KR Audio KT88 Vacuum Tubes

Hey trivema,

Thanks for your description of the KR KT88 SQ.  Looking for a lusher, fuller midrange if anything.  In pursuit of that actually got rid of Nordost Valhalla speaker cables for Wireworld Platinum.  Needed Nordost's Odin top cable but the numbers are nuts.  Speakers are Wilson Yvette, have Sasha Vs on order. If not over emphasized, a tighter top end and bass are great.  

Yes those used original English KT88s are the real McCoy, I'm told. Would need to buy eight to get four good tubes... and then when one goes. Not a rabbit hole I want to start through. Thanks though.

My amplifier is a Conrad Johnson ART27a class A producing 36wpc.  For the benefit of the first three respondents who have not heard the KR tubes, the amplifier lists for $22K.  The pre-amp is C-J's ART88 at $28K.  All pretty high end sound producers.

My interconnects cost several times what a set of the KR's would run and the speaker cables sell of about what the amplifier does.  So I'm willing to spend $1300 for a set of four if they truly sound better than the Gold Lions. I just re-tubed the amp's KT88s after about two years of use for about $400.  I buy tubes from reputable sellers or C-J, never on Amazon or eBay where the lower quality tubes end up.  I'm told New Sensor separates out their best testing tubes and they become the Gold Lions.  

As for the Sophia Electrics, I understand they don't manufacture their own tubes either, they come from Shantung in China.  But they are again some of the better testing valves from that company.  Rather the Gold Lions of Shantung and pretty also.

Thanks to trivema and retiredfarmer, thanks for your input; very helpful.  Tubes are a maintenance issue, especially in a circuit like this one which drives them hard to produce that much class A sound. At worst case the KR Audio tubes will likely last longer and the current Gold Lions will become backup for the next replacement cycle.

Still, don't need power tubes right now... unless they really sound better.

VerdantAudio... just looked at your site. Very impressive offering. And thank you for the perfect answer. Which begs the question... Other than blue, how is the SQ of the Sophia Electric KT88s vs the Gold Lion.

Moon Audio folks are nice folks and honest. If made in the USA is on their site it’s an honest error on their part. Czechoslovakia is correct for KR. Still higher cost for manufacturing than Russia and they are likely a much smaller company.

Is this what they mean by "Double Blind" testing?

An enjoyable read in any case.

I'm still trying to decode the results.  I actually prefer a good English Gin for these critical sessions.

Best...