[Mahdi8]

BTW atsq you should show the bottom part with all the upgraded caps

 

[grrraymond]

  Reality check: unless you got a screamin' deal, a GEC brown base is now typically more than 1/6 the price of a mainline.  "Worth the price" is highly subjective.  I like my hotrodded crack with my GEC quite a lot.  I also quite like my 5998's, my 7802 and several of my mil spec 6080's in the power tube slot.  As good as all of these tube complements sound, none of them put the crack in the same league with the mainline (that's with hd800's, hd650's, dt880's - to say nothing of low impedance phones).
 
For context, in the old days, when skylab reigned supreme on head-fi as the most prolific and venerated reviewer, he advocated the GEC's as the best 6as7/6080 variant.  When they climbed north of $150 a pop, he urged head-fiers to look elsewhere.  Not trying to crap on what is definitely a very nice tube, but for those of you who haven't picked one up, don't feel bad or like you're seriously missing out and need to sell plasma, your wife etc. to get your hands on this tube.  IMO, as a GEC owner, your money is better spent as a good chunk of a mainline, the upcoming bh dac, or some other serious gear upgrade.
 
/FlameSuitOn!  

 
I wanted to give myself another couple of days of listening and comparing before a proper reply.
 
I'm happy with what I paid for it, for the relative benefits it has brought. It cost a little less than the sum total of the Mundorf Caps, the Supreme bypass caps and the PSU film bypass cap. Having swapped those out today checking for a cold joint, I think the GEC on its own makes a bigger difference. It costs almost as much as the Speedball and I would therefore choose that above a GEC, for anyone looking to upgrade. That said, I never had the chance to listen to it in the stock Crack.
 
The reason I'm so pleased with it is because it has completed the picture, as it were. It's all about the presentation. It brings a certain refinement to every single aspect of the sound, bass is warm and deep but tightly controlled, it's the best I've heard. The highs offer all the detail you like but with zero fatigue, they're very very sweet. This is the most satisfying treble I've heard, and this is on the HD650s. When you get to the mids, this is where the GEC, and the 650s, really shine. The presentation of vocals and of instruments and textures is absolutely pristine, neither forward nor recessed, not excessively separated nor cluttered in the slightest. It's just the ideal balance, to my ears. Again, I'll come back to the word presentation. Different tubes have given me more in various areas, but almost always to the detriment of something else. The GEC takes all these desirable ingredients and serves you a perfectly balanced meal.

 

[.Sup]

Hey guys someone here is selling SIEMENS E80CC NOS for 30€ per pair. Should I get it? Any advice welcomed.

 

[MattTCG]

Darn good tubes, if they are the real deal. 

 

[.Sup]

Thanks! I sent him a PM asking him to take a photo.

 

[JamieMcC]

Hey guys someone here is selling SIEMENS E80CC NOS for 30€ per pair. Should I get it? Any advice welcomed.

There are a  couple of different types of Siemens E80cc so you might like to confirm which type it is with the seller, some favour the steel pin variety over the gold pin ones as they are said to more neutral and linear than gold plated pin version. The nickel plated version also appears to be identical to the Tungsram E80cc
 
 

 

[.Sup]

Thanks Jamie, I purchased it, should be here on Tuesday. I will post some pictures. The seller was very nice, he told me they have a code 877 which means made in late 70s/early 80s.

This is the image he provided (image from web but he says his are identical)


Made by Tungsram for Siemens.

Anyways for 35€ shipped for a pair I don't think I can go wrong.

 

[JamieMcC]

Nice tubes I like mine, have you seen the resistor & switch mod on the bottlehead forum for these? Its a inexpensive  modification to the speedball which helps get the best out of E80cc tube.
 
http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,5989.30.html

 

[i luvmusic 2]

I know i don't have my CRACK Amp yet due to work away from home.I would like to know if 6DJ8 can be use for crack?Thanks!

 

[spacequeen7]

  I know i don't have my CRACK Amp yet due to work away from home.I would like to know if 6DJ8 can be use for crack?Thanks!

nope

 

[.Sup]

Nice tubes I like mine, have you seen the resistor & switch mod on the bottlehead forum for these? Its a inexpensive  modification to the speedball which helps get the best out of E80cc tube.

http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,5989.30.html

Thank you for the link Jamie, I have not seen it, been a while since I was browsing the BH forums. To be completely honest I don't think I have the cajones to mod my Crack just yet.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

  nope
 

THANKS!

 

[.Sup]

nope

I guess its not too late to ask if the tube I ordered the E80cc fits in Crack without any modifications? I think I'll be fine but it never hurts to be 100% sure.

 

[olegausany]

Fits without problems, it uses same 9 pin layout

 

[mordicai]

Installed the switch mod with 470 resistors on the speedball for the E 80cc tube. Sounds very good but I can only just crack the volume control in term of loudness. Seems that there is way too much gain. I'm not sure the best way to proceed with this. Install a Potentiometer, or use a resistor in the volume pot?  
Any advice would be appreciated. Can't imagine how much better a Mainline would be then this Crack. It may sound different, but would it be better?   Max