Product: Sovtek 6L6WXT+
Price Paid: US $5 sale price
Submitted
12/28/2005
at
07:56am
by
jim
Features
:
No Opinion
The Sovtek 6L6WXT+ are same as Electro Harmonix 6L6 brand.
Sound Quality
:
9
The amps I auditioned the 6L6WXT+ tubes in are Hilgen (1960), Fender Showman Twin (1967) & a Peavey Ultra 212 combo (1990s era).
I compared the 6L6WXT+ to vintage RCA 6L66GC grey plate and Svetlana 6L6GC. The Sovtek sound as good as the RCA per my ears in the same circuit if a slight bit more bright on the top-end. The Svetlana on the other hand is lifeless producing a small soundstage- just a very bland sounding tube.
The Fender amp was over-volting the Svetlana at 470 volts & I experienced an arc at the top mica. Believe it or not, putting that tube in the lower voltage Hilgen at 400 volts B+ did not produce any problems. I did catch the blueish-pink color arc immediately & was able to switch off the high B+ in about one second- lucky!
The 6L6WXT+ & vintage RCAs had no problem with the 470 volts plate, 460 volts screen & -52 volts bias in the Fender Showman Twin. Do keep in mind, Svetlana power tubes are well known for high quality & long life.
I held back a 10 rating due to such vintage tubes as Western Electric 350B or National Union 350B being available at times for $175 to $300 each!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus those early 1960s RCA 6L6GC tall bottle black plate are great tubes.
Reliability
:
10
The 6L6WXT+ are as reliable as one can purchase from any new manufacture & never experienced a failure or heard of anyone else reporting less than great quality. I have read the tubes have 20% higher output over vintage RCA 6L6GC & have a stronger plate structure watt dissapation wise.
I doubt if they produce 20% greater output as that is fully dependent upon the tube operating paramenters in the amp. Simply, can't get something from nothing. I believe that 20% means the tube is more capable at higher voltages & lower plate to plate impedance over vintage 6L6GC tubes. Anyways, it is a mute point in the above amplifiers.
Customer Support
:
9
Dealer network is all over the US & many places abroad. I would believe any well known tube dealer would replace a defective tube.
Overall Rating
:
10
Unbeatable per my opinion. Usually priced about $8-10 each & a bargain at that price, at $5 they were the best deal on the planet.
