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. 



300B SOVTEK

Out of production, 5 pairs left on stock!



  5Y3





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 datasheet, 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