Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes EL84 CORE Vacuum Tube
$59.00 - $329.00
Description
SELECT EL84
The SELECT EL84 is the best EL84 vacuum tube you’ll ever need. It goes above and beyond the baseline with more involved production and stricter selection, all in pursuit of superior sound. The SELECT Collection brings out the best in all your favourites.
Hand selected and tested, the Ray Tubes SELECT EL84 features gold pins for corrosion resistance and improved conduction. The SELECT Collection is a substantial upgrade from both New Old Stock and other new production tubes. Fewer than 5% of production meets our standards.
The EL84 is a power pentode vacuum tube introduced in 1953. Its original purpose was to eliminate the need for a separate drive tube in cheap radio equipment, but it quickly found a place in music history as a component in guitar amps like the legendary Vox AC30, favoured by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, and countless other bands.
Sound Characteristics
The SELECT EL84 provides a more detailed and layered sound, perfect for users seeking high resolution and a broader soundstage, offering an immersive listening experience.
Bass Performance
Fuller with decent depth and tight control. Suitable for dynamic genres like rock and jazz, offering a balanced yet impactful low end.
Midrange Performance
Fuller and more refined, with rich detail and a warm, natural tonality. Particularly in the mid-to-low range, it excels in reproducing vocals and instruments with clear layering, making male voices especially prominent.
Dynamics and Soundstage
The dynamics are expansive, effectively showcasing the contrast between loud and soft passages. The soundstage is wide and well-defined, with precise imaging that is well-suited for larger musical arrangements.
The SELECT Collection
SELECT brings out the best in all your favourites. It goes above and beyond the baseline with more involved production and stricter selection, all in pursuit of superior sound.
Above and Beyond
Every tube we sell is carefully produced and tested to make sure it’s good enough for audio applications. At Ray Tubes, that goes without saying. The SELECT Collection is about more than that. It’s not just good enough for audio—it brings out the best in audio, revealing all those hidden details you thought you’d never hear.
Not being content with industry-standard production methods, we’ve tweaked our manufacturing process. We’ve used better materials—like gold pins for improved durability and longevity. Most importantly, we’ve enlisted audio engineers to listen to our tubes and make sure only the very best get the coveted SELECT label.
The SELECT Collection takes the reliability and consistency of the CORE Collection as its starting point, then sets its sights on one goal: superior, more nuanced sound. Simple as that.
Chosen By Audio Engineers
The SELECT Collection is the best of the best. We know — you’ve heard that before, but we mean it literally. We only sell the best tubes in each of our manufacturing batches. (The others never see the light of day.) SELECT tubes? They’re the best of those.
We don’t trust just anyone to make that choice. It’s about more than gain and transconductance and other electrical characteristics. Those are useful guides, but we know they don’t tell the full story. Instead, we rely on something you can’t put a number on: expert opinion.
Our audio engineers have decades of experience and they’re involved in the selection process from start to finish. That includes the crucial final step: listening sessions under real-world conditions.
Our thorough quality control is why we can offer the Ray Tubes One Year Warranty. If you buy a NOS tube that turns out to be a dud, there’s nothing you can do. With the SELECT Collection, you’ll have peace of mind.
Unlock Your Amp’s Full Potential
Testing vacuum tubes in real-life audio equipment shouldn’t be revolutionary, but here we are. We know the Ray Tubes SELECT Collection will sound incredible in your amp because it sounds incredible in our amp.
Have you ever felt like your vacuum tubes are holding your whole system back? You’re not alone. It’s right there in the name—“amp”. Tubes are where the amplification happens. That’s why poor quality tubes hold you back.
The SELECT Collection helps your system reach its peak potential. With a lower noise floor and detailed, nuanced sound, SELECT tubes make good amps sound great and great amps sound sublime.
More Details
The Ray Tubes One Year Warranty
Most vacuum tubes are notoriously fickle. That’s why warranties are rare. But we trust our products and we’re proud to offer our One Year Warranty against manufacturing defects. Click here for details.
Compatible Amps
Click here to explore Ray Tubes' Tube Amp Compatibility List.
Package Contents
- Set of four, two, or single vacuum tube
- User handbook featuring burn-in guidelines
- Certificate of authenticity and warranty
Technical Specifications
- Tube Type: EL84 / 6BQ5
- Tube Socket: 9-pin
Heater
- Heater Voltage: 6.3 V
- Heater Current: 0.76 A
Maximum Ratings
- Anode Voltage: 500 V
- Anode Dissipation Power: 12 W
- Screen Grid Voltage: 300 V
- Screen Grid Dissipation Power: 2 W
- Cathode Current: 65 mA
- Control Grid Voltage: –100 V
- Heater-Cathode Voltage: ±100 V
Grid Circuit Resistance
- Fixed Bias: 0.3 MΩ
- Self Bias: 1 MΩ
Interelectrode Capacitance
- Input Capacitance: 10.8 pF
- Output Capacitance: 6.5 pF
- Transfer Capacitance: 0.5 pF
- Grid-to-Heater Capacitance: 0.25 pF
Misc. Operating Parameters
- Anode Voltage: 256 V
- Screen Voltage: 256 V
- Cathode Resistor: 120 Ω
- Anode Current: 48 mA
- Screen Current: 7 mA
- Transconductance: ≥9 mA/V
- Internal Resistance: 38 kΩ
- Amplification Factor: 19
Specs
Dimensions
About Ray Tubes
Warranty
The Ray Tubes One Year Warranty
This warranty covers manufacturing defects for twelve months after purchase. We believe that everyone who buys our tubes deserves at least a year of quality, hassle-free sound, and if our tubes get in the way of your bliss, we'll make it right. Click here for more details.
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Personal Attention, Expert Advice
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Service Department
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