[Tunkejazz]

@mordy, I finally got those "ribbon" Foton's that you have recommended.
They are very good! I don't have a pair of RCA 6AS7G to test your combo, but with
a pair of Tung Sol 6AS7G the sound is quite good.

The extension on both ends of the spectrum is remarkable, and it makes the sound very vibrant (is that the right word? )
I would like to try them with some other power tubes before I go on with my rambling


Thank you for the heads up!

PS: yes, I should clean the dust ....

 

[Tunkejazz]

Rolled three different 5998 tubes today: 1957 (left), 1963 (middle) and 1958 clear top (Right). They have different internal structures.

1958 clear top is clearly better than the other 2 versions: more palpable, richer tone, better resolution and clearer presentation.

Have not noticed major sonic difference between the 1957 and 1963 versions, even though internal structures are very different.

What a luxury! I could only afford one pair

 

[mordy]

@mordy, I finally got those "ribbon" Foton's that you have recommended.
They are very good! I don't have a pair of RCA 6AS7G to test your combo, but with
a pair of Tung Sol 6AS7G the sound is quite good.

The extension on both ends of the spectrum is remarkable, and it makes the sound very vibrant (is that the right word? )
I would like to try them with some other power tubes before I go on with my rambling


Thank you for the heads up!

PS: yes, I should clean the dust ....

Hi tunkejazz,

Glad you like the Foton tubes - it is a real sleeper and nobody would believe that such an inexpensive tube can sound so good! And it will sound even better with some break in time.
I think the what the seller wanted to say is "ribbed" anode plates, but he wrote "ribber".

The even less expensive Foton is also good, but these ribbed ones are a step above, with very good bass extension, midrange and highs, and a wide sound stage. And a very lively presentation, as you write.

The reason I mentioned the RCA 6AS7G is because they can also be found at inexpensive prices and they have very good synergy with the Fotons, in other words a great sounding budget combination. I am sure the TS tubes are just as good or better.
I only have one TS tube, but I have a pair of Chatham 6AS7G which should be the same or similar.

 

[hypnos1]

Hi guys..................................A QUICK UPDATE FROM LUKASZ Re. THE 2018 EUFORIA.............

To offset (slightly!) the recent price increase, F-A have brought forward a couple of extra features for the 2018 model :

1. A new 'crossfeed' circuit - switchable on/off.
2. 'Soft Mute' function at on and off...reduces stress on components/tubes/headphones, of course...(an extremely good feature IMHO! ).

Elise also will have #2, plus an upgraded transformer...

Here's wishing you all continued enjoyment of your Euforias...mine continues to just keep growing lol! ....CHEERS!....

 

[connieflyer]

That won't help much with the price increase, number two is a nice feature, crossfeed is available with most music players that I have used. Don't use it though. With the price they are asking now, next year they had better come up with some better features, they are playing in the big leagues now. Tube delete should be a definate option, while the tubes they use are good, in this price realm, other tubes are warranted. Perhaps they could offer a few top line tubes as an option. Also more inputs and outputs, the competition is going to get tougher, and they need more features, to compete IMHO of course.

 

[SnapperMusicFan]

Hi guys..................................A QUICK UPDATE FROM LUKASZ Re. THE 2018 EUFORIA.............

To offset (slightly!) the recent price increase, F-A have brought forward a couple of extra features for the 2018 model :

1. A new 'crossfeed' circuit - switchable on/off.
2. 'Soft Mute' function at on and off...reduces stress on components/tubes/headphones, of course...(an extremely good feature IMHO! ).

Elise also will have #2, plus an upgraded transformer...

Here's wishing you all continued enjoyment of your Euforias...mine continues to just keep growing lol! ....CHEERS!....

Hi Hypnos1, fellow head-fier from Suffolk, I have a 2018 Euforia on order should be on its way from Lukasz, any day soon....
Will let you know how she sounds when she arrives, have lots of interesting tubes to try too from my Elise.

 

[mordy]

That won't help much with the price increase, number two is a nice feature, crossfeed is available with most music players that I have used. Don't use it though. With the price they are asking now, next year they had better come up with some better features, they are playing in the big leagues now. Tube delete should be a definate option, while the tubes they use are good, in this price realm, other tubes are warranted. Perhaps they could offer a few top line tubes as an option. Also more inputs and outputs, the competition is going to get tougher, and they need more features, to compete IMHO of course.

HI CF,

You saved me from writing a post - I agree with you completely. I would really like to know how the price increases have affected their sales volume.......

 

[hypnos1]

Hi Hypnos1, fellow head-fier from Suffolk, I have a 2018 Euforia on order should be on its way from Lukasz, any day soon....
Will let you know how she sounds when she arrives, have lots of interesting tubes to try too from my Elise.

Hi SMF...yet another tube (valve!!) lover from darkest Suffolk...a hearty welcome to you.

It's nice to see that perhaps not quite all is lost with Euforia sales, after the recent price hike lol ....congratulations!... Nice too, that you are coming from Elise, and with a good selection of tubes (from the sound of it! ). It is, of course, obligatory that you do indeed let us know your findings ASAP...but you know by now that good burn-in will make all the difference! Mind you, the moment I first heard my own (prototype) amp, I knew she was something special and in a different class to Elise...and my progressive system upgrades ever since have taken her to a level that IMHO justifies (almost!!) the higher price. This amp cries out for high-end partners...not least being the very best cables one can afford, preferably UPOCC silver (and copper, perhaps)-based ones, but which demand either very deep pockets or minimal soldering skills lol......ENJOY!!...CJ

ps. I certainly hear you @connieflyer and @mordy...in many ways a shot in the foot re. the price rise and, no doubt, especially in relation to our own position here in head-fi forum land, alas!

As mentioned previously, one can only hope that providing folks with the opportunity to sample her charms in the showroom before committing to purchase might just work for F-A...depending on the competition nearby lol!! Extra features would certainly have been nice, but Euforia does already possess a good few of those, and much will probably depend on whether other manufacturers are prepared to swallow inevitable cost increases, or not! And anything that would require a fair bit of work changing the chassis brings its own problems and extra cost, of course.

It remains to be seen just how Euforia will sit in the product line (at its new price)...especially alongside F-A's projected flagship next year (which will have more bells and whistles no doubt, but at a price I daren't even imagine just yet!!).

I still believe most of us have been benefiting from our wonderful amps at the expense of the Feliks-Audio family for a long while now, and I can only hope and pray that their new business model brings them all the rewards they so heartily deserve....we here most certainly have been... THE LUCKY ONES!!...Cheers to you all....

 

[JazzVinyl]

THE LUCKY ONES!!...

The LUCKY ONES indeed! The LUCKIEST ones were the ones who bought in at the very start of the Elise production, and got that "now hard to believe, low low introductory price".

Interesting pair of new features FA went with for 2018, I think the ability to easily outboard heater voltage(s) and a small fan for when you use the internal Transformer for heater voltages...would have been what I would have wished for.

Cheers, and Hang in there, everyone!


.

 

[SnapperMusicFan]

Hi SMF...yet another tube (valve!!) lover from darkest Suffolk...a hearty welcome to you.

It's nice to see that perhaps not quite all is lost with Euforia sales, after the recent price hike lol ....congratulations!... Nice too, that you are coming from Elise, and with a good selection of tubes (from the sound of it! ). It is, of course, obligatory that you do indeed let us know your findings ASAP...but you know by now that good burn-in will make all the difference! Mind you, the moment I first heard my own (prototype) amp, I knew she was something special and in a different class to Elise...and my progressive system upgrades ever since have taken her to a level that IMHO justifies (almost!!) the higher price. This amp cries out for high-end partners...not least being the very best cables one can afford, preferably UPOCC silver (and copper, perhaps)-based ones, but which demand either very deep pockets or minimal soldering skills lol......ENJOY!!...CJ

ps. I certainly hear you @connieflyer and @mordy...in many ways a shot in the foot re. the price rise and, no doubt, especially in relation to our own position here in head-fi forum land, alas!

As mentioned previously, one can only hope that providing folks with the opportunity to sample her charms in the showroom before committing to purchase might just work for F-A...depending on the competition nearby lol!! Extra features would certainly have been nice, but Euforia does already possess a good few of those, and much will probably depend on whether other manufacturers are prepared to swallow inevitable cost increases, or not! And anything that would require a fair bit of work changing the chassis brings its own problems and extra cost, of course.

It remains to be seen just how Euforia will sit in the product line (at its new price)...especially alongside F-A's projected flagship next year (which will have more bells and whistles no doubt, but at a price I daren't even imagine just yet!!).

I still believe most of us have been benefiting from our wonderful amps at the expense of the Feliks-Audio family for a long while now, and I can only hope and pray that their new business model brings them all the rewards they so heartily deserve....we here most certainly have been... THE LUCKY ONES!!...Cheers to you all....

Hi Hypnos1,

Many thanks for the warm welcome...

Yes I will give an update on the Euphoria when she arrives, how long would you say the burn in takes to sound her best? I've had my Elise since May, and the longer It gets used the better the sound that comes
out. I'm listening with some Tung sol 7236 power tubes - US Navy, that sound really 3d and some Sylvania 6SN7W drivers from 1943. My favourite drivers of the moment are Tungsol 6F8G's or Fotons.

Going to be really cool to hear the difference between the two amps, my Bayer T1 Gen 2's are truly burned in now so really looking forward to the sound difference.

I still think the sound out on the Elise is something really special, I'm not going to sell her, she is going to run the system in my studio through a Quad 306 and a pair of Dynaudio Emit 10's.

I have the new USB 5 module arriving next week for my Bimby, so should have that fitted before Euforia arrives, lots to look forward too.

 

[Johnnysound]

Nice review. I partly disagree about the bass assessment though

Yes, nice review, and I also disagree about the bass impressions. The Euforia is capable of VERY deep and powerful bass, depending on tubes. The amp is not limited in its bass rendition, being a wide bandwidth design...

 

[hypnos1]

Hi Hypnos1,

Many thanks for the warm welcome...

Yes I will give an update on the Euphoria when she arrives, how long would you say the burn in takes to sound her best? I've had my Elise since May, and the longer It gets used the better the sound that comes
out. I'm listening with some Tung sol 7236 power tubes - US Navy, that sound really 3d and some Sylvania 6SN7W drivers from 1943. My favourite drivers of the moment are Tungsol 6F8G's or Fotons.

Going to be really cool to hear the difference between the two amps, my Bayer T1 Gen 2's are truly burned in now so really looking forward to the sound difference.

I still think the sound out on the Elise is something really special, I'm not going to sell her, she is going to run the system in my studio through a Quad 306 and a pair of Dynaudio Emit 10's.

I have the new USB 5 module arriving next week for my Bimby, so should have that fitted before Euforia arrives, lots to look forward too.

Hi SMF...any sign of your Euforia yet? If so, I hope all is well. As for burn-in time, so much depends on just how much tube rolling one does - is it the tubes, or the amp that brings the most changes, for example lol?!!...especially with NOS tubes, or those like the EL family that really do need plenty of time to give of their best! And then there's the added complication of upgrades/changes in any other part of the system, of course...
However, I'm not alone in believing that Euforia herself does indeed continue to improve WAY past the 100 hrs mark, despite the 'brain burn-in factor'!!

Good idea to use Elise in that way...I myself was very impressed with her performance as pre-amp to my Vincent SV121 amp and Dynaudios

Other guys here are over the moon with the USB Gen 5 upgrade, so you should certainly have plenty to look forward to...if you're not already up there in the clouds lol!! ...so please keep us informed as to progress...CHEERS!...CJ

 

[hypnos1]

Hi guys...just a quick(?!) update on where I'm at after my rather radical exploits at breaking warranties...all in the name of pushing boundaries and discovering equipment's true potential...of course, lol!!

Prior to my last heresy - more on that later - taking my new UPOCC silver and copper-wired ICs and (DIY) T1 headphone cable direct to the amp's wiring brought about some of the biggest improvements in sound I have ever encountered...in every department you can name. To the degree where Euforia seems like a totally different amp...and certainly in another league entirely. And aided to no small degree by the 'transformed' Beyers, along with elevation of the EL11/EL12 Spezial combo's performance way beyond anything my best 6SN7(7N7)/6AS7G tubes were capable of, let alone a good few others many of us found to outperform stock configuration.

As if this wasn't enough of a surprise/shock, my disappointment with the RCA line out sockets (and severely restricted housing!) of the Hugo2 DAC/AMP finally pushed me over the edge and tempted me to play fire with its warranty also...so inside I went!! And given the much superior component used for HP out, I used its contacts for extension UPOCC wires direct also to the interconnects... but only because there's no conventional op-amp output stage - the power coming direct from the FPGA chip, with output level controlled the same as line out (plus testing on an old amp first!!!). Result?...Yet more surprise/shock - another notch up in overall performance...unbelievable!

Obviously, these particular warranty-breaking measures are only for the foolhardy such as myself, and can carry heaps of risk...but the rewards have been far beyond my expectations, and have at least proved beyond doubt that despite the stellar performance of an 'unadulterated' Euforia, it can indeed be taken to even (considerably) greater heights by being 'unconventional', as well as taking the obvious steps of upgrading mains power supply/power cords/DAC/interconnects/headphones (including cable!). At each stage, Euforia (and the EL tubes!) will match the quality of the upgrade - so no penny-pinching please lol! ...(F-A are gonna have to work miracles with their (probably) 2A3-based flagship next year to beat what is now coming from my T1s lol! ).

CHEERS! to all you LUCKY ONES, and keep enjoying Euforia's delights...whether sensible, or somewhat foolhardy!! ...CJ

 

[connieflyer]

Hi, hypnos1, have been following your exploits with much interest. Every time I think I may one up you, you do some more cutting, so I have decided the only way to make more direct connection than those you have done, will be for me to run silver wire directly from my eardrums, to the output taps on the trans! Hope this works, as I will have to do the surgery to my ears will looking in the mirror, this could present a problem as everything is reversed! Wish me luck!

 

[connieflyer]

And to Snappermusicfan, welcome to our humble group. As for burn-in, like hypnos1 said, so many variables, so just enjoy the journey. I have unit 005 and it is still improving as the hours mount up on it. I went from coax to the usb gen 5 on my Gugnir and it has made a big difference. Another member, here has just got his Gungnir Multi-bit, Pct moved up from another Schiit and he really is enjoying the upgrade as well. You have a very enjoyable journey ahead, don't rush to far along to start, enjoy the changes. Have fun