Alternate Power Tubes for a Cary V12R

Nobody?

Well, ok. That's a start.

I did speak with Jim McShane, and he was very friendly. He recommended the Gold Lion KT 77s and the EH 6CA7, but, looking on his website it appears that those are the only two options he has in stock.

It seems like there are some folks on A-Gon and around the web who think highly of the JJ KT-77s. Anyone have any experience with them? I've got the JJ EL34L's in the amp now, and they've been pretty good. They were a damn site better than the stock Ruby Tubes.

Nobody on the JJ KT77 tubes?

Just to follow up - I went with the JJ KT-77s as I had pretty good luck with the last set of JJ EL34L's that i bought. So far, I like them very much. The bass is a little tighter, but the real difference is in the treble - the KT-77 just has much better extension up top. That extension translates to more three dimensionality as the ambient cues and air are more audible. As for the midrange - which is supposed to be the EL34's strength - I don't feel like any of the prized liquidity is gone, but the clarity is much better. To my ear the KT-77 is a better tube in general. Now, having said that, I'm not sure how much of that is the just the benefit of having a fresh set of tubes, but I don't remember the EL34s sounding this good when they were new.

...but they can't overcome a screaming baby.

Vintage tubes aren't really practical for an amplifier that takes an even dozen. Even if you could get a matched set, they cost a fortune. The small signal tubes are easy enough, but not the power tubes.

I have never seen anyone with a dozen of anything in an online auction. How many dozen would you have to buy to actually get a matched dozen? Not practical.

I'd be curious to hear your experience with the KT120s - every review I've written of them has been glowing. Do you know what your your V12R was manufactured and does that offer a clue to which transformers were installed?