[UntilThen]

I hate those click-bates...
I actually thought you were serious. Sigh.
BTW, in the past, when trying tubes with top cap thingy - they were ALWAYS noisy in my place. Picking up interference from WiFi or radio or aliens or whatever! So, I would have avoided these even if price were reasonable.

You have to get over the top cap phobia. Some of my best pentodes are EL12 spez, EL39, 807 with top caps. I am either lucky or this room is blessed. I don't get any noise at all and no interference from 2 racks of amps, dac. Most times I have on 3 amps and Yggdrasil. That is how I compare amps.

Oh my Bifrost 2 in black is coming home. My son is returning it. I think he's going for PS Audio DirectStream DAC Mk2. Poor me I have to be content with Schiit.

 

[UntilThen]

Currently testing Mullard MB8136 12AU7 CV4003 in WhispEr. This will be the last tube to be tested as I intend to send the amp back to Eric tomorrow morning. Zachi will be pleased to receive it soon.

12AU7 (mu=20) has sufficient gain to drive Grado RS1X. A balanced tube with lovely sound for audio applications.

12au7 is the American designation. CV4003 is the British designation and ECC82 is the European designation. They are essentially the same tube. Mullard MB 8136 is another variation of it.

A good 12au7 such as the Mullard MB 8136 will sound amazing in WhispEr.

Enjoy Zachi. You will be very pleased with the amp.

 

[triod750]

It’s the LAST.

Ultima isn’t just any tube amp. So far only me, @Leicachamp and @xtiva have heard it and of course Eric.

Oh wait there were 4 Ultimas that were built including this Rolls-Royce version, which is what I am getting.

Oh, I get you now. This is your last Ultima amp if you don't buy another. This wasn't clear to me previously. My understanding is at a higher level now. It's nice to be up here.

 

[triod750]

Zachi before I make you spend more money, let's consider the 6P15P again. I have a slight preference of the 6P15P over the 6P14P (EL84 equivalent). Need to verify this again. Back to back with the Tung Sol 6f8g bgrp, the 6P15P is more revealing and has a light and airy touch that makes the Grado RS1X come alive even more...

They are both amazing sounding tubes but the 6P15P cost peanuts. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/275822456323?

The 6P14P is even cheaper. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/294899271018?

The 6P15P and 6P14P are just as important and good sounding imo compared to any of the double triodes.

6P15P; they are near equivalents of EL83, are they not? http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aad0120.htm I have heard a lot of good things about them but not listened to them. EL84/6P14P is one personal favourite. I have them in a push-pull loudspeaker amp.

 

[UntilThen]

6P15P; they are near equivalents of EL83, are they not? http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aad0120.htm I have heard a lot of good things about them but not listened to them. EL84/6P14P is one personal favourite. I have them in a push-pull loudspeaker amp.

Correct they are EL83 and EL84 equivalents and classy tubes. I will miss WhispEr when I return it tomorrow but fortunately I have Ultima here. Eric said that EL81 can be used in Ultima and that EL81 on paper looks to be a very good tube, that is very linear. That's exactly what Tomas and Mr Curwen said.

I do know that EL81 is superb because that is what Oblivion use.

However we do know that tubes by themselves does nothing. It's the amps that the designers have crafted.

 

[jonathan c]

Correct they are EL83 and EL84 equivalents and classy tubes. I will miss WhispEr when I return it tomorrow but fortunately I have Ultima here. Eric said that EL81 can be used in Ultima and that EL81 on paper looks to be a very good tube, that is very linear. That's exactly what Tomas and Mr Curwen said.

I do know that EL81 is superb because that is what Oblivion use.

However we do know that tubes by themselves do nothing.*** It's the amps that the designers have crafted.

*** is that why they are vacuum tubes ?

 

[triod750]

However we do know that tubes by themselves does nothing. It's the amps that the designers have crafted.

Tubes do their things and amp designers have to take this into account when designing the amp to use them cleverly.

 

[triod750]

*** is that why they are vacuum tubes ?

They are trying to vaccum clean the music from distorsion.

 

[UntilThen]

Tubes do their things and amp designers have to take this into account when designing the amp to use them cleverly.

Most tube amp designers choose their tubes and built around it. Eric has done this to all his amps. The choice of 6y6g in Ultima and the 6bx7 and 6as7g amps. WhispEr the one stage amp was supposed to be for 6P15P and 6P14P. The double triodes are just a bonus.

Sometimes strange things happen. For instance Ultima turn out to play well with a lot of tubes.

 

[UntilThen]

*** is that why they are vacuum tubes ?

I heard Dyson makes very good tubes.

 

[UntilThen]

Oh, I get you now. This is your last Ultima amp if you don't buy another. This wasn't clear to me previously. My understanding is at a higher level now. It's nice to be up here.

There are very few tube amps that gets my attention visually, tonally and financially. Ultima ticks all those 3 boxes in this configuration.

Now let's look at Ultima from another angle.

 

[Deleeh]

I asked Eric if he would paint the aluminium sheet black and he will do it.
I find the contrast visually nicer that way.
But it's clearly a matter of taste.

I'm curious whether I'll get mahogany or rosewood.
I think both will go very well with the Zmf headphones.

 

[UntilThen]

I asked Eric if he would paint the aluminium sheet black and he will do it.
I find the contrast visually nicer that way.
But it's clearly a matter of taste.

I'm curious whether I'll get mahogany or rosewood.
I think both will go very well with the Zmf headphones.

Painting the aluminium sheet black is blasphemy.

I ask for cocobolo but cocobolo is in short supply. Perhaps we can use Australian Red Gum?

 

[UntilThen]

This is a better representation of the colour. Here I make Eric hold the chassis while I snap the shot. The wood is very smooth. Good quality.



Here is a 300b junior in the making.

 

[NEXTLEVEL5]

Oh wow that 300B JR sounds like a winner.