[smial1966]

Many thanks for your diligent research mordy. Guess I'll stick with the highly regarded 6SN7 NOS variants and avoid the contemporary 'jewellery' tubes.

Hi smial1966,

Found a HF thread from 2009 about the Sophia 6SN7 tubes. Some people thought that they were rebranded Chinese tubes. The consensus IMHO was:

"I got a pair of the Sophia 6SN7's...and they were good...but not really worth the money, IMO. No better than a typical pair of NOS Sylvanias, which are cheaper."

Here is the link to the short thread of 2 pages:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/442746/sophia-electric-6sn7

These tubes get a 5 star rating for looks.......

Again, I only read through the material above - could very well be other opinions out there.

PS: These tubes come in not less than four grades: A, B, C and unrated bulk, with progressively lower prices. Saw some reviews on Audiogon that these ratings have nothing to do with how they sound....

If it looks good and is expensive it has to be good... - not sure about that. Caveat Emptor!

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I tried these and they were not my cup of tea at all and VERY pricey. Guess I am just lucky with loads of far better NOS to hand to compare.

 

[mordy]

I guess that we have been conditioned that up to a certain level, if you pay more, you get better quality. IMHO this does not apply to vacuum tubes.
 
There are a number of professional sellers who try to push up the prices on certain items (that they posses in large quantities), using marketing hype and psychology to talk people into that the tube they have (made from unobtanium) is THE BEST THERE IS.
 
Taking the easy way out, a lot of people would just like to think that if they paid top dollars they are getting the best. They do not have the patience, and are not prepared to go through the painstaking research and true fact finding and critical listening, that the members of this forum have displayed.
 
Over and over again, we have to try to persuade people that an unknown $10 pair is superior to the highly touted $48 tubes, or that a pair of $20 tubes is far better than a pair of brass plated $125 tubes.
 
Anyhow, we are a patient bunch, and continue to try to show the way to those who want to listen....

 

[hypnos1]

AT LAST - my Elise is in the UK!....Arrived at UPS depot this afternoon, so hopefully the wait should be over tomorrow (Thursday), if they get their A into G!!
 
With my Beyer T1s now nicely burned in, the anticipation is unbearable, lol...

.
 
Have been trying to whittle down my tracks for testing - but hardly know where to start! All I am sure of is that most will be acoustic. For me at least, this provides ideal assessment of dynamic range (and actual dynamism) - especially classical symphony et al; tonal range/texture/timbre, both instrumental and vocal; cohesion/balance/clarity/spatial elements etc. And I like to really give emphasis to violin/cello/piano and female voice...as long as percussion is behaving itself! (But I do like some electronics somewhere in the mix - although going back some years now... eg...Dire Straits ('Love Over Gold'); Genesis ('Duke'); ELO (Various); Alan Parsons Project ('Turn of a Friendly Card'); Supertramp ('Breakfast in America' - 2010 remix);Clannad).
 
Don't know when I'll find time to listen to everything I would like before giving my own particular findings, so I shall just have to feed titbits as soon as I can....can't keep you guys waiting much longer!

 

[Synthax]

What can I propose to enjoy tube sound:
 
Katie Melua - I'd Like To Kill You with a Kiss
Melody Gardot - Mira
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Patrcia Barber - Like JT
Metallica - Memory Remains
...

 

[Synthax]

Violin:
Vayghan Williams - Dark Pastoral For Cello
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon OST with Yo-Yo Ma - Desert Capriccio
Shawshank Redemption OST - Sisters

 

[Synthax]

Sorry for my mistake - I meant Cello tracks

 

[JamieMcC]

  AT LAST - my Elise is in the UK!....Arrived at UPS depot this afternoon, so hopefully the wait should be over tomorrow (Thursday), if they get their A into G!!
 
With my Beyer T1s now nicely burned in, the anticipation is unbearable, lol...

.
 
Have been trying to whittle down my tracks for testing - but hardly know where to start! All I am sure of is that most will be acoustic. For me at least, this provides ideal assessment of dynamic range (and actual dynamism) - especially classical symphony et al; tonal range/texture/timbre, both instrumental and vocal; cohesion/balance/clarity/spatial elements etc. And I like to really give emphasis to violin/cello/piano and female voice...as long as percussion is behaving itself! (But I do like some electronics somewhere in the mix - although going back some years now... eg...Dire Straits ('Love Over Gold'); Genesis ('Duke'); ELO (Various); Alan Parsons Project ('Turn of a Friendly Card'); Supertramp ('Breakfast in America' - 2010 remix);Clannad).
 
Don't know when I'll find time to listen to everything I would like before giving my own particular findings, so I shall just have to feed titbits as soon as I can....can't keep you guys waiting much longer!

 
Colin I think we are all looking forward to your impressions of the Elise with the T1's

 

[JamieMcC]

Colin looking at your taste for female vocal and orchestral I thought I might mention two of my favourite albums that combine the two genres
 
Bic Runga live in concert with the Christchurch symphony orchestra (Recorded live in the Christchurch Cathedral).
 
Hooverphonic live with orchestra. (A little unusual but grows on you, plenty of vids on youtube of this concert filmed in black and white).
 
 

 

[hypnos1]

Hi synthax and JamieMcC.
 
Thanks for your recommendations...will have to try and look them up...."So much to do, so little time", lol!...Of course, you could always test them out yourSELVES!!...

 
Cheers
 
C J

 

[kvtaco17]

  What can I propose to enjoy tube sound:
 
Katie Melua - I'd Like To Kill You with a Kiss
Melody Gardot - Mira
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
Patrcia Barber - Like JT
Metallica - Memory Remains
...

 
 

  Violin:
Vayghan Williams - Dark Pastoral For Cello
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon OST with Yo-Yo Ma - Desert Capriccio
Shawshank Redemption OST - Sisters

 
Sounds like alot of my evenings...

 

[Johnnysound]

  AT LAST - my Elise is in the UK!....Arrived at UPS depot this afternoon, so hopefully the wait should be over tomorrow (Thursday), if they get their A into G!!
 
With my Beyer T1s now nicely burned in, the anticipation is unbearable, lol...

.
 
Have been trying to whittle down my tracks for testing - but hardly know where to start! All I am sure of is that most will be acoustic. For me at least, this provides ideal assessment of dynamic range (and actual dynamism) - especially classical symphony et al; tonal range/texture/timbre, both instrumental and vocal; cohesion/balance/clarity/spatial elements etc. And I like to really give emphasis to violin/cello/piano and female voice...as long as percussion is behaving itself! (But I do like some electronics somewhere in the mix - although going back some years now... eg...Dire Straits ('Love Over Gold'); Genesis ('Duke'); ELO (Various); Alan Parsons Project ('Turn of a Friendly Card'); Supertramp ('Breakfast in America' - 2010 remix);Clannad).
 
Don't know when I'll find time to listen to everything I would like before giving my own particular findings, so I shall just have to feed titbits as soon as I can....can't keep you guys waiting much longer!

Congrats H1 ¡  and good music selection.  May I  suggest british singer Sade, Forever Best CD2,  from minute 4 to 11 is a great test for ANY equipment, excellent  recording with extreme deep bass plus dynamics, ultra highs and of course voices.  It would be very interesting to test the Elise abilities as a preamp,  with both tubed and SS electronics. I suspect it will be a very good one ... 

 

[Lorspeaker]

wow...u can almost taste the cake..the amp..
what other cans u have ...any low impedence cans ...audeze ...akg ...?
that would be of interest. 

 

[hypnos1]

IT'S HERE!!!...1pm, UK time. And I can't peek inside yet - chores to do, and I've got to get the video camera set up...Oh the pain! (And I blame all you guys...

). Ah well, we've waited this long...

...(Those chores are gonna get done in record time, lol!!)...
 
Back soon....

 

[lukeap69]

IT'S HERE!!!...1pm, UK time. And I can't peek inside yet - chores to do, and I've got to get the video camera set up...Oh the pain! (And I blame all you guys... ). Ah well, we've waited this long... ...(Those chores are gonna get done in record time, lol!!)...

Back soon....

What, we've waited for so long and you are hanging us on the air?

Come one, we're as excited as you are...