Linlai KT88 experience?

@donsachs - a follow-up to your Linlai KT88 comments.

Do you have any experience with the Sophia Blue KT88 (vs Linlai KT88) as they are being re-introduced later this month?

Thanks, Don!

JimRicketts/tmhaudio

@tmhaudio 

I heard some Sophia blue glass when I was doing the vintage work and a fellow sent me a quad to use with his citation II amp that I was restoring.  Sounded good, but I only listened for an evening and the amp had all new caps and power supply so not really a good data point.  I have not heard any other Linlai KT88, just the Kt88-D.   I have heard their egg shaped 300b tube and it is quite good, but the WE300b copy is much better to my ear.

I now have about 50+ hours on the Linlai KT88-D.  They are stable, no issues, and the sound is stunning.  Again, these are drivers in the 300b amps running about 15 watts, and not used as output tubes.  That said, they appear very well made and I would expect them to be quite good as output tubes in an amp.  My 2 cents... good luck to all.

I’m not surprised on how the Linlai tubes are as good as they are. I’m running the Global E in your personal pre-amp you sold me & like them as much as all my NOS JANs in my stash. I’m curious on how they would stack up against the K&R kt88 that’s in my PrimaLuna HP?

@donsachs 

I ordered a quad (top 10%) of the "Global" labeled KT88-D from Grant Fidelity - eagerly awaiting arrival. Alas, "express shipping" is S-L-O-W....

That said, GF would not reply to my question of differences between the tubes labeled "Global" vs the plain brown printed labels.

Don, do you have any insight into the differences (if any) of the 2 types of labeling by Linlai factory?

Thanks!

Jim Ricketts/tmhaudio