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Sophia Electric EL34 or KT88 ??

Looking to upgrade my tubes on the Primaluna Dialogue HP Integrated amp. 
Curious what people’s preference would be between the two, and why. Aside from the SE rebranding, I’ve heard some pretty decent feedback about these tubes. 
They are expensive though, and frankly I’m
not sure why the different price classifications. 
Trying to sort out the sonic characteristics of each before dropping the dime on a matched set of 8 for the PL dialogue HP. 
Generally I like the factory EL34 musicality and tone. I love a holographic, real life feel and soundstage. I once tried a full battery of KT150 but sold them. Tried as I might to get acclimated to them, they didn’t have the Stock EL 34 magic. Seemed a little more dry. More powerful but also a tad more sterile. 

So would the SE KT88 be any different? 

Anyone with personal experience with these tubes?
128x128whacky
decooney
1,896 posts
 
@stereo5 
07-29-2020 11:20am
decooney, Prima Luna recommends the KT150 tubes and they are safe to use in all the Prima Luna amps. They do not come standard due to the $100.00 price per tube.

Look here. Reads "Premium"only, and not all models. See the PrimaLuna-usa site.  https://www.primaluna-usa.com/tube-rolling-legacy

The other matter is some brand amps will run KT150s, and yes its safe for some, and yet the transformers, power supply, and plate voltage may not always be designed or upsized to drive KT150 tubes properly.  

In reverse, my current KT150 amps with much larger transformers and more plate voltage with manual bias cannot run KT88s or EL34s, it will burn them up prematurely.  Best to always check with the amp designer.
decooney
1,896 posts
 
@whacky

+1
Agon member @johnss mentioned one other tube above that I heard a year ago in a tube replacement situation on a friend's amp. As it turned out he was running the wrong spec tubes for the amp, TS KT150s, actually. Great tube, wrong amp for them.

Went back to KT88s. The repair person, ex-dealer, chose a well-matched quad of PSVANE KT88 tubes  for the replacement.  We heard the before and after results. It was a notable difference.  The right tube for the amp, or maybe lucky synergy. Still running after a year so far. Maybe another one to add to your research list, fwiw. 


decooney
1,896 posts
 
@whacky

+1
Agon member @johnss mentioned one other tube above that I heard a year ago in a tube replacement situation on a friend’s amp. As it turned out he was running the wrong spec tubes for the amp, TS KT150s, actually. Great tube, wrong amp for them.

Went back to KT88s. The repair person, ex-dealer, chose a well-matched quad of PSVANE KT88 tubes for the replacement. We heard the before and after results. It was a notable difference. The right tube for the amp, or maybe lucky synergy. Still running after a year so far. Maybe one to be sure to add to your research list. They did sound more musical than any of my former EH, GL, JJ KT88s I heard prior, fwiw.  


whacky's avatar
whacky OP
53 posts
 
Well I think I will probably end up trying the Kt77 first before anything else. 

Yes, suddenly I'm interested in upgrading the capacitors in the PL. 
Yes, suddenly I've been considering swapping into an alternative higher priced amp after considering the cost of new tubes and new capacitors with the value of the amp.

Most likely i will go the route of the Kt77 and see how I like it.


Currently auditioning a pair of PS Audio M700 monoblocks and I have to say I am enjoying their sound, albeit not very tube like. 


decooney
1,896 posts
 
@whacky

While I have not personally tried the Genelex Gold Lyon KT77 in any or my prior amps, I too would try them if my current KT150 based amps could support it. They will not. I first heard about the KT77s from Jim McShane years ago after sharing I was a big EL34 fan and wanted something between my EL34s and KT88s, thus KT77s. In the future, I may buy or commission a custom build for a 2nd amp down the road just to try KT77s too. Keep us posted on your progress if you go with them.Thanks.
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