Strange looking EL34s

Fatfingers

Anyone know what these are? I've never seen EL34s with pointy-top bottles before.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221603724125?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

ICBM

Like it says in the listing - they're EIs, made in Yugoslavia. (Serbia now.) No longer produced.

http://www.tubes.rs/Tubes/NOS/Audio/OutPentodes/EL34/EL34_EI_Yugoslavia/EL34_6CA7_EI_Yugoslavia_Quad.jpg

Re-branding of valves from Eastern Europe was very common in the 70s and 80s.

Fatfingers

I see. I was aware of the rebranded RFTs but have never seen these. How do they compare to an RFT?

ICBM

Not sure, it's so long since I've ever heard them (in fact I'm not completely sure I have!) that I don't really know. Their EL84s and preamp valves are good though, so there's a pretty good chance these are too. Some of the designs appear to be roughly Telefunken copies, although that's no real indicator of performance.

ESchap

ICBM said:

Not sure, it's so long since I've ever heard them (in fact I'm not completely sure I have!) that I don't really know. Their EL84s and preamp valves are good though, so there's a pretty good chance these are too. Some of the designs appear to be roughly Telefunken copies, although that's no real indicator of performance.

No coincidence that they resemble Telefunken.  Ei bought a lot of Telefunken's equipment, designs etc. when they got out of valve production in the '70's.  That doesn't mean to say that Ei manufactured to Telefunken quality, it appears they didn't principally because they used inferior materials, plate coatings etc.  I've got a pair of good condition Ei's which I've tried in my JMP 50W,  They sounded very good, really couldn't call it compared to RFT's or Hungarian Tungsrams.