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Tubes 101

I'm very new to tubes. Is there a sonic signature to different tubes? For instance, do Kt-88's have more highs and bass? Do 6550's have better midrange?

It seems like KT-88's, 6550's, EL-34's are the most common, or at least those are the ones that I keep seeing pop up.

I can use KT-88, 6550, KT-90, EL-34, 6L6GC, 7581A, KT66...

In terms of sound, I want it all, and why save $100-$200 on tubes when I'm already this deep in the rabbit hole?

To further complicate things, which brands are better? I'm thinking a matched quad set of Cyro'ed Gold Lion Kt-88's might look pretty sitting in my PrimaLuna Prologue 5....
b_limo

Showing 1 response by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,903 posts
 
TUbe #s/model merely identify a set of standard parameters that enable different ones to be used interchangeably. These alone do not assure a certain "sound", only that certain models are more likely to work best in a particular design, case by case.

Probably more often than not, two different models of the same tube #/type will deliver sonic differences. How much and to what extent it matters still depends.
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