Do NOS Mullard EL34 tubes last much longer than NOS SED (Svetlana) EL34 ?

@Serblinfan

I just got in 16 or so NOS/NOS TESTING Mullard xf2 EL34. I think there is at least one quad that is NIB, maybe more. I know the provenance/chain of custody of these tubes going back 40--50 years. And I sell at reasonable prices, not like TubeDepot and some of the others. 

If interested, DM me and I will list some here on Audiogon. 

A friend of mine worked in the USA repairing (now vintage) tube amplifiers and he would often tell me how beautifully the Mullard EL34 sounded to him - the best he heard at the time, from a client's amplifier, but that was in the 19080s. I was sure the Mullard EL34 were long gone, I would be seriously suspicious of them appearing on the market now. I'm sure there are some good alternatives from modern production, like the Psvane. 

bjesien: " window into the notes and texture". That’s exactly what I would seek if I wanted to take the sound to the next level, and I sure want it.

So, this is an opposite opinion - with EL34 there is no substitute for NOS Mullards.

In fact, Kevin did recommend NOS Mullards if I really wanted to push the sound quality and had the funds. He just said it was not necessary to get  excellent results.

I had a quad of the Winged-C’s that seemed to keep going and going… Was going to get another set a few years back, but went a different route instead. Lots of misses.

Then I tried the Psvane EL34PH replica tubes. They are now my go to tube. Dynamic, very open sounding, very transparent and they seem to breathe air into the music. 
 

@jasonbourne71  

Show me where NOS Mullards are new production Russian tubes…….

Bjesien, is correct on the nos Mullards, they have a sense or ease. In my system it has a natural sparkle to them I’ve found no other can do. I have a class A that can only use kt-120 and kt-150’s so sometimes it’s nice to go back to the Mullard el34 sound. 

I have NOS Mullard el84’s that I use in a Leben 300xs. They are special tubes. I would seek them out again along with some other NOS tubes. I

I’ve owned many amps over the years, even some of Kevin’s amps, and can say they make a difference to me. A sense or ease, a window into the notes and texture that is unmistakable to me. I do agree power tubes typically matter less, but if you want to go further you can.

If you have the funds to experiment with old and new I recommend it, but tubes are all magical in their own way so play within your comfort level.

jetter, you are probably right in that I should try these Gold Lions reissues.

In fact, Kevin of VAC told me that he no longer used any NOS output tubes in his own reference amps. This opinion has a lot of weight. He also said that in his power amps output tubes affected the sound less than driver tubes. I currently have RCA black plates 12AU7 from 50s and like them.

Maybe I should forget about those very expensive Mullards, yeah, but the doubt remains.

I have used mullard xf2s, wing Cs, JJs, and a few others.  Then I found Gold Lion KT77s from upscale audio was the right choice for sound, reliability and price.  

New Tung Sol EL34B

$450 for a fx1 is way to high for me.  I bought 4 quad’s of fx2 over time when I noticed prices going up years ago. I’ve been buying used xf2’s that test as new for 1/4 of the price for the fx1 quote you have. I’ve been running the same quad’s in a CJ amp for years with never an issue. I also have quad’s of sed wing C’s from the 80’s that to me do not sound near as good as the xf2’s. Some of the wing c’s have red plated on me, much better luck with the Mullard. 

@akg_ca 

Why didn't the merchant just replace the tube?

I would have. No problem.

Yes … the REGA ISIS VALVE specs are :

This stage uses two military specification triple mica 5814A (ECC82/12AU7) triodes being driven by the revolutionary Wolfson WM8741 ultra high performance digital to analogue converters The output buffer and transformer driver stage uses two ECC88 (6DJ8/6922) triodes.

Regardless , IMO:

- any model brand new NOS MULLARDs should never crap out THIS friggin’ fast….AND ..,,

- the Commie bakeoff options did sound better in MY system :(REGA ISIS VALVE cdp/USB dac / REGA OSIRIS integrated amp / HARBETH M30,2 XD speakers / ATC subwoofer / all CARDAS CLEAR cabling loom )

I bought them from a NOS MULLARD established online specialty MULLARD dealer with a stellar reputation.I’m not blaming him.
Rather, It was my dumbass foolish arrogance to ignore an old school European trained professional tech’s recommendation to bypass the overhyped MULLARDs that grinds on me with my poor choice experience .. I won’t make the same mistake.

@akg_ca 

The Rega ISIS uses 12au7’s, not el34’s. Additionally, Mullard 12au7’s are among the most robust and finest sounding 12au7’s ever made in the right circuit.

While NOS Mullards are exceptional, all tubes are capable of failure at some point in their life. Unfortunately, you must have found one. From what source did you purchase them? 

Nope …. I paid the big bucks for NOS MULLARDS for my REGA ISIS VALVE cdp/dac. Note: they are NOT the OEM tubes recommended by REGA

In brief : Now I know why,….. With maybe a paltry 50 hrs on them, one just suddenly and unexpectedly turned black, crapped out, and died .Total loss .F ***ing lovely !

MY TAKEAWAY:

- I won’t be buying them ever again nor will I recommending them either.

- I drank the shite KoolAid marketing BS and I ignored my pro tech’s experience and recommendations to ignore overhyped MULLARDs, in favour of NOS Russki Commie era NOS tubes circa 1961-ish ideally.

why? They will last a lot longer AND they will sound better in his opinion, .

He loaned me his NOS Commie tubes to me for 2 weeks to test drive and compare audio performances.. Yep …he was .right = blindly moving on MULLARDs was a bad choice for me with a regrettable arrogance to ignore his recommendation ..,, I could have, I should have …’ nuff said ….

The Russki tubes were better sonically, and I will now trust his experience that they will have a normal much, much longer life option,  as well as being a better audio performance option,

He was so right . I paid $US 500+ for the NOS MULLARDs that were a Royal FUHBAR. = NEVER AGAIN….Dumbass me …not my finest moment …full stop.

I’ve also A-B’d NOS made in the USA offerings …. Surprisingly damn good and a true contender and no pretender. They are my backups now.

MY TAKE: Be careful out there … choose wisely.

I have  also had gold Lion KT88 tubes that tested higher than "new" and have many many hours and are still strong. They test almost new still and still are tightly matched. That’s one reason I buy matched tubes from trusted sources

They are my back ups now but still sound good. I can’t even imagine how many hours are on them. A lot

jetter, thank you.

I am talking about Mullards XF1 from Tube Depot. They got used for $300 each too.

So, you are not saying they would last significantly longer.

I am almost certain that they would sound better than SEDs and that's my potential problem. I listen for about 2-3 hours almost every day.

I did buy those 12AX7 Mullards from Audio Tubes, Bret was nice to talk to but he has different taste.

http://www.audiotubes.com/el34.htm

You might consider a quad of the 70's Chinese EL34's listed @ the bottom of the page for $160.

Mullard XF2's look to be around $800/quad.

DeKay

@inna 

Good to hear from you!

 I doubt that original made-in-Britain Mullards will last any longer. Don't forget that the so-called NOS Mullards are actually present-day production from Russia.

I find that true NOS tubes often test far stronger than their reissued counterparts. Certainly not a rule of thumb by any means, but I see it on a daily basis. As an example, just this morning I was courtesy testing a client's brand new, never before opened, straight from the factory Russian made Genalex Gold Lion KT88s to ensure they were properly matched and they each tested at 57- 58 on my TV-7 tester, where 44 is the threshold for good.

By way of comparison, I have a number of different quads of NOS GEC and NOS Genalex/GEC KT88s with production dates spanning across multiple decades and they consistently test in the mid-to-high 70s, with one quad in the mid 80s. I don't see that at all with the reissues...don't see them reaching much past the mid-60s even.

It can be a much different story when you get into the smaller tubes (e.g. 12AX7), where in my experience the Chinese tubes often test freakishly high. 

NOS Mullard tubes are relatively easy to identify / authenticate. A simple google search will give you a reasonably well informed primer.

forget life, either should last a long long time.

which sounds best to you? do you want to listen to the less preferred sound for a long long long time?

You could buy from a source that lets you return them, try the least expensive compared to your existing.

sound great, keep em. if not as good as your existing, return, get .......

This is the right advice. And don't buy tubes from anyone that won't let you return them for any reason within the first thirty days.

forget life, either should last a long long time.

which sounds best to you? do you want to listen to the less preferred sound for a long long long time?

You could buy from a source that lets you return them, try the least expensive compared to your existing.

sound great, keep em. if not as good as your existing, return, get .......

I have four SED "winged C" EL34's that came with my purchase of a Dynaco ST70. I doubt that original made-in-Britain Mullards will last any longer. Don't forget that the so-called NOS Mullards are actually present-day production from Russia.

That's an insane price for the Mullards. Who is quoting you that? 

Source: I buy and sell rare audio tubes full-time.