I also have a PL1 in which I have used EL34's - while warmish in tone, a balance I can enjoy, it seemed a little peaky in the upper mid's which I don't enjoy. I rebiased it with my tubes in place. Now it is a bit warmer in tone and no longer peaky. In all honesty a bit too warm for my taste, but that's just me. Re the PL1, I also tried several different KT88's and 6550's 'because I could' and they were unrepresentative of what I expected from them - I suspect I could improve this unit by re-biasing it with them in place but I don't need to so it will remain a mystery.
Have fun with your tube rolling - keep in mind it's all about synergy not only with your amp but with your other electronics as well, so blanket recommendations from folks can be a waste of time and money. :-)
Anybody who does not think that there is a break in process , with tubes , is wrong ! I plugged these new tubes in and listened immediatly , it sounded thin , vailed and lifeless . Pretty much the same at 1 hour and 4 hours . Now , at @ 12 hours , the sound has some body , warmth and weight . It now sounds like a tube amp instead of an old cheap boom box .
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.