Tubes for Cary V12 amps.


I have a few Cary V12 amps. When I bought them they came from the factory with Ruby EL 34's.  I have tried Winged C's, Electro Harmonix and JJ EL-34's and I have lot liked them as much as the Ruby's. I did ask Cary about the Ruby tubes. They said they designed the amp using those tubes and that is probably why the amp sounded best with those tubes.  So I have stuck with the Ruby's since (Ruby EL-34 BHT). But when I went to reorder the 36 tubes I need for the three amps I was told that the factory that produces the Ruby tubes in China had a fire and isn't currently making tubes and there are very few out there to be found. Also no word on when production will resume.

Anyone out there have any luck with tubes other than those I mentioned (Winged C's, Electro Harmonix and JJ) ?
whataboutbob1

Showing 4 responses by jond

Gold Lion KT77 reissues are by far the best modern EL34 variant I've heard I use them religiously.
@russ69 Sometimes you get what you pay for and personally I avoid power amps with lots of output tubes for just that reason. Also why I got away from 300B amps the retubing costs.
@decooney I hear you I decided to enter the world of EL34 tubes when I had a Western Electric 300B flame out on me. I vowed to never have that type of audio pain again. ;)
I don't know specifically what PSvane UK grade means but I had a set of PSvane Phillips Reproduction EL34's briefly and they were unacceptably bright. Fancy packaging but not good tubes.