(30 votes, average: 3.63 out of 5)
Loading...“I was undeniably impressed by the extension of midrange in her voice, and the high frequencies seemed to be so lively.” Read
“Gorgeous, detailed midrange, liquid highs with tremendous extension, and tight, natural sounding bass without a hint of looseness or flab” Read
Well, New Sensor has done an awesome job once again. Following the success of the Genalex 12AX7, they have delivered these beautiful Genalex Gold Lion KT88 tubes. Regardless of your stance on reissues, the gold writing looks fantastic on the glass. After recently finishing a rolling session with Penta, Shuguang, Electro-Harmonix, Tung-Sol, and GE tubes, the Genalex came out right at the top of the list. The only tube that outdid it was the vintage GE 6550, which offered significantly more transparency on the top end.
However, the Genalex provides superb bass and a very beautiful, relaxed midrange. The entire presentation is perfectly in balance. The physical structure of these tubes is quite impressive and likely drives these performance results—featuring gold-plated grid wire, carbonized screen grids, and a tri-alloy clad plate structure. It is great to see that new production tubes are reaching this level of quality. While it might be wishful thinking to hope that all reissue preamp tubes will eventually reach this standard, these are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The New Sensor’s Genalex Branding
The modern Genalex Gold Lion brand is owned by New Sensor Corporation, the parent company of Electro-Harmonix. Based in New York but manufacturing at the Xulpo (Saratov) factory in Russia, New Sensor acquired the rights to many legendary “Golden Era” brand names, including Tung-Sol, Mullard, and Genalex.
The original Genalex brand was the trade name for the Marconi-Osram Valve Co. (M-OV) in England, which produced the most famous KT88s in history. New Sensor’s goal with the “Gold Lion” reissue series was to recreate that high-end British prestige using modern materials. By implementing premium features like gold-plated grids and specialized plate alloys, New Sensor positioned this line as their flagship “luxury” brand, successfully bridging the gap between standard modern production and the unreachable prices of original New Old Stock (NOS) British valves.
Final Verdict
The Genalex Gold Lion KT88 Russia is a top-tier power tube that proves modern production can compete with vintage legends. With its balanced tonality, authoritative bass, and sophisticated build quality, it is the best current-production KT88 on the market for listeners who value a rich, musical experience.
Tried this tube in a few amps and Wow! What a huge difference compared to Electro Harmonix and Shuguang KT88 tubes. Everything is better.