Gold Lion KT88 Yes Cryo Reviews

4.8 Rating 63 Reviews

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Phone:

909.931.9686

Email:

joel.m@upscaleaudio.com

Location:

2058 Wright Avenue,
2058 Wright Avenue
California
91750

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Joseph Lardinelli

Verified Reviewer

“Gold Lion KT88 driver tubes are a huge improvement from the primaluna EL34 stock tubes they are replacing. Much better base and clearer highs. Also noticed better separation of instruments. I am using a primaluna evo 300 intigrated.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 week ago

Michael Richards

Verified Reviewer

“The Genalex Gold Lion KT88 power tubes that I recently ordered from Upscale Audio are the second consecutive set of Gold Lion KT88s that I have purchased for use in my VTL ST-150 power amp since I purchased the amp in late 1993. The amp originally came configured with 6550C power tubes and I had to replace the 6550s each time after approximately 2-1/2 years of use. The last two times I retubed my amp with 6550Cs, I purchased Svetlana SEC "Winged C" 6550Cs. I was very happy with the sound of the "Winged Cs," but I still only got approximately 2-1/2 years of use out of them. My first set of Gold Lion KT88 tubes are now five years old and were still going strong, but I had begun to worry about tube failure, so I decided to purchase another set (two sets of four tubes) and hold onto the others for spares. I enjoy the sound of the KT88s a lot, but I wouldn't necessarily say that I prefer the sound of one type over the other. I listen to many different genres and styles of music, but I almost always seem to gravitate back to different styles of electronica when I don't have a strong feel for what I want to play on a given evening. Both the Svetlana SEC "Winged C" 6550s and the Genalex Gold Lion KT88s definately haven't left me wanting in the bass. They seem to drive my Coincident Speaker Technologies Total Eclipse speakers down to or near their rated 20 Hz in the bottom end. The many reviews I read over the years disparaging the low end of most tubed equipment compared to solid state, have certainly not been my experience. At the other end of the scale, female vocals are beautifully rendered and don't ever become shrill in the upper registers. Violins and pianos have never become shrill or distorted in the upper registers, either. The mid-range is full and rich, exactly what I pictured tubes sounding like in my head prior to buying tubed equipment.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 1 month ago

Author didn't leave any comments.

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Posted 6 months ago

James Jacobs

Verified Reviewer

“Excellent”

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Posted 8 months ago

“These tubes sound amazing in my Mesa Strategy bass amp, warm articulate and clean”

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Posted 10 months ago

“Sweet, smooth, huge canvas of sound... Loved the change that these brought over the stock tubes in my amp!”

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Posted 11 months ago

“I need to purchase 16 KT88 Gold Lion tubes to re-tube my McIntosh MC2301 amps. They take 8 tubes per amp. My last Gold Lions came from Upscale Audio and I’ve purchased stereo equipment from them in the past. They show on their website they have 25 in stock but will only sell 6????. Called and spoke with two different reps and they won’t sell me what I need even though they have them in stock. This is very poor service and disappointing since Kevin Deal is always shouting out on You Tube about how they have the best tubes on the market and buy from them.”

5 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Great tubes and received promptly. Too bad they can not be purchased now unless you have bought equipment from Upscale. Seems being a past customer in general should be worth something.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago