Sophia Electric EL34 Tubes in Willsenton R800 amplifier

Hi William,

I’ve been meaning to do this for the past six months. About eight months ago, I purchased four Sophia Electric Grade A EL34 tubes from you. I’ve used these tubes in place of Gold Lion EL34s and Telefunken EL34s.

I am using a Willsenton R800 amplifier, an Eversolo Z8 DAC, Monitor Audio Platinum 100 speakers, and Inakustik LS-804 speaker cables.

After running the Sophia Electric EL34s for about a month, they really began to open up and sound very nice. I switched back to the Telefunkens, then to the Gold Lions, but in all honesty, neither matched the performance of the Sophia Electric EL34s. I honestly did not expect them to outperform the Telefunkens, but the Sophia Electric EL34s proved to be superior in every area.

For reference, I primarily listen to jazz and similar genres—artists such as Diana Krall, Paul Hardcastle, and Lee Ritenour.

I found the Sophia Electric EL34 to be far superior in every area. The bass was tight and solid, the vocals were clear and natural, and the top end was crystal clear without any harshness or glassiness.

I highly recommend spending a little extra to purchase these EL34 tubes—they are absolutely worth it.

Regards Dan from Australia