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In Reply to: jj kt88 opinion? posted by earnie3 on April 28, 2006 at 19:13:26:
JJ does not make an especially great KT88. And it's about $150/quad! Compared with KT88 and 6550 types I like, especially the TOTALLY reliable, bestofbreed KT88 type, Shuguang KT88-98, the JJ comes far short. The JJ (I found this also with their EL34)sounds GREAT for a time.. until one realizes how... homogenized the sonics are. Just a big sonic pancake, with plenty of sticky sweet syrup-- nice at first but NOT hifi. No "outstanding" recordings had their usual whizbang appeal with the JJs, and the JJs didn't seem to reveal flaws in less-good recordings either.... clear-cut case of a mid-fi tube. These evaluations of the JJs and Shuguangs were made in Audio Research amps, highly modded Dyna MKIIIs w/Triode Elec input board/SDS power supply, and Heath W6Ms. (Though I'd hardly call the Heath W6M a great amp for evaluating tubes; not a fav of mine) The tonal neutrality of the Shuguang KT88-98, along with its' great treble extension, tremendous control in the lower midrange, and sheer SLAM! put it above everything else. And for $45.95/pair from the tube store.com, they tip in at about $60 and change LESS for four tubes than the Shuguangs. With Ei KT90 sorta out of the picture (tragically!) Shuguang KT88-98 and SED 6550C are IMHO the only two tubes in this large beam tetrode class that do what a real output tube should; triangulate/image/soundstage, sound great in everything I've plugged them into, and do not blow up. (Tho I've heard rumblings that SED 6550C may have had QC issues for a bit) New Sensor 6550 and KT88 types ("Tung Sol" 6550, Electroharmonix KT88, etc)are tough as hell, but a bit tough sounding too; I especially dislike the frosted glass, etched treble of the E-H and it's flat as a pancake image. I PINED for better Ei KT90s until I started using Shuguang KT88-98; I still think in its' prime the Ei was a better tube, but I can live easily with the KT88-98 Shuguang. Chinese tube reliability issues also are SO over, except for anecdotal individual failures--- none of this "entire bad batch" stuff that JJ and Ei seemingly have. Put it this way; JJ KT88 is Pat Boone singing "Long Tall Sally" and the Shuguang is the Little Richard original. JJs just don't BRING IT, however euphonic and superficially pleasant they may be. I can't comment on long term reliablity of the JJ; I don't use them.
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Follow Ups
- Re: jj kt88 opinion?-- get Shuguang KT88-98 - ARC 14:39:28 04/29/06 (2)
- Re: jj kt88 opinion?-- get Shuguang KT88-98 - tubesonix 08:55:25 05/05/06 (0)
- Re: jj kt88 opinion?-- get Shuguang KT88-98 - ARC 14:47:38 04/29/06 (0)
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