Matched EL84's from AES - what do the numbers mean ?

[chopstuck]

I have a Quad of JJ EL84's that don't sound good in my amps and I'm wondering if they are weak, though matched tubes.

They are all marked 23/4.9

What does this mean? Grid current / Plate current ?

How does this compare to great and weak tubes but new tubes
. I believe they were using a military Hickok (TU-7 or TUV maybe ) tester if that's any help.

[David Root]

Unless you know the plate voltage and bias voltage they were measured at it's hard to tell if they're cold or warm tubes. 23 should be the mA draw of the tube, could be plate or cathode, 4.9 should be the transconductance of the tube in mA/V.

How they sound depends on your plate and bias voltages.

FWIW, the Mullard data sheet shows 35mA plate w/300 Vp quiescent, and a transconductance of 11.3.

Do they sound cold and unemotional in your amps?