Ray Tubes Reserve KT88 Vacuum Tube

Our Take

The Best of the Best
The RESERVE Collection of Ray vacuum tubes are artfully designed and carefully manufactured solely for hifi audiophile devices. With the RESERVE, vocals are a revelation: smooth, lifelike, and beautifully present. They convey a sense of realism and immediacy without any bloat, offering a gentle yet compelling delivery with superior decay. The treble is crisp yet laid-baid, carefully balanced to avoid sibilance or harshness. This balanced sound signature extends to the low-end as well: full and commanding, contributing to an overall superbly realistic imaging that is brain-scratchingly good.

Engineered Exclusively for Audiophile Systems
Explicitly engineered for audiophile applications, the RESERVE Collection of vacuum tubes are crafted through a unique process that targets the specific needs of audiophiles, focusing on critical sound characteristics such as vocal realism, texture, and extended bass. Every aspect of their design and manufacture is aimed at enhancing the listening experience in high-fidelity systems.

Ensuring Excellence
Every vacuum tube in the RESERVE Collection is subjected to a stringent quality assurance process. An audio engineer personally assesses each vacuum tube against a detailed checklist that includes sound profile, dynamics, microphonics, gain, conductance, and noise levels, along with overall performance. This ensures not only that the vacuum tubes align with audiophile expectations for sound quality but also that they meet our rigorous standards for reliability and consistency.

Gold Pins: Excellence in Every Detail
Gold pins not only add a touch of elegance but also serve a significant purpose. Gold's superior conductivity enhances signal transmission for crystal-clear sound, while its resistance to oxidation ensures long-term performance and durability. These qualities, combined with the secure contact gold provides within the socket, mean your vacuum tubes aren't just top-notch, they're built to last.

Magic Coating
Some things are better left unseen. You can't see inside the RESERVE tube because it's coated with something called monocrystalline carbon. This layer allows for quicker electron transmission, keeps the glass cool, and blocks out noise. If you've got an engineering background, you might find the science fascinating. For the rest of us, it's basically magic. The coating is delicate and tough to apply, which complicates production. That's why Ray only uses it for their RESERVE tubes and why it costs more. When all is said and done, it just means one thing- the sound is amazing.

Superior Sound, Secured
Ray Tubes offers an exceptional 12-month warranty, a rarity in the world of vacuum tubes (especially NOS tubes). This reflects their confidence in the performance and durability of their products. This warranty is your safeguard against any manufacturing defects, making sure that your investment is protected.

Ray Tubes Quality Control
From extensive burn-in to expert listening sessions, Ray Tubes goes above and beyond to guarantee each tube they sell is ready for your high-end system. Read more about the process on their blog.

Product highlights

• Hand-selected and tested
• Gold pins for corrosion resistance and excellent conduction
• A substantial upgrade from standard NOS tubes
• Low noise and microphonics
• Fewer than 5% of the tubes commissioned for production meet our voltage, current, and sound signature standards

Compatible Amps

Explore Ray Tube's Tube Amp Compatibility List

Product Details

When Only the Best Will Do
The Ray Tubes RESERVE KT88 isn’t for everyone. It’s the distillation of decades of experience. With a bespoke design, small-batch production, and meticulous selection, the Ray Tubes RESERVE Collection reveals audio details you never knew were there.

Hand selected and tested, the Ray Tubes RESERVE KT88 is designed specifically for hi-fi audio applications. Featuring gold-plated pins and our monocrystalline carbon Magic Coating, the RESERVE Collection easily outperforms New Old Stock and new production alike. Fewer than 5% of production meets our standards.

The KT88 is a beam tetrode introduced in 1956 as a variant of its smaller cousin, the KT66. Its name is derived from kinkless tetrode, an earlier name for the beam tetrode, and it’s been popular in high-fidelity stereo systems since its introduction. Since New Old Stock of the KT88 is especially rare, Ray Tubes is proud to offer brand-new KT88 vacuum tubes.

Sound Characteristics
RESERVE KT88 is a vacuum tube that combines power and resolution, making it ideal for listeners who appreciate strong dynamics, a spacious soundstage, and well-controlled bass.

1. Bass Performance
   Solid and powerful with deep, well-controlled low frequencies. Ideal for music with large dynamics and complex arrangements, such as symphonies or rock music.
2. Midrange Performance
   Full-bodied and rich, reproducing vocals and instruments with excellent texture for a detailed and layered sound.
3. Treble Performance
   Clear and transparent without being overly aggressive. A key strength is its high resolution, ensuring clarity without sounding muddy.
4. Dynamics and Soundstage
   Outstanding dynamic range, well-suited for music with strong contrasts between soft and loud passages. Soundstage is large and well-defined with excellent spatial separation.

Tech Specs

TechX Guarantee

We understand the anxiety of shopping online in Malaysia particularly on startup and small business website; you don't get to physically hold the product before buying, how will you know if the product will live up to your expectations,... - which is why we are committed to

1. Only sell/advertise products or brands that we believe in
2. Thoroughly research a product/model to save you time and get the most value for your money 
3. Go the extra mile to properly package items for shipping
4. Rely on reputable courier service (*not necessarily the cheapest)
5. Provide second to none customer service (Lazada/Shopee gets thousands of visitors a day, we have Only You to focus on)
6. Safeguarding your privacy & offer a seamless user experience on our ecommerce webpage
7. Ensure all pages and content on TechX are accessed using SSL encryption (*look for the padlock icon on the left side of the address bar...SSL allows sensitive information such as credit card numbers, login credentials to be transmitted securely)
8. Your satisfaction! We believe we sourced for the best quality products around, however sometimes life happens. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with the quality of any product, we will gladly refund your money within a week.

In the event you still need further assurance, write to us via our Contact Form and we'll get back within 2 hours.