Retubing dilemma

Realize that you have an EL34 amp . That said one of my integrated amps is an Ayon Audio KT88 ; to my ears Gold Lion, Psvane , Black Treasure and Sophia Electric tubes all sound better than JJs , and just as reliable.

I have a Quicksilver 60w tube amp. I swapped from JJ KT-88s to Gold Lion KT 77's and the sound was more intimate, present, gentle in the midrange and treble. This could be just due to my setup (low ceilings) but I really found the KT 77's mellowed things without making them "rolled off" or fuzzy. They were $189 +$8.50 shipping for a matched quad from McShane Designs and he was great to work with.

Happy listening and holidays!

@hilde45
You are comparing two different type tubes. A true comparison is the same type of tube from different manufacturer. Apples and Oranges!

Just recommending JJ. Which one you decide to spring for is up to you. I've long since lost track of which tubes of which make sounded like what. The way my audio mind works I can hear every tiny little difference but only remember what stands out. Something that is only a little bit better melts into average. None of the tubes I tried stands out in any way other than what I've said- Preferred stand out as crap, JJ stands out as value. Everything else is somewhere in between. None of them stands out in my mind as being so good as to be worth a premium. Any premium.  Including Golden Lion. There's differences, sure. Differences worthwhile to some. Just not me. Not that I have heard yet anyway. 

It took me a while to get here. At first it was real easy to get excited about every tiny little difference, to think it was worth the premium for some minor little detail. Eventually though after replacing enough sets of tubes, swapping out spares, and doing lots of other things, now I just want tubes that sound good and work. JJ fits the bill. There simply is no thrill in it for me in gambling to see if maybe I can find "the one" my Precious that will transform my listening experience. Even if it exists its just not worth the trials and tribulations of trying to find it. Not when there's at least a dozen sure fire things that make a bigger difference and cost less. 

I'm telling you this in case maybe you are the gambler. Maybe you do still find it fascinating and worth all the time and money. And risk- remember how that Preferred Series looked flaming out? Lucky it was just the tube. That was the last straw for me. I've walked into the room to find the amp dead because some tube blew, and they usually take out a resistor, and that's if you're lucky. Its just not worth it. Reliability with tubes is mega. I've had sets of JJ that lasted me more than 5 years. With not a one going up in flames.

This is all power tubes I'm talking about. Input, preamp, whole different story. Those last a very long time and are extremely reliable. But they have about as much effect on sound. You will see. Either turn you on or not. Won't cost much to find out, one set to know and you wind up with a few spares.