Mullard EL34 that sounds best

I would recommend JJ power tubes https://www.jj-electronic.com/en/power-tubes

pro: very stable over long run time

Luxman Japan uses those for all noble tube amp designs 

The Avatar is a great amp. The new stock Mullards are very nice sounding tubes IMO compared to most. Do a google search and try to place the reviews of different tubes to your preferences. 
 

It appears that the older Mullards you go with the better, generally speaking.

The price from reliable sources, if they have them, and even from unreliable ones, is very close to prohibitive. $450 for XF1 each new or $300 for used, that's what I see. Some say, though, that NOS EL34 Mullards might last 5000 hours, which is great if true.

(any) tubes will last longer in gentle usage conditions, lower dissipation power / current / voltage increases ~ 20% spec degradation time point. to figure out how long tubes will last need to check amp design and tubes aging related spec. 

I just tried some New Sensor Mullards in a headphone amp. Maybe it was the circuit but I couldn’t wait to take them out. Nothing like I remember when I ran them in some mono-blocks several years ago. I’d stick with SED’s if you can still find them. That is unless you’re ready to mortgage your first born.

I remember reading here where someone liked the Sofia Electric EL34 more than original Mullards.  Can’t remember the thread or who said it though 🤔

My Cary amp uses a dozen EL34s and NOS or used vintage is way out of my price range.  The first time I retubed it I bought the Mullard re-issues from Viva, and they didn't seem to hold up very long, but that may have been partly my fault.  I replaced those with the reissued Tung Sols from Jim McShane, and I personally liked everything about that batch better.  Sorry, as I know this was not an answer to your question.

Oh it's fine, we are just talking tubes.

Tube Depot has a stock of SEDs EL34, I bought my quad from them. One was defective, only held for 700 hours.

Then there is a seller from the UK on ebay who sells, as he says, original Svetlana winged 'C' s EL34. They look a little different. I'll try one of those later too.

I have always read that caution should be used when buying vintage used or theoretically NOS from Ebay.  My own personal experience was buying some RCA black glass VT231s from some guy in France, and two of them quit working not too terribly long after I took delivery, and I took the rest of them out and put them in storage after that. 

Yeah, but he has an excellent and substantial feedback, and each tube is under $100, so I'll give it a chance. One tube to begin with.

Just can't spend that much on new Mullards from Tube Depot, though they have some other Mullards for $300 each new.

Besides, they only have a few tubes in stock, so it is not a long term solution at all.

Have you thought about trying Rays tubes?  I have not but if you believe the reviewers they sound very good.  Around $850 per quad for their reserve quality and $300 for the select quality and they’re warranted for 12 mo.

Never heard of them. "Sound very good" is not good enough for me. Either I will stay with SED Winged, that are alright, or will want vintage Mullards.

I have settled in on the old stock Mullard EL34 XF2 with the single O getter.  The XF1 version,I have not heard, is too expensive and hard to find anyway.  The XF2 OO getter is the early version of the XF2’s and said to be the better of the two versions but to me and my system I really can’t hear a difference.  With patience and luck I was able to acquire 2 quads of lightly used new testing tubes for $80-100 per tube.  They have been the best sounding EL34’s that I have heard but they keep getting pricier.  Good luck!

Did you get matched or unmatched quads of used Mullard XF2 ? $100 for test new is not bad.

I have used a number of different brand EL34s, JJs, SED Winged and other current production as well as old stock Tele and Mullards.

In the end, I like Gold Lion KT77s purchased through Upscale Audio for their reliability and they sound very good.

@inna my Mullards were not matched Quads.  I was able to buy matched pairs to make one quad.  Another quad I purchased was sold from the demise of an amp.  They tested very close but one of the tubes was a Matsushita not Mullard.  (Matsushitas look very similar and were made at a factory in Japan using Mullard tooling.  They sound good not great to me).  I was able to find a single Mullard with the same codes and test values.  Took a little bit of buying and selling to get the quads together.
I agree the Gold Lion KT77 are excellent.  They are my favorite new stock EL 34 family tube.  They just don’t have the soul/tone that Mullards provide.  The Mullards just sound better to me on my system.  

tksteingraber, a lot of work and some luck.

I just see no reason to switch from SEDs to anything but vintage Mullard.

Yes, soul and tone.

Does anyone have experince with Groove Tubes NOS GT EL34-Ms? Availible through Watford Valves in Great Britain at about $60 per shipped.

I heard someone say they are greta and a steal. I have no personal experience.

Are they Chinese tubes ?

Matched NOS quads would be very, very difficult to find.  But check with Brent Jesse.  He sometimes has slightly used Mullards XF1 and XF2 pairs advertised for around or even less than $100 per tube.  Who knows he might be able to come up with a quad.  I’ve never purchased EL34’s from him, but what I have purchase has always been as advertised.

Yeah, Brent does have a few used XF1 but they are unmatched, $150 each.

Anyway, if I got it right, I will want either XF1 or XF2, and matching is desirable.

Yes and yes although I’m not familiar with VAC.  I’d check with them. Matched pairs may be sufficient.  But XF3 & 4 can be very good and cheaper. Still hard to find at a decent price though.  If Mullards are something you can’t live without, I’d buy all you can afford now, lol.  They’re all going to be in the stratosphere very soon.

Right. I certainly can live without Mullards, SEDs Winged are acceptable and still available for now.

For current issues I have both the PSVane EL-34 PH (Philips replica with metal base) and the EL-34 UK which is a Mullard replica. The EL-34 UK is very good for the $35 price per tube, and the EL-34 PH very very good, but is about $100 per tube.

They also have the Art Series which is supposed to be excellent, but I have not heard them

I purchased directly from China from jjyaudio and their owner Helen, and I know of several others who have ordered from her as well. Excellent communications, product arrived quickly and well packed.

Is anyone familiar with EL34 Groove Tubes ?

Fyi- Upgraded amps so I no longer need my EL34’s.  Just listed a nice Mullard xf2 quad on the other US site…

After all, I decided that I couldn't indeed live without Mullards, so I will find them for a reasonable price, probably not exactly new but that test NOS.

@inna Mullard made a 10,000 hour EL34 FWIW. I've not seen one in 40 years or so.

I doubt you're interested, but if you were to try new EL34s, if it were me I'd be using one of the JJ types (they make two) or something from Psvane.

Considering how rare and expensive real Mullard EL34s are, I'd have a set of other EL34s on hand so when I'm not doing critical listening (my system is often on all day) I'm not wearing out expensive tubes.

Ralph, right, I will have my SEDs as a back up to use when not doing critical listening. My amp is usually on for about three hours a day on average.

I haven't heard about 10000 hours Mullard EL34, but I have heard about 5000 hours Mullard EL34.

Bought matched quad of XF2. Not new but test strong NOS, I see no reason not to believe the seller. I bet they will sound significantly better than SEDs.

atmasphere + 1

JJ tubes are built at former Tesla factory, which supplied tubes military/aviation etc.. in 80s Tesla EL34 were the best I’ve experienced, reliability performance etc. not surprised to see JJ tubes in Luxman designs, 3yr warranty is not easy to deliver!

Typ I order tubes and ask seller to make sure serial numbers are close, ideally from the same lot.. I haven’t seen drive mismatch issues even after 1000hr run!

Beware, in many cases like-new/new NOS "Mullard/Telefunken/etc" tubes are counterfeit-miss-labeled Chinese ones..

I have had good luck with JJ EL34 type 1.   Sound great.    

I doubt you’re interested, but if you were to try new EL34s, if it were me I’d be using one of the JJ types (they make two)

I have had good luck with JJ EL34 type 1. Sound great.

@atmasphere ​​​​@oddiofyl , I’ll keep that in mind as sooner or later I am going to need a dozen of them. (I know someone who swears by the JJ 12ax7s, and I did put JJ 6sn7s in my preamp and I think they sound okay.) Anyway, any suggestions on who does a good job of matching them?

On edit:  I see that JJ has KT77s out, I wonder how they are?

And as far as type I and type II, I see a set they are specifically calling EL34s type II and the rest are just EL34s, so are the ones that are called EL34s the type I?

And as far as type I and type II, I see a set they are specifically calling EL34s type II and the rest are just EL34s, so are the ones that are called EL34s the type I?

@inna  as best I can make out the difference is how much plate Voltage they can handle. I'd stick with the regular EL34 on that account. 

CE Distribution does matched pairs but the thing about matching if you want it done right is to use a curve tracer (i don't know if CE uses one or not). Most 'matched' tubes I've seen are matched on a tube tester which only gives you a static match. A curve tracer will give a match right up to full power.

This thread is about noble original vintage tubes. Not necessarily only Mullard.

Talking about modern tubes here would be like talking about cassette decks in a reel-to-reel thread. And some cassette decks sound quite good, I've got one. But even the best of them are quite far from serious open reel decks.

@inna How are those old stock Mullard EL34 xf2’s sound in your VAC? Better than your SED’s?

Mullards XF2s are in my VAC Avatar SE. I'll give them a burn in time of a few dozen hours. But it's clear right away that they are far superior to SEDs in every respect. The most striking difference is how well they present the performing space, how at the same time the sound is more coherent and instrument separation is much better. Drums don't jump out of the speakers and Miles's trumpet doesn't scream in my face. Well, I exaggerated a little, SEDs are not bad. And overall, very sophisticated sound with depth and grace.

In fact, the Mullards that I just got improved further after 100 hours of burn in. Either they were virtually new or were not played for some time. Or both.

"Mullards that I just got improved further after 100 hours of burn in” 

Tube amp need to be biased/balanced after 50hr at least after tube replacement.. was this amp tuned after tube-refresh at all??

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. With this VAC at least you just set the bias for new tubes, then check it a few times later and leave it alone. Recheck every month.

correct, tubes initially age at faster rate, thus first 500hr tuneup is needed 50hr-100hr-200hr-500hr.

what I like about JJ tubes is slower aging pace, less tuneups needed, and I suspect therefore Luxman selected them for their amps.