[aqsw]

Got it, thanks

 

[hypnos1]

That's good @aqsw ...a simple job, but one that could save awful trouble later on! ...as ZRW0 discovered alas!...

Mind you, these NOS later design (CV450-type) EL38s are really well made, and should be good for many more years...but better safe than sorry lol......and which is more than be said for the earlier 'balloon' version, I'm afraid. Two of my original 3 are now dead, and the third crackles just slightly on startup but then disappears...for now!
It was always obvious that Mullard did a marvellous job of making them more reliable/sturdy later on...no doubt as a requirement for the military CV450 variant, which also assisted the civvy street EL38 of course .

Having said that, for the short time I was able to hear two 'oldies' in the power seat, they definitely had even more magic than the later ones...so undeterred, I've been searching high and low for some more of the 'temperamentals'. Needless to say, they are practically non-existent any more, which is a tragic shame...but, somehow I managed to find what could (hopefully!) prove to be just as good, if not even better...ie. Philips branded EL38s, in large, coated glass envelope. And joy of joys, with the ceramic post insulators as used in the later Mullard version, and its similar sibling EL37...so it bodes well lol! ...will keep y'all informed (just hope they arrive before Christmas!)....



(You can just see those ceramic insulators poking out near the top of the right tube especially...). Fingers crossed they were made to at least the same specification as the Mullard EL37, and better than their original 38...time will tell...

 

[barontan2418]

Now she is rocking.
Merry Xmas to all. Hope I'm OK bringing my Elise to the thread.

 

[Scutey]

Now she is rocking.
Merry Xmas to all. Hope I'm OK bringing my Elise to the thread.

Congratulations bt, nice set up you have!, hope you're enjoying those EL38's, the straight bottle CV1052's are very nice too, I know h1, myself and others will be interested to know how you get on with them in your Elise, enjoy! .

 

[Scutey]

That's good @aqsw ...a simple job, but one that could save awful trouble later on! ...as ZRW0 discovered alas!...

Mind you, these NOS later design (CV450-type) EL38s are really well made, and should be good for many more years...but better safe than sorry lol......and which is more than be said for the earlier 'balloon' version, I'm afraid. Two of my original 3 are now dead, and the third crackles just slightly on startup but then disappears...for now!
It was always obvious that Mullard did a marvellous job of making them more reliable/sturdy later on...no doubt as a requirement for the military CV450 variant, which also assisted the civvy street EL38 of course .

Having said that, for the short time I was able to hear two 'oldies' in the power seat, they definitely had even more magic than the later ones...so undeterred, I've been searching high and low for some more of the 'temperamentals'. Needless to say, they are practically non-existent any more, which is a tragic shame...but, somehow I managed to find what could (hopefully!) prove to be just as good, if not even better...ie. Philips branded EL38s, in large, coated glass envelope. And joy of joys, with the ceramic post insulators as used in the later Mullard version, and its similar sibling EL37...so it bodes well lol! ...will keep y'all informed (just hope they arrive before Christmas!)....



(You can just see those ceramic insulators poking out near the top of the right tube especially...). Fingers crossed they were made to at least the same specification as the Mullard EL37, and better than their original 38...time will tell...

Ha!, you beat me to those h1!, I've been huffing and puffing on buying those for the last couple weeks, he who hesitates is lost eh! .

 

[barontan2418]

Congratulations bt, nice set up you have!, hope you're enjoying those EL38's, the straight bottle CV1052's are very nice too, I know h1, myself and others will be interested to know how you get on with them in your Elise, enjoy! .

Thanks Scutey. Looking forward to contributing. This and Elise are great threads, very informative and more importantly friendly .

 

[hypnos1]

Now she is rocking.
Merry Xmas to all. Hope I'm OK bringing my Elise to the thread.

Thanks Scutey. Looking forward to contributing. This and Elise are great threads, very informative and more importantly friendly .

Hi barontan2418....and welcome to both threads. Sister amps shouldn't really be apart lol! . Especially as I'm quite sure the two are closer than ever, with EL38s in place!!

We're all looking forward to your own opinions also...and on anything related - or otherwise! It all helps to keep the 'informative and friendly' atmosphere on the right path...

And Scutey's right, of course...I, and others, are especially keen to see how the EL38 fares in Elise, not only Euforia. It sounds like you're already enjoying their combination with the CV1052 (straight-sided)...and it will only get much better yet with further burn-in (of both tubes and adapters)...CHEERS!...CJ

ps. I do hope you manage at some time to stretch to 4x EL38s...the magic just continues to grow lol .

 

[Scutey]

Thanks Scutey. Looking forward to contributing. This and Elise are great threads, very informative and more importantly friendly .

Always good to have new blood barontan2418, these two threads are very informative, invaluable even, and, as you say, friendly! .

 

[Scutey]

H1, seeing as there was only one pair left of those Philips large coated glass EL38 tubes left so I thought I'd give them a try, will be interesting to see who gets em first!. Also, along those also managed to get hold of another 4x NOS Mullard EL38, that should be me set up for life now!..

 

[hypnos1]

Ha!, you beat me to those h1!, I've been huffing and puffing on buying those for the last couple weeks, he who hesitates is lost eh! .

Oh dear, Scutey mon ami...I never suspected anyone else had spied these tubes hiding away on ebay lol!! ...(The same seller who has 2 NOS Mazdas at too high a price, and another pair of Philips at 100% reading?). I too was humming and harring quite a while, but gave into temptation ...sorry!).

I might just have splashed out on those Mazdas, but don't yet know if these tubes have black plates or grey...it does seem that the blacks could be more appealing, and therefore better performing. All I know so far is that the black-plated old Mullards definitely have the edge over the later 'pretty' ones! I'm keeping everything crossed that they arrive before Christmas, so I can see how they perform and let folks here know smartish the good news...or the bad!!

Speaking of good news, I'm happy(?!!) to say that the men in white suits may well be knocking on my door for a third time lol...just as I thought these EL38s couldn't surprise me any more, after all the hours I've put on them, I had yet another manic/confused grin on my face today. Now that my new UP-OCC wires on the last remaining, functioning 'oldie' 38 have burned in some more (couldn't play safe and stick with my adapter, I'm afraid!), I am in total awe of these tubes all over again...viz. firstly, the placement of individual instruments/effects within the holographic soundstage. Just as I was becoming accustomed to hearing them with better separation and positioning, suddenly some of them appear in a slightly different location!...???...hmmmm....
Then I realise that nothing is actually amiss, and that they have in fact been even more accurately placed than before...a wondrous surprise indeed, and one that could possibly delay said knock on the door!! .

And secondly, there's an 'ooh' moment immediately I put on the headphones - more than previously even - and for which there isn't an obvious, objective reason. Just a feeling that something extra special is happening.
Now, this could well be down to the older tube sitting as one of the powers, or simply a gift of further burn-in all round. So I suspect it will need further confirmation from whichever lucky soul manages to also find at least one black-plated, earlier 38!! (But with the proviso that perhaps not all systems may be able to share the same level of resolution...).

But whatever, I say to all who have the enterprise to give the EL38 a try...WELL DONE!...Not only is this tube manna from Heaven for our amps, I'm quite sure it is so without having to go the route of multiples whatsoever lol! ...HAPPY LISTENING!...CJ

 

[hypnos1]

H1, seeing as there was only one pair left of those Philips large coated glass EL38 tubes left so I thought I'd give them a try, will be interesting to see who gets em first!. Also, along those also managed to get hold of another 4x NOS Mullard EL38, that should be me set up for life now!..

Aah Scutey...another poor soul who can't resist temptation lol!...WELL DONE! And another 4 NOS Mullards? You are indeed set up for eternity...(even if you go for a Euforia lol!! ).

Looks like we'll both now be keeping fingers crossed that these Philips perform at least as well as the old Mullards! But as I mentioned previously, the fact they have those ceramic post insulators - which my old Mullards didn't - is highly encouraging. And they will truly be a wonderful Christmas present to ourselves if they do indeed also have... black plates!!!...

So an early MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, as to @barontan2418 and ALL fellow Feliks-Audio fans...CHEERS!...CJ

 

[connieflyer]

Just a heads up. I purchased a pair of NOS Mullard El38 tubes from seller french-drawer, from France, a couple of weeks ago, and mentioned him here that he said he had four more pair available. When my tubes arrived, they were not Mullard, they were Haltron, made by Mullard. I contacted him about it and he said he shipped those by mistake, and he could not find the Mullard's in his large inventory. Also sold to one other member here. He now has a pair of Haltron's up for sale on Ebay for $65. I asked for an adjustment and never heard back from him. Just to let you know my experience with him. Shipping is expensive but fast. However, since his answers make me question what kind of service I would get from him if I got a bad tube, I will not buy from him again.

 

[barontan2418]

Hi barontan2418....and welcome to both threads. Sister amps shouldn't really be apart lol! . Especially as I'm quite sure the two are closer than ever, with EL38s in place!!

We're all looking forward to your own opinions also...and on anything related - or otherwise! It all helps to keep the 'informative and friendly' atmosphere on the right path...

And Scutey's right, of course...I, and others, are especially keen to see how the EL38 fares in Elise, not only Euforia. It sounds like you're already enjoying their combination with the CV1052 (straight-sided)...and it will only get much better yet with further burn-in (of both tubes and adapters)...CHEERS!...CJ

ps. I do hope you manage at some time to stretch to 4x EL38s...the magic just continues to grow lol .

Two more NOS EL38's plus adapters in the post as we speak + 2 coke bottle EL 32's just to see if they make any improvement over the straight ones.

 

[Scutey]

Two more NOS EL38's plus adapters in the post as we speak + 2 coke bottle EL 32's just to see if they make any improvement over the straight ones.

Nice one barontan, sounds like you're becoming a fully paid up member of the EL38'ters! , as for the coke bottle EL32 I've found they have a little more weight than the straight bottle, but overall there's not a massive difference, one thing though, and as h1 said to me, if you think 2x EL38 are good wait to you here 4x EL38 .

 

[Scutey]

Oh dear, Scutey mon ami...I never suspected anyone else had spied these tubes hiding away on ebay lol!! ...(The same seller who has 2 NOS Mazdas at too high a price, and another pair of Philips at 100% reading?). I too was humming and harring quite a while, but gave into temptation ...sorry!).

Aah Scutey...another poor soul who can't resist temptation lol!...WELL DONE! And another 4 NOS Mullards? You are indeed set up for eternity...(even if you go for a Euforia lol!! ).

Looks like we'll both now be keeping fingers crossed that these Philips perform at least as well as the old Mullards! But as I mentioned previously, the fact they have those ceramic post insulators - which my old Mullards didn't - is highly encouraging. And they will truly be a wonderful Christmas present to ourselves if they do indeed also have... black plates!!!...

So an early MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, as to @barontan2418 and ALL fellow Feliks-Audio fans...CHEERS!...CJ

H1, no nee to be sorry!, my fault for taking far too long, indecisive should be my middle name!, first come, first served! , anyway I finally, after a little jolt!, I did finally gave into temptation with those Philips EL38, what can I say I'm just a weak soul who can't say no!. Also if those tubes are black plates, that will definitely be a second Christmas pressie, as I already have a pair of Massdrop HD 6XX on the way as well, to compliment my DT 1990's, can't wait to hear how they sound with the EL38's whispering sweet nothings through them!. .