DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

[jdm61]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

KT88's are big, burly, very linear tubes. best known for their use in high end stereo amps. The most famous vintage example being the McIntosh MC275. Weren't they also used in the Ampeg SVT or did it use 6550's? You are going to have a lot harder time getting them to break up:fingersx: Richardson made some brand new KT88's in the good ole USA a few years back for the anniversary reissueof the Mac 275. They were supposed to be as good or better than most of the NOS stuff, but they were priced about the same as Genelex KT66's .....$300+ PER TUBE!!!!!!!!! and this was 5 or so years ago:yell: But 4 of them would give you 150w of SUPER clean power before ANY clipping, so do the Marshall math.....a modded 50w plexi that would drive 2 4x12 Greenback cabs with authority :banana:

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

Got six KT-88's in the output of the Hiwatt, it sounds great from a whisper and all the way up to a roar.

 

[Koreldyre]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

i am kinda getting it, would help if someone else would agree with you or not.

sounds convincing enough
i know that KT88 are used in audio amps are EL34 as well?

I think you're only going to confuse yourself more and more going down this line. You should just ask straight out how people compare the VHT UltraLead vs CL, or try them yourself (assuming this is continued research on deciding which amp to buy).

"Burly" is a good word to describe how KT88 amps sound, as someone mentioned above.

There must be hundreds of different versions of designs based on each tube type, and countless different subjective opinions on them. If you buy an amp based on what people say, chances are you won't get what you expected. If you think about it, you still have no clue how either one sounds. It just leaves a lot more open questions to ask.

I highly recommend to just make a trip to try some amps out, it will answer all your questions and more importantly show you how they sound in your own hands. It would suck to spend thousands of dollars to get less than exactly what you thought you were getting.

 

[Marcel]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

i hear that the EL34 breaks up earlier, but how come KT88's are also used in more high gain amps?

High Gain amps are more about Preamp saturation not about Poweramp breakup!

 

[Young Angus]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

My ENGL Savage 120 has two KT88's in the power amp...but ive had people recommend that SED 6550's are the way to go with them, apparently they sound a fair bit better.

 

[Willis]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

I thought kinkless meant there are no kinks in the EQ curve...

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

This is a very informative thread. I'm like Rid, my Marshall sounds good from whisper, to roar; but like all good tubes amps it sounds best cranked. The lows are very authoritive, tight, round. Depending on EQ I say you could even say aggressive. The mids are transparent, smooth and warm; and the highs are articulate, and glassy, but not brittle or harsh.

My poweramp starts to crunch at about 7 on the Master I'd say.

Luke

 

[ES350]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

'Kinkless' just means the anode characteristic does not have a negative-slope
region ['kink'] like the original rf tetrodes from the early 30's had,
caused by secondary electrons emitted from the anode, arriving at the
screen grid when the screen grid is more positive than the anode.
[like in an output tube with big anode voltage swings].
.
Using a suppressor grid [making the tube into a pentode] is one way
to make sure secondary emission from the anode does not give the kink.
Using beam forming electrodes plus careful alignment of electrode structures
is another way...hence KT88, KT66, KT90.

'Saturation' refers to nonlinearity inherent to transformer material characteristics and design and the magnetic properties thereof....nothing to do with tubes.

 

[fretburner]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

While you guys are at it, what's the difference between EL34s and EL84s?

Laney LC50 has EL84s and Peavey Classic 50 had EL84s... and me and my friend were both "WOWed" by the Laney.

 

[ES350]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

EL84---noval base, 0.76 current draw, 300 v max plate voltage, 12 watts max dissipation

EL34---octal base, 1.5 amps current draw, 800 V max plate voltage, 25 watts max dissipation

 

[fretburner]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

EL84---noval base, 0.76 current draw, 300 v max plate voltage, 12 watts max dissipation

EL34---octal base, 1.5 amps current draw, 800 V max plate voltage, 25 watts max dissipation

English please?

 

[ES350]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

That is English---some of the main differences between those two very different tubes.

 

[fretburner]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

That is English---some of the main differences between those two very different tubes.

Okay... let me put it more nicely...

What's does that mean in lay man's terms?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

What exactly do you want to know?

The 84 has less power handling ability; they are both brash sounding with robust mids.

Luke

 

[tone?]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

i think what fretburner means is what do those things that you just said translate to in tearms of how they operate.

cause i got lost with the KT88 talk as well.

of what i understood the KT88 was made to have a more balanced feel than an EL34 , but i guess it all depends on how the amp was made as well

 

[fretburner]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

What exactly do you want to know?

The 84 has less power handling ability; they are both brash sounding with robust mids.

Luke

for example, what does octal and noval based mean?

 

[ES350]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

octal---eight pin

noval---nine pin

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

Also the 84s look like overgrown preamp tubes with no large base and 9 pins whereas the 34s have a large 8 pin base.

Luke

 

[fretburner]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

Cool. Thanks!

 

[firebirdVII]

Re: DIfference between KT88's and EL34's

'Kinkless' just means the anode characteristic does not have a negative-slope
region ['kink'] like the original rf tetrodes from the early 30's had,
caused by secondary electrons emitted from the anode, arriving at the
screen grid when the screen grid is more positive than the anode.
[like in an output tube with big anode voltage swings].
.
Using a suppressor grid [making the tube into a pentode] is one way
to make sure secondary emission from the anode does not give the kink.
Using beam forming electrodes plus careful alignment of electrode structures
is another way...hence KT88, KT66, KT90.

'Saturation' refers to nonlinearity inherent to transformer material characteristics and design and the magnetic properties thereof....nothing to do with tubes.

Ah, I see. That makes sense, so the addition of the grid is what made the tubes "kinkless", I new why they added grids, just never heard anything but scientific theory language about it.

Thanks, hope I didn't mislead any body with that bit of misinformation. (tried to say that I wasn't too sure though)