Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Thanks for the replies, dudes.

I actually like the TADs a lot as far as tone goes. I didn't find them all that 6V6-like in my LBX 2, but they did seem to have a tiny bit higher highs and lower lows as well as clarity and headroom. Subtle difference compared to the cheapie Sovteks, though. How do the Mullards compare? What's the EQ of the Mullards like?

I'm thinking about the slightly pricier Sovtek EL84M's too. They seem to be the current incarnation of those old 6P14P-EV’s which seem to be the heaviest duty EL84's. Has anyone got any experience with them?

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Did you know that EHX is Sovtek and Tung-Sol? EHX is the parent company of New Sensor which started up those tube factories in Russia. They own the name Tung-Sol and Svetlana brand names

So they are all made in the same factory, but they aren’t all the same tubes.


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[Ascension]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Thanks for the replies, dudes.

I actually like the TADs a lot as far as tone goes. I didn't find them all that 6V6-like in my LBX 2, but they did seem to have a tiny bit higher highs and lower lows as well as clarity and headroom. Subtle difference compared to the cheapie Sovteks, though. How do the Mullards compare? What's the EQ of the Mullards like?

I'm thinking about the slightly pricier Sovtek EL84M's too. They seem to be the current incarnation of those old 6P14P-EV’s which seem to be the heaviest duty EL84's. Has anyone got any experience with them?

Mullards are really fat and smooth and will break up nicely when you push them a little. Really sing when you crank them but also get looser and distort much earlier. The Boogie and my Jet Cities loved this the Zinky not so much. The TAD's so far have out lasted any other EL84's by a good bit and seem very rugged. The Mullards and the TAD's are both slightly larger in bottles so be aware both won't fit in some amps. Have not used the Sovetec EL 84M's yet.

[Jacew]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Did you know that EHX is Sovtek and Tung-Sol? EHX is the parent company of New Sensor which started up those tube factories in Russia. They own the name Tung-Sol and Svetlana brand names

So they are all made in the same factory, but they aren’t all the same tubes.


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Yep. Also new Mullards and Genalex.

JJ's are slovak, with their own factory.

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

So I said screw it and ordered a set of Mullards as well as a set of Sovtek EL84M's to try out. I'll be reporting back. I really wish the EL84M's really do have the clarity and headroom they promise to have. Thank you, dudes, for the feedback.

[Ascension]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Please let me know how the Sovetec M's stack up as those I have not tried yet.

[dystrust]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Please let me know how the Sovetec M's stack up as those I have not tried yet.

+1

I'm looking for a new set of power tubes for my JCA22H, and I'm also looking for headroom & clarity. That amp has more gain than I'll ever use, so I don't need (or want) power tube breakup.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matched-Pair-KM4-Amperex-EL84-6BQ5-Vacuum-Tubes-Same-Heerlen-Codes/163895159483?hash=item2628e9aabb:g:MZEAAOSwYwNdml1Q:sc:USPSFirstClass!63139!US!-1

Just sayin ...

[Jacew]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matched-Pai...ss!63139!US!-1

Just sayin ...

Less interest: Lower prices and more for people who care for them to hoard. Just sayin

I'm happy with JJ. Cheap, reliable and easily available anytime anywhere.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

more to wut ?

JJ > lol = mass produced garbage. Blind leading the blind.

You can lead a horse to water but they can still die of thirst.

This thread is so much fAilZ.

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

This thread is so much fAilZ.

Aren't you the one who's done the most posting in it? Sounds like you may be complaining about a problem you caused.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Aren't you the one who's done the most posting in it? Sounds like you may be complaining about a problem you caused.

No & no ... this thread is just proof positive that most people on amps forums wouldn't know a set of great tubes if they were hit upside the head with them.

No great surprise.

FWIW all my amps have EL-34's which are the best tubes for rock amps.

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Just figured I'd bump the thread with an update. I got my Sovtek EL84M's. They are great. They're kind of TAD EL84-STR's +1. TAD's are clean, tight, sparkly, and hi-fi. Well, EL84M's are cleaner, tighter, more sparkly, and even more hi-fi. Regular cheapie Sovteks EL84's have this kind of upper-mid grit and breakup (which I actually kinda like too and prefer over the JJ's smoothness, lower-mid emphasis, and squishiness). These are way cleaner-sounding and more open. These are my current favorite EL84's for my EVH. They're still no big-bottle tubes by any means, but they're definitely a tiny step more towards that direction.

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

I'm thinking about the slightly pricier Sovtek EL84M's too. They seem to be the current incarnation of those old 6P14P-EV’s which seem to be the heaviest duty EL84's. Has anyone got any experience with them?

I had a pair of them in my 15W Goldea head. They have a lot of headroom & sound 'big' (extended range?) but were a little hi-fi/sterile sounding..so I swapped them out for a pair of RFT's which are by far my fave EL84's (and reasonably cheap for NOS)

The regular NOS 6p14P's (without the "EV" designation) sound a bit more musical with gain, have more harmonic richness and stuff. The NOS mil-spec'd 'EV's' are great for huge cleans & actually do sound pretty decent with gain as well (a bit warmer than the Current EL84M's as they apparently have some 'gold' in there somewhere which I doubt is going into the current production versions ) ..they do sound good especially with the amp cranked up a little as they tend to break up a bit late.

[BenPerkins]

Re: Electro Harmonix or Tung Sol EL84's?

Just figured I'd bump the thread with an update. I got my Sovtek EL84M's. They are great. They're kind of TAD EL84-STR's +1. TAD's are clean, tight, sparkly, and hi-fi. Well, EL84M's are cleaner, tighter, more sparkly, and even more hi-fi. Regular cheapie Sovteks EL84's have this kind of upper-mid grit and breakup (which I actually kinda like too and prefer over the JJ's smoothness, lower-mid emphasis, and squishiness). These are way cleaner-sounding and more open. These are my current favorite EL84's for my EVH. They're still no big-bottle tubes by any means, but they're definitely a tiny step more towards that direction.

Did you receive your Mullards yet? I have an OR15 and had a lot of noise & fizz with the stock EL84’s. Mullards cleaned all that up and the amp sounds great. Genalex EL84’s are worth checking out too.