2. amps-preamps
  3. 193489-2975

Is a Sophia Electric Baby & Yarland FV-34C MkIV the same amp internally?

Recently I picked up the above Yarland tube integrated amp and noticed it uses the same tube configuration and layout as the Sophia Electric Baby.  I believe they are also both Class A Push Pull & 12 wpc.

 

While the Baby only has 1 input, the Yarland has 2. I was wondering if anyone was familiar with these int amps and knew about the internals of each of them?  I assume both are manufactured at the same factory?

 

Seems like there are several Chinese tube amps with different labels that look quite identical?  When they look the same, how does one know which brand is better?

128x128lou_setriodes
carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,973 posts
 

absolutely not.

Most relabeled amps have the same layout so if the tubes, etc aren’t laid out the same, they probably are a different design.

But these 2 amps don’t even use the same tubes. Yarland uses an EL84, similar to the Decware UFO, but the UFO is an SET. The Sophia uses Russian military 6P1T. These tubes look the same but are totally different with a different pinout. trying to use one for the other will not only not work but will likely cause the smoke to escape from components inside your amp.

Jerry

lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes OP
690 posts
 

Bummer, was hoping and thought the tubes in the SE Baby was the Russian military version of an EL84.  They are probably built in the same factory since the amps clearly resemble each other

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