Feliks-Audio ELISE...New thread.

[UntilThen]

I'll update page 93 post with my scoring as I go. Meanwhile there's something about 6A6..it's a big sound. Quite unlike a normal headphone. The orchestra seems to sit higher at the top of my head. Almost holographic. I like it. Going to burn it in like there's no tomorrow. I wonder if this is just pertaining to NU. The internal construction is different from the Visseaux 6A6 and that is still on a slow boat from Italy.

 

[JazzVinyl]

I'll update page 93 post with my scoring as I go. Meanwhile there's something about 6A6..it's a big sound. Quite unlike a normal headphone. The orchestra seems to sit higher at the top of my head. Almost holographic. I like it. Going to burn it in like there's no tomorrow. I wonder if this is just pertaining to NU. The internal construction is different from the Visseaux 6A6 and that is still on a slow boat from Italy.

That interesting sound stage is what I was trying to describe with the 6N7G Visseaux's that I bought, as well. Big Sound...closer to the musicians, feel like your "among" the musicians....sharing the stage with them...

All a bit magical, and exciting!

.

 

[UntilThen]

NU 6A6 - yes a big soundstage, closer to the music and a relaxing sound but strong on bass when calls for. Now this contrast with the C3G that I'm listening to now. I can equate the C3G experience to that of my buying the DT880 over the HD650 and HD600. It impress at first listen. Then my preference steps in. I prefer a more relax sound. It's the reason I chose Dynaudio splits over Focal splits. Over at the car forum, there are 2 main camps. Dynaudio or Focal. Wander into the wrong camp and you're dead meat. 

 
C3G is crystal clear, punchy and dynamic with 5998. Excites you on first listen but after a while gets a bit fatiguing at the top end. So much clarity and details though. It's like an enhanced photo.
 
So which camp are you? 

 

 

[JazzVinyl]

C3G is crystal clear, punchy and dynamic with 5998. Excites you on first listen but after a while gets a bit fatiguing at the top end. So much clarity and details though. It's like an enhanced photo.

So which camp are you?   

You have just entered the land where a different power tube will make/break your driver...

Try Mullard 6080 w/C3g...

 

[MIKELAP]

 

  To be honest its the first time i see Tung Sol at that price altough i didnt really need any i couldnt resist that's how far gone i am lol. Addiction aside ,got those RCA 6N7G in ,of hand they have that big sound i like that wide soundstage. i like em  Thats with 5998 power tubes 5Z4G rectifier ,RCA 6N7G'S  with a WA22 and SENNS HD800 .

Thanks Mike. I have a feeling those RCA 6N7G will sound good. Yeah and with 5998 and the rest of your gear....ummmm...dreamy...you must be listening 25 hours a day.

No!!!!! ,dont you know to much of a good thing is bad for you this could be the end result lol                                                        

 

[UntilThen]

Haha Mike. There is never too much of a good thing.
 
Yes JV, a change to Chatham 6AS7G and C3G sounded better but the top end is still evidently clear. Mind you I do dig this sort of sound sometimes but not generally on the whole. It's a preference. There is no right or wrong. Many will love this sound signature.

 

[DecentLevi]

 
Hi UT...very interesting  :   Mullard 9.2, Mazda 9.6?... Really look forward to development of that one, lol!! 

  And Elise obviously loves the 6A6 - good work!...especially as they're cheaper and easier. As time goes by, hopefully there will also be some in-depth comparisons with a range of 6SN7s (now boys, regard this as your homework, lol! 

).
 
Despite my already overload level of posting re the 20/31 combo, I fear I must say even more after my last "The 'modified' C3gS sound" experience...because this is now getting CRAZIER! 
 
I know - as JV is being astounded by also - that the FDD20 changes quite considerably with extended burn-in, so I decided to return to a few more of my favourite Clannad tracks used for assessment (100s of times!) over the past couple of years, but which I hadn't listened to for a good while... and I thought I was listening to an entirely different amp to before - or else a different recording ...without exaggeration. I was absolutely dumbfounded...yet again!  Instruments that I knew were there already, and well positioned/separated in 3D space, were taking my brain on the sort of ride I would imagine a fairly strong hallucinogenic might induce...(note the word 'imagine', lol!). And this was long after my glass of nice Cabernet Sauvignon with dinner!!!...This was 3D+++...and the voices were nothing less than ethereally angelic...(perhaps there was something extra in that bottle after all!!!).
 
I first encountered this kind of 'floating amongst the clouds' with the C3g, in fact, but only extensively on certain recordings. This latest experience, however, was far more pronounced...and I was totally unprepared for it. And so for this, UT, I personally have to give this combo 10/10...I am still up there in the clouds, lol!!

 
So guys, give this 'return' to well-known pieces that haven't been listened to for a while a try, and see what happens...but not until at least 150 hrs' burn-in!
 
ENJOY!!

Hello H1, can you tell me which driver and power tubes you were using for this setup mentioned above?
 
And is it you that is the founder of Feliks Audio? (or do I just have my wires crossed

)? 

 

[UntilThen]

DL you get him at a time when he's sleeping. It's night time in UK !!! 

 
He's using FDD20/ECC31 with the holy grail of power tubes, the GEC 6AS7G.
 
No doubt he'll be very flattered you think he owns Feliks Audio. 

 As I said before he was instrumental in Elise creation. He scouted out Feliks Audio and broached to them about doing a tube amp that will use 6AS7 and 6SN7 family of tubes. That started a whole chain of discussions between Feliks Audio, H1 and the community here and finally there you have it - behold Elise.

 

[gibosi]

  I'll update page 93 post with my scoring as I go. Meanwhile there's something about 6A6..it's a big sound. Quite unlike a normal headphone. The orchestra seems to sit higher at the top of my head. Almost holographic. I like it. Going to burn it in like there's no tomorrow. I wonder if this is just pertaining to NU. The internal construction is different from the Visseaux 6A6 and that is still on a slow boat from Italy.

 
It appears that your NU 6A6 have flat latter-box plates whereas mine have round plates. I wonder if they sound the same?
 

 

[DecentLevi]

Wonderful idea about the tube rankings system, guys. I think we're really on the right track - @UntilThen, @mordy, @JazzVinyl etc.
 
This is actually what I also do for all the tubes with my other amp. For me, I generally rank them based upon clarity, THD, bass, energy, dynamics and soundstage. These are my personal 6 main factors in ranking the sonic performance of a tube. I elaborate:
 

1. clarity: This is a combination of how well the tube presents instrument separation and both the quantity and quality of the high frequencies, which IMO often tie hand-in-hand
2. THD: Total Harmonic Distortion. This is the general 'tubey' characteristics that every tube introduces into the sound, and I see this to effect mostly the greater mid-range; it's the way the current flows through the tubes' circuitry that determines how much of a euphonic sound it makes. Personally I prefer a medium amount of THD. Too little sounds dry / stale / clinical, and too much sounds overtly lush / colored to the point of occasionally making one feel sick. And how can you determine the THD, you may ask? Well I've developed an un-scientific method, by picking out several specific parts of specific tracks which I've listened to before on other tubes which strike me as having a very high THD, and I listen to that portion of that song on a loop and see whether or not it makes me cringe; and some A/B-ing on that same looped recording with other tubes that have more/less (perceived) THD. PM me if you would like a copy of my THD test tracks.
3. energy: this is similar to THD yet also a bit hard to put into words. I feel that all tubes have a distinct sounding amount of 'energy', and I will attempt to describe it: imagine how much overall energy of the sound of a massive orchestra makes compared to one guy singing on a street corner. That's what I mean by energy - how energetic or much pure lifelike vividness does it seem to have
4. bass: quantity & qualities such as / sub bass extension / bass speed. How much bass does it have, and how is the quality; does it have good definition and organic qualities; and does it sound punchy or slow and open
5. dynamics: how punchy a sound is; how hard the likes of a snare 'slams', especially with a focus on the speed of short sounds from the time they begin and end (ADSR, part of the PRaT), in which the most lifelike dynamics are generally more desirable. Not too fast, and not too slow / muddy.
6. soundstage: (everybody already knows this one)... but it would be interesting to know how soundstage correlates with imaging
7. overall ranking: how you rank it on a scale of 1-10 (or 1 + for something otherworldly)

 
Here is an example of my rankings for one of my (other amps's) tubes:
 
GE 6SN7 6TA Copperposts
Clarity: 9/10. THD:   6.7/10. Bass: proper FR & very pleasing, slightly rolled off sub-bass but there. Energy: 8/10. Dynamics: 8.5 Overall: 8.6/10
 poss. good for mastering on HD 650. Realistic, yet maybe sl. too engaging w. med-hi THD. Realistic treble on 650, bass OK but sl. more to be desired. Good s.stage. Punchy but bass maybe too fast. Stage average
 
So I think this would be extremely helpful if the most active users would keep a working 'hit list' of their tube rankings. Just one list, so that both the 'tube addict' can keep organised, and the 'lurker' can save big time - by simply checking the updated list. Of course we can customize the factors we use, but those were just the ones I chose as most useful to me. We can even do some collaborative interactive tube ranking list, or maybe use just one specific post as the working 'hit list'.

 

[UntilThen]

   
It appears that your NU 6A6 have flat latter-box plates whereas mine have round plates. I wonder if they sound the same?
 

 Hi G, indeed our NU are different !!! Mine has printed on wordings whereas yours have engraved. You rounded tubes are more like the Mazda or Visseaux. Mine is flat as you have noticed. My version have oval micas. I doubt they sound the same. Yours looks like the real deal !!!
 
Both micas are the same oval but the fins are different.
 
In fact I noticed that my version is not the usual squad 6A6. It's a bit longer. The bottom getter (mine) is similar to the Mazda.
 
How does yours sound G?

 

[gibosi]

   Hi G, indeed our NU are different !!! Mine has printed on wordings whereas yours have engraved. You rounded tubes are more like the Mazda or Visseaux. Mine is flat as you have noticed. My version have oval micas. I doubt they sound the same. Yours looks like the real deal !!!

 
We don't know...  Either yours or mine could be rebrands.... or it might be that NU made both of them, but at different times. I see two listings for round-plate NUs on eBay, so in the interest of "tube science", I suggest you get yourself a pair!

 

[UntilThen]

   
We don't know...  Either yours or mine could be rebrands.... or it might be that NU made both of them, but at different times. I see two listings for round-plate NUs on eBay, so in the interest of "tube science", I suggest you get yourself a pair!

Hahaha ok let me see...eBay here I come !!!
 
I don't see it. Which eBay?

 

[gibosi]

On the left, under "item location" I select "worldwide", so while I don't see everything on other countries' eBay, I see most of them....
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-6A6-National-Union-RCA-engraved-basesTUBES-TV7-tested-guaranteed-L112-/321873646114
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-National-Union-6A6-Matching-date-codes-Audio-Amp-Radio-Tested-at-100-100-NOS-/250971279006  

 

[UntilThen]

The ones in 3s are in better condition. They are not engraved base. You think they are same as yours?
 
Well it's $25 shipping for the pair whereas it's $12 shipping for the trio. 

 
 
Scrub the pair because one of them is RCA. I'll get the trio.
 
Ok I'm 3 NU poorer.