[JohanE]

Well that was obviously the problem. The heater....
I moved my Echo ínto the livingroom and set it up there with my Gold Note DS-10 and plugged in my headphones. Dead silent. Again. Aaahhh.
Switched back my old tubes again.

 

[Rayon]

I have to say that after playing with Holo Bliss, Echo impresses me even more. The value it provides is very very good. I'm going to keep it next to Bliss. Bliss can provide that ultimate reference sound, but Echo is so musical and beautiful still being reference-esque. I feel that for Focal Utopia one musical high value setup is HQPlayer -> Holo Spring 3 + Feliks Echo (+ JJ gold pin).

 

[Leonarfd]

My JJ gold pinned arrived, if I get time I will try it tomorrow. Too bad changing back and forth take so long time on tubes. Still I know the stock sound quite good.

 

[Leonarfd]

 

[Leonarfd]

Merry Christmas, may the tubes warm you trough the holidays.

Just now had a good long session this Christmas morning with the stock tubes, letting the tubes cooldown then I'm switching to the JJ Impressions will follow later today .

 

[Leonarfd]

JJ E88CC Gold Pin Vacuum Tube

First impression, clean backdrop. More detailed soundstage. Bass is harder, amount of bass slightly less but the they sound harder on impact. Vocals is more natural to me on stock tubes, can be due to the clean presentation here on the JJ making them stand out more. Whats more natural is very subjective anyways since its a recording.
Treble seems about the same, maybe a tad hotter(this can be due to the tubes being new)

Very early, probably should use them for quite some more time before saying anymore.

Used a Topping E70 DAC and the headphones ZMF Verite. Flac files trough Foobar.

 

[Leonarfd]

JJ E88CC Gold Pin Vacuum Tube
I have now used it over the Christmas vacation, I still recommend the tubes if you want a sound that's a little more detailed over the stock tubes from Gen 1. Have never used gen 2. This is my subjective impression, and the changes are small.
Gear used:
DAC E70 and CMA400i
Headphones ZMF Verite, Beyerdynamic T1 G2 and DT770 Pro
IEMs Dunu SA6 and Kima, Penon Serial and FAN 2, ISN H30 and EST50

Soundstage and imaging is the same to me, but the treble has some more bite. The vocals in the mids is a little more forward, maybe more than I prefer.
The low end has harder impact but is less, this is very subtle. The tubes are also very clean sounding, no hiss or noise.

If you want a sound that is a little more detailed over the original go for it, it will portray more details if that's what your after.

Also need to say one thing, the Echo pairs very well with IEMs that are not to sensitive since the amp is very silent. Penon Serial with its 3 dynamic drivers is a dream just enhancing the character of Penon Serial.

 

[PoSR77]

So is the consensus that the MK II is better than the original Echo, because you can get the original for a good price.

And what about the Espressivo MK II, because it's about the same price as the Echo MK II.

I'm looking at these after being disappointed with both the functionality and sound quality of a LYR+.

​

 

[jclyle]

Okay so I have tube adapter for 12Axx to ECC88 tubes. Can I use any 12Axx type tube with the adapter in the Echo Mk2?

Did you ever give this a try?

 

[Leonarfd]

I am back to the stock tubes, they both have positives. Stock being more relaxed and warm sounding, while the JJ EE88CC has more detail and larger soundstage. I do not use my ZMF Verite without the Echo, while I do love to play around with IEMs now and then also on Echo.

 

[Klabauters]

I am back to the stock tubes, they both have positives. Stock being more relaxed and warm sounding, while the JJ EE88CC has more detail and larger soundstage. I do not use my ZMF Verite without the Echo, while I do love to play around with IEMs now and then also on Echo.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures of this little beauty !

I really appreciate the love you give to this probably due to its more or less little price widely ignored and/ or underestimated amp.

After some journey with several tubes, incl. Telefunken, Gold Lion, Siemens, Siemens CCa, Philips, JJ …, I found myself returning to the original tubes more and more often.

I received a hint from Robert Losonci (a tube Legend from Vienna - where I bought some of the tubes for my Echo MK II), who meanwhile seams to have retired, to change the stock 6N6P to ECC99, using quite cheap adapters (ebay about 30 EUR). According to his experience, the ECC99 tubes should improve sound performance even further. He suggested the JJ tubes (not mandatorily the gold pin ones) -> I followed his suggestion and by now I did not regret it.

In my ear, the combination of resolution, clarity, dynamics and soundstage, with acceptable bass fundament are excellent with the stock E88CC tubes together with the JJ ECC99.

For me this Amp is an absolute price and performance wonder.

Keep on having fun with it !

 

[Leonarfd]

Absolutely gorgeous pictures of this little beauty !

I really appreciate the love you give to this probably due to its more or less little price widely ignored and/ or underestimated amp.

After some journey with several tubes, incl. Telefunken, Gold Lion, Siemens, Siemens CCa, Philips, JJ …, I found myself returning to the original tubes more and more often.

I received a hint from Robert Losonci (a tube Legend from Vienna - where I bought some of the tubes for my Echo MK II), who meanwhile seams to have retired, to change the stock 6N6P to ECC99, using quite cheap adapters (ebay about 30 EUR). According to his experience, the ECC99 tubes should improve sound performance even further. He suggested the JJ tubes (not mandatorily the gold pin ones) -> I followed his suggestion and by now I did not regret it.

In my ear, the combination of resolution, clarity, dynamics and soundstage, with acceptable bass fundament are excellent with the stock E88CC tubes together with the JJ ECC99.

For me this Amp is an absolute price and performance wonder.

Keep on having fun with it !

Thanks need to check that out.

 

[Kevintj604]

Just bought an Echo MKII. This will be my first tube amp and the first time I’ve ever even heard a tube amp. Can’t wait until it arrives. Any words of wisdom for my first experience?

 

[Kevintj604]

Any tube swap recommendations?

I’ve gone down the rabbit hole already

 

[Leonarfd]

Just bought an Echo MKII. This will be my first tube amp and the first time I’ve ever even heard a tube amp. Can’t wait until it arrives. Any words of wisdom for my first experience?

Welcome. What seems to be theme going here is that most are happy with both the stock tube on the OG and the MKII Echo. I have only tried a few tubes the JJ EE88CC I have written about before here.

Also tried some more full bodies sounding Mullard ECC88, I bought used but one side had bad channel imbalance.