Sure is a deal with those NOS included. The Popes are still the reigning champs for me.

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@Beercan...... still around? Curious what you thought about the KT77's and Popes you tried back in June. I have Popes and love 'em, but haven't tried KT77's.

This is my latest configuration. Matched pair of Sylvania 6V6G's (branded as GM Electronics, matching date codes too) from the late 50's probably, Siemens E88CC and a vintage 1945 RCA JAN VT-197/5Y3GT. It's been a long time since I've tried anything in the driver position other than the Telefunken E88CC, just thought I'd try something new. But with all the other changes it's hard to isolate how that change impacted the sound.

As I've said before, I love the look of the 6V6G coke bottle shape - but they do seem to break up a little sooner than the 6V6GT's. A bit more distortion on newly recorded (i.e. big dynamic range) music, but glorious on acoustic/vocal music. Can't wait for my replacement pair of vintage TungSol 6550's to arrive, those will be in play when I listen to the louder music...

Tubes = tone controls for these Fire Bottle amps!

http://home.comcast.net/~cryptcl/FB6V6G.jpg

This combination of tubes was magical on John Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Waters" release. Just a great recording of slide and acoustic guitar and solid bass. Great music too.

I love when that happens! :beerchug:

I'll have to listen to that album again. I have it and haven't listened to it in a year or so.

I'm running the russian driver that Dennis supplied - 6H1P/6N1P. I tried a GL6922 and a National/Matsushita PCC88/7DJ8. Both added a touch of stridency and I went back.

Still with the Popes for power tubes. Would like to try a NOS Siemens EL34 and a good 6L6 though. I had fun with the =C= EL34 but find the Popes more balanced.

I'm not Beercan, but I do have a pair of Pope 12AX7's in my SLP-98P phono section. I've been running them for about a year now and they sound better than anything else I've used in that location.

I've also tried KT-77's in my VAC PA 35/35 amp. They were alright, but I prefer the Winged C EL34. Though the best I have heard is the quad of Mullard XF-2's that I am currently running. :yes:

I read very good things about the XF-2's. Which variant do you have? They can be quite expensive!

Phillip's from the Blackburn plant, 1971 issue. Single halo getters. Mine came with the amp when I bought it. Actually, a very nice stash of tubes came with the amp. The XF-2's, a quad of Winged C's and Genalex Gold Lion KT-77's, Telefunken 12AT7's and 12AX7's and lots of spare current production tubes as well.
The KT-77's were a bit more dynamic, but not as sweet or fleshed out in the midrange as the Winged C's or XF-2's.

Man, I was just looking at Tube Depot, they are selling XF-2's (double halo) for $200 per tube!!
I guess that is still cheap compared to the $500/tube they are asking for Phillips Miniwatt metal base EL34's!!
Tube prices are getting crazy!! $500 for one EL34 tube???!!! :tears: