KT88 s Sovtek vs Valve Art

Leafs, I love the sound of the amps. There are Svetlanas 6550 in there now.

Then the Sovteks would definitely be a let down. The Svetlana 6550 are nice tubes, and the one chance I had to compare them with the Svetlana KT88s showed the latter to be only marginally better.

I don't want to know about Genalex (etc) valves. Please don't tell me more. I still have to put two kids through University. No no no...

I would go with the Svetlana KT-88.I had Svetlana 6550 C in my Rogue 88.Nice tube.

Cameron Diaz prefers NOS KT-88's, but will settle for JJ KT-88 or Svetlana KT-88 or Svet 6550 ( in that order ) . Cameron wouldn't bet caught dead listening to Chinese or Sovtek tubes.

Redkiwi, the KT88s I got were my present to myself on having my son graduate from college. Had to do something with the money I'd otherwise be spending on tuition, you know! On Sovtek vs. Svetlana, I agree that the Svetlanas are the best of the 6550s currently available that I have heard, and would echo the above posters' recommendations. I do note that even they only lasted 1-1/2 years in my amps, where the MO Valve KT88s have gone almost 3 now with minimal wear. At this rate, my "lifetime" supply may last beyond that!