Elekit 8850 Single Ended 6L6 Amplifier

The 6L6 family of tubes is one of the largest and oldest out there. First entering production in 1936, the 6L6 is the longest continuous production electrical item of all time. Talk about getting it right from the beginning, the 6L6 is a poster child for good sound. Available in a dizzing array of shapes, styles, and power output, the 6L6 family has something for everyone. Mostly used in push pull applications for home audio, where it can make 30 or more watts per channel, the lower output of the 6L6 in single ended configuration is an entirely different creature, and it can be capable of giving many a fancy-pants triode a run for its money. I’ve been a fan of this tube for years, and if push comes to shove I have to admit that the 6L6 (or the EL84) is probably the best choice for anyone looking for just one tube amp.

The advantages are obvious. The 6L6 is affordable, powerful and capable of absolutely premium fidelity if given a good circuit and associated parts. It is a huge family of tubes, and the choices and resultant sound signatures are wide and varied. Some of the most renowned tube amplifiers of all time are based on the 6L6. It is the very definition of a classic, and I plan to always have at least one amp based around this tube.

For my needs, I’ve found Elekit produces a really wonderful single ended 6L6 amplifier. My first Elekit was the 879s, a very simple and somewhat squat and ugly little amp that none the less sounded excellent. I upgraded to the 8200; more refined in every way and offering dual inputs a well as switchable triode, pentode, and ultralinear configuration. That amp satisfied me for several years, running quite a variety of 6L6 and always sounding great. But Elekit keeps improving and when I saw the specs for the 8850, and the variable voltage possibilities, I knew I had to have one. Eventually I found a well made unit with upgraded V caps and Lundhal transformers, and I brought it home.

The 8850 is a very high level single ended 6L6 solution. This amp runs every type of 6L6 at their proper operating points, with three positions enabling the use of the oldest low power metal cans and 6l6G, up to the newest 21st century KT150 and KT170 monsters, and everything in between. I pushed the envelope a bit with the 8200, often running tubes like the early G versions at beyond their spec voltage. I got away with it, but the 8850 takes away that limitation and concern. With a huge array of power tubes to run and a wide variety of 12AU7 drivers available, the 8850 is a tube rolling dream come true, and is an extremely enjoyable amp to listen to.

One thing about the 6L6 that is so appealing is that it does have some power, and in the 8850 that translates into a ballsy presentation when needed. It pops Chet Baker right into the room front and center and snappy as hell through the Jensen C855 drivers, but at the same time presents Bill Faye’s more intimate vocal and piano with such grace and delicate smoothness that he also becomes believably in the room. The quirky Kat Edmonds has never sounded better.

Although the Elekit looks pretty good aesthetically, its not a fancy or overstated platform in any way. In fact, I would be interested in a more premium version that looks a little less “kit”, but this is nitpicking. Everything is well made and although I can see a price point, this also made it affordable enough for me to own. No one will mistake an Elekit build with a McIntosh, but they are different solutions made for different audiences.

As stated, I intend to always own a single ended 6L6 amplifier. At this point I own so many variations of the 6L6 itself, from the finest to the most pedestrian, and not having an amp to run them all seems silly. Is this the one? It certainly preforms well enough that any change would be for something other than sound quality. Perhaps one day I will approach a builder to create a one of a kind, cost no object amplifier for my 6L6 collection, with all the bells and whistles and in a sexier package. But for the foreseeable future, the Elekit 8850 is meeting my needs better than ay of its predecessors. If you need a 6L6 that does everything, this is my recommendation. Happy listening everyone!

The KT170 is a monster. Making almost as much power as an 845 but without the heat and expense, this is a really interesting tube that I hope we see more variety of. So far they sound good, but are not my first choice. Of this new 21st century breed, I think the KT120 sounds best, but beyond their power advantage, none of these new inventions hold a candle to some of my favorites shown below, like the Visseaux 6L6G or the 6AR6.

Vcaps have a reputation for taking a looong time to burn in and sound their best, but it seems most also agree that they are among the best sounding new capacitors on the market. On the right is the high, low, and medium voltage selector, allowing the use of everything from the earliest 6L6G to the big KT170 shown above. I do wish they had put these in a logical order…I’ve almost made mistakes here.

Nice clean lean lines on these Elekits.

Simple but adequate connectors, and flexible impedance to best match a variety of speakers.

A view of the upgraded Lundhal output transformers.

Here next to the TU8200, an amp that served me well for many years. At first I though the 8200 had a more open sound, and considered keeping it instead of the 8850. But after a few weeks of running in, the Vcaps opened up and the 8850 clearly sounds more spacious and richer than the 8200, and that is very high praise indeed. These are both wonderful amplifiers. The 8200 does have dual inputs, and I wonder why Elekit didn't include that feature on their bigger amp?

The old school KT66 pictured here are some of the very best sounding 6L6 I’ve ever heard, with a warm and mellow character, but that jump up and boogie when called on. For what its worth, I like the KT66 much more than the KT88.

Overall a simple but very nice looking amp!

A nice rainy day amp shootout between two pretty amazing 6L6 amplfiiers.

The 6AR6 really is something special. With the 8200 I know the amp was running these tubes a little too hot, but the 8850 has the ability to adjust down to a lower voltage that I believe makes these tubes a bit happier.

Telefunken EL156 is another amazing 6L6 flavor that few have heard. Eastern Electric made a pair of monoblocks based around the new Chinese version of this tube, and I’m curious how that might sound. If you have the opportunity, a pair of these on adapters is very satisfying.

Sophia KT88. I think these are graphite plates. They look good and sound nice, but nothing really like the originals.

When a 12AU7 is called for, I usually always prefer the RCA cleartops. But these 1950’s smoked glass Tung Sol’s are quite sweet too. Definitely a little darker (the cleartops are bright), but sometimes that’s juts what’s needed.

Here is one I am almost hesitant to advise, the Siemens F2a on EL34 adapters. I picked these up from someone who used them in a Lapizator DAC, and thought hmmm. Plugging them in on the low voltage setting revealed the tubes do indeed work in the Elekit amp, but sounded a little muddy. Powering down and resetting to the medium voltage, which on this amp is the native setting for the EL34, the F2a opened up and actually sound quite good. No noise, hums, naughty issues of any kind. I don’t think this should really work, and it may be a bad idea, but the sonic results leave little to nitpick. I’ve been curious about these tubes for years and can say that they do in fact sound marvelous in this setup, for whatever that is worth. One day I will need to hear these in an optimal platform.

I purchased these Visseaux 6L6G tubes a little while back and wow! I think they are from the 1930’s, but if you know better please reach out, I’d love to know the background on these. I have to say that these have all of the qualities that I look for, and once warmed up and going the Visseaux just sound so natural and “right”, with comfortable warmth but also a quick snap. I hesitate anymore to say the word “best” (it never ages well) but these are up there.