2. amps-preamps
  3. 1442766042

Questions on KT150 tubes

Does anybody here have experience using that tube? Can you tell me how it sounds? I have a Primaluna DiaLogue Premium HP and it can use them but they aren't cheap. I'm running the stock EL34s and LOVE it but seems like this tube is all the rage. The Primaluna is unbelievable for its tube magic as-is. Also I wonder if the KT150 would last.

Also the best places to buy them. Not the cheapest. The best quality.
therealist
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Not just ARC Wolf, all manufacturers' charge more for tubes. Sure don't know why this is so other than their parameters may be tighter and more rejects? In any case the difference between 100.00 a tube and say 150.00 from the manufacturer sure doesn't seem to warrant paying the difference as long as they are close. Is 300.00 a set for a quad, 2 per channel? I typically see for about 100.00 each from tube vendors.
joeinid's avatar
joeinid
658 posts
 
From what I understand, ARC and Conrad Johnson charge more for their tubes because they test them more thoroughly. I also heard that they, especially for CJ, test in the actual amps that these tubes will be installed.

I believe they go through more trouble to weed out tubes that would normally die an early death.

Also, I believe ARC in particular, tests for parameters that keeps the tolerance tighter for their circuits because of the Primary and slave bias aspects of their circuits which require matched pairs.

In my CJ gear, tubes are individually biased, which can help alleviate some of the stricter matching required by ARC.
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
$269 a year ago for a "matched" (at the factory? A tube dating site?) quad of 150s from a very highly rated Ebay seller. Long live the hot pickle!…just crazy good sounding tubes. 
bifwynne
2,206 posts
 

Wolf,

Before doing the SE upgrade to my Ref 150, I bought 2 matched quads of KT-150s from a respected tube vendor. 

Some pairs biased pretty closely; others were off by as much 6 or 7 mVs, which as I mentioned somewhere, is pretty close to the boundary of ARC's recommended range (between 57 to 73 mVs). 

IOW, if a set tube is biased at 65 mVs, the slave measured at 71 or 72 mVs. The max spec is 73 mVs.

Anyway, I only put about 200 hours on the KT-150s.  Am I offering them for sale?  Not sure.  ARC charges $200 per KT-150.   

wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I guess I'm lucky…no, wait…I know I'm lucky.
More to discover