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

[HPLobster]

 

 

 
At least now I have @HPLobster and his dad to thank for not being left alone in my experience of the Svets & Psvane! As I've said numerous times in the past, I'm really anxious to see how you guys find them when your Euforias (Euforiae?) arrive...
 
 

 
 

 
The thing is Lobster's dad has only heard Elise with Psvane and Svetlana and that has won him over. Lobster himself is quite overwhelmed when he switched in Valvo 6080 for the Svetlana and find it much better. In his words, he didn't realised that a change of just power tubes can bring about such a big difference.

 
angpsi, I am honestly happy for you, finding the perfect tube-setting to accomodate your personal taste in sound signature

. However, concerning you feeling reassured, regarding my father´s enjoyment of the same tube-setup (PSVane 6SN7 driving Svetlana 6H13C), I´m afraid I have to relativise things a little.
 
I think what actually occured is that he -although his native attitude towards hifi gear has always been rather sceptical- approved with the ability of the Feliks Audio Elise + Sennheiser HD 800 combination in general to reproduce classical music. I would classify the fact that I used the above mentioned tube-combo rather as a coincidence, since now I´m using Mullard/Valvo 6080s as powers and soon am going to exchange the PSVane-drivers with EL3Ns. I´m not necessarily saying that his reaction would have been even more enthusiastic using one of These other tube-setups, but I´d like to point out that most probably -regarding his consent of orchestral reproduction- the Elise/HD800 as a whole should be credited and not those specific tubes.
 
Don´t get me wrong, I personally liked your preferred combo very much, just wanted to make this minor point clear

   

 

[HPLobster]

  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.
 

Change of subject: Since I also bought my EL12 spez from wege-high fidelity, I´m curious to know about those "prior experiences"

 
 
Edit: Alright, you´re probably just talking about good customer service...

 

[UntilThen]

COUNT ME IN. 

 

 

[HPLobster]

  My EL12 adapters are registering as delivered to a neighbour on the Royal Mail site. But no card through my door to say which neighbour. The name of the person who signed for them is not the name of any of our neighbours either. I think they've tried to deliver them to completely the wrong street. I was in when they say they tried to deliver them. 
 
I think it's a conspiracy - someone doesn't want me to experience EL12N. 

 
I think angpsi has your tubes....

 
 
 
 
 
 
just kidding

 I hope you will find them soon...
 
Edit: Ah, you are talking about Adapters...I should probably go to bed...

 

[pctazhp]

My Octo***** now very happy she has such nice friends

 

[UntilThen]

  Change of subject: Since I also bought my EL12 spez from wege-high fidelity, I´m curious to know about those "prior experiences"

 
 
Edit: Alright, you´re probably just talking about good customer service...

 
Correct. wege-high-fidelity is a wonderful seller. I bought from him 2 Telefunken EL12.

 

[UntilThen]

Help !!!     My Octopus is walking.
 

 

[HPLobster]

  Help !!!     My Octopus is walking.
 

Gotta catch him before he reaches your headphones! After that, he´s never going back...

 

[angpsi]

  The double saucer getter is the give-away - Russkies. Just pulled out a 1963 Svetlana and it looks exactly the same.
 
How much do they want for these forgeries? $15/pair?
 

Hold on to your pants... The price is $40, and it doesn't even clarify whether it's for the pair or a single one! Quite possibly the most expensive Svetlanas ever made!

 

[angpsi]

  Change of subject: Since I also bought my EL12 spez from wege-high fidelity, I´m curious to know about those "prior experiences"

 
 
Edit: Alright, you´re probably just talking about good customer service...

 
 

   
Correct. wege-high-fidelity is a wonderful seller. I bought from him 2 Telefunken EL12.

Exactly! The man is wonderful and he's got a good inventory of tubes including EL11 & EL12. I've had long discussions with him before I bought my EL12st as I was inquiring about the straight bottle EL12; he was prompt to reply, and very helpful in his responses. And now that there's a minor hiss with the one EL12st he's taking it back no questions asked. I'm even tempted to get a different EL12st instead of a refund, just to keep with my promise to give the EL12 lot another try in good faith.
 
I have to admit, I'm now listening to another one of Stereophile's 'to die for' records—Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden, "Last Dance"—on 24/96 flac and I can certainly appreciate the way the all–Telefunken EL12spez/EL11 combo's take on lush and full bodied sound. I also most certainly agree that the headphones do play a role in this. Hopefully I'll be able to audition more cans with my setup—for now, all my impressions are limited by my one–sided experience on the HD600.

 

[HOWIE13]

   
 

Exactly! The man is wonderful and he's got a good inventory of tubes including EL11 & EL12. I've had long discussions with him before I bought my EL12st as I was inquiring about the straight bottle EL12; he was prompt to reply, and very helpful in his responses. And now that there's a minor hiss with the one EL12st he's taking it back no questions asked. I'm even tempted to get a different EL12st instead of a refund, just to keep with my promise to give the EL12 lot another try in good faith.
 
I have to admit, I'm now listening to another one of Stereophile's 'to die for' records—Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden, "Last Dance"—on 24/96 flac and I can certainly appreciate the way the all–Telefunken EL12spez/EL11 combo's take on lush and full bodied sound. I also most certainly agree that the headphones do play a role in this. Hopefully I'll be able to audition more cans with my setup—for now, all my impressions are limited by my one–sided experience on the HD600.

Yes, try not to dispose of your EL tubes until you have tried them with other headphones. 
 
I would like to audition the HD800 and 800S, plus of course purchase Euforia, but there's other financial priorities in this household, unfortunately.
 
Do hold onto those tubes though, they could be very expensive to re-purchase a year or two down the line. 

 

 

[angpsi]

angpsi, I am honestly happy for you, finding the perfect tube-setting to accomodate your personal taste in sound signature

. However, concerning you feeling reassured, regarding my father´s enjoyment of the same tube-setup (PSVane 6SN7 driving Svetlana 6H13C), I´m afraid I have to relativise things a little.
 
I think what actually occured is that he -although his native attitude towards hifi gear has always been rather sceptical- approved with the ability of the Feliks Audio Elise + Sennheiser HD 800 combination in general to reproduce classical music. I would classify the fact that I used the above mentioned tube-combo rather as a coincidence, since now I´m using Mullard/Valvo 6080s as powers and soon am going to exchange the PSVane-drivers with EL3Ns. I´m not necessarily saying that his reaction would have been even more enthusiastic using one of These other tube-setups, but I´d like to point out that most probably -regarding his consent of orchestral reproduction- the Elise/HD800 as a whole should be credited and not those specific tubes.
Don´t get me wrong, I personally liked your preferred combo very much, just wanted to make this minor point clear

   

 
Hence my remark that your father should prove to be a perfect guinea pig for tube rolling! It will be interesting to test your tube rolling with his reactions now that he's baptised to headphone listening. Of course, in the end it's all about personal enjoyment, and your taste might prove to be different to your father's; and it can also be an acquired taste, as @hypnos1 mentioned in regard to his transition from ECC31/GEC A1834 to EL11/EL12spez.
 
Overall I consider this audiophile field an education, but it can equally turn into a distraction to the actual enjoyment of music. As always, striking a balance is IMO all that one can inspire to pursue, albeit quite possibly in perpetuity! 

 

[angpsi]

 
Re. your own experience of the EL11/12 combo, I can fully understand your viewpoint...the presentation is indeed an extremely rich and full-bodied one, and not to everyone's taste. It wasn't mine at first actually, after ECC31/GEC A1834 magic - but it is now lol!!

. But given everyone's hearing and preferences are different, you don't surprise me at all. One must stick with what one likes...naturally!

 
Y'know...I really am beginning to wonder if Euforia is actually handling these tubes somewhat differently to Elise - it's going to be extremely interesting to hear what folks find, who will have both to compare side-by-side. If anything, Euforia is even richer than Elise, but I can't say I recognise in my setup any of the more negative (to your ears) aspects you mention...but I'm sure my tube DAC has quite a lot to do with that lol!!

.
But I'm really glad you are obviously very impressed with Elise...this is all that counts, after all.

...CHEERS!!...

Well, as you can see I'm still giving the rich and full–bodied sound a good chance. I don't think I'll be disposing my EL tubes unless I listen first hand to something that touches me more in respect to my taste. And of course the rest of the chain also has something to do with it as well!
 
Moving on to the Euforia, yesterday I was out at a (very accomplished) cocktail bar and I just have to offer you a glimpse of the catalogue:
 

 
But, as always, reality also kicks in! (as it's "Just Another Daiquiri"—or, is it?)

 
Food for thought!

 

[angpsi]

 
Neither do I recognise in my setup any of the more negative aspects angpsi mentioned about the EL tubes. I certainly don't find them shouty or shrill but I'm a reasonable man. I'll agree to disagree. 

Perhaps there was a transcendent and magical connection (fusion?) of the Svetlanas / Psvane with the Elise when I left them on for 50+ consecutive hours while 'burning them in', and now she's rejecting all other combos!!!

 

[hypnos1]

  Well, as you can see I'm still giving the rich and full–bodied sound a good chance. I don't think I'll be disposing my EL tubes unless I listen first hand to something that touches me more in respect to my taste. And of course the rest of the chain also has something to do with it as well!
 
Moving on to the Euforia, yesterday I was out at a (very accomplished) cocktail bar and I just have to offer you a glimpse of the catalogue:
 

 
But, as always, reality also kicks in! (as it's "Just Another Daiquiri"—or, is it?)

 
Food for thought!

 
Aaahhh...but, ang - in our case the ingredients are a good bit different...just ask Pop Henryk lol!!!

...(and you guys have a good few more goodies than I!! 

...).
 

  Perhaps there was a transcendent and magical connection (fusion?) of the Svetlanas / Psvane with the Elise when I left them on for 50+ consecutive hours while 'burning them in', and now she's rejecting all other combos!!!

 
You could well have a point there, ang....the amp's biasing will probably take a while to "settle down", given the EL tubes strictly need quite different config'n settings lol!

...(one's ears also take a good while to settle into them!!!

...but certainly good advice to hang on until a bit further down the road...

...and who knows LOL?!!).