With all my friendship, let me try to justify some disenchantment I have shown lately. There are indeed big egos here (AS IN ANY FORUM OF THIS TYPE). They are egos of affirmation, they are egos of frustration and they are egos of research, besides others that the science of psychology is in charge of studying
Having a great ego is not by itself a mistake, on the contrary, if properly democratized in the context of a forum, where opinions may diverge and this divergence will help a more perfect solution than the previous one.
Within the research there is one scientific research and one sensory research that sometimes are coincident and at other times they diverge
I think we are happy to have several different ideas from several different participants
Trying to punish or even use phrases that offend, or creating an environment of antagonism can lead to the degradation of a forum on a group who refrain from actively participating for fear of receiving attestations of incompetence on opinion
I ask myself if this is not the reason of only 3 or 4 members participate actively
Secondly, I would like to contribute with my opinion on the EL12n individually and compared to the GEC 6AS7G, which are my reference valves for powers
It took me a long time to accept the idea of using this valve by going out of the parameters and specifications for which ELISE was designed. However complying with the basic rule of not exceeding the specific effort to the components, and accepting that the objective of this construction is altered in its final result, since the interrelationship of the components is fundamental and if one is altered, another one must be as well (compensation) to achieve the same end result
Said that and
Keeping the same drives (regardless of what they are) for this opinion.
I use most of the time the Tung Sun or Ken Rad 6F8G, which may vary depending on the genre of music I'm listening to (singed (male or female), only orchestra, mixed, etc.)
With my system improved with treatment of the main power, with a regenerator and an upgrade in the DAC as well as taking utmost care in the environment in which a valve component should be (Amp and DAC) due to the characteristic microphonie of the valves by electromagnetic influences of outer RFs and interinfluence, I think EL12n as powers are in the same league competing with GEC 6AS7G. Its quality is distinguished by the total absence of background noise as well as its transparency. Water is clearer and more balanced in the context of frequencies. The bass will not be as deep as in the GECs but they are pure, fast and well defined. The highs go to the limit of transparency since it is with the mid and treble that I measure the "cleaning" and balance, and the middle ones are balanced without any hole in the horizontality of the spectrum
The GEC are what I can call the "luxury". They have all what the EL12n’s are, more the sweetness and harmony and color of music. They are rounder, perhaps less sss, with perfect bass (bass - where this valve pops up)
However, the current high price of GECs is unbearable and inflated by speculators, and the price of EL12n may be highly attractive.
Finally:
It does not replace the GECs, but they are very close by, occupying, at will, the 2nd place of my list of Powers. I did not try them as drivers, because I did not have any options as powers