[barontan2418]

IMPORTANT NOTICE Re. EL39 ADAPTERS

OK guys...I feel real bad/disappointed that your EL38 adapters are not acting like my own, so rather than rely on PCB-based adapters from China, these EL39s deserve much better. And so I'm happy to make them for folks, using OCC silver and copper wires. I will also make them such that both the EL39 and the EL38 work in the same adapter. I estimate the cost will be about £12 per adapter, plus shipping. But, of course, there'll be a delay while I wait for the parts.

So anyone interested in my proposal, please let me know.

I'm in for two thanks H1.

 

[myphone]

It is interesting to read you guys El tube adventure. I briefly tried EL11/EL12sp.

My favorite combo remains RCA 12SX7 (with external 12 volt heater)/WE 421a with HD 800.

12SX7 is incredibly quiet, clear and slightly sweet.

GEC 6AS7 works well with HD 800 on small scale music (chamber music). Was it due to output impedance match?

6AS7/6080 tubes drive T1 and HD 600 much easier.

I assume Euforia has output impedance of 60 ohms with 6AS7/6080 tubes, and around 30 ohms with 421a tubes.

 

[DecentLevi]

RE TS 5998 chrome tops. Mine is a mint condition pair so maybe it wasn't burned in enough, but alas I have enough other better performing tubes so will just hold onto them for a possible better future pairing with a new amp. For me, no matter which drivers paired with they sounded a but bass anemic (slightly void), and bit too 'sweet' in tone having a modestly off pitch timbre. It is a very capable sound with good resolution, but just not my sonic signature which is more neutral than euphonic.

I used to own a good pair of W.E. 421A's and oddly the sound I got was quite bass anemic and even overtly dynamic, giving a fairly thin and fast presentation. Though that was back in my Elise days and I re-sold it before trying it with the Euforia.

These days I'm actually coming to appreciate the prowess of the GEC 6AS7G / CV2523 as I've found a magnificent pairing with other powers (2x GEC + 2x Sylvania 6SN7 "Bad Boys" + 2x EL38 as powers with my externally powered strip, + EL38 drivers). It's basically 4X EL38 + another pair of Bad Boys and a pair of GECs as powers. Taking the coherent liquid extended and semi-sweet tone of the EL38 + the wide FR and heartstopping dynamics and realism of the Bad Boys + fused with the uncanny realism of the GEC 6AS7G, you get a package that is amazingly refined with almost unfinite soundstage and realism, and finally 'correcting' the nuance dynamics issue of the GEC's thanks to the help of the other tubes injecting their magic into the mix for an aplomb result with this unique pairing. One of the best, but will compare it to the 6x EL32 + 2x EL38 later.

(PS - I also tried the 6BL7 in the mix as powers but somehow the 6SN7 paired better with the specific mix).

 

[connieflyer]

Yes the TS 5998 need a lot of burn in, but once there there are very good, if bass light try the KR VT231's they really but the bass back in.

 

[DecentLevi]

Hi H1. This is how I have wired EL39's and I'm not getting any sound in the headphones. Is the above correct and is their anything else I should have done?

Just received mine, and same issue here.
Also the EL38 adapters from Mrs X have their anode wires a bit too short for the EL39's height... and I really don't like pulling on those wires, and see them tighten and pulling on the anodes of the tubes...
Is the H1 trick working on Mrs X's adapters ?

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!
IMPERFECTION?!
ARREST THAT MAN!

Naah, well it's good to see a little humanity sometime, LOL as we are all human and several of us have had minor 'faux pas' commutability issues with F-A amps. This is also a testament to the quality of Feliks Audio amps that they were able to withstand this occasional experimentation occasionally thrown at them. And VERY WELL done H1 of being able to offer such a supreme quality adapter at such an affordable price, that not only works with EL38 but EL39 as well. Let's just not give him too many to work on too fast.

Waiting for @hypnos1 's experiments, I switched back to one of my all time favorites, I didn't use for long: namely KenRad VT99 and TS 5998 CrhomeTops. (@DecentLevi how could you not love those ones ? )

(here used as preamp of my SS Speaker amplifier)

Which drivers are you using? The VT-99 are actually the metal black straight tubes, AKA 6N7

Edit: I was confusing VT-99 which I haven't tried, with VT-96

 

[ZRW0]

IMPORTANT NOTICE Re. EL39 ADAPTERS

OK guys...I feel real bad/disappointed that your EL38 adapters are not acting like my own, so rather than rely on PCB-based adapters from China, these EL39s deserve much better. And so I'm happy to make them for folks, using OCC silver and copper wires. I will also make them such that both the EL39 and the EL38 work in the same adapter. I estimate the cost will be about £12 per adapter, plus shipping. But, of course, there'll be a delay while I wait for the parts.

So anyone interested in my proposal, please let me know.

Hi H1,

I'd like 2 for me too.

Great thanks again H1 !

Erwan.

 

[hypnos1]

Hi again guys.................FURTHER UPDATE ON THE EL39 ADAPTERS..................

While doing extensive checks on my own configuration for EL39 adapters, I have discovered what might hint at the Chinese EL38 adapters not behaving like mine with the wire mod for the 39.

The one difference in pin layout between the 38 and 39 is that the 38's pin #1 is grid 3, which has to be linked with the cathode (pin 8)... but is pin #6 in the 39. Trouble is, pin #1 in the 39 is used for the metal wire that wraps around the tube's glass at the base (this wire, and the metallic silver paint of the band act as grounding when connected to ground in the amp).

In short, putting the 39 in the 38 adapter results in the cathode being linked to said wire. In my own adapter, there's no obvious impact and it still works. Presumably, the Chinese adapters have routed something differently. Whatever, my advice is to not even try the wire mod in the EL38 adapter.

Also, as a result of this finding, even though I could make an adapter that will take both the 38 and 39, in order to be extra careful with the 39 we would need to remove its pin #1. And as any undue stress on the tube can easily cause problems, it will be much safer to keep the adapter solely for the EL39. And so this is how I will in fact make them...CHEERS!...CJ

 

[DecentLevi]

No problem at all, I already have 6 EL38 adapters and I'd like two super adapters just for EL39 please

 

[Johnnysound]

My 23 year old kid stoled my trusty (and great sounding) Audio Technica ATM50LE cans, to play with his new electronic drum kit (dad’s gift for his university grade), because he did not like his “gamer” headphones at all, so I suggested : “try this” and the rest is history...

Now I need a new pair...the Empyreans, please ! a thing of beauty but far above my budget...I am not into long listening sessions with HPs, prefer a very neutral, accurate type of sound,...an HP that works nicely amplified by Euforia. My previous experiences have been with electrostatics and closed back dynamics. Thinking on some open back dynamic or planar magnetics around the $ 500 range... currently watching the Beyers 1990 pro, Senn 660S, Hifiman Sundaras (maybe out because of reliability issues)...any suggestions ??

 

[ZRW0]

My 23 year old kid stoled my trusty (and great sounding) Audio Technica ATM50LE cans, to play with his new electronic drum kit (dad’s gift for his university grade), because he did not like his “gamer” headphones at all, so I suggested : “try this” and the rest is history...

Now I need a new pair...the Empyreans, please ! a thing of beauty but far above my budget...I am not into long listening sessions with HPs, prefer a very neutral, accurate type of sound,...an HP that works nicely amplified by Euforia. My previous experiences have been with electrostatics and closed back dynamics. Thinking on some open back dynamic or planar magnetics around the $ 500 range... currently watching the Beyers 1990 pro, Senn 660S, Hifiman Sundaras (maybe out because of reliability issues)...any suggestions ??

Hi JS,

I know it's closed back, but below the 500 price tag, what about a brand new Meze 99 Classics ?
Otherwise, to remain in the open back dynamic, but with a totally different sound signature, and still in a 500$/€ range, what about a used HD800 ? (At worst you should only have to replace the foams).

My two cents,

Erwan

 

[ZRW0]

Hi ZRW0,
"one of my 421A has started to cough a bit when hot".
I have had good luck restoring tubes that start to make loud popping noises by heating each pin with a 40W soldering iron for 30 seconds each. Just hold the tube vertically so that if something melts it will not flow into the tube (but really no such problems heating for 30 sec).

Thanks Mordy,
Although soldering irons and I aren't best friends, I'll give a try.
Cheers,
Erwan.

 

[OctavianH]

My 23 year old kid stoled my trusty (and great sounding) Audio Technica ATM50LE cans, to play with his new electronic drum kit (dad’s gift for his university grade), because he did not like his “gamer” headphones at all, so I suggested : “try this” and the rest is history...

Now I need a new pair...the Empyreans, please ! a thing of beauty but far above my budget...I am not into long listening sessions with HPs, prefer a very neutral, accurate type of sound,...an HP that works nicely amplified by Euforia. My previous experiences have been with electrostatics and closed back dynamics. Thinking on some open back dynamic or planar magnetics around the $ 500 range... currently watching the Beyers 1990 pro, Senn 660S, Hifiman Sundaras (maybe out because of reliability issues)...any suggestions ??

Since Beyerdynamic reduced the price of T1 to 760 EUR on the official website I've seen a lot of B-Stock (re-sealed) around 500-570 EUR on different websites and used ones around 400 EUR on ebay. One example I was looking myself into was:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beyerdynamic-T1-2nd-Gen-Headphones-Excellent-condition/123794459923

 

[DecentLevi]

@Johnnysound the HD-579 is basically a non-risk and a sure winner at an amazing price! I would love to see how it pairs with the Euforia.

Don't have much time, getting ready for the next country tomorrow Bangladesh. On the top of my head I was most impressed with the Senn. HD-380 (huge closed-back), but the recent standout was the Senn. HD-579 which is an open back that both have very different sound signatures. The 380 has that nice semi-dark / thumpy sound with non-fatiguing highs that seems to be ideal for electronic music, and the HD-579 has a sound that I would describe as vivid and robust. Bass that screams "quality" and remarkably straddles the fine line between being underdone on the 600's and bloomy on the 650's, and vastly more detailed than the new 660S, not only in bass but detail galore, without being overdone as well. For me it's a definite compliment to any HD-600 or 650 in a very refreshing way. And the best part it costs only about 1/3rd of the 600's, perhaps because of the plastic headband but for me it seems quite solid! I've also tried others like HD-559, 569, 598, 599, etc. and maybe it's a bit closer to 598 but bests anything below the 800 IMO, yet is still better for bass. And it's only 50 vs. 300 ohm so provides a nice change of performance.


For IEMs, I was blown away by the super cheap TFZ Exlcusive 1, which pair well with all DAPs I tried it with and the Euforia too.

I used a Sony solid state amp (the only one they had), and my Onkyo DPX1A DAP. Same sound signature out of both amps, and I liked it better for the bass definition and organic / lifelike sound. The soundstage was at least 90% of the HD-600 but not quite as large as the Clear. I always found the Clear to be like the HD-600 tonality wise but with slightly different signature.

Disclaimer: I can only speculate if the HD 579 pairs well Elise or Euforia. Also to not detail this thread too much, there are some reviews in other places too.

 

[mordy]

Thanks Mordy,
Although soldering irons and I aren't best friends, I'll give a try.
Cheers,
Erwan.

I don’t know how to solder properly , but touching the tube pins with the tip of the soldering iron I can do.

 

[Tunkejazz]

While waiting for the Swedish toll authorities to process my EL38 adapters, I have been playing with some old tubes that were collecting dust in a drawer.
After trying different combinations of power tubes (Bendix 6080WB, GEC 6080, Tung-Sol 6AS7G, Tung-Sol 6080) with drivers (Sylvania 6SN7 bad-boys, Ken-Rad 6SN7GT, Sylvania 6SN7W, Raytheon 6SN7), I found a combo that is particularly good at providing clarity to the sound, without sacrificing anything in the lower end.

Surprisingly the cheap-ass Tung-Sol 6080 together with those Sylvania Bad-Boys from 1952 are the best combo that I ever tried with my Euforia/HD800/my ears