Are MULLARD NOS EL34s and LTA ZOTL40 REF worth the price of admission?


I'm considering giving an older Linear Tube Audio (LTA) ZOTL40 Ref amp an audition.  LTA has a factory upgrade that includes upgrading to Mullard NOS EL34s for $800 (or less with additional discounts).  I am wondering if quad set of old-stock Mullard EL34s are worth the $800 price of admission?  I don't pretend to know what anyone else's budget is but $800 for quad EL34s seems like a lot.  If I'm paying the premium, it better be across the board and not just improvements on chamber music or obscure Chinese opera (no offense intended).  Does anyone have experience with either NOS Mullard tubes or LTA ZOTL40 Ref amp?  If so, please chime in.  Thanks.
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Showing 2 responses by jjss49

the mullard issues do not resemble the old stock ones in sound... whether the SQ difference is worth the extra cost is a function of one's wallet and system

but be sure, the difference is undeniably there

i concur these are outstanding amplifiers, unique in how they present the music, a precise yet very beautiful sound, certainly not your granddaddy’s rose colored, rolled off, smoothed over tubey sound

but at over 8 grand new, 5-6 grand 2nd hand, there are a lot of options out there, many of which have more impressive published power figures

i, like most owners of these big zotl’s love em, hang on to them, they need to be heard to be appreciated, and then they become beloved (of course, as always speaker matching is important to get right)

pre and post covid, these zotl reference amps have driven speakers in some of the nicest sounding rooms at a number of hifi shows