the Tesla JJ's of late. If you're referring to the older, pre-JJ Teslas, then I'd go in that direction. Otherwise I'd try to find a good deal on the winged C's or if that's out of your budget, I haven't heard anything bad about the New Mullards. I do think the JJ/Teslas sound good (they've got nice, clear highs), but I've had them fail and I know a lot of people who have had pin issues and other failings.

I personally use NOS Svetlanas, Siemens, and RCAs, but just ordered a set of the Shuguang Treasure 6CA7-Z after getting a bunch of very strong recommendations.

What sound are you looking for? IIRC the mini-mites don't require any adjustment to use KT-88/KT-66/KT-90/KT-77/6550's. If you're looking for more bass and less of the euphonic midrange, you might want to consider KT-88's.

Good luck