KT 88 Tubes

[soundofmusic]

Hi,

Where can I source the KT 88 Tubes in India. I was browsing the net and found few tubes available abroad , but the pricing is very high. Is KT 88 a hi priced tube??

TIA

Edit: Just now saw in tubestores.com a matched pair of electro harmonix KT88EH for 69$ . Is this a good price.

 

[prem]

Hi Soundofmusic

The new Gold Lion KT 88 tubes made in Russia are the best of the lot.

 

[soundofmusic]

Dear Prem, Where do i get these in India? If I import it, I am afraid of the tubes being broken in transit.

regards
Vijay.

 

[myriad]

Dear Prem, Where do i get these in India? If I import it, I am afraid of the tubes being broken in transit.

regards
Vijay.

Vijay,
I have sourced tubes from tubedepot.com without any problem. They pack it nicely so there is no damage to tubes.
Regards
Vasu

 

[prem]

Hi Vijay

You will have to buy them from abroad. They pack it very well. There should be no problems.

 

[soundofmusic]

Dear Vasu and Prem. Thanks for the reply. Will try to order the tubes.

thanks
Vijay.

 

[GeorgeO]

KT 88s are a bit pricier than 6550s or EL 34s. At the present time JJ Tesla KT 88s are supposed to be the best value for money/performance combo. I had a Melody Integrated using JJ Teslas and they sounded very nice.

 

[prasen_b]

Hi,

Where can I source the KT 88 Tubes in India. I was browsing the net and found few tubes available abroad , but the pricing is very high. Is KT 88 a hi priced tube??

TIA

Edit: Just now saw in tubestores.com a matched pair of electro harmonix KT88EH for 69$ . Is this a good price.

I have bought some (Mullard, JJ tesla and BEL) 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes from BE3 Amplifiers - INDIA. Pricing seems to be reasonable.

 

[denom]

Hi prasen,

did you order them directly or did you interact with Mohammed Ansar of BE3 Amplifiers???
He is a nice chap. Great Axeman too

 

[trittya]

Hey guys , I know nothing about tubes but what can a pair of ULTRON ELL 80 tubes be used for?
Do advise please.

 

[soundofmusic]

KT 88s are a bit pricier than 6550s or EL 34s. At the present time JJ Tesla KT 88s are supposed to be the best value for money/performance combo. I had a Melody Integrated using JJ Teslas and they sounded very nice.

Hi George, Is EL34s a replacement for KT88?

regards

 

[vivek.saikia]

Just a noob question, Are all the tubes interchangeable?

The reason I am asking this is because I have come across a tube amp without the tubes (with four tube sockets), in a flea market selling at throwaway price. The amp build looks very exquisite with teakwood body, chrome finishing all over the transformers and gold plated terminals. But the brand name is not mentioned anywhere as the brass plate at the front is all faded out. So just wondering if restoration is possible without knowing the tube models?

 

[soundofmusic]

I have bought some (Mullard, JJ tesla and BEL) 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tubes from BE3 Amplifiers - INDIA. Pricing seems to be reasonable.

Hi Prasen.

I have purchased 12AU7 From be3 amplifiers before, nice guy to deal with. Once I ordered a mullard 12AU7 , the tube was not working but immediately he sent me a replacement. I am looking for a new KT88 and I dont think they have it in stock.

regards

 

[GeorgeO]

It depends on the amp's design.Some amps are designed to handle all the three tubes that I mentioned, though the power of the amp will depend on the tubes-KT 88 will put out more output power than EL 34s for example. Some are not designed to handle different tubes-like my Sophia Electric amp-it is designed only for EL 34s. The amps mains and output transformers need to be beefier if it is to handle the more powerful tubes.

Hi George, Is EL34s a replacement for KT88?

regards

 

[GeorgeO]

Again it depends. Tubes have a finite life-suppose you bought one that was almost dead and paired it with a brand new one, you would not get the same performance of a pair of new tubes. Second,many( but not all) mfrs specify matched pairs or sometimes quads.

If I did not understand your question correctly and you asked if one buys an amp without knowing anything about the tubes that were used, then yes it can get confusing. The pin configuration can be the same for a range of tubes, and you may not know which ones to buy and install. That is a problem, since different tubes have different properties.

I hope this helps a bit.

Just a noob question, Are all the tubes interchangeable?

The reason I am asking this is because I have come across a tube amp without the tubes (with four tube sockets), in a flea market selling at throwaway price. The amp build looks very exquisite with teakwood body, chrome finishing all over the transformers and gold plated terminals. But the brand name is not mentioned anywhere as the brass plate at the front is all faded out. So just wondering if restoration is possible without knowing the tube models?

 

[GeorgeO]

Sorry I should have said different tubes also have different functions in an amp-like rectification, splitting the signal, power etc..

 

[prem]

Hi Sound of Music

In many amps the KT88 and the 6550 tubes are interchangeable.

 

[CLEARCUT]

What are the alternates for el 34

 

[vivek.saikia]

Again it depends. Tubes have a finite life-suppose you bought one that was almost dead and paired it with a brand new one, you would not get the same performance of a pair of new tubes. Second,many( but not all) mfrs specify matched pairs or sometimes quads.

If I did not understand your question correctly and you asked if one buys an amp without knowing anything about the tubes that were used, then yes it can get confusing. The pin configuration can be the same for a range of tubes, and you may not know which ones to buy and install. That is a problem, since different tubes have different properties.

I hope this helps a bit.

Thanks George, That explains a lot.

 

[quad]

Is EL34s a replacement for KT88?

That's nearly a FAQ question. Simple answer - it depends!
Lots of info on this. Just a few hits -

Are KT88's Interchangeable with EL34's - The Gear Page
EL34 and KT88??? 6550? - diyAudio
AudiogoN Forums: EL 34 vs. KT 88 ---- What's the difference?

What are the alternates for el 34

Among others - KT77, 6CA7, and the real bargain - 6p3s-e