[hypnos1]

Hi! Where did you get the the larger gold plated bases? Visually it’s much better than the smaller black ones …

Hi Francisco...and a warm HELLO! to all my old pals here, not to mention new owners.

Sorry for the late reply but am not too well at the moment - Covid, I'm afraid. And that's after four jabs, for Heaven's sake lol!! But should be able to get back to you in the next few days...hopefully!

And yes, the larger gold-plated bases look MUCH better as far as I'm concerned . Cheers for now...CJ

 

[barontan2418]

Hi Francisco...and a warm HELLO! to all my old pals here, not to mention new owners.

Sorry for the late reply but am not too well at the moment - Covid, I'm afraid. And that's after four jabs, for Heaven's sake lol!! But should be able to get back to you in the next few days...hopefully!

And yes, the larger gold-plated bases look MUCH better as far as I'm concerned . Cheers for now...CJ

Hope you feel better soon H1.

 

[Deleeh]

I bought some as Tubesocket on Aliexpress.
I could have saved myself the field, they were of poor quality.
Have some made by Deyan, they work too, the tubes have a very good hold, and it's done right.
The look is just black but you can live with that most of the time.

You can also buy some on Ebay, 6sn7 to KT88 etc., but as I said, they all come from China and are not well made.

The ones I bought had a very bad hold that the tube had wobbled and caused undesirable things.

@Rins
About the cables, you can actually buy anything you like.
The Audioquest Nrz Z cable is a bit darker in sound.
The Isotek are also good and are a bit brighter.
Depends a bit on the cable, copper tends to the warmer side, silver tends to the brighter.
I have installed the Panega with gold plug, which is made of copper, and I am satisfied with it.
In terms of budget, I'm looking for no more than $80, max $100.
The cable should have a good connector, be Hf and Em protected and, depending on the material, copper or silver, which is what you get for the field in this price range.
Anything else is too much money.
The same with Rca cable, if you are looking for it.
Audioquest usually needs 100h burn in time,Isotek too but much less.
I can't say exactly for the others.

 

[Francisco Evangelista]

I bought some as Tubesocket on Aliexpress.
I could have saved myself the field, they were of poor quality.
Have some made by Deyan, they work too, the tubes have a very good hold, and it's done right.
The look is just black but you can live with that most of the time.

You can also buy some on Ebay, 6sn7 to KT88 etc., but as I said, they all come from China and are not well made.

The ones I bought had a very bad hold that the tube had wobbled and caused undesirable things.

@Rins
About the cables, you can actually buy anything you like.
The Audioquest Nrz Z cable is a bit darker in sound.
The Isotek are also good and are a bit brighter.
Depends a bit on the cable, copper tends to the warmer side, silver tends to the brighter.
I have installed the Panega with gold plug, which is made of copper, and I am satisfied with it.
In terms of budget, I'm looking for no more than $80, max $100.
The cable should have a good connector, be Hf and Em protected and, depending on the material, copper or silver, which is what you get for the field in this price range.
Anything else is too much money.
The same with Rca cable, if you are looking for it.
Audioquest usually needs 100h burn in time,Isotek too but much less.
I can't say exactly for the others.

Thanks, don't mind the black but I'm looking for the large base same size as the KT88. Visually a lot better !! Don't like the look small adapter with large tube above...

 

[LoryWiv]

Hi Francisco...and a warm HELLO! to all my old pals here, not to mention new owners.

Sorry for the late reply but am not too well at the moment - Covid, I'm afraid. And that's after four jabs, for Heaven's sake lol!! But should be able to get back to you in the next few days...hopefully!

And yes, the larger gold-plated bases look MUCH better as far as I'm concerned . Cheers for now...CJ

Feel better soon @hypnos1. May a joyous holiday season await you.

 

[YungOmbat]

WELCOME to all owners and followers of F-A's Elise Tube Amp who are now interested in moving up into even more lofty territory...with their new OTL amp, EUFORIA.

A warm welcome also to those perhaps new to the Feliks-Audio name...in addition to the very successful 'Elise', their previous budget-price 'Espressivo' is currently undergoing a resurgence in interest and gaining high praise in reviews. I shall be posting links to threads and other info that might prove interesting for background research later on, and at the end of this first post...which I shall keep updated as often as possible.

But now on to the new amp in question...and why the heading statement?! : basically, because from the outside this amp looks just like the Elise, and does in fact retain the same tube complement - 2x 6SN7 drivers and 2x 6AS7G/6080 powers. But after considering my request for possible upgrades to just my own amp, the project blossomed into something rather bigger, and in fact became what they had in mind for a next model!

They found that the alterations/upgrades engineered by the family firm's boss, Henryk Feliks, resulted in such a leap in performance - without having to incur MUCH higher cost with a totally new case, bigger transformer etc. - that it did indeed warrant a completely new name, rather than another Elise variant....hence EUFORIA was born!

So..."Wolf"?..."Sheep"?...perhaps the latter isn't strictly correct, because the Elise is FAR from being a sheep that merely follows others...it leads!! I use the word 'Sheep' advisedly, because going from Elise to Euforia hits you in such a way that is, at first, somewhat perplexing as you look at the 'clothing'...a Wolf does indeed jump out at you from under its cloak!

The first surprise is a dynamic presentation that certainly had me wondering how this could be from 'just' upgrading certain components and circuitry - a very naive initial thought, until I looked further into the extensive internal alterations...and could fully appreciate Mr Feliks's "work of art".

Then you notice the increased detail resolution, over and above the excellent handling by Elise. This is accompanied by impeccable control across the entire frequency range...instruments and voices are positioned in their own space, but remain nicely balanced within a coherent, expansive soundstage.

Another area that surprises is its consummate ability in the speed arena - this does take it to quite another level of performance...from initial note attack through to maintaining complete control of fast, complex runs at all frequencies...whether bass rolls or top hat histrionics!! Everything seems to be so effortless in this amp's capable hands. And turning up the volume pot brings greater delights still...delivery remains so smooth, right up to ear-shattering levels. Once again, its handling of dynamics leaves you confident that you can indeed go the occasional "extra mile" in the volume stakes without either the sound breaking up horribly, or your ears having to suffer from the amp's loss of exquisite control...very encouraging indeed, in my book lol!

These are just the more obvious qualities of this amp...there are more, but indigestion must be setting in for some! Further observations of my own, along with those of soon-to-be-owners will come later. These are also from 'just' the stock tubes...things begin to get even more exciting with higher grade tubes - especially those 'alternatives' that (as yet!) are not officially sanctioned by F-A, but which are proving to be suitable (and safe), from extensive trials by myself and senior members of the Elise threads.

From my own initial tube rolling in Euforia, it is already apparent that this amp matches Elise's supremacy in regard to flexibility in this area, and its 'neutral' signature will allow fine tuning to one's own personal tastes, afforded by the luxury of a very wide choice of tubes...especially the drivers.

All in all, I believe Feliks-Audio have once again raised the bar in the performance/price arena, and will appeal to those who yearn for a taste of "summit-fi" at what I personally consider a very reasonable price indeed...especially for a high quality, non-factory-production-line product made to order.

And so for now, a list of the main upgrades/alterations over Elise....further specs and info/ordering over at the Feliks-Audio website : http://feliksaudio.pl
Or email Lukasz (Feliks) direct : info@feliksaudio.pl

1. Pure silver wire for signal paths...teflon-tubed.
2. Mundorf and Nichicon capacitors.
3. Dale and Caddock resistors in new circuits.
4. High quality Teflon sockets with gold-plated pin receptors.
5. High quality gold-plated RCA connectors.
6. Improved noise reduction for power supply, RFI/EMI.
7. Upgraded PsVane 6SN7 drivers...(still the Russian 6N13S/6H13C powers).
8. Upgraded transformer.
9. Removal/reduction of spike at switch-off.

As with Elise, there is pre-amp out (with protective circuitry for Direct-coupled amps)

A few pictures to be going on with :

My prototype next to early Elise- the only actual size
increase being the transformer housing.. :





Some circuitry blurred for protection reasons!.. :



Price : $1399, but currently being offered at a 10% pre-order discount...

(Apparently some minor cosmetic changes being made to the exterior, so will hopefully have the up-to-date look soon).

Other useful associated links, if interested...(Elise info will give a good background to this new amp, plus recommended tubes and related subjects).

http://www.head-fi.org/t/813488/feliks-audio-elise-impressions-thread-a-new-start-please-read-first-post-for-summary (more information on Euforia in my most recent posts)

http://www.head-fi.org/t/732875/feliks-audio-elise-previously-6sn7-6as7g-6080-prototype

http://www.head-fi.org/t/782754/feliks-audio-elise-new-thread

http://www.head-fi.org/t/765460/feliks-audio-elise-tube-rolling-guide-6sn7-6as7g-6080-5998

My other gear : Oppo BDP103 as media player (Redbook & hi-res files); Custom made Malbru Tube DAC, based on ESS Sabre 9018 (ECC85/E88cc tube output; silver wire for signal line); pure silver interconnects; Beyer T1 (v1); PowerInspired Mains Regenerator; high quality insulated mains/unit power cables.
Edit. As of April/May 2017, media playback is via Naim Uniti Core (server/streamer/CD ripper/internal HDD or SSD/external media); Chord Hugo 2 DAC; Airlink Transformers Balanced Mains unit, with Avery Magnetics "Advanced Filter System".

Cheers for now....CJ

wonder how those solder joints dont melt with all that heat

 

[Koren]

Hello. Does anyone have euphoria evo? does it work well with 18-50ohm planar headphones? what is the quality of the set lights? what kind of sound characterizes them? which dac device should be paired with?

 

[Francisco Evangelista]

Hello. Does anyone have euphoria evo? does it work well with 18-50ohm planar headphones? what is the quality of the set lights? what kind of sound characterizes them? which dac device should be paired with?

Hi, i have the Euforia Evo . I have try it with the audeze mm500 ( 18 ohms) no problems , still my top choice of pairing is the ZMFs. The Dac i use is Chord TT2/Mscaler and gives me a beautiful sound. Still on burn in period, but soundstage is big , mids are lush with a lot of air and Sparkle, as resolution! Good low end but miss a little impact. is one of the tube amps i have the pleasure of listening that is closer to Solid state, very linear... maybe the stock tubes... imaging is the best i have heard on tubes!

I have on order the E6SN7 Linlai (substitute for the PsVane CV-181 Mk2 “Gold”), to see if i get more impact and warm sound. but as i said the tubes or not full Burned. Maybe they will gain more bass.. My Feliks Echo2 punches harder but of course as a lot less resolution soundstage and so on...

I´m very Happy with the Euforia EVO , is one of my amps that provides me more resolution and detail , for sure the amp that presents more Sound stage of my gear!!

 

[Koren]

Hi, i have the Euforia Evo . I have try it with the audeze mm500 ( 18 ohms) no problems , still my top choice of pairing is the ZMFs. The Dac i use is Chord TT2/Mscaler and gives me a beautiful sound. Still on burn in period, but soundstage is big , mids are lush with a lot of air and Sparkle, as resolution! Good low end but miss a little impact. is one of the tube amps i have the pleasure of listening that is closer to Solid state, very linear... maybe the stock tubes... imaging is the best i have heard on tubes!

I have on order the E6SN7 Linlai (substitute for the PsVane CV-181 Mk2 “Gold”), to see if i get more impact and warm sound. but as i said the tubes or not full Burned. Maybe they will gain more bass.. My Feliks Echo2 punches harder but of course as a lot less resolution soundstage and so on...

I´m very Happy with the Euforia EVO , is one of my amps that provides me more resolution and detail , for sure the amp that presents more Sound stage of my gear!!

do you think it can technically compete with the violectric hpa v550 device? speed, resolution, imaging, details? if the low range of the Euphoria Evo is not so striking, then it is worth pairing it with an AK DAC chip device, the lows of which are raised a bit and are quite hot, I think?

 

[Francisco Evangelista]

do you think it can technically compete with the violectric hpa v550 device? speed, resolution, imaging, details? if the low range of the Euphoria Evo is not so striking, then it is worth pairing it with an AK DAC chip device, the lows of which are raised a bit and are quite hot, I think?

VS my Ferrum oor + Hypsos if to just enjoy music I prefer the Euforia Evo by a long way!! The resolution is impressive for a tube amp!

Don’t know the AK dac chip , but if you say it has a good low end it’s a good pairing for sure.

 

[swissheadphonelover]

do you think it can technically compete with the violectric hpa v550 device? speed, resolution, imaging, details?

It can even compete with Lake People Niimbus US4 Pro. I have both and I often prefer my Euforia (old model not EVO) over the Niimbus for its more relaxed and slightly warmer sound without losing details and transparency. Sonical performance of the Euforia depends quite a bit on the tubes you are using.

 

[hypnos1]

A big hello to you @barontan2418 and @LoryWiv , and thanks for your kind words. Glad to say I seem to be well on the mend at the moment - thank goodness! ...hope you guys are keeping OK in these turbulent times lol . I certainly do miss all my old comrades here...but have some wonderful memories. Happy also to say I've finally got my (now SS) system sounding just how I like it, after MUCH tweaking with hyper-spec DIY cables - Neotech UP-OCC silver and copper wires (both solid) and of dual construction... and for all power cables as well as interconnects(!). But the last BIG leap came via changing source from Naim then Antipodes DX server playback to a Denon DCD 1600NE (SA)CD player (modded with vibration/sound-deadening mat plus upgraded fuses). In fact, can't even go back to any other music source now!!

And hello again @Francisco Evangelista . I undertstand your aesthetic sense re. tube adapters...most don't do much for me either I'm afraid lol . But if they do the job reliably, I suppose there's not much choice...apart from making them oneself!! For my own use I personally adapted the tube bases themselves, thereby eliminating the additional socket stage...especially useful when the new base is wider than usual (as with the KT88) :



(ps. for any DIYers, it looks like these particular bases (from China) are now only available in larger batches, but other red bakelite versions can be had in smaller amounts).

(pps. I may well be moving on this pair of Reissue Gold Lions in the New Year).

@YungOmbat ...yes, Euforia can get quite warm, but haven't heard of any solder melting lol!! .

While on this subject of heat, a very welcome added benefit of most of the 'alternative' tubes I adapted for use in Elise, then Euforia was that they had the amps running MUCH cooler, but were never officially endorsed by FA alas . Given how well the KT family especially performed in their circuitry - and without untoward circumstances, I wondered how difficult it would be to tweak the configuration just a bit closer to KT spec, still without hitting anywhere near their full potential . But perhaps easier said than done lol... Then there'd be chassis changes...??... Ah well, sigh...

Anyway, to finish, may I just wish you all... A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!......CHEERS!....

 

[Koren]

Hi, i have the Euforia Evo . I have try it with the audeze mm500 ( 18 ohms) no problems , still my top choice of pairing is the ZMFs. The Dac i use is Chord TT2/Mscaler and gives me a beautiful sound. Still on burn in period, but soundstage is big , mids are lush with a lot of air and Sparkle, as resolution! Good low end but miss a little impact. is one of the tube amps i have the pleasure of listening that is closer to Solid state, very linear... maybe the stock tubes... imaging is the best i have heard on tubes!

I have on order the E6SN7 Linlai (substitute for the PsVane CV-181 Mk2 “Gold”), to see if i get more impact and warm sound. but as i said the tubes or not full Burned. Maybe they will gain more bass.. My Feliks Echo2 punches harder but of course as a lot less resolution soundstage and so on...

I´m very Happy with the Euforia EVO , is one of my amps that provides me more resolution and detail , for sure the amp that presents more Sound stage of my gear!!

what difference did you hear in the case of the audeze mm500 when it was used with the euforia evo and when it was used with a solid state drive amplifier?

 

[Francisco Evangelista]

A big hello to you @barontan2418 and @LoryWiv , and thanks for your kind words. Glad to say I seem to be well on the mend at the moment - thank goodness! ...hope you guys are keeping OK in these turbulent times lol . I certainly do miss all my old comrades here...but have some wonderful memories. Happy also to say I've finally got my (now SS) system sounding just how I like it, after MUCH tweaking with hyper-spec DIY cables - Neotech UP-OCC silver and copper wires (both solid) and of dual construction... and for all power cables as well as interconnects(!). But the last BIG leap came via changing source from Naim then Antipodes DX server playback to a Denon DCD 1600NE (SA)CD player (modded with vibration/sound-deadening mat plus upgraded fuses). In fact, can't even go back to any other music source now!!

And hello again @Francisco Evangelista . I undertstand your aesthetic sense re. tube adapters...most don't do much for me either I'm afraid lol . But if they do the job reliably, I suppose there's not much choice...apart from making them oneself!! For my own use I personally adapted the tube bases themselves, thereby eliminating the additional socket stage...especially useful when the new base is wider than usual (as with the KT88) :



(ps. for any DIYers, it looks like these particular bases (from China) are now only available in larger batches, but other red bakelite versions can be had in smaller amounts).

(pps. I may well be moving on this pair of Reissue Gold Lions in the New Year).

@YungOmbat ...yes, Euforia can get quite warm, but haven't heard of any solder melting lol!! .

While on this subject of heat, a very welcome added benefit of most of the 'alternative' tubes I adapted for use in Elise, then Euforia was that they had the amps running MUCH cooler, but were never officially endorsed by FA alas . Given how well the KT family especially performed in their circuitry - and without untoward circumstances, I wondered how difficult it would be to tweak the configuration just a bit closer to KT spec, still without hitting anywhere near their full potential . But perhaps easier said than done lol... Then there'd be chassis changes...??... Ah well, sigh...

Anyway, to finish, may I just wish you all... A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!......CHEERS!....

Hi, Thanks for the reply, hope your feeling better!

I have found this ring covers i think will do the trick... this way i can use and hide the smaller adapter

 

[Francisco Evangelista]

what difference did you hear in the case of the audeze mm500 when it was used with the euforia evo and when it was used with a solid state drive amplifier?

Stage opens up quite bit , the highs are not so pricing mids are foward but smooth. low end is also a lot better , but for my taste the MM500 lacks a bit in quantity... also warmer with the Euforia more lush!