telefunken Ecc801s

After trying as many t7 tubes as I can from various brands, years and structures, telefunken Ecc801s is almost the worst t7 tube I have heard from old stock family.

I have been long time no buying any telefunken Ecc801s, but just still keeping only one from the 50's in white/blue box, for the memory. It sounds a bit more refined and attractive, but that's it. This is not gonna change what I think about the Ecc801s...

I would suggest any of you here to get away from this tube, save your money for the best, there are lot more better tubes out there, cheaper, only some of them are more expensive. You will get exactly what you pay for. For the sound, telefunken Ecc801s is not worth that much money.

What would you say, guys?

There are many kinds of 12at7 tubes from 1950-1959 made by mullard, GEC, philips, amperex, Valvo, Brimer. These all kick the ecc801s ass, and throw it far far away...I once intended to sell my Earmax pro a year ago. I used Telefunken ecc801s mostly and believed it was the best of the best, as I was told to be by many people here. I found It sounds not very impressed though. After I try more tubes accidentally, I finally discovered that the problem is NOT the amp, it is the driving tube in the middle. The Earmax pro can go much further than that. And now I don't even think about selling this amp, never, as it now has everything that what a HIFI amp should have, and it represents the top of the sound style of Earmax series.

I talk to many tube men all over the world. Most of them agree me. The other think ecc801s is good, but not as good as like landing on the ceiling. They said my ears told me the truth and I am right.

No. telefunken is very very good tube maker, excellent sounding and superB quality. I was just only saying that the Ecc801s is not the best or as the best as people think about it, but the fact is there are more 12at7 tubes are better and much better.

Me too, I have sold 4 Ecc801s on the web.

All three Electro-Harmonix's is good combo for EMP and AE, expecially for the price. I bought mine from the same dealer as Nik's. This combo does have the edge compared with telefunken Ecc801s & CCa, but just in a few aspects with the headphones I have tested. As the point I raise above, the problem, may be not a problem but just not the best, with the combo of telefunken's is the Ecc801s, or probably say when CCa comes with Ecc801s. The combo gives me an unreal and thin midrange, a too bright high, an overall too soft&weak sound, an empty body with no flesh and blood, few bass, and soundstage sounds not quite right too. TFK CCa is absolutely one of the best 6922 tubes in this planet. But TFK Ecc801s is NOT, expecially when it works with TFK again. Ecc801s is famous for its long life spending, excellent tube structure design, low micro and noise level from the day they are born, but that should be it. There are a lot more better 12at7 tube. These are just more rare and hard too find one in a good testing. Ecc801s should be very easy to reach the phono grade, others are not. I once intended to sell the EMP but still keep the AE since it is an anniv. edition. After I try more and more 12at7 tubes and 6922, I have changed my mind, very deeply. The EMP is one of the best sounding in its domain with right tubes. I feel good when I listen vocals, pop, jazz, hit-hop, and some other music types. EMP is a little bit weak driving HD600 when presenting classical. It just not does as good as it does to others. But not a problem for me as I hardly listen classical at all. I prefer MPX3 or supra (I haven't listened to this one, it should better than MPX3) which have more power to feed sens headphones for classical.

For example, I would try mullard 12at7 square getter with 2*TFK E88CC or amperex 12at7 curved D getter with 2*philips E88CC SQ curved D getter or metal D getter , if I had plenty of budget. It is surely worth to invest as it does change a lot. I could level down the budget by taking mullard 12at7 1960's with 2*amperex 6922 or 6DJ8 round getter with bugle boy logo, or amperex 12at7 round getter with bugle boy logo with mullard E88CC gold pins. If the budget was intense, I could still buy sovtek 12AX7, EH 12at7 gold pins version, sylvania 12AT7, philips 12at7 Jan, with 2*EH 6922. It still sounds good, just not very though. If my budget was no limited, I could try whatever I what, TFK CCa, amperex e88cc e188CC D-getter, pinch waist, TFK E188CC, siemens CCA 1950, early 1960, and more,,,

I had some telefunken Ecc801s in differnt structures, basicaly there are. and with different boxes, 4 types I believe I had, and the last one is cryo treated. They all sound quit different. The earlier the more balancing, the later a little bit hasshy, a bit thin. Anyways all tubes have warmed up and been deeply tested in my FUNKE W20. They should be the the best quality among all the telefunken Ecc801s.