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WHAT ARE SOVTEK TUBES?

Sovtek is a brand, not a factory. Either these are Russian NOS tubes, simply rebranded, or they are new made tubes from the REFLECTOR FACTORY in the Ukraine, Russia.

REFEECTOR tubes are sold under a range of brands, but in the end it is all from one factory. Brands seen to far are: New made Tung-Sol, Mullard, Electro Harmonix, Svetlana S-Logo and Gold Lion. So when buying a SOVTEK you get either a NOS tube, or a REFLECTOR tube. The NOS are often from old Reflector stock, but not always. Most of the new production Sovteks are a tube of it's own, and are not available at other brands.

The greatest amp companies in the world use SOVTEK Tubes:

Fender® • Marshall® • Peavey • Crate • Mesa Boogie • Atma-Sphere • Ampeg • Soldano • Hark• Laney • Retrospec • Carlsboro • Sound Vasin • Victor • Solo • Koch • Wytech • Triode • Bogner • Melos • Audio Note • Pal • Penn • Atd • Blue Circle • Precision Power • Cary • Audio Professor • Brunetti • Vulcan • Blues Land • Antique Sound Lab • Victoria • Balanced • Behringer • Hi-Mu • Velleman • Dynaco • Matamp • Ebs • Matchless • Budda • Orange • Simetel • Chimera • Kitty Hawk • Bradley • Aguilar • Audio Research • ATD • Tophat • Requisitte Audio • Alessandro • Rogue Audio • Torres • Musica Nova • Sherlock • Cosmos • Chelmer • Reflextron • Convergent • Sonic Frontiers • Kora • Graaf • Manley Labs • Randall • Holland • Tone King • Real Tube • Dr. Z • Carvin • SLM • Marble • L'Aurora Sound • Viva • Ashdown • Synthesis • Torres • KJL • Komet • Unison • Muse • Pathos • Esh • Audio Note • Kell • Matamp • Kendrick • Bruno • Dutch • Engl • Demeter • Eden • VHT • Vtl • Rocktron • Uncle Albert • Diaz • Stevens • Wells • Fi • Hoffman • Demeter • Wellborne • Rivera • Standel • Sovtek

KT66-PL
What means the letters PL

The Sovtek KT66 has a different construction from the vintage KT66 as made by G.E.C. The Sovteks are related to the American 6L6. The Sovtek tube has a fully machine made glass construction, The Chinese and G.E.C. tubes have a handmade glass construction.

The Sovtek low-resonance glass shape gives this tube a unique appearance.

KT88-PL
What means the letters PL

The Sovtek KT88 was designed to offer the highest output power and the most reliable, linear performance available in a KT88. The unique tri-alloy plate structure of the Sovtek KT88 yields higher minimum plate current and higher Transconductance while improving heat dissipation and reducing tube warm-up time. Its triple-carbonate Oxide Cathode allows the Sovtek KT88 to operate at full power for extended time periods without failure. These improved characteristics offer increased power output, higher amplification factors, and more precise tube matching with minimal drift while still maintaining tonal clarity.

The Sovtek low-resonance glass shape gives this tube a unique appearance. Click here for a detailed image.

5AR4

5U4G

This rectifier is a special baby. First, it is one of the ONLY Coke bottle glass 5U4G that you can buy from New Old Stock. So yes, this tube is not new production. Actually the Russian military had tons of this tube made, but with another tube base on it. The generic tube is the same as 5U4G

5Y3

6C33

These are re-branded Uyjanov tubes. So we at JAC-Music do not sell this tube, but recommend the Uyjanov directly. Check under NOS tubes.

6C45pi

Another great tube from the Russian military, at it's highest point of development. This is a frame grid tube, meaning the grid wires are so extreme thing, you can not see them with the eye or handle them with machines. For making a grid like this, first a frame is made of hard metal. Around this frame, the gird id wound, and frame and grid together go inside the tube. Like this very precise tubes of high gain can be constructed. This one has a gain of 50x and... it had enough plate dissipation to build a small SE output stage with it. Realistically, it is not made for SE stages, but it has been done. This tube is ideal for used with Lundahl LL1660 driver transformers. You can the transformer for instance in a 4.5 : 1 step down scheme. This will still leave you with a total gain of 50/4.5= 11x which is a good number. The good part is now, the output impedance of this tube is reduced with a factor (4.5)² = 20. So the original Ri of the tube, of appr. 1100 Ohms will appear as 55 Ohms (!) at the output of the LL1660.

So a line output stage with this tube, using the LL1660/25 would have these specifications:

Design example for line output stage:

Transformer LL1660/25 with connection scheme: Alt Q (see this website for Lundahl transformers)
Stage Gain = 11x
Output impedance 55 Ohms
Frequency range 10Hz...35kHz at 1db

Note: For Line Output stages, the "S" Version, LL1660S/25 gives superior noise isolation, but the normal LL1660/25 works very good also.

6H30pi

This tube is probably the last great double triode the Russians made. For a long time is was forbidden by the military to sell NOS stock of this tube. They had blocked all stock, and kept it "secret". About 9 years ago, stocks were released bit by bit. Indeed this tube is really magic in performance. You need to read the data sheet (at the "Techcorner" from this website menu!). Then you will understand why the military wanted to keep this for themselves. This tubes has all you expect, and all good things combined. So you have quite high dissipation, high gain, amazingly low plate impedance, as low as you get normally with a 2A3 or so. This incredible low plate impedance was NEVER presented before in a miniature, NOVAL based tube. And it never was made later on, by any manufacturer. Only THIS tube had that. The plates of this tube are not by thin "plate". They are solid block nickel, that is where the amazing electrical properties come from. This tubes is a miniature tank, and yet with beautiful HiFi data. And then you get two of those rubies in one bulb. Note they have made the glass extra long because of the huge getter. That will give extra long life. What else do you want? Gold pins may be.. But that exists also, then you take the EHX Version, the EHX is available also balanced, meaning both triodes are identical.

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SOVTEK
6SL7-GT
Order number
111-083-48

6SN7-GT
Order number
111-084-49

6SL7-GT / 6SN7-GT

These are NOS tubes, re marketed by Sovtek. They feature the GT option, which means higher power per system. These have the older, inner glass construction which at those days was hand-made!

SOVTEK
12AX7-WA
Order number
111-085-91

12AX7WA / 7025

The Sovtek 12AX7WA is said to be from Russian Military stock. This is probably the only tube of this kind that is available just normally. It has is beautiful black boxed plates. Construction and mechanical quality are absolutely outstanding, so this is the tube of choice by several Japanese amplifier companies at the moment. The boxed construction gives it the appearance oft the famous -holy grail- Telefunken ECC803S.

SOVTEK
12AX7-LP
Order number
111-088-58

The Sovtek 12AX7-LP is a tube from new production. On Par with many historical European ECC83 tubes.

SOVTEK
12AX7-LPS
Order number
111-089-56

The Sovtek 12AX7-LPS is a close copy of the Telefunken 12AX7 (ECC83), featuring the spiral heaters. This makes is very suited for low hum applications.

			Click in the images to see the details. You can see the ribbed plates, dimensions are the same, also the double mica in the top. Function is this is, to tighten cathode better, and reduce microphonics.

SOVTEK
7027
Order number
111-094-43

7027

EL84

The Sovtek EL84 is "the" tube when you are looking for a plain strong EL84 at reasonable cost

EL84-PL
What means the letters PL

Factory matched version of EL84

EL84M-PL
What means the letters PL

This is a specialty. As you perhaps know, Sovtek tubes can be new production or rebranded NOS Russian military tubes. This seems to be the case with the "M" version here. There used to be a so called "EB" version, originally from Russia, which is longer life and tighter specified. These are fully impossible to get now. However under the Sovtek brand these are still available, and are called "M" version.


	OB2 105Volt reference tube Though it can be seen (and used) as a small version of OC3, it is not the same. The OB2 is a voltage reference or regulator, whereas OC 3 is a regulator tube only. A reference tube will give amazing voltage stability at exactly the current it needs for that. Get the right value from the data sheet, but it is around 10mA. Alternatively you can use it as a small regulator tube as well (Same principle as a Zener diode). A reference tube will outdo a Zener diode by far! Zener diodes have a MAJAR problem, and that is temperate dependence is terrible. They have higher noise, and even the high voltage Zener diodes are not very reliable. So a complete circuit with some power electronics may fail, just because the Zener diode breaks down. So even today a gas reference tube is the best you can buy. It was know well in industry, and in many equipment from the past you find OB2, wheras solid state devices would have been available as well at that time. Click here for a compare between a Solid State Zener diodes, and the "old" equivalent OC3. Also here is a nice article about gas reference tubes

SOVTEK OC3-VR105 Order number 111-094-43	OC3 - VR105 / 105Volt /40mA regulator tube This is a regulator tube, no reference tube. The OC3 regulator tube is optimized for not changing the voltage over a wide range of current. When you go above the specified maximum current, this is even possible, when you do not expect the perfect regulation from it, that you have below 40mA. One of the best voltage regulators ever made - and still available. 50x more stabile than a Zener diode. Gas filled tube, without filaments. Has just two connections, and is used like a Zener diode. Can be used as transient suppressor, or stabilizer device. Can be serialized to get the required voltage. Just put four in series and get 420 Volt / 40mA. The American types are lighting pink. The Russian types use Neon gas, and lights up bright orange. Click here for a detailed image. Click here for a compare between a Solid State 120V Zener diodes, and the "old" equivalent OC3. Nice article about gas tubes