Mullard EL34 that sounds best

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.