Best EL34 ?

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?

Eight 34s for $200.00? AP, you stole these, good for you.AP is right about the improvement made by tubes versus those made by cables etc.Those of you who haven't tried a great NOS tube need to. Start with your small tubes, a 60s, or better yet a 50s Amperex or Mullard 12AX7 or 12AU7 longplate.It is so much better then anything made today it'll seem like a component upgrade and not a tube upgrade. These can be had (once found) for around $200.00. $200.00 for an improvement that is usually staggering! No upgrade provides more value for money.