Best EL34 ?

Longplate has named it. I like the brown and black base Mullards with double getters (hole in locator pin) the best. Second would be the AEG Telefunken, the single getter Mullard and the Old Dutch Amperex. The old Amperex are very good, but do not have the magic midrange and mid bass the Mullards do. My Wolcotts are fitted with Mullard 6922 inputs, Telefunken 6GW8 drivers and Mullard (dual getter) outputs. This is by far the best combination I have had with these amps. Like Longplate says, the bass is unbelievable with this combo. Just did a session this evening, and the LP to test the system is the new direct to disk from Acoustic Sounds of Wild Child Butler. It is stunning.

You all seem to point to older EL34s. I have experimented with Tesla JJs, Sovteks and Valve Art as the Mullards, Teles' and Amperex are too costly, especially NOS MQs. The Valve Arts provide great bass, wonderful soundstage and pure mids/HF. I paid $40.00 for the MQ on Ebay and am super satisfied. Highly recommended!
Has anyone found NOS or used GEs or Sylvanias? If so, would like to hear from you.

If you found NOS GE or Sylvania EL34s they would have been made by Amperex or Mullard and would cost the same. Unless your talking about a US made fat bottle 6CA7 which sounds better in a guitar amp then a hi-fi amp.

I just purchased eight of the old EL34 Mullards on EBAY for $200.00,. My current wholesale price list from New Sensor Company shows the Tesla E34 L @ $8.90 each dealer cost.

This makes a total investment difference of only $128.80 for amps requiring sixteen EL 34 outputs. This small difference in price between ordinary tubes the best ever EL34 is the bargain of the century. Obviously everyone must decide where to invest their limited audio budget, but the old magic tubes are often more gain in performance than the same investment in wire, isolation, and equipment upgrades.

My Anthem Amp 1 came with Electro Harmonix El34's which I believe are made by Sovtek. I changed over to Svetlana and the sound is much smoother. Something else I have discovered is after I changed preamps(Anthem pre2L to ARC Ls7)the low end has improved. Don't know if the new pre is letting the Svetlanas do there thing or the pre2L was just lacking. Any comments?