These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

[The JEM Ghost]

Hi to all,

A lot of us know about the New Sensor company and their tube-brand line (Sovtek, EH, Tung-Sol, Svetlana S-logo(not winged =C=), Mullard, Gold Lion, ...). They produce all of those brands in the so called Reflector factory in Russia, and it's known that lots of those brands share components too.
In the past it has been the case that certain Electro Harmonix (EH) tubes were relabeled Sovtek models, for example the first EH12AX7's were just a relabeled Sovtek type, but in the case of the EH12AX7 this HAS CHANGED and the EH12AX7 became an independant tube after some time, and no exact Sovtek could be bought anymore (meaning the EH12AX7 was not just a relabeled Sovtek anymore, but featured a "different" design of it's own). Let there be no doubt about it, the EH12AX7 has not been a relabeled Sovtek for a long time now, but I am just pointing it out as an example.

Two powertubes come into my mind as well ongoing relabeling regular Sovtek types as EH tubes: the EH EL84 (same as Sovtek EL84) and the EH 6L6GC (same as Sovtek 6L6WXT+).
Now my big question is; did anything change over the years too the EH EL84 and EH6L6GC or are these tubes still exactly the same as the Sovtek EL84 and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, except for the label??

Or did these two type of EH power tubes took on the same evolution as their EH12AX7 and featured some slight changes over the Sovtek version becomming slightly more then just a relabeled Sovtek??
Are the CURRENT production EH EL84 and EH 6L6GC still EXACTLY the same as the Sovtek EL84 and Sovtek 6L6WXT+??


Thanks in advance for any replies!!

[GuitarDoc]

Re: These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

It seems that the EH 6L6GC is somewhat different than the Sovtek

http://www.tubedepot.com/eh-6l6.html

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

Thanks for your reply GuitarDoc!

It's reports from tube sellers (like the one you linked) that make things even more confusing (not meaning any disrespect at all towards your post or yourself though ).
One renown tube seller (such as Tubedepot, there are more but can't remember which ones) claims the EH6L6GC is a slight improvement over the Sovtek 6L6WXT+,making them slightly different tubes, and another renown tube seller, The Amp Doctor (TAD, who knows a thing or two about relabeling himself), claims the EH6L6GC is exactly the same as the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, just a relabeled Sovtek and identical to the Sovtek 6L6WXT+

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_70_82&products_id=556

Other tube sellers such as Tube Town and Tone Factory follow the statement of TAD, in opposition to the claims of Tubedepot and some others...

Confusion is the key word here...

I tend to believe TAD a little more then Tubedepot at this time though, mainly because the descrpition at the Tubedepot is the same description that Sovtek gave to the WXT+ when it was released, but with the exception that they compared the Sovtek 6L6WXT tot the (then) new released Sovtek WXT+ which at that time replaced the Sovtek 6L6WXT. They also claim at Tubedepot that it is similar in construction then a blackplate RCA 6L6GC, and once again TAD does not seem to agree, he points out that there is not too much alike in the EH6L6 or Sovtek 6L6WXT+ vs RCA 6L6GC:

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_70_82&products_id=1303

Something that makes me hesitant to believe there is a difference between the EH6l6GC and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, is that it appears that Tubedepot seems to copy a lot of the marketing lines from New Sensor (Sovtek, EH, Tung-Sol, Svetlana, Mullard, etc...) in their product description.

All these opposite claims create even more confusion...
I am still not certain at all that the EH6L6GC and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+ are exactly the same tube, but I'm still tend to believe that a little more then the EH6L6GC being a slightly better made 6L6WXT+.

Hope you guys can chime in!!!
Thx again GuitarDoc for your reply!

[GuitarDoc]

Re: These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

Sounds like you know a heck of a lot more about this than I. All I know is what I see. That link to Tube Depot is the only thing I had read about them.

[Low_fidelity2100]

Re: These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

Thanks for your reply GuitarDoc!

It's reports from tube sellers (like the one you linked) that make things even more confusing (not meaning any disrespect at all towards your post or yourself though ).
One renown tube seller (such as Tubedepot, there are more but can't remember which ones) claims the EH6L6GC is a slight improvement over the Sovtek 6L6WXT+,making them slightly different tubes, and another renown tube seller, The Amp Doctor (TAD, who knows a thing or two about relabeling himself), claims the EH6L6GC is exactly the same as the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, just a relabeled Sovtek and identical to the Sovtek 6L6WXT+

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_70_82&products_id=556

Other tube sellers such as Tube Town and Tone Factory follow the statement of TAD, in opposition to the claims of Tubedepot and some others...

Confusion is the key word here...

I tend to believe TAD a little more then Tubedepot at this time though, mainly because the descrpition at the Tubedepot is the same description that Sovtek gave to the WXT+ when it was released, but with the exception that they compared the Sovtek 6L6WXT tot the (then) new released Sovtek WXT+ which at that time replaced the Sovtek 6L6WXT. They also claim at Tubedepot that it is similar in construction then a blackplate RCA 6L6GC, and once again TAD does not seem to agree, he points out that there is not too much alike in the EH6L6 or Sovtek 6L6WXT+ vs RCA 6L6GC:

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_70_82&products_id=1303

Something that makes me hesitant to believe there is a difference between the EH6l6GC and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, is that it appears that Tubedepot seems to copy a lot of the marketing lines from New Sensor (Sovtek, EH, Tung-Sol, Svetlana, Mullard, etc...) in their product description.

All these opposite claims create even more confusion...
I am still not certain at all that the EH6L6GC and the Sovtek 6L6WXT+ are exactly the same tube, but I'm still tend to believe that a little more then the EH6L6GC being a slightly better made 6L6WXT+.

Hope you guys can chime in!!!
Thx again GuitarDoc for your reply!

Getting your info from anyone trying to sell you something, is probably not a great way to get accurate info.
I mean of course TAD is gonna tell us the 6L6EH is Pretty much the same as the WTX+ and therefore somehow not as good as they're TAD branded tubes...They wanna sell us whatever they will make the most profit from.
Tube Depot is also just trying to sell something. The EH6L6 is slightly more expensive than the Sovtek WTX+, so obviously they're gonna say its slightly better...so they can try to get you to spend a bit more. Be hard to convince you to spend more if they said "They're the exact same tube, One just has a cooler picture on the Box."
The EH is a Better sounding tube in my experience. There is most certainly a difference, in sound and reliability. Whether they're really different or not, I dunno. Could just be that the EH tubes are the same tube, but with better quality control.


If you wanna know if theres a difference, BUY a pair of both tubes, and see for yourself. Its not like either tube is expensive, an if you dislike like em...Well you always need to have a set of backup tubes.

[joelap]

These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

Meh, call me a nonbeliever and shun me to kingdom come, but I bet you could hear as much of a difference between two different sets of the same brand of tubes as you can two sets from different brands. This may not have been the case years ago in the heyday of tubes, but with there being three total factories in the world now making tubes all coming from the ex soviet-area or china... Quality control just isn't as important as it used to be when the military and every electronic appliance at home was using them. I think modern tubes are fine for what we use them for as guitarists, but I think in regards to vast differences worth commanding priced between any brands of the same tube type, the emperor has no clothes.

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: These Sovtek and EH tubes still exactly the same??

-Getting your info from anyone trying to sell you something, is probably not a great way to get accurate info.

-I mean of course TAD is gonna tell us the 6L6EH is Pretty much the same as the WTX+ and therefore somehow not as good as they're TAD branded tubes...They wanna sell us whatever they will make the most profit from.
Tube Depot is also just trying to sell something. The EH6L6 is slightly more expensive than the Sovtek WTX+, so obviously they're gonna say its slightly better....

- I completely agree with your first line, I tried looking for the data sheets of EH6L6GC, EH EL84, Sovtek EL84 and Sovtek 6L6WXT+ and could only find the data sheets for the EH tubes, seems there simply are no Sovtek data-sheets released (which is pretty annoying I think).

- I can understand your point with the second part of your post, but some things are not put accurate in my opinion: TAD does not say that his TAD-labeled 6L6 tubes are better at all, he states that the TAD 6L6 is a better choice for vintage-classic amps and sounds(and also that the EH 6L6GC compares little in design compared to a blackplate RCA 6L6GC) but states that the EH 6L6GC is a very good choice for more modern hardrocking sounds and is even recommended for this application (over the TAD 6L6 even that is!). So I guess the statement does not apply in this particular case.

It's true that both Tubedepot and TAD sell both the Sovtek 6L6WXT+ and the EH 6L6GC and at both places the EH costs slightly more, it would make sense from a sales standpoint to say what Tubedepot says: it's a slightly different tube, but look at what TAD says in the exact same situation, he does pretty much say "It's the same tube with a cooler package and a slightly higher price".
BTW, it's not always the case that the EH 6L6GC sells a little more expensive then the Sovtek 6L6WXT+, it depends from supplier to supplier, at BTB Electronics and Tonefactory the EH 6L6GC is the cheaper of the two.
In case of the EL84 it is consistent towards the price, the EH EL84 is almost always noticeably more expensive then the Sovtek EL84.

A/B'ing the tubes would be indeed the best way to find out more about them, but I was just wondering if you guys could chime in here, or have already A/B them or have any experience with them!

Thanks for your input so far guys, and thanks in advance for any further replies!