Yikes, I missed a lot of hubbub while I was away. First off congrats to Rob and everybody else who is getting a new amp. Second, it is sad to see more trouble with EML here. My 274B has been trouble free, and all the complaints have been about 5U4G tubes so maybe there is something to that..... I can definitely appreciate the opinion of older tubes being better made, but to my ears nothing touches my EML for sound quality. The bass control and inner resolution is just not there with all the other rectifiers I have, and I have a few good ones. Perhaps it is psychological because the EML was expensive, but extended listening sessions always bear my opinion out. It is hard to listen to another tube for any length of time when switched directly for the EML because it just feels like some of the music is missing to me. The only tube that even comes close is my Brimar 5R4, which I do find very enjoyable so long as I give myself a waiting period between using it and the EML. Since my 274B has been trouble free, despite my having rolled it in and out of the amp more often than is probably sensible, I'll just take it for what it is and hope it gives a long service life.
