KR Audio KT88 Vacuum Tubes

@coppy777 you've got some serious CJ gear! I think you'd really like the KR KT-88.  Per verdantaudio the sound signature of the KT-88 sounds (pardon the pun) similar to the 300B XLS, very tight, controlled yet full bass, with clear, crisp, articulate treble.  The mid-range of the 300B XLS is very lush, but not mushy, i.e., it's no so warm it muffles everything.  More like sublime ++. I wouldn't call the 300B "bright," but as verdantaudio notes, depending on your speakers, the KR's could brighten up a brighter speaker. 

My Cary with the KR 300B XLS is driving a pair of Focal 716S and Vienna Acoustics Haydn's with a vintage Klipsch sub.  Not my #1 setup, but the amp and KR tubes sound wonderful even with the modest speaker set up.  I did run the Cary for a bit with my #1 speaker grouping, Klipsch Forte IIIs and Focal Aria 926 before I moved the Cary to system #2. and didn't consider it too bright.  

My guess is you have some fantastic speakers given the level of CJ tube gear you've got.  I think the KR's would definitely be an upgrade in your system.  If you go there, I found the 300B XLS needed about 100 hours to break-in and really begin to show their stuff.  

Cheers, enjoy the music!

I agree.  I don’t think Moon Audio would fib about that.  Eunice told them that or it was some confusion based on conversation over other tubes and the Abyss collaboration.  
 

I like the Sophia’s a lot.  They are sort of a Goldilocks tube being a touch brighter than the Gold Lions but not as bright as the KRs.  I like them as an alternative to the KT120s plus I love the Blue Glass.  

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.

I Have the KR's powering my PL HP, 8 tubes in all. I did pay less then $1000.00 a few years ago. 16 total. There's always pos. & neg. opinions on price, performance,etc. Me, I swear by them. Tried many well known tubes before I went to the KR family. These tubes are phenomenal! I'm running a Don Sachs pre-amp feeding to my Klipsch base horns, & Altecs 311's with Facial pro tweeters. If anyone wonders what fast base should sound like, my setup can show you. +1 for the KR's

I have a drawer full of tubes, a Dennis Had Firebottle HO power amp and an original Freya preamp...both amps use 6SN7GTB tubes (the Had uses one, the Freya four). Recently I was trying various KTs (and 7581As from Tung Sol) power tubes from the stash in the Had amp (the 6SN7s are all NOS GEs which I prefer over anything else I’ve tried) and was enjoying how interesting and different all of ’em sounded. I was smoking pot so EXCUUUSE ME! After reading something from a guy who made a passionate case for KT120s over 88s (GLs are my faves of those) I put a pair from the collection in the amp and man...he may have been right. The 120s are now preferred...until I put the GL 66s or 77s back in for some reason. Or just hook up my Pass XA-25 again...that’s my other power amp that rests until called upon. I gotta quit smoking that stuff, or smoke more of it. Something, anything.