Feliks Audio Elise Impressions Thread – a New Start (please read first post for summary)

[UntilThen]

  Sylvania 6SN7WGT/GEC 6AS7G. Better color coordination.
 

 
Now this is what I call a classy setup. Very nice Pct. You have set the bar high. 

 

[hypnos1]

  Thanks @mordy, it's all about listening pleasure after all, right? @HPLobster's dad might prove to be just the right kind of guinea pig in that respect, being at once untainted from the audiophile reproduction chain, yet baptised in the actual experience of being in the center of grand scale live music reproduction!
 
Interestingly enough, I can't help but notice how Lukasz keeps steering me to reasonably priced alternatives (e.g. he also proposed me GE 6as7g as powers)... Still, as I said, next spending spree will be on the provision of ears–on experience! Hopefully...

 
Hi angpsi...@UntilThen makes a good point re. the cost of tubes and preferred recommendations. But there are also other things that F-A take into consideration here...ie. the need to stay "safe" re. our tube rolling, and their own particular sound preferences...for both of which they err most definitely on the conservative side lol!!

.
 
For years now, a good few of us here have been veering well off this particular track, and have discovered other "sounds" from using unconventional, non-officially-recommended tubes. Many of these do indeed sometimes deliver a very different presentation, and which can often take quite a long time to 'adjust' to before fully appreciating. I - and (most!) others - have made these transitions over a very protracted period...and have therefore managed to go beyond the usual "honeymoon period" of new sounds, which can be very misleading, of course!

. And most of us have found we couldn't go back to the more "conservative" offerings.
 
However, of course, everyone will have their own preferences...which is just how it should be!

There is no "one size fits all" in this hobby LOL!
 
Plus, as so often stated, much will depend on the rest of one's gear...especially the DAC and headphones. The variations in final outcome can sometimes be quite dramatic, to say the least!

 

  Do you think it's of interest to add in a table like this?
 
    GOOD PRACTICE FOR TUBE ROLLING
1    Clean power - Dedicated Power Line with or without Power Treatment
2    Envirement RF free - Switch Off Smartphones and devices that create RF's
3    Know Specifications
4    ...........

 
Hi F R...your second point is especially valid when using triode-strapped pentodes...these are more prone to internal oscillation (distortion!) in environments that have unfortunately high levels of RFI and/or EMI sources of interference - and which are present in many homes to a degree often not fully appreciated, alas...

 
Re. point #3...these can sometimes be a bit misleading, of course. As I mentioned above, many of us have for years now been using - successfully! - tubes that vary widely from recommended specs...and that have shown Elise to be much more flexible/accommodating than many other amps!!

...(much to F-A's surprise lol!

). This is precisely what has encouraged some of us to be rather more "enterprising" than perhaps F-A can sometimes understand!

. But such practices are certainly not compulsory LOL!!

....CHEERS!...

 

[angpsi]

No tube amp manufacturer will steer you to buy a pair of GEC 6as7g for $500 NOS.

Nor would they urge you to buy a pair of Tung Sol 5998 for $300 NOS.

I had a pair of GE 6as7g before. They sound similar to RCA 6as7g.

 

  Hi angpsi...@UntilThen makes a good point re. the cost of tubes and preferred recommendations. But there are also other things that F-A take into consideration here...ie. the need to stay "safe" re. our tube rolling, and their own particular sound preferences...for both of which they err most definitely on the conservative side lol!!

.
 

 
Hi guys,
Sure, I can definitely see that! Or, perhaps poor Lukasz just feels guilty that I steered away from my original—more conservative and financially sound—intention to buy the Espressivo and went all in with the Elise! Still away from her alas; tomorrow will be a day of reunion since I've been away for over two weeks from her! I'll let you know how it goes!
 

  The 6AS7GA tubes are not bad sounding at all, and it does not matter if it says GE,RCA or Sylvania on them. It is possible that they were all made by GE.
 
It is not clear to me if GE made their own 6AS7G tubes - perhaps re-branded RCA.
 

 
Good to know @mordy, perhaps I'll look into them eventually. But as I said, hopefully I'll be able to listen for myself before I splurge into a new spending spree!

 

[UntilThen]

 
Good to know @mordy, perhaps I'll look into them eventually. But as I said, hopefully I'll be able to listen for myself before I splurge into a new spending spree!

 
Just be aware Mordy is talking about 2 different tubes.
 
GE 6AS7GA and GE 6AS7G.

 

[pctazhp]

Finally I have Octopus for my Elise:
 

 

[hypnos1]

  Finally I have Octopus for my Elise:
 

 
Haha, pct....at least you'd get a smile or two if you took this on the road lol!!

...and with that I'll say G'night...zzzzzzz

 

[UntilThen]

Pct what a cute Octopus. Your EL tubes are so symmetrical I want them.

 

[connieflyer]

Sorry UT you'll have to get in line I want those too those are really nice

 

[mordy]

Hi angpsi,
 
Both the 6AS7GA (looks like the 6080) and the RCA 6AS7G (Coke bottle shape) are among the less expensive tubes. If you get fed up with the EL tubes we could work out a trade.

 

[pctazhp]

Octopus says keep your grubby human hands off my ELs or my scaly tenicles will pull you 20,000 leagues under the sea.

 

[UntilThen]

@angpsi I'll fight Mordy for your EL tubes. I'll trade my pair of Tung Sol 7236 and GE 6AS7GA and RCA 6AS7GA for it.

You could even have my Fotons drivers. How's that for a deal?

 

[angpsi]

Hi @mordy and @UntilThen, if I decide to dump I'll probably be looking for money. Whether I'm gonna use it for tube roll or my daughter's tuition remains undecided... But I promise you wonderful people will be the first to know if it comes to this!
 
For now, I'm just happy to be back to my office—who knew one would muster the words, all because of the Elise! Gonna give my new ELs some time to breathe, so for now this is how I roll:
 

As always, the sound is immediately mighty impressive but still very much in my head—a demanding listen. There was a slight buzz/sibilance on the left channel, which—by process of elimination—I eventually attributed to one of the new TF EL12st. Given the prior experience in this thread I'm gonna write to wege–high fidelity about it right away.
 
And here's the full roll call of my EL inventory.

 

[angpsi]

Just for clarification purposes, that's 2x Siemens EL12n, 2x Telefunken EL12 st, 2x Telefunken EL12spez, and 2x RFT EL11, 2x Telefunken EL11, 2x Valvo EL11. Here are some pics of the rest of the tubes (i.e. the ones I'm not using on the Elise right now).
 

 

 

 

 

[UntilThen]

@angpsi  I'll pass on the EL tubes. You have just about bought all the EL tubes supplies. Good NOS ones are going to cost for sure. Are you saying that using EL12 Spez (drivers) with TFK EL12 (powers), you are not getting hum from the EL12 Spez? What about if you use EL12 Spez as powers?
 
I'm surprised you went all out on EL tubes. With that kind of money, you can pick up some really nice conventional power tubes, such as Tung Sol 5998, Bendix 6080wb, GEC 6080 or even GEC 6AS7G. You would not be plagued with hums and what nots. Having said that, my Elise is now constantly being shod with EL12N (drivers) and TFK EL12 (powers) and there's not a murmur or hint of hum and yes I do like the tone more than any of my other tube combinations. 
 
I'm not spending anymore on tubes. My next expenses will be deck and dac. The backyard deck makeover will cost more than a Yiggy and a Holo Spring Level 3 together.

 

[UntilThen]

@angpsi  just noticed that you had Meridian Explorer 2. That could be a low cost entry into MQA. How do you like that with Tidal Masters? Any improvement over Tidal HiFi? 
 
Sounds interesting but a lot of that went over my head. 

http://www.stereophile.com/content/meridian-explorer2-da-headphone-amplifier#htA5iBB7W1Yib0Ak.97