[hypnos1]

That is very interesting news CJ. I'm finding that there are one or two things about these tubes that I'm not totally happy about. Number one when I got up this morning the coffee was not made and number two they refuse to make breakfast this morning! Talk about independent tubes! No all is well with the world this morning, I just got notice from the post office that my tubes will be delivered today! And also got notification from eBay that I won the auction that I had bid on! Two El 38 Mullard btand new in the box for $50 US! I could not believe it, I was the only one that bid on that pair of tubes. They are gorgeous if the pictures hold true, and the seller's reputation was hundred percent so I have to believe they will be. But for sure that at least one other person would have bit on them before the auction ended. I wasn't going to bid on them cuz I figured NOS tubes like that would go for a princely sum, but for some reason nobody bid except me. Just goes to show sometimes you just have to put it out there and see what happens. Adapters are on the way in from mrs. X so I'll have a spare pair that way. The day is starting out quite well. Now if I could just get that stupid tube to get the coffee started first thing all would be well with the world indeed!

Ah cf...I too have something to moan about with these tubes...they've made my favourite Earl Grey cuppa go cold lol!

As if I'm already having a job coping with all this excitement, looks like I might just have to endure a breakup in the lovely CV450s' symmetry : ie. yet another OMG moment while trying to enjoy said cuppa(s). This was while my ears were being bombarded by Holst's 'Mars' movement once again...that old, 'balloon', black-plated tube I talked about previously is maturing into something quite amazing, in one of the power slots. Its slightly extra energy over the 'pretty one' fair blew me out of my seat almost...totally unexpected! And that's before I give it the full treatment - ie. adaptation minus socket; direct metal-to-metal contact for the top anode wire and all the pin wires (fiddly!), and use of Neotech solid UP-OCC silver wire as well as copper. Can't begin to imagine what it'll then sound like...plus more hours' burn-in on this obviously NOS tube ...(and I wouldn't be surprised if this oldie (not me!!) could even make that coffee for you lol!)...

Edit...ps. Forgot to say that fearing the 'oldie's' extra slam might just come at the expense of delicacy, I checked with the more gentle 'Venus' and 'Saturn' tracks of 'Planets Suite' and...still totally heart-melting....phew!!

I just got an email from Vincent, the Ebayer that I purchased the two NOS El38's from. Here is his message for those that may want to get some of these beauty's . Hi
thank you for your purchase
are you interested in other Mullard EL38 new le n box? I have at least 4 pairs left.
Best regards

Vincent
So there are more out there.

WHAT?!...you must be kidding me cf...especially at that marvellous price you mentioned. Given these tubes way outperform those top flight drivers and powers, this must surely be an opportunity not to be missed, by folks who haven't yet acquired their own stash. Luckily a few of us have already made sure of a good supply lol! . I can only urge others to dive in NOW...this kind of bargain won't be around much longer, I'm sure!!

 

[hypnos1]

Well, tubes are playing as I speak. Sounds great! Beautiful job on the conversion, as usual of course, all four burning brightly. First up is 2Cellos Asturias Meets Carmen, cellos deep and rich, now Losing you Alison Krauss, she sounds like she is sitting right here with me, but I still am not sharing coffee. The extra pair of tubes are, to my first looks, appear to be Nos as well. No corrosion, no over burn, clean as a whistle. Too bad others did not take advantage of your offer for these tubes. Well, that should do it for me, two quads of Nos El 38's

Ooohhh...aren't they just beautiful cf?...looks and magical performers - what more can one possibly ask lol?

 

[connieflyer]

Wish you had not mentioned the ballon type tubes. Always liked the way they looked. Now I suppose I will have to look around for some too! Will this never end? Have another five hours on the El38's that I just received this morning, and they are just great. The music comes out of total blackness, clarity in spades. Should have the next pair in about a week, and the pair of adapters from Mrs X also. And then (other than the balloon type if any can be found) are the last tubes I am going to pursue. The Sennheiser 800 phones have never sounded this good, it has bass that was never a strong point,now a more balanced presentation. May have to pick up a spare pair to get me through the rest of my life!

 

[hypnos1]

Wish you had not mentioned the ballon type tubes. Always liked the way they looked. Now I suppose I will have to look around for some too! Will this never end? Have another five hours on the El38's that I just received this morning, and they are just great. The music comes out of total blackness, clarity in spades. Should have the next pair in about a week, and the pair of adapters from Mrs X also. And then (other than the balloon type if any can be found) are the last tubes I am going to pursue. The Sennheiser 800 phones have never sounded this good, it has bass that was never a strong point,now a more balanced presentation. May have to pick up a spare pair to get me through the rest of my life!

Hi cf...if you do go looking for the older 'balloon' tube, I suspect - from the prices of the sibling EL37 - the best could well be the one with black plates as opposed to grey...and which so often seems to be the case with really old tubes of any sort. But hey, the 'pretty ones' sound awesome enough anyway lol!

These EL38s are obviously taking your Senn HD800s to another level entirely...just as they have my T1s. So a spare pair at a reasonable price - again just as I have done with the Beyers - sounds a pretty good idea to me. No need for the (IMHO) way over-priced Utopia!!

And as further encouragement for yourself, and others, @Johnnysound looks to be spot on with his assumption that these EL tubes could well follow the 32 in regard to burn-in time. With well over 100hrs on one pair, nearing 100 on one other tube, and even less on the 'balloon', they keep on surprising me the same way the 32s did...but even more so...and it's doing my head in lol! I sit here stupefied, unable (unwilling!) even to move...just how much better can these things get?!!! If the 2A3 tube can beat this sound, I'm quite sure the men in white suits will be carting me away post-haste!!! ....Enjoy your further testing of the foursome over the coming days...good times ahead, methinks ...CJ

 

[connieflyer]

Well I must say, I have never been more impressed with musical renditions as I have today. I took time out to go to lunch with a friend, and then back under the phones again. I keep having to listen to this that and everything to hear the new sounds. Alison Krauss, I had to send her a marriage proposal, after listening to her latest album in Hi Rez, especially River in the Rain, there is no way the 2a3 can best this sound. And I am looking for a back up pair of 800's , don't want to lose this sound! Having a hard time tearing myself away from the music today. This could be the newest diet fad. You sit under the phones, and never take the time out to eat much! Well, have to leave you all for now. Need a break, or I will flow out of this chair. Seriously folks, you should really consider these tubes, especially while there are some Nos still available. These won't last long, the ones I got , I could not believe the price, as most good used pairs were double that price. Now this seller says he has four more pair left, if I did not already have six here and the two more on the way in, I would be jumping on these.

 

[Scutey]

Just a quickie folks.

@Scutey ...Your use of the word "pure" is an apt one indeed for this tube's sound - (one of) my own previously was "clean"..."pure" is better lol!

Another I'm finding stands out more and more as the days go by is : precise...a direct result, obviously, of even better separation and placement than the wonderful EL32. Along with that old stalwart, PRaT...the most evident being its masterly control of rhythm, which often isn't actually so obvious. But in conjunction with Euforia - and in my system - this takes complex classical pieces to a whole new level, let alone good jazz numbers.

And all of the above - along with many other qualities - now leave me open-mouthed, especially with large-scale pieces by Mahler, and such as 'Mars' from Holst's Planets Suite.
Oh, and another appropriate word is : BIG!...the sort of sound that I myself believe can only come from BIG tubes lol! ...

ps. Scutey...hope your new tubes and adapters are cooking nicely......CJ

Hi h1, tubes are cooking very nicely, now around the 11 hour mark. Everything I've thrown at them, Rachmaninov, Bach, Holst, Bill Evans Trio, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and then the genre I find most difficult for tubes Heavy Metal, they handle it all with utter assuredness, this combo has a scalpel like precision, without ever sounding clinical, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto no1 has never sounded so dramatic, or emotive, the way it captures the majesty of Bach's Toccata and Fugue, everything I've listened to has sounded the best I've ever heard, sounds and textures I've never heard before in familiar records are making themselves known, the way these tubes can delve so deep into a recording and retrieve details is utter uncanny, I have to say, h1, I think this takes the Elise way WAY beyond what I could possibly have hoped when I bought it just over a year ago .

 

[aqsw]

I would be interested in a pair. What is he asking ?, and how do I get ahold of Vincent?

I just got an email from Vincent, the Ebayer that I purchased the two NOS El38's from. Here is his message for those that may want to get some of these beauty's . Hi
thank you for your purchase
are you interested in other Mullard EL38 new le n box? I have at least 4 pairs left.
Best regards

Vincent
So there are more out there.[/QU

 

[connieflyer]

Scutey,Congratulations on the music saga, I have my quad in for the last six hours, and I am finding that this has never sounded this good. I am heartened to hear that the Elise is responding to the El38's as well, we thought it would, but you never know. I enjoyed the Elise while I had one, and the Euforia was an upgrade. But these El38's have taken this right into the strasosphere the improvement is all out of proportion to what I am used to with a great tube upgrade. None of the other tubes have done this well, not the VT's nor the GEC's come close to what these have done. Quite happy, to sit and go over the music genre's I was also impressed with Bach's Toccata and Fugue like I have never heard it before. The organ swells and never distorts. Presently I am halfway through Rimsky-Korsakov's Scherazade and what a moving piece. Cresendo's jump back and forth to no end. Love it.

 

[aqsw]

Sorry, double post

I just got an email from Vincent, the Ebayer that I purchased the two NOS El38's from. Here is his message for those that may want to get some of these beauty's . Hi
thank you for your purchase
are you interested in other Mullard EL38 new le n box? I have at least 4 pairs left.
Best regards

Vincent
So there are more out there.[/QU

 

[connieflyer]

Aqsw, the ones I bid on, and I was the only bidder were $50 EU. The seller is from France, the tubes are NOS. This was the bid page, https://www.ebay.com/itm/Paire-Boxe...ntode-Vannes-NOS-NIB-Tubes-CV450/223256287033 he contacted me and wanted to know if I wanted any more, he has four more pair. You could try contacting him on Ebay, let him know you got the info from here I told him I was going to post the info here and ask if he would sell you a pair or quad at the same price. Can't hurt. This is the sellers page. https://www.ebay.com/usr/french-drawer?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 so give it try. You can see the pictures in the add how good they look and he has a good rating.

 

[Scutey]

Hi cf, good to hear your enjoying these tubes as well, great to know their appeal is widening!. There was a little bit of hesitation in getting some, always a gamble when they've not been tried in your amp, I'm guessing I'm the first Elise owner to try them, but so convincing was h1 I just had to give them ago and it's paid off spectacularly well!. Every genre I've tried them with sounds fantastic, but they do seem to shine particularly well with classical, all of the drama, majesty and emotion is conveyed so beautifully, I can well imagine Scheherazade to sound moving, in fact you've reminded me to try out my recording, so thanks! .

 

[connieflyer]

Scutey, glad to remind you, has always been a favorite of mine. And you are right about the classics sounding so much better, there is just so much information in an orchestration and these put everything right out there for you to hear. Glad I picked up an extra quad of them and some adapters. So good for awhile now I hope, unless of course H1 comes up with another winner. He really is liking that balloon tube he got in with the last batch! I have looked for some but on luck. And I am not disappointed, the way these El38's sound, I am a happy camper. The Sennheiser 800 have never sounded so good, so much so that I am looking to pick up a spare pair, this combo is unreal.

 

[hypnos1]

Well @Scutey and @connieflyer ...all I can say is you make an old(ish!) man very happy tonight.

One always wonders with a new tube whether the brain is playing some kind of weird and wonderful game in what it's hearing. But yes, as you both intimate, the leap in performance is so great that it is actually indisputable...no matter how hard you try to find weaknesses. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, this giant leap defies all normal logic, and is not only way beyond anything I personally have ever encountered before, but also anything I've ever read about in 5 years of endless scouring of related info right across the web.

And guys...things will get even better yet, if my own experience is anything to go by lol .

I regard this lucky find as truly the gold needle in a giant haystack to beat all haystacks lol! . And I thank you for having faith in my judgment, and sharing in this adventure...I shall sleep well tonight....
Speaking of which, I've simply got to have a bit more 'magic' time before diving into that hay...but not to go looking for any more tubes, you'll be glad to hear!! So BFN, and HAPPY LISTENING!...CJ

ps. I too shall dig out Scheherazade methinks...one of my favourites also...

 

[Scutey]

Scutey, glad to remind you, has always been a favorite of mine. And you are right about the classics sounding so much better, there is just so much information in an orchestration and these put everything right out there for you to hear. Glad I picked up an extra quad of them and some adapters. So good for awhile now I hope, unless of course H1 comes up with another winner. He really is liking that balloon tube he got in with the last batch! I have looked for some but on luck. And I am not disappointed, the way these El38's sound, I am a happy camper. The Sennheiser 800 have never sounded so good, so much so that I am looking to pick up a spare pair, this combo is unreal.

I can imagine those HD 800's sounding pretty impressive with this combo, soundstage must be immense, I feel the same way about my Beyer DT 1990's, also I'd love to get another quad of these, especially the balloon shape, if some come up for sale/auction it could be very interesting to see gets em, hopefully "one of us" .

 

[Scutey]

Well @Scutey and @connieflyer ...all I can say is you make an old(ish!) man very happy tonight.

One always wonders with a new tube whether the brain is playing some kind of weird and wonderful game in what it's hearing. But yes, as you both intimate, the leap in performance is so great that it is actually indisputable...no matter how hard you try to find weaknesses. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, this giant leap defies all normal logic, and is not only way beyond anything I personally have ever encountered before, but also anything I've ever read about in 5 years of endless scouring of related info right across the web.

And guys...things will get even better yet, if my own experience is anything to go by lol .

I regard this lucky find as truly the gold needle in a giant haystack to beat all haystacks lol! . And I thank you for having faith in my judgment, and sharing in this adventure...I shall sleep well tonight....
Speaking of which, I've simply got to have a bit more 'magic' time before diving into that hay...but not to go looking for any more tubes, you'll be glad to hear!! So BFN, and HAPPY LISTENING!...CJ

ps. I too shall dig out Scheherazade methinks...one of my favourites also...

H1, I am so glad you had the strength of your convictions, to let us know of your find. You were spot on with your assessment of the EL32 so I had no doubt, you had discovered another gem for the Euforia and possibly for the Elise as well. So from me, it's a big thank to you for your infectious enthusiasm and for sharing your findings and thus allowing all Elise/Euforia owners to share in your discovery, so cheers cj! =.