[mwilson]

I'll have my grandson get with yours once he graduates from college and provide feedback as to the LF endurance. My son just turned 18 months last week so it shouldn't be too long now.

 
Quote:

So, in the design and implementation we have endeavored to make a durable, solid amplifier. In truth the only full test of this will be how the amps do over time in service to their owners.

 

 

[googleli]

OK - the Liquid Fire should be somewhere above the Pacific Ocean now. Not sure if it is the first Liquid Fire in Hong Kong (probably not?) but really antipicating it now. Hope Fedex isn't too rude while it is in transit...

 

[sillysally]

My Liquid Fire is very well put together and very solid. So don't worry to much about shipping.
That is one of the many things I like about the Liquid Fire, it is fairly light, one piece, not a huge foot print, very easy to set up, but it packs a huge punch and great sound!!

 

[googleli]

Pre-emptive tube rolling has begun. So why not start with the best? My experience with Telefunken is not the best on the 12Ax7s on the Leben - but the shopkeeper, whom I have known for a long time - said these will change my view. After carefully considering I decided to go for these instead for the Siemens. The Rega Saturn is a warm sound player, and the LCD3 is a warm sounding headphone. Let me retry the Telefunken magic.
 
Anyway he took it from a cupboard where he stored the rarer tubes. This shop is known for selling genuine tubes although more expensive than you can get on eBay. Problem is, I can't find this on Brent Jessee, or eBay. At least, not in a quad set. He took out all of those in his stock - 3 pairs. He told me I won't be able to find another NOS pairs in Hong Kong. So I bought a quad. I don't even want to mention the price.
 
But anyway, here they are - before the Liquid Fire even arrives - the Telefunken NOS 1940's (not a typo - 1940's not 1950's) ECC88 CCa tubes which came from the same batch and 100% matched. The owner said he would give me a discount on the Siemens if these do not suit me. He is confident that they will. Let's see.
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

[TheWuss]

googleli - remember that these 6DJ8 / 6922 / ECC88 tube types take a loooong time to burn in.
when you get your LF, the tubes will still sound fairly closed in (even though it may have 50 hours factory burn in ).
 
i know you are excited to hear what the LF will do with the rare Telefunken CCa's, but it'll probably take 150 to 200 hours to get there... 

 

[googleli]

Thanks for the heads up. I will have too many things to play with on Monday. First I need to test the Liquid Fire is working ok with the stock tubes. Then I would try the ALO Reference 16 cable and compare it with the Norse cable for the LCD3. Lastly I will switch in the Telefunkens and start burn in. I am a bit worried about turning on a tube amp 24X7 and leaving it in the office though - So I will turn it off before I go off work each day. That makes up  a full month or more before I can reach the 150-200 hour mark.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Hnnnnngh...
 
This is Head-fi, you may as well mention the price. 

 
These are fantastic though, really.
 
Quote:

I don't even want to mention the price.
 
But anyway, here they are - before the Liquid Fire even arrives - the Telefunken NOS 1940's (not a typo - 1940's not 1950's) ECC88 CCa tubes which came from the same batch and 100% matched. The owner said he would give me a discount on the Siemens if these do not suit me. He is confident that they will. Let's see.

 
 
 

 
 

 

[sillysally]

googleli, Did you get the test results.
 
The reason why I went with the Siemens is because of there 3-D holographic soundstage, among other things.
 
TheWuss, you may want to check with  Cavalli about the ECC88 tubes with the 7V heater as opposed to the 6.3V heater in the E88CC. When I ask him he said not a good idea.

 

 

[Olias of Sunhillow]

Sillysally, which tubes have produced the best bass (impact and quality) with the HE-6/LF combo? I think my Mullard CV2493s should do the job, but I won't know until January or February.
 
Sorry if you've already answered this.

 

[sillysally]

Quote:

Sillysally, which tubes have produced the best bass (impact and quality) with the HE-6/LF combo? I think my Mullard CV2493s should do the job, but I won't know until January or February.
 
Sorry if you've already answered this.

I have never tried the Mullard, of the tubes I have tried the Siemens CCa early 60's are the best bass for quality controlled bass impact of what your source is telling/sending the Liquid Fire.
The quad set I have test out about 200% of nos standard Siemens E88CC. Anyway the CCa and the E88CC Siemens from the early 60's (as far as I know) are the same tubes, the only difference is how strong and how good the test results are, and that is what determines a CCa from a E88CC.

 

[Olias of Sunhillow]

Quote:

I have never tried the Mullard, of the tubes I have tried the Siemens CCa early 60's are the best bass for quality controlled bass impact of what your source is telling/sending the Liquid Fire.
The quad set I have test out about 200% of nos standard Siemens E88CC. Anyway the CCa and the E88CC Siemens from the early 60's (as far as I know) are the same tubes, the only difference is how strong and how good the test results are, and that is what determines a CCa from a E88CC.

Thanks for your impressions. The Mullard CV2493s are often described as "British CCa" equivalents. I guess we'll find out.
 

 

[TheWuss]

Quote:

TheWuss, you may want to check with  Cavalli about the ECC88 tubes with the 7V heater as opposed to the 6.3V heater in the E88CC. When I ask him he said not a good idea.

that was just a typo, peter.  no ECC88 tubes in my possession... 

 

 

[dBel84]

Quote:

But anyway, here they are - before the Liquid Fire even arrives - the Telefunken NOS 1940's (not a typo - 1940's not 1950's) ECC88 CCa tubes which came from the same batch and 100% matched. The owner said he would give me a discount on the Siemens if these do not suit me. He is confident that they will. Let's see.
 

 
Quote:

 
TheWuss, you may want to check with  Cavalli about the ECC88 tubes with the 7V heater as opposed to the 6.3V heater in the E88CC. When I ask him he said not a good idea.

I didn't know anyone else made ECC88 tubes other than Phillips. SillySally is right though, generally ECC88 is not equivalent to E88CC and the ECC88 tubes will not work. That said when looking for the datasheet for the telefunken ECC88 , the only one available is E88CC ( which is just fine 

 ) 
 
http://www.hebertech.com/datasheet/telefunken/ecc88.html
 
..dB
 

 

[googleli]

Sorry for the typo, it is E88 CCa. if you actually open the data sheet you will see on the top right corner  three tube models' name, E88CC, 6922 and CCa, with the tube described on the data sheet highlighted, although only the data sheets for the first two are available. Kind of tells how rare the Tele CCa's are.

 

[googleli]

In preparation of the arrival of the Liquid Fire in my office tomorrow, I have just gone through all 36 pages of posts in this thread. I would really want to say a big thank you to Sally for really useful impressions on tubes. I will let the Telefunken settle first and then roll some Siemens CCa's in. The shop owner said he would give me a deep discount on the Siemens if the Telefunkens don't suit me. By the way I don't have the test results of the Telefunkens, I actually sat with him while we did the tests together and as expected, since they have the exact same batch code, matched and strong. Like 120 strong. 

 
With my Rega Saturn player and the LCD3, I suspect that the Telefunken which is said to have higher resolution but less sweet than the Siemens, may just be the right thing. Of course all these are wild guesses and I won't know for sure until I actually hear it tomorrow. Also needs some burn in time before deciding whether I should get the Siemens CCa's too. By the way, the Rega Saturn will be connected to the Liquid Fire via Madison Audio Labs E3 Extreme 1 interconnects (the flagship model with ground box). It worked wonder on my home setup until I replaced it with Tara Labs The One.
 
I will also listen to my Estoeric K-01 -> SRM727ii -> SR009 combo extensively today so that I can get some perspective of how my new office combo (Rega Saturn -> Liquid Fire -> LCD3) compare with my home rig. After burning in the Liquid Fire and the ALO Reference 16 cable for the LCD3, I will bring the Liquid Fire and LCD3 home and feed the Liquid Fire with Esoteric K-01 and directly compare it with the Stax setup. I will also be able to compare my Leben head-to-head with the Liquid Fire then. My Leben is no mean feat either - it currently has a pair of Amperex NOS 1950's long plate D-getter 12AX7's and a quad of Mullard 1950's BXA date code EL84s installed and I am very happy with them. The costs of those tubes (not including those I have rolled but not currently in the Leben) are worth half the Leben.
 
My last step on the Head-fi journey (before a Stax SR-011 or LCD4 comes out) will be a proper amp for the 009 - still a bit early to decide since the Liquid Ligntning and Eddy Current electrostatic amp haven't come out yet, but my choice will be one of the LL, Eddy Current, WES or BHSE (it is not like I have any other choices outside of Stax amps anyways). I would have gone for the BHSE already if it could come in 2 weeks' time like the Liquid Fire does.
 
On with the fun.