Sovtek el34wxt Any good??

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Sovtek el34wxt Any good??

Postby Tanner » Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:36 pm

I just got a st-70 and plan to upgrade to the VTA board, change the cap, and replace the OP tubes. I have the original Mullard/Dynaco in the amp at this time and they sound great. Will the Sovtek's come close to the Mullards? Also what is the life expectancy on OP tubes
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Postby Ty_Bower » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:16 pm

Welcome to DIYtube!

I have some Sovtek EL34G. While there are some Sovteks I like, these are garbage. I know the EL34WXT came later... hopefully they improved them. Even still, I wouldn't spend the money on Sovtek EL34. Get some Svetlana instead, they're a known good quantity. I've also heard good things about the reisssue/new production tubes. There's a "Mullard" and a "Tung-Sol". Both are made in Russia under the direction of New Sensor, but they're supposedly pretty good.

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Postby kheper » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:44 pm

I like the new production "Tung-Sol" KT-66 tubes for the ST-70. However, the bias supply will probably need to be modified to run them.

The JJ EL-34L tubes I did not like. They failed after about a year.

The Sovtek EL34WXT tubes are the least expensive EL34 tubes I have ever seen.

http://www.tubedepot.com/el346ca7.html

and

http://www.tubedepot.com/so-el34wxt.html

"While not as harmonically rich as the SED SVEL34 - the Sovtek EL34WXT is a great tube for darker sounding amplifiers. It features a unique grid block construction which allows it to operate at higher trans-conductance and power ratings than most other EL34. In comparison tests with other brands - the Sovtek EL34WXT was found to have as much as 6% higher output at the same non-linear distortion level."

The EL34WXT tubes do not seem (to me at least) a suitable tube for HI-FI amps. Guitar amps, perhaps.
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Postby Geek » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:34 pm

IMO, Winged =C= EL34 beat the Mullards hands down.

Do use a Sovtek GZ34 for the rectifier though. I have a dustbin of brand new JJ and Shuguang as well as NOS GE and Sylvania 5AR4's from the punishment they go through.

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Postby Tanner » Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:16 am

What about Electro -Harmonix el34 EH ?? The price seems good has any one here used them?
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Postby Tanner » Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:29 am

Allso will the 6ca7 work better than the el34's I know I'm asking alot of questions, I just trying to learn here Thanks guy's
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Postby kheper » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:56 am

Tanner wrote:What about Electro -Harmonix el34 EH ?? The price seems good has any one here used them?

Allso will the 6ca7 work better than the el34's I know I'm asking alot of questions, I just trying to learn here Thanks guy's


The Electro Harmonix EH tubes are affordable, and they will perform adequately in a HI-Fi amp, but they would not be my first choice.

6ca7 tubes are for the most part equivalent to EL-34s. The new production 6ca7 tubes I have never heard. But, for the manufactures who produce both tubes, their 6ca7s are more expensive than their EL-34s.
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Postby Tanner » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:01 am

Thanks for the reply
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Postby WA4SWJ » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:07 am

I agree with Geek - I have some Winged C EL34's that I have been abusing in my eiclones for a few years now with no problems. They seem to be great tubes.

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Postby Dynacophil » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:41 am

I tried lots of new production tubes and am nearly completely away from those.

JJ? I had lots of sudden deaths. EH, I needed 8 (matched, haha) to get a good working set, usually taken to test new gear because it's not too bad when they die. Sovtek? Ugly. EH 6CA7 i bought 9 to get a set of six that work very fine and having two as backup.

When I think what I spend on experiments and the bunch of tubes not worth to keeb...

NOS is my favourite, Old stock used tubes my second best.

I got 4 Quintets of East german RFT made EL34 which are exceptional reliable and sounding very good.

I have a Quad of Ei 6CA7 fatbottles, I heard lots of bad stories about, but my set is reliable and working phantastic.

I have a Sextett NOS PhilipsECG/Sylvania 6CA7 which are phantastic and reliable.

I have a Quad used Sylvania which are as new and same as above.

I have a Quad used old stock Tesla, good sounding nice used tubes
I have a Quad Fender brand Tesla tubes as the above.

I have a sextet philips brownbase Double d-getter in excellent condition which should be my favourites of all time, but they are such expensive meanwhile, I rarely use them :) they are better than any other tube I own.

I would go for old stock or NOS.
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