EL34 Lovers?

EL-34 tubes I have tried that I think are better than JJ's:

Siemens- Good dynamics, engaging presentation,solid top to bottom

Telefunken- Rich, good dynamic range, detailed-great tube but pricey

Mullard- original not the Russian reissue . Smooth, warm engaging a bit on the soft side for me but not mushy

Sylvania-great American tube, solid performer, dynamic

Other EL34's with good reputations I have not tried:

Philips
Matsushita -made in Japan from Philips tooling
GE
RFT- german

YMMV

Not sure how to ask this, but is it not possible that a circuit is designed for a particular version/brand of a tube - in my case the JJ EL34L, and that the sound of the amp takes that tube into account ("voiced"?). In other words, I'm questioning whether a tube really has an inherent sound independently of the ciruit in which it is used, they seem to be two parts of the equation leading to the sound of a paricular tube in a particular amplifier. I've heard many amps using the same basic tube type with very different sound attributes (the type of differences you ascribe to the sound of Siemens versus Telefunken versus Mullard); I have to imagine the circuit is just as an imporant factor as the tube type/brand. Of course, this is no reason not to try tube rolling (I have done a lot of tube rolling on my CAT JL2 with Amperex, RCA, GE, Syvania, etc), but the maker of my Ars Sonum told me to tread lightly.

That's an interesting question Pubul. I to have been told with my modded JH 50 that most other tubes besided my current JJ's will sound mushy, slow, or lack detail. This will probably not stop me from trying some out though as i ascribe to "in your system to your ears" theory. Plus learning about how my system reacts to differing changes is good to know as well!

I would enjoy though an answer to your question if anyone is willing to expand.

Both circuit and tube determine the sound of a particular component as well as internal components. A circuit can indeed be optimized for a particular tube's characteristics. Does it mean no other tube of the same type will work? Probably not. Could it cause problems? Maybe but not likely. Will you change the circuit? not likely. Will you change the tubes to try to improve the sonics of the circuit? YOU BETCHA!

If you change tubes and nothing else resulting in a change in the sonic signature of the component then it has to be the sonic character of the tube causing the change.

Whether that change is positive or negative is determined by your ears alone. The tweaky nature of this hobby means I am going to try all avenues to extract the sound I most desire from a system. Tube rolling is one of the easiest and most easily reversed ways to do that.

For your peace of mind you may want to compare tube specs between JJ EL34L and other EL34's to find if there is a signifcant difference in the tube voltages and outputs. If there is not then you may be missing some music that is available to you with a tube change.

A quick search on the web seems to point out the only difference in specs between a standard JJ EL34 and the JJ E34L (there designation) is the ability of the E34L to handle a larger plate voltage on grid 1. (-13.5V to -16.5V compared to the standard EL34 -10.0V to -13.5V) All other specs are the same.

Significant? Don't know enough about tube grids or the circuit in your Sonum to say yes or no. Perhaps others can.

Ralph

I am told that the importance of the L versus the standard is that in my circuit it is produce better bass presence compared with other EL34s (more solid and tuneful - the amp is suprisingly good in the bass department). The amp also runs Class A to 22 watts (it is a 30 watt amp with a pair of EL34s)and I think the voltage spec you mention has something to do with that, but I am talking way above my head now. When I spoke with the designer I was eager to discuss a bunch of NOS options for the EL34, 12AX7, and 6922 slots - he said he tried most of them (a lot of them anyway)and he still felt the JJ in his circuit would be hard to beat - I certainly understand why he would not want NOS EL34s as the standard tube. I am going to ask if any harm is done in trying the EL34 simply based on the plate voltage handling differences.