PSVANE Horizon Series EL34-AT Vacuum Tube Amplifiers Matched Pair (Pack of 2)

TOP quality!

I'm new to the world of tubes, so take this review with a grain of salt. I recently traded in my trusty old solid state integrated amp for an Elekit Tu-8200r (i.e. a tube amp). The thing only puts out 8 watts a channel (4 in triode mode), but holy crap what beautiful watts they are! Anyways, I've been equal parts cautious and giddy about tube rolling - depending on who you ask, new tubes can either significantly change the sound of the amp or do literally nothing beyond providing a fresh electron-spraying cathode. Only one way to find out! I was a bit nervous about getting these given the lack of ratings, but I've done enough forum-crawling to know that PSVANEs have a solid reputation and provide good bang for your buck. These seemed like a good middle-ground price-wise...go to any hifi sales site or forum, and you'll see how things can get blindingly expensive in a snap. I can stomach the price of these given their long lifespan. So how do they sound? In my Elekit (amazingly, horrifyingly, different tube amp models can do very different sonic things with a given pair of tubes) they sound stunning. Even if the imaging wasn't pinpoint, even if the soundstage wasn't spacious and almost tangible, even if the highs weren't more detailed yet less fatiguing than the 6L6GCs from JJ that they replaced...they sound beautiful. I love them. Voices and stringed instruments are a real treat with these tubes. I have them paired with some cheap NOS RCA clear-tops, and I'll be sticking with these for the foreseeable future. I'll probably break down and get some more tubes for comparison's sake, but not for a long while. Why would I? When the music is playing, I just close my eyes and smile like an idiot...what more could I want? *Update 12/24* Turns out "a long while" wasn't very long at all. I grabbed the PSVANE Art Series KT-88s out of curiosity...they're by far the cheapest tubes in their "Art" line, although they're certainly not cheap. So how do these EL34s compare? Basically, the EL34s make the midrange sound divine, but you get less "oomph" in the highs and lows. This is the general consensus on EL-34s versus KT-88s, so nothing revolutionary there. Everything I might say about imaging, detail, etc. seems largely a result of this difference. The reduced emphasis on highs and lows means you're not getting every last scrap of detail or every little soundstaging cue (at least, not from the highs and lows), BUT that midrange is still – as mentioned originally – enough to put a big dumb smile on my face and keep it there. It's the best midrange I've heard from a tube so far (at least, any tube in my amp). In other words, the pricier KT-88s don't blow the EL-34s out of the water in any way, shape, or form. They're different, sure, but it's more a matter of prioritizing what you want out of your tubes. If you care more about hearing the dirt on the fingers of drum players, the KT-88s are the way to go. If you care more about what a voice or string can evoke in you, these EL-34s are the right pick. If you live in an apartment and you're worried about pissing off the neighbors, the EL-34s' reduced emphasis on bass might be your best bet. Or, if the KT-88s are simply out of your price range (which would be perfectly fair), don't feel like you're missing something unmissable; these EL-34s are fantastic tubes! *Also, I'm still by no stretch a seasoned tube-rolling know-it-all, so hang onto that grain of salt as you're reading this.

Sono delle buone valvole. Suonano bene.

I’ve been a Psvane fan for a long time. I feel like they always have provided excellent quality at a fair price and gives me the sound that brings out the best in my gear. These Horizon tubes bring that to another level! The sound is very natural and effortless. Voices have more emotion and instruments and vocals are located within their distinct space. Detail is more layered and they seem to capture every nuance. Bass is full and fast but never bloated. They have brought out the very best in my Prima Luna integrated. I hope my sound stays like this forever! They are brilliant! Fast shipping and secure packaging. I am extremely pleased.

Sound good, as expected, the price can be lower though. I have ordered a bunch of Horizon series tubes and all have tinned pins for about a quarter/third of their lenght, on two of these tubes pins were having so much led on them that refused to plug into the socket. The pins are supposed to be gold plated, not tinned.