SED C EL34 - opinions !

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EnGl

EnGl

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What do you think about them ? Good reliability and quality?
I'm asking cause the nearest tube vendor said that quality of this tube is pretty low...
I know that this tube receive very good reviews and well ...


Please describe me your experience.
 
The SED EL34, is still the most robust EL34 out there. Now, it has been said the quality over the years has dropped a bit, I have not had any higher failures of these tubes than when they first came out in the early nineties.

The big issue, is that these used to be named Svetlana, Mike Mathews bought the Name (Svetlana) several years later and started selling his Sovtek Electro Harmonix tubes under the same name.

But real SED EL34's are pretty good. But all tubes can be bad right out of the box.

Make sure the tube vendor burns them in for at least 24 to 48 hours. I have heard some tube vendors say these are bad tubes, but funny thing they also don't carry them...... They just don't want you to go somewhere else.
 
Best 34 out there IMO ;)
I've been through all of them and SED's seem to be consistantly better sounding and longer lasting than any other brand.
That said, you can get a bad anything out there, including any brand you can name. Opinions are kinda like ass holes :lol: :LOL:
Yes, there are cheaper options that do well, but I've had them go out much sooner. I have a set of SED's in a Friedman Plexi that are pushing 3 years and tons of hours and they are still measuring out with a Biasmaster where they did on day 1
I'm just wondering what the vendor thought was better, and why?
Does he stock SED's?
 
Honest to goodness SED =C= tubes, of all varieties, are killer glass IMHO.
 
I've bought tons of them over the years and never had one failure...knock on wood. :lol: :LOL:
 
I love SED =C= tubes, they sound great and have been very reliable for me.
 
Overrated, and overpriced. Depending on what you're after, tone-wise, as well as dependability, there's many less expensive options.
I had SED's in many amps, (including current JVM). That amp just sounds meaner, and tighter, with KT77's.

Svetlana EL34's sound great it in, as does JJ 6CA7's.
 
Thanks guys , they will have really bigger and tighter low end with veery smooth sound in my 6534 ?
According to the net of course.

And what will be the best bias value for them ?(PV is 480) What range ?
 
60-65% of max plate dissipation:

25W * 600/480V => 31.3mA
25W * 650/480V => 33.8mA
 
296_EL34_SED_800.jpg


I've bought SED =C= 6550's, 6L6's & EL-34's, most reliable and best sounding CP power tube i've used.

My EL-34's are 5 years old and show no sign of slowing down. :thumbsup:
 
OK , You convinced me ;)

I'm buying the SED C EL34.
Currently I have RUBY EL34 BHT , what kind of change I can expect in term of tone ?
You know , I will buy SED's and Rubies will be for backup.

And how much pv and grid voltage they can handle ? I know that for grid the capacity is 500 and for plate about 800. Anyone tried them in more hard situation , for example 550 ?
 
EnGl":1gftoivk said:
OK , You convinced me ;)

I'm buying the SED C EL34.
Currently I have RUBY EL34 BHT , what kind of change I can expect in term of tone ?
You know , I will buy SED's and Rubies will be for backup.

And how much pv and grid voltage they can handle ? I know that for grid the capacity is 500 and for plate about 800. Anyone tried them in more hard situation , for example 550 ?
Click to expand...
http://www.valvequeen.com/

Dude, get them from Laura, you'll be glad u did, she's the fucking best, Dave Friedman even gets his tubes from her. :thumbsup:
 
EnGl":hbhrflzc said:
Anyone tried them in more hard situation , for example 550 ?
Click to expand...
Bogner does in (at least the older) Shivas and XTCs. PV > 500V . . . the SHiva I had on my workbench had about 520V PV or so . . .
 
For super high plate voltages, SED =C=, Ruby El34 BHT and BSTR, and JJ/Tesla E34L tubes are the ways to go (for new-production tubes). Of the bunch, I prefer the sound of SEDs. And I don't think they'll have a problem running at 500 volts +. But they might not last quite as long. But that's still at least a few years most likely.
 
I use =C= in my 50w model. Perhaps your vendor would like to sell you a different brand for his own reasons...
 
The Ruby EL34BHT are good tubes, but I would still pick the SED over them.

The SED's are tighter and have a smoother top end, the mids are complex and all EL34. The bass is tight and controlled.

The Ruby's are spongier compared to the SED's and more compressed, the mids are not as present and there is more top end and bass but the bass is not as focused.


SED= give you the more authentic EL34 tone

Rubys= give you a more modern type of EL34 tone


Marshall stopped making EL34 amps in the late 80's instead using 5881WXT from Sovtek, because the current productiuon EL34's from Russia and China were firecrackers.

SED is the reason Marshall started making EL34 amps again in the mid 90's and used to be standard OEM tubes until the chinese and others started making better EL34's.

SED is the reason everyone else got their shit together making a better EL34 than what was currently available back then.
 
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