Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

[CTN]

Sometimes, Sovtek tubes and their counterparts, Tung Sol, EHX and Svetlana get lambasted for inferior quality tubes especially when compared with SED/Winged C, Tube Amp Doctor or anything NOS for that matter.

Right now, I have a full complement of new production new sensor tubes in my Jet City JCA100, and it's honestly never sounded better.

This is what I'm rockin:

V1, V2: Tungsol 12ax7
V3, V4: EHX 12ax7
V5: Sovtek 12ax7-wb
power: Sovtek 6L6WXT+

I've been testing various tubes for feel, tone and noise - mostly JJs and shuguangs (chinese) in all the positions, and I'm getting some more to test out, but I don't see what the big deal is. These sovtek tubes are kicking ass right now and yielding juicy, sizzling tones.

YMMV is true for any tube, cuz you can always get duds, but I for one count myself as a Sovtek fan.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

Tungsols are good. So are EHX.

 

[TSE]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

Love the TS, LPS, and want to learn more about their Mullard RI.

 

[TSE]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

How do Sovtek 6l6s compare to JJs?

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

TSE, I've got a Mullard RI 12AX7, and I don't know how I feel about it. I'm an old school, big crunch tone chaser, and the Mullard doesn't do that. It's very smooth. There's nothing harsh or bright about it, but you can tell it's got plenty of power to gain up your tone. But it's not going to be that big, crunchy gain. It's a smoother, more polite yet powerful overdrive.

I know I need to bone up on my tone words, but hopefully this will make some sense to someone besides me.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

How do Sovtek 6l6s compare to JJs?

i swapped Sovtek for jjs in my twin. The jjs are less middy and have a nice "spacious" feel to them. I like them better.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

My favorite tubes are EH. I think I like them because they sound really clear and they reduce a bit of hum from my P90s.

I do like a lot of other new sensor tubes though... they are usually the first place I look for modern tubes...

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

I've found uses for the New Sensor tubes, the Chinese tubes, and the JJs (in moderation). I guess it just depends on the application. I'm really taken with the high-gain Shuguang offering recently, but Tung-Sol in V1 is where I stand tonally.

 

[ken361]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

Gold Lions are are tad better then tungsols because for there warmer mid range I like, you should try a LPS for the PI

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Sovtek(new sensor) tubes

All tube brands are good.
It's the amp that they are in that makes the most difference.
Sovteks sound great in your Jet City as well as in my Soldano. But they sound inferior to JJ's in my Peavey's......