PSA - Penta KT-88s

[greiswig]

All,

I've been using Penta KT-88s for a bit now, and have managed to go through two out of the four that I got in the past 1.5 years. The dealer has been great about covering the failures, but sheesh.

Last night, another tube failed in the same way: a tiny hairline crack in the glass, not caused by an impact (and clearly a stress crack because it is a perfect circumferential crack) has admitted some air into the tube, so it's gone. They're pretty good tubes, but I'm hoping that I'll find something else that is at least as good sounding and is more rugged.

Thought you might want to know...FYI, the tube dealer says that I have the only two such failures out of all the ones he has sold. So it could just be my bad luck.

[Phil_S]

It's my impression that Penta, like every other dealer, is just reselling what's made elsewhere -- Russia, Czech Republic, China... If you are happy with the product and service, you have every reason to stick with them. If you find you need to make a change, there are a number of other "glass hustlers" who will be happy to give you good service and have your business.

[diagrammatiks]

a kt88 failure is really the worst.

seems like penta is the same as shuguang...which also seems to be where all the chinese tubes are made...

[Cliff Schecht]

JJ KT88 tubes, if anything, are built like tanks. I think they have tone to boot. Great clarity in the high end (not harsh either), ballsy in the low end and roaring mids. Great complex sounding distortion in SE applications too.

[greiswig]

JJ KT88 tubes, if anything, are built like tanks. I think they have tone to boot. Great clarity in the high end (not harsh either), ballsy in the low end and roaring mids. Great complex sounding distortion in SE applications too.

Thanks for the tip, Cliff!

[gearhead]

My understanding is the Penta Labs are cherry picked shuguang's.