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Wanted : a quad set of EL34 tubes for my Dynaco amplifier

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I reject your music, and substitute my own.

Steve,

I CAN recommend an inexpensive EL34 tube that is very good sounding, the PSVANE EL34C. They are around $125/matched quad at Viva Tubes. I have a set and they are really very beautiful sounding. The JJ KT77s are also pretty nice for an inexpensive version. I like the PSVANE better.

No idea how long they will last, but if you are tight on money, they are hard to beat, IMO.

David

I want good tubes. Don't make sense to have it rebuilt for cheap tubes.

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I reject your music, and substitute my own.

There is no reason why cheap tubes cannot be good tubes. The reviews are very favorable for the PSVANEs. I am not sure that begging us for a quad of EL34s are going to result in getting good sounding tubes, they will either be tired cast-offs or tubes that have been tried by found lacking sonlcally.

Good luck finding a good set on the cheap. I have given you advice that takes into account budgetary constraints. Besides, they would be under warranty, where someones' cast offs would not be.

David

Would it make sense to buy the 8-pack and have an equal extra set?

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I reject your music, and substitute my own.

I would recommend just buying a quad. Although I really like the tubes, and believe they are a great value, you may ultimately find they are not what you are looking for. I would only buy another quad IF I KNEW these were the tubes for me AND there is the likelyhood that these will no longer be available before the tubes in hand reach the end of their life. Fortunately, EL34 tubes are pretty cheap, even the high-end versions are not that expensive compared with alternatives like KT88s or triodes (the tube cost for a PP triode amp using 300Bs can be easily in the four figures, just to pick an extreme case). The PSVANE EL34C are basically the same tube as the Shuguang EL34B/C which Upscale Audio recommends for the PrimaLuna amplifiers sold under the Primaluna label. They are not going away any time soon.

The Chinese have actually done a pretty good job on the EL34 and KT88 tubes, they are more geared to the Hi-Fi market instead of the guitar amp market like so many of the Russian tubes. I also like the Shuguang GEKT-88 (was known as PentaLabs and currently available as the TubeStore "Preferred Series") more than the very well reviewed Gold Lion KT-88. They offer more delicacy, openness and transparency, whereas the GL KT-88 are more opaque (they do have more slam, though).

The Mullard reissue EL34 is very good. The ElectroHarmonix 6CA7 is an excellent tube for the Dynaco. If you want to spend a lot, the original Winged C SED EL34s are wonderful, rich midrange. I'm lucky to have a couple old sets. Haven't heard the "new" Svetlanas.