EL-34: JJ Tesla or Electro-Harmonix?

Interesting shootout Trelja! Too bad you couldn't incorporate the SED "winged C" EL34s in there somehow. Looking forward to your write up, especially your results compared to the $$ Mullard XF1s.

I will be going thru the same thing myself, comparing the JJ E34Ls, JJ KT77s, SED Winged Cs, and NOS Mullards, all on a pair of the excellent Dodd 120 monoblocks.

Ericusrex: As you can tell by other systems ,your mileage may vary.I am only going by what i have tried. The EL34 Svetlana Cryo tubes are $70ea. at Tubedepot.com ,when you can get them. They usually get about 50 pair and they are gone the next day. I like the Svetlana very much, but the cryo version is a touch more refined and has a bit better depth and the highs are a touch sweeter will less edge,and the bass is exc....I did hear good things about the JJ KT77 but haven't yet tried it.

After a week of listening to JJ E34Ls, JJ KT-77s, and SED "winged C" EL34s on Dodd amps, I can conclusively say that I preferred the SEDs over the rest. Both JJs were closer sounding to each other than different. The SEDs gave me an airier, bigger (in all directions) soundstage, and a more natural, very pleasant midrange. I may have sacrificed just a little of the slam and transient response using the SEDs, but that is minor compared to the nice sonic gains.

I still need to compare the SEDs to the NOS Mullards.

Interesting, 1markr!

In our shootouts, in three different systems (mine, Badboss429's, and Audiogon dealer Stephen Monte's/Quest For Sound) the JJ E34L and JJ KT77 sounded nothing alike. One would probably not expect they were made by the same company, as normally I find tubes have a definite house sound. However, the JJ KT77 sounded more than a bit close to the JJ KT88, but with superior mids.

We also tried the 1960s Mullards, I'll write the findings up in a thread here soon.

I was hoping we'd be able to try the SED tubes, but no one had a set to put forward.

It's nice to get a lot of different perspectives here, as it broadens the understanding of the tubes. Guess the old adage of system dependence is at work...

JJ/Tesla (EL34 and E34L) vs. Sovtek vs. SED, I preferred the latter in a CJ amp.