Just wondering if you can even find Gold Lions NOS. Is there anything recent that is close to them in sound quality?
What is the best KT88 tube available?
- Thread starter assessor43
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Still have a box with 24 vintage KT88 Gold Lion NOS manufactured by Marconi-Osram Valve Co stored somewhere, most of them with the original box and certificate. I used 8 of them with great success just for a couple of hundred hours in a Jadis JA80 . The bass performance was remarkable and feeling of air was excellent. They also measure really good, bias stability and grid leakage are exceptional. Definitively better than the current Genealex Gold Lion KT88s I am using in the Siegfried's - they need 24 of them, but will not the get the MOV's!
Anyway IMHO they not worth the crazy price some people are asking for them.
Anyway IMHO they not worth the crazy price some people are asking for them.
The (very expensive) European Audio Team (EAT) KT88's are the best sounding KT88's I've ever heard (better than any NOS I've heard) - worth the price when I was using them:
I have a pair of VAC 452 amps, each of which uses 8 KT88's and Kevin uses the Genalex Gold Lion KT88's exclusively. While my amps are beasts, although only 450 watts have a ton of reserve power due to its massive power supply. I have a pair of Von Schweikert Ultra 9's which I regularly play at "you are there" levels for hours at a time. Al;though Kevin's design keeps the bias to a minimum, thus prolonging tube life, I probably have 3,000-3,500 hours on the 452's and despite pushing them hard, the VAC IQ system that monitors the KT88's, has never suggested that none of the KT88's are close to being out of steam. Prior to the 452's I had a VAC 450 Stereo amp which also uses 8 KT88's, which I used in my system for more than a year and truly pushed the amp to just short of fairly hard clipping and never had a tube fail.
Let me state the obvious, the tube, no matter how good their design and manufacture, are only as good as the overall amp design. The proof of this statement is that while there are similarities in sound with the VAC 450 and 452's, mostly not sounding tube like, but having the resolution of top solid state high ressolution amps, the overall soiunds off the two amp models are quite different, despite having the identical Gold Lion KT88's. The improved sound of the 452's compared to the 450, which I loved, is so large that I simply could not go back to the 450.
Let me state the obvious, the tube, no matter how good their design and manufacture, are only as good as the overall amp design. The proof of this statement is that while there are similarities in sound with the VAC 450 and 452's, mostly not sounding tube like, but having the resolution of top solid state high ressolution amps, the overall soiunds off the two amp models are quite different, despite having the identical Gold Lion KT88's. The improved sound of the 452's compared to the 450, which I loved, is so large that I simply could not go back to the 450.
i own Audiopax M100 monos. Each mono uses 6 Kt 88.
I have tested many KT 88.
In my opinion there is clearly a winter: EAT.
second place, very close to EAT, is KR KT 88.
third, but far from them, is Gold Lion.
I have tested many KT 88.
In my opinion there is clearly a winter: EAT.
second place, very close to EAT, is KR KT 88.
third, but far from them, is Gold Lion.
Okay, So I looked up EAT KT88s and they are not available anymore. What is the best KT 88 available?
KR are the best if EAT is not available.
In US https://www.gcaudio.com/products/tube-eat-kt-88-diamond-ultra-premium-vacuum-tubes-matched-pair/
In EU https://www.technologyfactory.eu/en/eat/tubes/eat-tube-kt88-diamond-matced-octet-set/a-3701-10000258
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Haven't tried these because I don't have an amp that takes KT88's anymore, but the similar blue EL34's and 274B's are among the best I've ever heard:
you have to have perseverance, you can always find some
KT88 Svetlana Winged "C" - Esoteric HiFi
Najlepsza wersja Svetlan - Vinged "C". G?adkie wysokie tony, pi?kna ?rednica i bas.
esoteric-hifi.com
Thanks, Stephanyou have to have perseverance, you can always find some
KT88 Svetlana Winged "C" - Esoteric HiFi
Najlepsza wersja Svetlan - Vinged "C". G?adkie wysokie tony, pi?kna ?rednica i bas.
Am now shopping around for a full set of 12 KT88 for my Jadis PA100 amp as suddenly I found out that 2 of them have 'died' (no light whatsoever). While the factory selected EH tubes are pricey, the Wing C cost even more. An not surprised though. I was able to use them in my ARC amps and the sounded really very nice. Am considering PSvane UK HiFi series too.
A really good shop to buy tubes fair prices and gurantee.
I once had a defective tube, it was matched without a lot of effort and replaced. Great service.
I once had a defective tube, it was matched without a lot of effort and replaced. Great service.
Recently bought a ATM2 Olus amp with 4 KT88. They arrrived with the AT badged EH tubes. I listened the first 50 hours with original tubes and changed the 4 6CG7 / 6FQ7 and 12AX7 with nos. Bump ! I listened again about 100 hours more and installed the KR Audio KT88 and the gap in SQ is very significant.
The KR are less than 50 hours so I still hope that the best possible sound haven’t been reached yet.
The KR are less than 50 hours so I still hope that the best possible sound haven’t been reached yet.
Do you happen to know how the KR Audio KT88 sounds compared to the Sofia Electric? (EAT seems not to be making KT88s.)
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