18Watt.com

Hi there everyone!
I've been fiddling around with my old Superlite TMB for a few days, since the wall voltage in my new house is quite high compared to what it should be (242 vs. the normal 220/230 we've got here in Italy) and I want to keep things going safely.
I also wanted to install 2 fresh power tubes, so I bought 2 new JJ el84 to replace the old ones that have held up well for quite a lot.
I was a bit surprised to find that the new ones don't hold up to the voltages the old ones were set to.
They seem to work fine lowering the voltage by about 20/25 volts
Has anyone else had the same experience with new JJs?
I don't want to change the setup of my little 18 watter cause it sounds so good!
I am also aware that JJ tubes are not the most popular, so I would go for something better that can handle the proper voltages, just as the old ones did (Plate: 335 - Screen: 315).
Any suggestions are welcome.
In the meantime, I'll keep the old tubes going!

Cheers!
Tommy

Modern JJ tubes are garbage. I stopped using them around 11 years ago. I usually buy tubes in bulk, and at least 1 tube out of every pair of JJ tubes did this (or worse):



Now I stick to the better new production tubes from Mullard, TungSol, EHX, and Sovtek. TAD is usually good too, but not always quite to the specs claimed.

Thanks,
Josh

I usually look for NOS 6P14P-EV Reflector tubes. Since you’re in Europe you can score some good deals on Etsy from Ukrainean sellers. Those are 1 on 1 substitutes for EL84. Look for the EV (or more accurately EB ) versions since they are supposedly mil spec.

I bought a couple of pairs of JJ EL84's a while back. I observed the same thing Josh shows in the video with one of the pairs. The other pair were fine and sound good to my ears so I am still using them. I have read about the same issues elsewhere so I am sure there are better options out there.