EL 34 vs. KT 88 ---- What's the difference?

I agree with most of the above comments, having owned and used EL34, 300B push pull, 300B SET, and heard a lot of KT88.

I love the sound of EL34 in Ultralinear mode, which gives both sweetness and "pace" or "robustness" or whatever you want to call it. With just about any dynamic speaker, that's a heavenly combination. Note that 300B tubes, which are also glorious, are far more expensive, and ergo more difficult to experiment with.

Often the KT88 has been used in stacked configurations to provide high power tube amplification. How the tradeoff between power and tube "sweetness" comes off is very subjective. Well implemented, they can both be great.

I am curious if anyone has tried to use KT88 ultralinear amps with low sensitivity exotics, such as Soundlabs? Any user experiences?

EH6CA7s are the way to go with Manley Snappers!

Trelja:
in my experience, it is the openess and truth of tonality
that sets the midrange of the EL34 apart from anything else,
tube or solid state. The most concise way I can put it is
that when used in a sympathetic system, it sounds simply
"right". The EL34's midrange can, in the best of
circumstances, make me think that nothing else sounds as
real.
--------------------------------------------
Agreed. Couldn't have been said better!

I had McIntosh 2301 mono's with KT88 and now I have old Manley 240REf mono's with el34 aand like them better in my setup, more spark and musicality to my ears.

for many it boils down to bass, more bass, less bass, etc. bass, bass, bass. the 6550 and KT*** tubes offer a darker, more mellow sound; more bass. The 6550, kt120 and kt150 tubes do give off a lot of heat. very hot. the el34 tubes are more lush, and musical. the midrange is great. but- the Tungsol EL34B tubes give a punch to the bass. also Gold Lion gold pin 12at7 tubes help with bass, and Tungsol gold pin 12ax7 tubes add a bit to the upper frequencies. Get an amp without tubes. Buy your own. I sell Black Ice Audio gear (Jolida Audio). I have used different tubes. There is nearly as many opinions about tubes as there are different tubes. The tubes I mention represent excellent value, and reliability. In the Fusion 3502S amp I prefer the EL34 tubes to the 6550 tubes. (like the JD302CRC amp)