Guy Landau Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I've bought a pair of Luxman MB3045 monoblocks (like Artto's) that were converted to use KT88's (instead of the rare 8045G tubes). Any recommendations on good sounding, modern KT88's or 6550's? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Are these yours? Why not just pony up the cash for a quad of GEC KT88? All others are junk when compared . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 9:33:23 AM Allan Songer wrote: Are these yours? ---------------- These are not mine but they look similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I dont know your amps - and I have a feeling tubes play differently from one amp to another. With this in mind of the 3 6550/KT88 types I have played with in my amps - and from what I have heard from others - the JJ Electronics KT88 (copy of the Tesla but with some mods as I understand it) are about as good as it gets for non NOS stuff, sonically speaking. The problem is that, certainly for a while over the last few years, there has been something of a quality control problem. In 2 years of running 2 sets of matched quads I have been through 2 DOA's and 3 fails. This is rather high for any tube - compare to the sonically poorer (IMHO) Sovtek 6550WE's (4 bought) and Sveltana 6550C's (8 bought) with no failures at all. Having said that I have had an EH EL34 fail too - out of a set of 8 - in less than a year (but my supplier replaced that FOC as he regarded it as unacceptable). YMMV and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 GEC all the way, if you have the money....if not I would recommend trying both the svetlana kt-88 and the EH kt-88 and keep the ones that sound best to you. tony p.s. I thought that the output trannies were specially wound for the special tubes? no? if so, I would look around for some friendly sould who will sell you the correct tubes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Guy, Current production.....Valve Art or any of the GEC copies out of China sound the best in my amps. Valve Arts http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7275&item=2258473698&rd=1 Hey but a man with your money should just go all out http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64629&item=5711299080&rd=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 My amp came with Sveltana 6550Cs installed from the factory. They sound good. I bought a set of Tung-Sol tubes from Win (if the freeking post office will quit #$^^&%# up and deliver them to me! ) I could tell you if there was much of a difference and what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 Thank you all. Tony, The output transformers were wound for the 8045G tube but 6550/kt88/kt99 and EL509 can be used with some minor modification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Guy, What tubes are currently in the amp ? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I agree with Craig. Strongly. I don't know what it is with those Chinese KT-88s, but they sound fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 11:13:43 AM DeanG wrote: I agree with Craig. Strongly. I don't know what it is with those Chinese KT-88s, but they sound fantastic. ---------------- I agree , the valve art are less expensive then the sveltana and sound every bit as good if not better . I can olny use one quad at a time , so if you want you can try my KT-88's before you buy anymore " but " there not very expensive anyway , think i paid like $75.00 for a quad . Not like those dam NOS GEC's you need a bank loan for . Offer is there . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Try Ei KT99. A much stronger and more linear tube than any KT88 that should be a slip fit in most amps. (I've just had detailed correspondance with Guy on this subject regarding these amps so he knows what I'm talking about) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 10:01:53 AM sunnysal wrote: p.s. I thought that the output trannies were specially wound for the special tubes? no? if so, I would look around for some friendly sould who will sell you the correct tubes ---------------- Yes Tony, this is true, however there was a mod (several actually) for converting the amp to use KT88. Some of these change the amp to operate KT88 in pentode, others do not and operate them in triode like the original 8045G. The mod can be as simple as swapping a pair of resistors at the power supply trans, to replacing the tube sockets and other resistors. The best mod was done by Julius Futterman using the (I believe) 6LF6. However these too are now out of production and difficult to come by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 Thanks again, and especially to Dale for his generous offer. I'm doing my best to get some original 8045G's (I've corresponded with a friend that lives in Japan and he promised to help and locate a quad of these). Otherwise, I'll be trying some GEC's and then I'll decide if I wanna keep these babies. I've bought these amps out of curiosity since I always wanted to own a pair. I've had very good experience with Paravicini's EAR 509's, in the past. Since then, my taste has changed quite a bit and I hope that they won't disappoint. I'll report back once I have them fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 11:13:43 AM DeanG wrote: I agree with Craig. Strongly. I don't know what it is with those Chinese KT-88s, but they sound fantastic. ---------------- I agree. My new Shanling SCD-T200 SACD player has Chinese 6N3P. I tried Western Electric 396A and GE 5670W JAN which are supposed to be an upgrade for this unit. The original 6N3P sounded way better, plus they didn't seem to take as long for the player to warm up and sound its best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 12:00:51 PM Guy Landau wrote: Thanks again, and especially to Dale for his generous offer. I'm doing my best to get some original 8045G's (I've corresponded with a friend that lives in Japan and he promised to help and locate a quad of these). Otherwise, I'll be trying some GEC's and then I'll decide if I wanna keep these babies. I've bought these amps out of curiosity since I always wanted to own a pair. I've had very good experience with Paravicini's EAR 509's, in the past. Since then, my taste has changed quite a bit and I hope that they won't disappoint. I'll report back once I have them fired. ---------------- Guy, DO NOT just install 8045G without converting them back and until you can find out which specific mod was done (ie: pentode/triode) and how it was done. Also, I've never heard of EL509 being used in these amps. The EAR509 does not have a quadrafillar wound trans like the MB3045. The quadrafillar trans in these amps plays just as important of a role in this amp's "sound" (or shall I say lack of it) as the unique tubes specially made and optimized for the circuit. Proceed with caution. EDIT: Guy, I also forget to mention these amps sound their best with the input gain control set at 12 o'clock. They also don't sound best until on for about an hour (about 63 minutes on mine to be exact). You'll hear it. It's like someone opened the window. Everything somehow comes into focus more clearly. They really sound great at about the 3 hour mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 Artto, AFAIK, The EAR 509 used the same type of transformer. Here's a review with T de P. http://www.ear-usa.com/timdeparavicini.htm He states the the 8045G was a beam penthode that was internally wired for triode operation and not a true triode. So I guess that a penthode like the 6550 externally connected in triode will work just as fine. In the mean time, I've corresponded with another MB3045 owner that have tried many types of tubes. He'll be sending me a lot of info (including how to rewire it for use with 6LF6's and 6CG7's) and I'll be glad to make a copy of it and send it to you. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Thanks Guy. Yes, I'm aware that the 8045G is a "fake" triode however its performance blows away KT88 run in triode. Someone posted the performance graphs of both a month or so ago under the topic something like "what tube is best, 300B or 2A3". KT99 run in triode looks very simliar to 8045G, so much so I suspect it may have been based on or inspired by 8045G. I'm pretty sure the EAR509 uses a bifillar wound trans like a McIntosh. The Michealson & Austin amps were also similar. http://www.izzy-wizzy.com/audio/powamp.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I have both JJ Tesla and Valve Art KT-88's. I hear very little difference in the two. Maybe if I buy a quad of Gold Monarch's, I will be able to hear a noticeable difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 ---------------- On 7/23/2004 11:13:43 AM DeanG wrote: I agree with Craig. Strongly. I don't know what it is with those Chinese KT-88s, but they sound fantastic. ---------------- I also agree! I'm using a quad of SINO (Shuguang) KT88-98 tubes in my amp, and they sound better than any of the EL34/6CA7 tubes or even the Svetlana =C= 6550 tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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