[UntilThen]

Tremendous vocals and clarity, just like you listen to a live concert. If I get isolated on an island with the UltimatE, the only thing I need is 2 pairs of 5A/152M or C3G.

I had to listen to c3g driving c3g again with Susvara. If I get stranded on an island, I don't need Friday. I only need this combination.

Contrary to the usual perception that c3g is bright and neutral but on Ultimate, it doesn't seem so to my ears. These are dynamic sounding and lovely texture. Transients so fast it will give you heart palpitations.

 

[VanHai]

I had to listen to c3g driving c3g again with Susvara. If I get stranded on an island, I don't need Friday. I only need this combination.

Contrary to the usual perception that c3g is bright and neutral but on Ultimate, it doesn't seem so to my ears. These are dynamic sounding and lovely texture. Transients so fast it will give you heart palpitations.

I concurred with that. The combination is fantastic.

 

[UntilThen]

I found my happy pairing. Every once in a while you come across a combination and you tell yourself, that's it. That's what I can listen with all day and every day. Treble is clear but the bass resonates. GEC 807 does that.

6S8S/6C8C Impulse Triode New OTK Military X - 1974 and GEC 807 ATS25.

 

[crakers7]

I found my happy pairing. Every once in a while you come across a combination and you tell yourself, that's it. That's what I can listen with all day and every day. Treble is clear but the bass resonates. GEC 807 does that.

6S8S/6C8C Impulse Triode New OTK Military X - 1974 and GEC 807 ATS25.

That wiill be the first combo I try when I get home next week , my GEC 807 are due to arrive this week , just ordered these plus already have a few different versions of those DET20 7193 style drivers , can't wait

 

[UntilThen]

That wiill be the first combo I try when I get home next week , my GEC 807 are due to arrive this week , just ordered these plus already have a few different versions of those DET20 7193 style drivers , can't wait

You have truly gone down the rabbit hole with those rabbit ears.

 

[Nick Ryan]

@UntilThen, yes, you're right, this month I've hit the ground running as far as that's concerned, but I have to say that a lot of things are the cream of the crop.
And it actually goes up another notch, if not two.

About KT63 :
Langerex is being accommodating again and I've written to them and told them what's going on.
And I would try again with the KT63 if they can guarantee that this tube will work.
Since only one of the 2nd set worked, they wrote to me today and said that they would send me another pair that should fit and work.
The only thing is that there should be a small difference in height with the 3rd pair.


6BQ7A : Unfortunately there were small logistical problems and I won't receive them until tomorrow.

RCA 6550 :
These arrived undamaged from Denmark today.
The price for this pair was again a small theft, but I can live with it, the pair is brand new and unused.
My wife lent me 215€ to get them, that was the price for this beautiful pair including shipping.
After cleaning they look like this and are plugged into the Ultimate and run flawlessly.
@UntilThen maybe you can tell me which version these are from the photos.
There are 2 O getters on the side of the discs and another one on top.

A big thank you goes to @David A Silva ,without his valuable tip I would not have this beautiful pair.
When I researched further I was able to find more details on how to get a pair of indirect TS 6550s without breaking the bank.






I have paired it with Vcap EZ80 Haltron,TS 6SL7 GT as an experiment.
Soundwise they are still a bit sharp at the top, probably because they are still new.
Midrange is very good, nice and forward, bass could be a bit better.
But as always, there is still room for improvement with driver tubes and playing time.
The instruments are great, I already like it when the drums or double bass are thumping away.
The sound seems a bit bright for the first time, hence the sharpness in the first hour
The TS6SL7 isn't played in yet either, and as is typical for TS I think they come out better after 100 hours.
But otherwise very happy with it for now.




Untilthen was right that Kt's, 6550 and EL 34 are not comparable, each genre sounds different, but different in its own way.
Time will tell which I prefer.
Is it worth it? For now yes, the EL34 SED are really the best value for money so far, even if they are still in the burn in phase I like them.
I haven't heard much KT88 Svetlana from St.Petersburg but I'm also very happy with them.
6550 Rca will show it, but the first impression is very good.
And all worth the money.

you have a very accommodating wife - lending you Money to buy tubes

 

[UntilThen]

6S3P and 6P14P (EL84) are very important tubes in my orbit now - regardless of cost. I don't seek out tubes because they are cheap. I seek them out because they are special in tone. That is the most important criteria. This combination is incredibly cheap though and I love how they make my music glow.

6S3P-DP are the best according to that blog's review but I wouldn't know. Never compare all the variations of 6S3P and EC86. So grab a couple.

I would never have thought that Ultimate could also become a EL84 amp.

 

[Nick Ryan]

EL84 are great, i bought a whole bunch of different types for US$8. Postage was more expensive !!! Mostly Russian.

 

[crakers7]

6S3P and 6P14P (EL84) are very important tubes in my orbit now - regardless of cost. I don't seek out tubes because they are cheap. I seek them out because they are special in tone. That is the most important criteria. This combination is incredibly cheap though and I love how they make my music glow.

6S3P-DP are the best according to that blog's review but I wouldn't know. Never compare all the variations of 6S3P and EC86. So grab a couple.

I would never have thought that Ultimate could also become a EL84 amp.

I see you have the mighty GEC A2900 in there as well , how does that sound compared to 6S3P ? I would compare myself but am not home for another week

 

[UntilThen]

EL84 are great, i bought a whole bunch of different types for US$8. Postage was more expensive !!! Mostly Russian.

Russian 6P14P is good enough according to my ears. I bought a quad for US$8. Never tried Mullard or Telefunken. They are expensive. Somehow I would pay for big bottles but I could not bring myself to pay a lot for skinny small tubes.

 

[UntilThen]

I see you have the mighty GEC A2900 in there as well , how does that sound compared to 6S3P ? I would compare myself but am not home for another week

That's my next exercise. To compare GEC A2900 with 6S3P using 6P14P power tubes and Tesla EZ81.

6S3P - wider soundstage, airy and clear
A2900 - soundstage is higher, treble,midrange and bass is superb, texture and tone colour is excellent.

My vote is the GEC A2900.

Gain for both tubes are similar - ~60 mu.

 

[Deleeh]

@Nick Ryan
That's true, but I have to make up for it, and if it's a new handbag or shoes I have to take the rap.

About EL84 I'm probably a step ahead of you all and have already tried them in Ultimate.
And they are very good.
You should drive them with a nice 12Au7 or 12At7 so as not to overdo it with the amplification. 5751 also works, but that's the maximum.
12Ax7 will definitely be too much.
Soundwise it depends, I have some beautiful Hitachi's that are very good, Tungsram's are also very good but not yet well-rehearsed.
Mullard is unfortunately a bit tricky to find at a good price, Langerex just offers slightly used ones with the yellow logo, these are not only cheap but also rare.
Probably even the first from Mullard they say.
But there are others that are very good and I think it's worth it.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

 

[triod750]

EL84 is indeed a wonderful tube that holds its own compared to any other tubes. They always remind me of why I fell in love with tube amps. I have a loudspeaker amp using four of them in push-pull and some of the tubes that have been used in that amp are measuring low but still sound lovely in a headphone amp. You definitely don't need to buy NOS or measuring as new to hear what they are capable of. I have them from different manufacturers and they have their own tone but any of them is worth having. Some Philips tubes are more full than Telefunken that is more 'beautiful'. I have a strong pair of TFK and like them but they are not my favourites. Russian 6P14P give most value for money and are very good. Buying used tubes measuring 'good enough' is a wise way to learn what you like. Starting out with the Russians is a safe way to know if you like them at all.

 

[triod750]

You can find EL84 made by EI, Elektronskij Industija in former Yugoslavia branded as Philips or Siemens for example. They use the Philips code system so you can see what they really are. These tubes sound very good. https://frank.pocnet.net/other/Philips/PhilipsCodeListAB-v8.pdf

 

[Nick Ryan]

@Nick Ryan
That's true, but I have to make up for it, and if it's a new handbag or shoes I have to take the rap.

About EL84 I'm probably a step ahead of you all and have already tried them in Ultimate.
And they are very good.
You should drive them with a nice 12Au7 or 12At7 so as not to overdo it with the amplification. 5751 also works, but that's the maximum.
12Ax7 will definitely be too much.
Soundwise it depends, I have some beautiful Hitachi's that are very good, Tungsram's are also very good but not yet well-rehearsed.
Mullard is unfortunately a bit tricky to find at a good price, Langerex just offers slightly used ones with the yellow logo, these are not only cheap but also rare.
Probably even the first from Mullard they say.
But there are others that are very good and I think it's worth it.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Got my EL854 in June last year and have rotated them on and off ever since. My S/O is a shoe person, has some nice handbags as well, but over 100 pairs of exy shoes stored in transparent boxes. When she asks why so many tubes i counter with, Why SO Many Shoes?