El34 = KT88 = KT120
I had a modified Dynaco ST70 running EL 34's for many years (in a tri-amp arrangement driving Quad 57's along with T27's and Hegeman subs). Very nice, until I re-married and the "what are those..room heaters?" had to go. I still regret selling the 57's AND the ST 70. Buy it to try it... Onward and Upward... |
Tube comparisons are only valid when the same amp is used with all the tubes in succession. Boy, as the resident “expert” you sure make a lot of non-expert comments. EL34s, KT88s and KT120 have different plate and grid voltages, they have different cathode current ratings. Ergo, they CANNOT be compared on the same amp. An amp will be optimized for one and not the others. |
@pauly Really? Quicksilver’s Mid Mono amplifier is completely hand-wired and can use many different output tubes; the Mid Mono has a low loss output transformer, adjustable bias, and five-way gold-plated binding posts. Setting the bias is very simple: two screwdriver controls and pin jacks for any multimeter that reads millivolts. Power is 40 watts at 50% triode operation with the standard EL34s or KT88s, 45 watts with KT120s and 50 watts with KT150s. Another! The V4 recreates a musical event on a scale and with a solidity, roundness, and three-dimensionality matched by few and surpassed by no other amplifiers, with sensational dynamic-range to boot.” Paul Seydor – The Absolute Sound, October 2002. “Connecting the Quicksilver Audio V4s quickly revealed that these were very good sounding amps indeed. Space, delicacy, transparency, and overall musical believably were of high order.” Bascom King – Audio, February 1998. Powerful, musical, and effortless–this is the sound of the V4. As with all Quicksilver’s amplifiers, the V4s are all tube and hand wired point-to-point. A bias meter is mounted in the chassis and individual controls allow each output tube to be biased separately. The amplifiers come with KT150s, but EL34s, 6550s, or KT88s can also be used. |
@yogiboy Look at the specifications for the tubes.https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/129/e/EL34.pdf https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/086/k/KT88.pdf Plate voltage for EL34 used in push pull operation is 450v, it’s 560v for KT88s in push pull operation. Sure it will work with the KT88s, but not optimally. Same deal for switching between triode and ultra linear / pentode. You want a higher plate voltage for triode mode. Ultra linear / pentode operation will also need more nfb than when operating in triode mode. If it’s optimized for one, it’s definitely not optimized for the other. Doesn’t mean it sounds bad, but it’s not optimized as well as it could be. Besides, what are you doing with push pull amps? Get a SET amp and join us on the dark side. 😂🤣 |
