WAD amp valve upgrades

[FoxJT]

Recently, on my KiT34 an EL34 fizzed at me and showed a rather red anode! I rapidly turned it off after smoke appeared!

I first suspected a passive component, but, after checking around underneath, it turned out to be the valve. As most of my valves are getting along, I had a look around the web and came across this upgrade kit from Watford Valves

http://www.watfordvalves.com/product_detail.asp?id=1443

They also do similar upgrades for other WAD amps so check it out.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned before.

I have ordered the kit and am also taking the opportunity to change the KiT to a Kat.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[John T]

Yes, they've been pushing these for some years - the only problem is the price!

In the WAD days, it was quite a saving to buy the kit sans valves and use these instead. It's probably the only time you buy a complete set.

[FoxJT]

John,

The price does seem reasonably good at £86. However, I fear, it is not totally clear that the dreaded VAT is on top or not!

In a non exhaustive run around various valve suppliers, the prices seem to be reasonably OK.

<RANT>
I do wish that when prices ( for anything!) are quoted it is the TOTAL price you pay (plus P&P if applicable, I will grant).
I absolutely hate how prices are quoted in the USA. "Mmmm, that looks good"; but when you get to the checkout sales tax, state tax, .... are all added. Aaarrrgghh!!!
<end of rant>

Where does everybody say is the recommended source for valves? Scanning the forum there are a few. Maybe a consolidated list with reasons would be good.

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[Dave Senior]

I think you will find you have to add the VAT to those prices from Watford. I've always felt they were rather pricey.

Dave

[paul webber]

I have found Watford valves very helpful and have just bought a set for my Kat6550 from them.I paid £231 (inc.p&p)for matched cryo 6550 and cryoed rectifiers,with telefunken ecf80s (gold pin) as recommended by them.On one hand this is dear but compared to my community charge costs and £60 for each tank of petrol for my mondeo its fair to my mind.
I was going to keep the new valves as spares until i could tell a difference from the old ones.However the new ones sound far cleaner,perhaps brighter but not harsh making the old ones a rather dull and undynamic,so i am using all of them.Cheap things can be bad value and not all dear things are a rip off as i can forget about the valves for a long time now.
If a failing old valve had managed to ruin a mains or output transformer (very unlikely)then this is not being thrifty at all.
The likelyhood of cryo treatment improving the rectifiers is surely not great but who knows? regards Paul (total valve cost 3 parking tickets and 2 speeding fines)

[FoxJT]

Paul,

I'm sure you are not that bad a driver (are you?)

JT

[richards13]

I bought a matched quad of Watford recommended EL84's for a modded KEL84 and was taken back by what a fundamental improvement they made, unexpectly good.