NOS EL34 becoming extinct


There is a thread running regarding whether tube gear is worth buying if one cannot find NOS tubes.  I have been watching the prices of NOS EL34 soar and supplies diminish ( finding quads is quite challenging ).  As my budget has shrunk as I retired I am thinking the unthinkable ; buying new production EL34.  Tyranny for sure!  WIth that being said I wonder has anyone found new production EL34 worth a try?  Before diving down the NOS rabbit hole I had tried a quad of Groove Tube and was quite underwhelmed.  As always your opinions are requested but please no snark.

rivinyl

Showing 1 response by inna

Before switching to Mullard EL34 XF2 a few months ago I was using SED Svetlana Winged C's in my VAC Avatar SE integrated. They were alright but nothing more, the Mullards are far better in every respect. Besides, one SED failed after 700 hours, I bought them new from Tube Depot, they still have them for $120 each.

If you want to try new production EL34 you might try Russian Mullard reissue, many like them more than SED Winged. They are something like $50-$75 each from Upscale Audio or other places.

I personally have absolutely no intention of buying any reissues.