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Are MULLARD NOS EL34s and LTA ZOTL40 REF worth the price of admission?

I'm considering giving an older Linear Tube Audio (LTA) ZOTL40 Ref amp an audition.  LTA has a factory upgrade that includes upgrading to Mullard NOS EL34s for $800 (or less with additional discounts).  I am wondering if quad set of old-stock Mullard EL34s are worth the $800 price of admission?  I don't pretend to know what anyone else's budget is but $800 for quad EL34s seems like a lot.  If I'm paying the premium, it better be across the board and not just improvements on chamber music or obscure Chinese opera (no offense intended).  Does anyone have experience with either NOS Mullard tubes or LTA ZOTL40 Ref amp?  If so, please chime in.  Thanks.
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paul77e's avatar
paul77e
32 posts
 
Sophia tubes, and my search ended
lancelock
1,085 posts
 
I have NOS Mullard EL34’s and a quad of Sophia Electric EL34ST. The Sophia’s are as close to Mullard EL34 as you can get which makes them the best new production EL34 tubes made but they are expensive.

For you guys that have a new Z10 or ZOTL40, give those caps some time to break-in properly. It gets better.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,766 posts
 
Andy is fantastic and has the real deal test equipment ;-) an alternate for new and equally of better computer matching is RAM tubes. Roger ( RIP ) a true genius. I run an octet of his matched EL-34 in his RM9 amplifier....awesome sound.
dz13
199 posts
 

You can pick up the amp used. There is one on USAudio Mart now. 

I bought mine used at a pretty decent discount. I'm seeing that the resale price of the LTA integrated amps is not that great probably because the company isn't know well. I can also tell you that I love my amp. I did replace all of the tubes to get the sound I wanted but now its audio nirvana for me. 

jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,609 posts
 

i concur these are outstanding amplifiers, unique in how they present the music, a precise yet very beautiful sound, certainly not your granddaddy’s rose colored, rolled off, smoothed over tubey sound

but at over 8 grand new, 5-6 grand 2nd hand, there are a lot of options out there, many of which have more impressive published power figures

i, like most owners of these big zotl’s love em, hang on to them, they need to be heard to be appreciated, and then they become beloved (of course, as always speaker matching is important to get right)

pre and post covid, these zotl reference amps have driven speakers in some of the nicest sounding rooms at a number of hifi shows

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