2. best-of
  3. 1129445213

Best Of 6550/KT88 Tubes Under $100/pair

System dependent yes, but hope to bring some helps to save a little time and money for people who are deciding which to go for.

Amp - AQ1001

1. EH-KT88 Safest bet in terms of price and performance, has got everything from top to bottom. Vivid and lively sounding but not the smoothest may be a little(just a little)bright for some. Should wins the best buy tag.

2. Svet Winged C 6550 - Warm and smooth. Mid is more bodied and rounded than EH. IMHO very good for vocals. Can be No.1 depending on what music you prefer.

3. Sovtek 6550 - Not bad at all, a very good transistional if you are waiting or saving for something higher grade like Tungsol re-issue.

Wanted to try Ei-KT90,Chinese VA KT88 and Tungsol RI but that will come later. Tks.
rainchild
psam
9 posts
 
Tung Sol Reissue with some relaiblity concerns.

Mine are some 100 hours old and sometimes (twice) I heard a "pop" from the speakers...I hope they were random effects.

They are not as loud as the EH KT88, but they are much more balanced in tonality. The VAs are definitely inferior - and cheaper.
Amp is a Cayin A88-T
rainchild OP
31 posts
 
Hi Psam,

Tell me more about your amp, it's a very beautiful baby. Have you compared it to Jolida JD502B or the Prima Luna Prologue Two? My next amp could be any of these three.
rainchild OP
31 posts
 
Hi Psam,

Tell me more about your amp, it's a very beautiful baby. Have you compared it to Jolida JD502B or the Prima Luna Prologue Two? My next amp could be any of these three.

"They are not as loud as the EH KT88". Do you mean the "POP" or the gain?
psam
9 posts
 
Hello Rainchild,
The gain of the EHs is higher than the Tungsols, but with my speakers (94db sensitivity) I have no problem, even listening to AC-DC and such.

The amp is a great piece! I have listened to the PrimaLunas as well, and they sounded very good too. With the same power tubes, the Cayin sounded more authoritative than the PrimaLuna two.
The Cayin also has the remote control and the possibility to play in triode mode, which gives a sweeter sound, better for classical etc.
Another issue is that the Cayin is much heavier than the PrimaLuna, and this is a quality indication for me.
The Jolida I have not heard at all.
Hope this helps!
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