Tomcat
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2001
- Posts
- 1,276
- Likes
- 18
Inspired by 88Sound, I got some NOS tubes for my Earmax Pro from Heinz Posingis. Great tip!
I have tried a “Telefunken ECC801s” (=12AT7) as a replacement for the EMP’s input tube. For the output stage, I got a pair of “Telefunken ECC88” (=6DJ8s) and a pair of “Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88 Made in Holland”. The Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8 is in fact a re-branded Amperex from the late sixties, with the same design features as the “Amperex 6DJ8/ECC88, Made in Holland (with orange globe logo)”. One could say, however, that all Amperex Made in Holland tubes are in fact re-branded Philips Miniwatt, since Philips had bought the Amperex brand (and their US factory) after WWII.
The EMP’s original 12AT7 is a tube without brand markings and – as pretty much everyone agrees – a limiting factor of the EMP’s performance. I guess experienced tube rollers could identify the brand by the tube’s design but I never did. For quite some time, I have been using a “Philips ECG JAN 12AT7WC” as the input tube which noticeably improved the amp’s dynamics and its bass extension and punch. Now, I rolled in the Telefunken ECC801s first.
WOW. Quite a few tube connoisseurs claim that the Telefunken ECC801s is the very best in the entire 12AT7 family. My experience is very limited but I guess they could be right. The 801s greatly improved the amp’s clarity, transparency and resolution. The 801s is extremely lively and fast, but tonally rich and warm at the same time. The midrange is gorgeously balanced and transparent, the treble seems more extended yet a lot sweeter and smoother, and bass seems more extended and tighter as well. The soundstage is a lot wider and deeper, and generally, instruments sound more focused, 3D and real. All this doesn’t come at the price of reduced cohesion or musicality, quite the opposite. The ECC801s is extremely transparent and neutral but very inviting, captivating and enjoyable at the same time. It seems to posses excellent timing. It gets your feet tapping and your heart pounding just by getting out of the way. It’s great.
I couldn’t say the same thing about the pair of Telefunken ECC88. Many people seem to love this tube for its warmth, its liquidity and its laid-back presentation. And while it is an improvement over the EMP’s stock “Philips ECG JAN 6922” which is somewhat harsh, cold and technical, it’s not a big one. They have simply different flaws. The Telefunken ECC88 sounds rather incoherent, out of phase and disjointed. Its PRAT factor seems non-existent, it is just a bit tired and subdued. It lacks extension at the frequency extremes, has very little slam and slightly harsh treble. Timbres are all a little wrong, and the instruments just aren’t playing together, harmonic and rhythmic structures are off. This is most noticeable in orchestral music. With the Telefunken ECC88, it just left me cold. And there seems to be quite a bit less output power and dynamic headroom than with the stock Philips ECG JAN 6922 or the Philips Miniwatt ECC88. And this is true for the 48 Ohm AT W100 as well as for the 250 Ohm Beyer 770 Pro. My pair of Telefunken ECC88 glows very bright, as bright as the ECC801s in the centre, and that’s a lot brighter than my Philips ECG or the Miniwatt. I have no idea whether this is of any importance, though. The Telefunken ECC88’s tonal balance is a bit on the warm side of neutral – a trait I wouldn’t mind - but the ECC88 seems to embody what people don’t like about tubes when they use the term “tubey”, it’s sluggish. After reading 88Sound’s experiences, I had high hopes for the Telefunken ECC88, and it could be that I got a misbehaving pair but they just didn’t do it for me.
The 6DJ8s I finally chose were the “Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88 Made in Holland”. They seem to have what many describe as typical Amperex strong points: a lively and dynamic midrange and liquid, captivating musicality. Their treble is the most extended, smoothest and sweetest, their bass is the deepest and tightest and their soundstage is the most believable of all the 6DJ8 family tubes I have tried. They offer greater transparency, cohesion and clarity than the Telefunken ECC88 or the Philips ECG 6922. The Philips Miniwatt manages to convey a vast range of different emotions. It has just as much micro-dynamic accuracy as macro-dynamic power. Violin solos are portrayed with great delicacy, subtlety and resolution, but listen to orchestral music, and it conveys very impressive weight, richness and force. It’s a very transparent, lively and musical tube with a gorgeously liquid midrange.
So, that’s what I ended up with in my EMP: one Telefunken ECC801s, two Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88.
I have tried a “Telefunken ECC801s” (=12AT7) as a replacement for the EMP’s input tube. For the output stage, I got a pair of “Telefunken ECC88” (=6DJ8s) and a pair of “Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88 Made in Holland”. The Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8 is in fact a re-branded Amperex from the late sixties, with the same design features as the “Amperex 6DJ8/ECC88, Made in Holland (with orange globe logo)”. One could say, however, that all Amperex Made in Holland tubes are in fact re-branded Philips Miniwatt, since Philips had bought the Amperex brand (and their US factory) after WWII.
The EMP’s original 12AT7 is a tube without brand markings and – as pretty much everyone agrees – a limiting factor of the EMP’s performance. I guess experienced tube rollers could identify the brand by the tube’s design but I never did. For quite some time, I have been using a “Philips ECG JAN 12AT7WC” as the input tube which noticeably improved the amp’s dynamics and its bass extension and punch. Now, I rolled in the Telefunken ECC801s first.
WOW. Quite a few tube connoisseurs claim that the Telefunken ECC801s is the very best in the entire 12AT7 family. My experience is very limited but I guess they could be right. The 801s greatly improved the amp’s clarity, transparency and resolution. The 801s is extremely lively and fast, but tonally rich and warm at the same time. The midrange is gorgeously balanced and transparent, the treble seems more extended yet a lot sweeter and smoother, and bass seems more extended and tighter as well. The soundstage is a lot wider and deeper, and generally, instruments sound more focused, 3D and real. All this doesn’t come at the price of reduced cohesion or musicality, quite the opposite. The ECC801s is extremely transparent and neutral but very inviting, captivating and enjoyable at the same time. It seems to posses excellent timing. It gets your feet tapping and your heart pounding just by getting out of the way. It’s great.
I couldn’t say the same thing about the pair of Telefunken ECC88. Many people seem to love this tube for its warmth, its liquidity and its laid-back presentation. And while it is an improvement over the EMP’s stock “Philips ECG JAN 6922” which is somewhat harsh, cold and technical, it’s not a big one. They have simply different flaws. The Telefunken ECC88 sounds rather incoherent, out of phase and disjointed. Its PRAT factor seems non-existent, it is just a bit tired and subdued. It lacks extension at the frequency extremes, has very little slam and slightly harsh treble. Timbres are all a little wrong, and the instruments just aren’t playing together, harmonic and rhythmic structures are off. This is most noticeable in orchestral music. With the Telefunken ECC88, it just left me cold. And there seems to be quite a bit less output power and dynamic headroom than with the stock Philips ECG JAN 6922 or the Philips Miniwatt ECC88. And this is true for the 48 Ohm AT W100 as well as for the 250 Ohm Beyer 770 Pro. My pair of Telefunken ECC88 glows very bright, as bright as the ECC801s in the centre, and that’s a lot brighter than my Philips ECG or the Miniwatt. I have no idea whether this is of any importance, though. The Telefunken ECC88’s tonal balance is a bit on the warm side of neutral – a trait I wouldn’t mind - but the ECC88 seems to embody what people don’t like about tubes when they use the term “tubey”, it’s sluggish. After reading 88Sound’s experiences, I had high hopes for the Telefunken ECC88, and it could be that I got a misbehaving pair but they just didn’t do it for me.
The 6DJ8s I finally chose were the “Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88 Made in Holland”. They seem to have what many describe as typical Amperex strong points: a lively and dynamic midrange and liquid, captivating musicality. Their treble is the most extended, smoothest and sweetest, their bass is the deepest and tightest and their soundstage is the most believable of all the 6DJ8 family tubes I have tried. They offer greater transparency, cohesion and clarity than the Telefunken ECC88 or the Philips ECG 6922. The Philips Miniwatt manages to convey a vast range of different emotions. It has just as much micro-dynamic accuracy as macro-dynamic power. Violin solos are portrayed with great delicacy, subtlety and resolution, but listen to orchestral music, and it conveys very impressive weight, richness and force. It’s a very transparent, lively and musical tube with a gorgeously liquid midrange.
So, that’s what I ended up with in my EMP: one Telefunken ECC801s, two Philips Miniwatt 6DJ8/ECC88.