Tung Sol 6550 vs. GEC/Genelex/Gold Monarch KT88

Metralla, thanks for the list. It's interesting that the only other tubes I've rolled in my amp were GE 6550As, and I wasn't impressed. Now, I know my ears weren't deceiving me. Now, I'm especially curious about the Tung Sol or Gold Lions and how much better 1.5+ points is on the scale?

Also, interesting that the JJ tubes ranked so high. I went to the VTV website and they seem to feature JJ tubes for sale. Coincidence?

Coincidence?

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

I am a novice, so can you explain whether the 6550 and the KT88 are electrically equivalent or not?

Regards,

I know you can usually use them in the same amp (swapping one type for another as a set...not individually). They are not electrically the same. They require different biasing.

FYI - I have the Audiopax amp driving Avantgarde Duo speakers and recently brought in the NOS Genelex Gold Lion tubes, replacing the Svetlana that is put in by the manfacturer. What an awesome improvement in sound - just outstanding results! Highly recommended.

I also upgraded to NOS Amperex (Holland) 12AT7's and they were yet another level of improvement.

Jack/Tao
Atlanta, GA

I took the plunge and bought a set of NOS Genelex Gold Monarchs to replace my the stock Chinese KT88 tubes that cam with my VAC amp. I should have them the week of Dec. 5th and I will report back after some listening.