Feliks Audio Elise Impressions Thread – a New Start (please read first post for summary)

[angpsi]

  @angpsi  I'll pass on the EL tubes. You have just about bought all the EL tubes supplies. Good NOS ones are going to cost for sure. Are you saying that using EL12 Spez (drivers) with TFK EL12 (powers), you are not getting hum from the EL12 Spez? What about if you use EL12 Spez as powers?
 
I'm surprised you went all out on EL tubes. With that kind of money, you can pick up some really nice conventional power tubes, such as Tung Sol 5998, Bendix 6080wb, GEC 6080 or even GEC 6AS7G. You would not be plagued with hums and what nots. Having said that, my Elise is now constantly being shod with EL12N (drivers) and TFK EL12 (powers) and there's not a murmur or hint of hum and yes I do like the tone more than any of my other tube combinations. 
 
I'm not spending anymore on tubes. My next expenses will be deck and dac. The backyard deck makeover will cost more than a Yiggy and a Holo Spring Level 3 together.

If you count I'm the minority report as to how I like them, then yes; I should have probably gone with more conventional setups in the first place! Eventually I'm counting on getting to hear those fist hand if I ever get the time to meet with my fellow Greek collector...
As far as to what I'm listening on right now... oh look! It's the Elephant man again! I can see (hear) all of the qualities you guys all mention, but I just can't get myself to enjoy it!
 

 
I don't know... I was perfectly happy before I spent a fortune on these...
 
P.S. one TF EL12 tube is going back, no questions asked. Kudos to wege-high-fidelity, he was a very good service and constantly a prompt reply!

 

[angpsi]

  @angpsi  just noticed that you had Meridian Explorer 2. That could be a low cost entry into MQA. How do you like that with Tidal Masters? Any improvement over Tidal HiFi? 
 
Sounds interesting but a lot of that went over my head. 

http://www.stereophile.com/content/meridian-explorer2-da-headphone-amplifier#htA5iBB7W1Yib0Ak.97

It's a big resounding YES; obviously a case of a well written algorithm but the difference is very evident. I even found myself enjoying old Madonna records on MQA! Interestingly, I also listened to Bruno Mars and it is very evident how the music was engineered for mp3 rather than analogue reproduction.
 
It's being offered lately for about $200, which is a big discount on the original price; my guess is that they're subsidising it to get more people into MQA. Given the price, to me it was a no–brainer. I got mine for €149,50 from Analogue Seduction. And I did subscribe to TIDAL when my trial period expired.

 

[UntilThen]

 
As far as to what I'm listening on right now... oh look! It's the Elephant man again! I can see (hear) all of the qualities you guys all mention, but I just can't get myself to enjoy it!
 

 
Maybe if you could be a bit more specific as to why you didn't enjoy it. I'm keeping an open mind. Perhaps you're hearing things we don't. It's possible. 

 
 
As for that layout with foil and stray wires, sorry I'm not for it - no matter how good the sound is.I think for most people, they should just keep away from EL12 Spez ---- unless @hypnos1  comes to their rescue with his adapting.

 

[UntilThen]

 
It's a big resounding YES; obviously a case of a well written algorithm but the difference is very evident. I even found myself enjoying old Madonna records on MQA! Interestingly, I also listened to Bruno Mars and it is very evident how the music was engineered for mp3 rather than analogue reproduction.
 
It's being offered lately for about $200, which is a big discount on the original price; my guess is that they're subsidising it to get more people into MQA. Given the price, to me it was a no–brainer. I got mine for €149,50 from Analogue Seduction. And I did subscribe to TIDAL when my trial period expired.

 
Thanks for the feedback. This has pique my interest. I have Audirvana Plus and Tidal HiFi just like you..... and am keen to sample MQA.

 

[angpsi]

   
Thanks for the feedback. This has pique my interest. I have Audirvana Plus and Tidal HiFi just like you..... and am keen to sample MQA.

So you know that Audirvana Plus 3 is going to support MQA, right? https://audirvana.com/?page_id=3450

 

[UntilThen]

 
So you know that Audirvana Plus 3 is going to support MQA, right? https://audirvana.com/?page_id=3450

 
No I didn't know but now I do. I'm still on Audirvana Plus 2. Daymmm that means having to pay for a new license again. I even paid for JRiver 22 and love it a lot on my PC setup.

 

[angpsi]

   
Maybe if you could be a bit more specific as to why you didn't enjoy it. I'm keeping an open mind. Perhaps you're hearing things we don't. It's possible. 

 
 
As for that layout with foil and stray wires, sorry I'm not for it - no matter how good the sound is.I think for most people, they should just keep away from EL12 Spez ---- unless @hypnos1  comes to their rescue with his adapting.

Starting from your last remark, I totally agree... and I'm also convinced that this is a devious scheme organized by @hypnos1 to monopolize the full supply of the EL12spez!
 
To get to your first question, it's fair to say that I have mixed feelings. For what it's worth, the Elephant Man is giving me an amazing rendering of Joni Mitchell's "Mingus" on TIDAL MQA as we speak. 'He' also gave me a very good performance on Lavinia Meijer's "The Glass Effect (the music of Philip Glass & others)", but mostly when the harp notes were clearly articulated; when the music featured lots of mid-low mezzo I found it very emphasized to my taste, and ultimately tiring. Finally, on Stravinsky's "The Firebird" the attacks on the high notes were pronounced to the point I found them shrilling (granted, as they were probably meant to be—here's an ear–hurting 'shrilling' version and here's a more laid back version which I found more enjoyable)! Overall, I think that the ELs perform their best when one's preference is leaning toward an energetic and dynamic sound. 
 
On the contrary, the Svetlana + Psvane combo consistently give me a more airy rendering, with effortless separation and an abundance of detail. Similarly, the mids are less forced and seem quite precise although I'm tempted to say that the overall signature must ultimately be considered as euphonic. So far I have enjoyed all types of music on that combo, mainly because I can loosen my attention and let my head go. So definitely less energetic, but all of the detail is there and music rendering as a whole sounds to my ears amazingly clear and effortless at the same time. If it helps, that's how I imagine the Stax to sound in their own right, albeit I have no actual experience with them besides what I've been reading ever since I got into the audiophile game.
 
As you can see, I'm trying to use as many references as I can to supplement for what language is unable to convey. Ears, and the experience of music, as you all most often note, can be a tricky job—even when consensus is almost unanimous, such as the one amassed around the EL11-12 family. Hopefully I have managed to paint you a picture of how I'm experiencing these tubes for myself. To conclude, it's not that I don't find them to have all the great qualities that you mentioned; it's just that I can't seem to bring myself to like them as much.
 
At least now I have @HPLobster and his dad to thank for not being left alone in my experience of the Svets & Psvane! As I've said numerous times in the past, I'm really anxious to see how you guys find them when your Euforias (Euforiae?) arrive...
 
P.S. As I was writing these lines, I was listening to a remaster of a live performance of Joni Mitchell's "Both sides now", which is actually quite a messy vintage recording that I think isn't made to sound nice on any combo. But as I finished writing the main part of this note I changed the tubes back to the Svetlana/Psvane, and it honestly feels as if pressure was relieved on my ears, #EDIT even though the combo is just warming up# (the record still sounds bad though). Go figure...

 

[pctazhp]

 
Starting from your last remark, I totally agree... and I'm also convinced that this is a devious scheme organized by @hypnos1 to monopolize the full supply of the EL12spez!
 
To get to your first question, it's fair to say that I have mixed feelings. For what it's worth, the Elephant Man is giving me an amazing rendering of Joni Mitchell's "Mingus" on TIDAL MQA as we speak. 'He' also gave me a very good performance on Lavinia Meijer's "The Glass Effect (the music of Philip Glass & others)", but mostly when the harp notes were clearly articulated; when the music featured lots of mid-low mezzo I found it very emphasized to my taste, and ultimately tiring. Finally, on Stravinsky's "The Firebird" the attacks on the high notes were pronounced to the point I found them shrilling (granted, as they were probably meant to be—here's an ear–hurting 'shrilling' version and here's a more laid back version which I found more enjoyable)! Overall, I think that the ELs perform their best when one's preference is leaning toward an energetic and dynamic sound. 
 
On the contrary, the Svetlana + Psvane combo consistently give me a more airy rendering, with effortless separation and an abundance of detail. Similarly, the mids are less forced and seem quite precise although I'm tempted to say that the overall signature must ultimately be considered as euphonic. So far I have enjoyed all types of music on that combo, mainly because I can loosen my attention and let my head go. So definitely less energetic, but all of the detail is there and music rendering as a whole sounds to my ears amazingly clear and effortless at the same time. If it helps, that's how I imagine the Stax to sound in their own right, albeit I have no actual experience with them besides what I've been reading ever since I got into the audiophile game.
 
As you can see, I'm trying to use as many references as I can to supplement for what language is unable to convey. Ears, and the experience of music, as you all most often note, can be a tricky job—even when consensus is almost unanimous, such as the one amassed around the EL11-12 family. Hopefully I have managed to paint you a picture of how I'm experiencing these tubes for myself. To conclude, it's not that I don't find them to have all the great qualities that you mentioned; it's just that I can't seem to bring myself to like them as much.
 
At least now I have @HPLobster and his dad to thank for not being left alone in my experience of the Svets & Psvane! As I've said numerous times in the past, I'm really anxious to see how you guys find them when your Euforias (Euforiae?) arrive...
 
P.S. As I was writing these lines, I was listening to a remaster of a live performance of Joni Mitchell's "Both sides now", which is actually quite a messy vintage recording that I think isn't made to sound nice on any combo. But as I finished writing the main part of this note I changed the tubes back to the Svetlana/Psvane, and it honestly feels as if pressure was relieved on my ears, #EDIT even though the combo is just warming up# (the record still sounds bad though). Go figure...

Link to this posted on first page.

 

[angpsi]

  Yes I agree it does look very stylish in that picture. 
 
I've also been lucky with my present superb sounding set-up as it hasn't buzzed for nearly 12 hours, except when the wife walked in to water the flowers.
 
I think this is probably Elise at her best, for my ears, as long as it doesn't buzz.
 
Note the extra foil on the far right power tube anode connector-that  makes a big improvement.
 
 

@HOWIE13, didn't realize you were getting interference with your dual EL12spez setup! According to MrsX, the dual adapter is supposedly befit to the power seat wile the single one is meant to work in the driver position. Given that my single 12spez/adapter work fine in the driver's seat, I didn't expect that! Care to elaborate for me 'cause I probably missed it?

 

[UntilThen]

 
On the contrary, the Svetlana + Psvane combo consistently give me a more airy rendering, with effortless separation and an abundance of detail. Similarly, the mids are less forced and seem quite precise although I'm tempted to say that the overall signature must ultimately be considered as euphonic. So far I have enjoyed all types of music on that combo, mainly because I can loosen my attention and let my head go. So definitely less energetic, but all of the detail is there and music rendering as a whole sounds to my ears amazingly clear and effortless at the same time. If it helps, that's how I imagine the Stax to sound in their own right, albeit I have no actual experience with them besides what I've been reading ever since I got into the audiophile game.
 
As you can see, I'm trying to use as many references as I can to supplement for what language is unable to convey. Ears, and the experience of music, as you all most often note, can be a tricky job—even when consensus is almost unanimous, such as the one amassed around the EL11-12 family. Hopefully I have managed to paint you a picture of how I'm experiencing these tubes for myself. To conclude, it's not that I don't find them to have all the great qualities that you mentioned; it's just that I can't seem to bring myself to like them as much.
 
At least now I have @HPLobster and his dad to thank for not being left alone in my experience of the Svets & Psvane! As I've said numerous times in the past, I'm really anxious to see how you guys find them when your Euforias (Euforiae?) arrive...
 

 
Loving Elise with Psvane 6sn7 and Svetlana 6h13c is testament to the wonderful sonic signature of Elise. You are at almost stock tubes level and if that can give you consistently a more airy rendering with effortless separation and an abundance of detail, then you're a happy man, as those tubes are cheap and readily available.
 
I do not think there needs to be a unanimous decision on any preferred tube combination. There will be personal preferences and people are different. Some like a more energetic and lively tone whilst others prefers a more laid back soothing tone.
 
I've heard Stax SR-009, SR-007 with Blue Hawaii. I wouldn't put Elise in that league but we shouldn't compare 2 vastly different price range setups.
 
The thing is Lobster's dad has only heard Elise with Psvane and Svetlana and that has won him over. Lobster himself is quite overwhelmed when he switched in Valvo 6080 for the Svetlana and find it much better. In his words, he didn't realised that a change of just power tubes can bring about such a big difference.
 
Lastly, your EL tubes needs burn in and more time with it. However given your preference, I doubt that will make a difference. 

 

[angpsi]

   
Loving Elise with Psvane 6sn7 and Svetlana 6h13c is testament to the wonderful sonic signature of Elise. You are at almost stock tubes level and if that can give you consistently a more airy rendering with effortless separation and an abundance of detail, then you're a happy man, as those tubes are cheap and readily available.
 
I do not think there needs to be a unanimous decision on any preferred tube combination. There will be personal preferences and people are different. Some like a more energetic and lively tone whilst others prefers a more laid back soothing tone.
 
I've heard Stax SR-009, SR-007 with Blue Hawaii. I wouldn't put Elise in that league but we shouldn't compare 2 vastly different price range setups.
 
The thing is Lobster's dad has only heard Elise with Psvane and Svetlana and that has won him over. Lobster himself is quite overwhelmed when he switched in Valvo 6080 for the Svetlana and find it much better. In his words, he didn't realised that a change of just power tubes can bring about such a big difference.
 
Lastly, your EL tubes needs burn in and more time with it. However given your preference, I doubt that will make a difference. 

Hey UT, true enough; perhaps I'll get more NOS Svetlanas and stock up before they become a fad! (just teasing you man)
 
In regard to Stax, I'm sure the TOTL ones are hardly comparable to my own setup; however reading through reviews it looks like their whole range stays consistent to the benefits (and limitations) of stats. But, as I said, a listening session is definitely needed to have an informed opinion, therefore final judgment lies ahead in the future.
 
On the same note, you guys have listened to and own[ed] a wide variety of tubes and that's why your opinion will always be highly regarded and valued on my journey. Evidently that's what caused me to get a full range of EL tubes! Can't say I regret it though; at least I got my basis for comparison, plus it looks like the 'Elephant Man' (TF EL12spez / TF EL11) is actually giving me the best iteration of EL sound I've had so far!
 
Now, on a completely different note, please do me a favor and listen to this record! Found it browsing through Stereophile's "Records to die for": it's Chesky, it's binaural, it's acoustic; what more could you want in order to explore the benefits of owning such a wonderful amp as the Elise?
 

 

[richdytch]

My EL12 adapters are registering as delivered to a neighbour on the Royal Mail site. But no card through my door to say which neighbour. The name of the person who signed for them is not the name of any of our neighbours either. I think they've tried to deliver them to completely the wrong street. I was in when they say they tried to deliver them. 
 
I think it's a conspiracy - someone doesn't want me to experience EL12N. 

 

[pctazhp]

Life does not consist just of EL11/12. This morning listening to Crosby, Stills & Nash - Tidal Masters - through Sylvania 6SN7WGT/GEC 6AS7G. Life don't get better than this

 

[UntilThen]

 
Now, on a completely different note, please do me a favor and listen to this record! Found it browsing through Stereophile's "Records to die for": it's Chesky, it's binaural, it's acoustic; what more could you want in order to explore the benefits of owning such a wonderful amp as the Elise?
 

 
I like Macy Gray. A very unique voice. That song 'I Try' is a favourite but it's a different rendition on the binaural recording.
 
This is what I have from HD Tracks on Chesky Binaural Sound.
 

 

[UntilThen]

  My EL12 adapters are registering as delivered to a neighbour on the Royal Mail site. But no card through my door to say which neighbour. The name of the person who signed for them is not the name of any of our neighbours either. I think they've tried to deliver them to completely the wrong street. I was in when they say they tried to deliver them. 
 
I think it's a conspiracy - someone doesn't want me to experience EL12N. 

 
Many conspiracy theories have abounded lately. Someone is tapping into your EL12N sound.