Which EL34's?

sub · Post by **sub** » Sat 06/28/08 8:39 pm

Lovedat,

If you don't like EH, JJ, SED, but you want new prod. tubes,
Here is what remain:
Svet "S", Tung-sol, Sovtek, Shuguang, Mullard RI,

Sorry, i can't comment these tubes, only tried JJ and SED... (SED what i like better).

Post by **rjgtr** » Mon 06/30/08 10:25 am

I personally compared the Seimens and SEDs and they sound very close to me. But then again, I have used SEDs for years. Before that I used Teslas but to me the Teslas are different sounding to the older Mullards.

The Groove Tubes EL34-M also sound a lot like the Seimens. If you don't like the SEDs (original Svetlanas) then by all means try the Sovtek, EH or New Sensor Mullard branded tubes. They are very reliable and you might prefer their tone.

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Mon 06/30/08 2:02 pm

If you don't like the SEDs (original Svetlanas)

The thing is, i think it was Phil that said the SED's are NOT the same as the original svets. So i'm afraid to try them because i'm getting conflicting posts. If they DO sound like the originals like i bough when svet first came out with el34's, i'd hate them. But Phil says they aren't, and you saying they sound like seimens tends to make me think Phil must be right because the original svets i had didn't even sound like a el34 to me let alone like seimens. So i don't know what to think. I'm in no big hurry to order them anyway so i'll just watch this thread and see what else crops up.

morcey2 · Post by **morcey2** » Mon 06/30/08 2:18 pm

SED = Winged-C = original Svetlana

Current Svetlana = New Sensor = Electro-harmonix + sovtek + tung-sol reissue + mullard reissue (at least in the US.)

I think the GT EL34-M is a new-sensor tube equivalent to the Mullard EL34 reissue.

Matt

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Mon 06/30/08 6:29 pm

Well, then if the SED or winged C, whatever it should be called sounds like the svets i bought probably 7-10 years ago, they're definatly out. But again, there are conflicting opinions. I have a set of EH i bout around the same time i belive, and they're ok but obviously i wouldn't be asking if i really liked them a lot. Guess i may have to look into those mullard clones.

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Mon 06/30/08 6:45 pm

Ok, i found something that suggests the SED is NOT the original svet 34. Look at the 2nd paragraph in the link below. It show the svet 34 with a box that looks identical to the ones i had and hated years ago. It goes on to say they have very little low end (just like i remember too) and that the SED WINGED C has the bottom end if you want that. So i think Phil was right and the SED is NOT the original svet 34. But looking at the mullard clone i think that may be my best bet if the text is accurate. It suggests it has a smooth mid (much needed here!) and has a low mid that prevents boominess which is an area i'd also like to improve upon.

http://thetubestore.com/ne-el34.html

morcey2 · Post by **morcey2** » Mon 06/30/08 7:38 pm

Just to add to your confusion:

http://www.stereophile.com/news/022304svetlana/

It sounds like that the Svet's that you bought earlier have about a 50/50 chance of being a New Sensor Svetlana and not a Winged-C/SED Svetlana.

Matt

kleuck · Post by **kleuck** » Mon 06/30/08 8:12 pm

Try to find NOS RFT.

Post by **rjgtr** » Tue 07/01/08 10:33 am

Ok, i found something that suggests the SED is NOT the original svet 34.

I happen to have some of the original Svetlana EL-34s (from the St. Pete factory) and some I just bought (SED/Winged C) and the construction is the same. If you like Seimens, you should like the SEDs. I have done listening comparisons and they are very close.

I think the tubes you didn't like are probably the New Sensor versions.

The GT EL34-M appears to be a chinese made tube as the 12AX7-M is.

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Tue 07/01/08 12:46 pm

Ahhh..i think you're right. New sensor was what i think they may have been, not svetlana, tho that red and white svet box sure looks familiar. Maybe they came in the same box but it said new sensor instead. I dunno. All i know is whatever i get i hope they don't sound like the ones i had or i'm out 40 or 50 bucks because they were totally un-usable for me.

demonufo · Post by **demonufo** » Tue 07/01/08 5:07 pm

+ 1 more on the winged C's.
Groove Tubes seem to be quite popular as well on one of the other major forums, but I've haven't tried these.
Sorry to hear about the Tesla, I just bought another NOS pair and am a little worried now, as they are a tiny bit on the rattly side before I've even used them. Can't remember whether or not my last pair did this. Might have to sell them on and start depleting my hoard of the SED's instead!

Post by **rjgtr** » Wed 07/02/08 8:31 am

lovedat800 wrote:Ahhh..i think you're right. New sensor was what i think they may have been, not svetlana, tho that red and white svet box sure looks familiar. Maybe they came in the same box but it said new sensor instead. I dunno. All i know is whatever i get i hope they don't sound like the ones i had or i'm out 40 or 50 bucks because they were totally un-usable for me.

When New Sensor started putting out the fakes, they copied the boxes and the tubes even had the same logo on them, except for the =C=. I think it was a really low moment for New Sensor, since they basically purchased the rights to use the name for an existing product and passed their tube off as the 'real' thing. I'm also not in favor of them using the logos of the great brands of the past either. There's just something unsettling about them putting Mullard on a clearly inferior tube.

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Wed 07/02/08 9:18 am

AFAIK and from what i recall, the ones i bough back then showed no pretension what so ever of being a mullard or anything else. they were just new sensor's new EL34 offering. (that is, if the ones i bought were indeed new sensor....wish i could remember !)

clobo · Post by **clobo** » Thu 07/03/08 3:55 pm

Hi,

For new EL34, I only tried original Svetlana (now winged-C). They sounded good, but their voicing was quite different than any of my old stock, transparent bass and "US" sparkle was much closer to their 6L6 cousins. They lasted about 2 years, then they became microphonic and bias drifted severely unmatched.

My old Siemens sound much better, chimmering "UK" treble and percussive bass, despite the fact that my only pair is severely unmatched. Then my old uk Mullards come close, but they are pretty tired. Finally the **** (Japan Mullard clones, with ribbed plate) are pretty useless (all lower mids).

Claude

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Fri 07/04/08 9:06 am

For new EL34, I only tried original Svetlana (now winged-C). They sounded good, but their voicing was quite different than any of my old stock, transparent bass and "US" sparkle was much closer to their 6L6 cousins.

Yes ! Thats EXACTLY what i thought, and you're the 1st person i've heard say the same thing i felt ! Maybe it WAS the svets after all that i had because that description is right on, especially when you say "much closer to their 6L6 cousins". I've been saying they sounded more like 6L6 to me for years now. I kept wondering if i somehow was mistaken because i never heard anyone else say that and it left me confused as to how many people seemed to like them when they sounded more like a 6L6 to me !

lovedat800 · Post by **lovedat800** » Wed 07/16/08 6:29 pm

The winged C's arrived today. I am only able to hear them at very low volume in my apt. till i bring the amp to work probably next week where i can turn it up to stage level. At low volumes tho they sound just like i hoped....very much like those old german tubes i loved in the 80's. Odd too because looking at those getters they are the same ones in many russian preamp tubes all of which i hate ! No reason to suspect them because of that necassarily, but when i saw them it worried me a bit till i picked the first note. That brought a big smile.

Hopefully they'll sound as good turned up a bit as they do at TV levels. If so i'll be tempted to buy more just in case. Seems like all good tubes go away before too long.

And by the way, theres absolutely 100% no possible way these tubes are the same ones i talked about trying and hating back around the late 90's or 2000. They may be out of the same factory, they may look identical, etc. I don't know. But they sound about as different as the typical EL34 does from the typical 6L6. There is no comparison what so ever.

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Which EL34's?