GEC KT88s

[Marco]

Just a word then on the GECs (1960s vintage) after playing with some at the weekend...

The difference between them and any other KT88s I've used, including the excellent cryo'd Svetlanas, is quite significant. Those were until now the best KT88s I'd heard but the GECs are quite simply in a different league.

I had expected the GEC KT88s to sound sweeter and perhaps more 'romantic' sounding than their modern counterparts, as many NOS valves do, but it's the exact opposite. Sure, they remove any hint of edge or 'grain' from the sound but they do so also by making the sound tighter, 'harder', more immediate, and 'bigger', but not bright in any way. Silences are 'blacker', which allows music to emerge naturally and 'breathe' more. Dynamic impact is significantly increased such that voices and instruments are projected into the room with so much verve, intensity, and 'attack' that one gets the feeling they're hard-wired to the speaker's voice coils. Anyone who's experienced what a Decca London cartridge does in the midrange will know exactly what I mean.

Tonally, bass is tighter and deeper, the top end is sweet as nut, having seemingly endless extension and incision, and the midrange... Oh my, that it something quite special. The GECs 'coat' female vocals in particular with a beguiling 'creamy' quality, the rendition of which caresses your ears with a velvety sumptuousness, eking out every last nuance and inflection in voices to allow performers their own individual acoustic space within the listening environment. Consequently, one is left with little sense whatsoever that the music is recorded and not real.

Make no mistake, the GECs are special. This is no audiophile 'tweak' where effects are at best subtle and often not of sufficient significance to warrant the outlay. What the GECs do is fundamental and gets right to the heart of the music. I can think of no other way of achieving their effect in a valve system by spending similar money [around £600-800] elsewhere.

If you see a good pair for sale at a reasonable price, buy with confidence!

Marco.

[Steve Toy]

I'll ask Anthony to hold me a set until I've recharged the fund caps.

[Marco]

It's a no-brainer, Steve

Before that, though, I have some very nice NOS RCA 6SN7s (which were in the Yaqin) I'll bring down on Tuesday that you can try in your amp instead of the Philips ones.

The Copper amp is sorted valve-wise, so these are now spare.

Marco.

[artist]

Marco KT88's are amazing i have a guitar amp that was built with these in mind.

It is one of the best amps that i have used.

There are quite a good few nos of those out there

[Marco]

Hi Del,

How are you, mate? Long time no hear

Yep, I love KT88s, especially NOS GEC ones!

Give us a bell sometime and we can catch up

Marco.

[SPS]

I had expected the GEC KT88s to sound sweeter and perhaps more 'romantic' sounding than their modern counterparts, as many NOS valves do,

it funny what you say marco.. when one reads the hi fi mags and some of the net, that's just the impression you get.. more romance.. hinting at less accurate..

single ended triode amps are portrayed as even more so..

its funny that i find the total opposite of that too...

the earlier valve types sound even better to me....
...although that will be difficult for you...as i'm sure you can not imagine anything better than what you have...???

steve

[Steve Toy]

Marco,

Leave those 6SN7s at home. Anthony has told me they are not matched to my amp that directly couples matched driver valves.

[Marco]

No worries. We'll need to try and get you a matched quad of NOS ones, though, to replace those toppy sounding Philips things

Marco.

[Marco]

it funny what you say marco.. when one reads the hi fi mags and some of the net, that's just the impression you get.. more romance.. hinting at less accurate..

single ended triode amps are portrayed as even more so..

its funny that i find the total opposite of that too...

the earlier valve types sound even better to me....
...although that will be difficult for you...as i'm sure you can not imagine anything better than what you have...???

steve

Hi Steve,

I say that because that's exactly how they sound!

There's no hint of 'romance' whatsoever with the GECs, just a huge, clear, massively detailed, dynamic sound but without a hint of brightness or 'glare'. There is no downside to them at all.

If I can pick up a matched quad of 1940s or 1950s GECs then that would undoubtedly be the ones, but for the time being the 60s ones I have are more than 'adequate'

I'm currently using Tung Sol 1940s military spec 6SU7GTYs, with the black glass, and 1958 Brimar CV1985s inside the Croft and they're amazing sounding, so I know that the earlier valves are even better! I can't try some of the stuff you use unless my ass goes all single-ended... I can't see that happening anytime soon, though. Good though it is in certain areas, it's not quite my 'thang'

Marco.

[lurcher]

I can't try some of the stuff you use unless my ass goes all single-ended...

Not true, it just costs twice as much :-)