[nelamvr6]

Back home again!  And what was waiting in my mailbox?  Some old Philips glass from France!  Time to do some rolling!  

 

[OldSkool]

Quote:

Back home again!  And what was waiting in my mailbox?  Some old Philips glass from France!  Time to do some rolling!  

Ooooooh, do tell!  Whatcha get?

 

[nelamvr6]

Quote:

Ooooooh, do tell!  Whatcha get?

Sceleratus' favorite: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111037665429?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649  RTC E188CC.
 
But I guess they're actually from Holland, though the brand is definitely French.  
 
I have been sneaking listens between doses of pink noise, and I must say, they really sound nice!  I am surprised they sound so good after so little burn in.  I have to admit, just like Sceleratus and other here have said, they really do have an amazing, almost 3D soundstage! And they sound so airy and spacious. the treble is really smooth and nice, yet detailed.
 
But I'm going to wait until at least 20 hours before I do any serious comparisons...

 

[OldSkool]

Nice!!!
 
Those RTC's should sound fantastic with your LCD's! Enjoy!
 

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

Sceleratus' favorite: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111037665429?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649  RTC E188CC.
 
But I guess they're actually from Holland, though the brand is definitely French.  
 
I have been sneaking listens between doses of pink noise, and I must say, they really sound nice!  I am surprised they sound so good after so little burn in.  I have to admit, just like Sceleratus and other here have said, they really do have an amazing, almost 3D soundstage! And they sound so airy and spacious. the treble is really smooth and nice, yet detailed.
 
But I'm going to wait until at least 20 hours before I do any serious comparisons...

Awesome. I was raving about them back when and I felt like my voice was lost in this thread. I am glad to see others trying them , they are by far my favorites (along with the Dario Miniwatts)

 

[sceleratus]

fearless1 was 1st

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

fearless1 was 1st

They listened to you!

 

[nelamvr6]

Sorry, no slight intended...

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

Awesome. I was raving about them back when and I felt like my voice was lost in this thread. I am glad to see others trying them , they are by far my favorites (along with the Dario Miniwatts)

I wouldn't say "lost" per se, it's more like folks were hesitant.  When one person says "these are awesome", it peaks everyone's interest but until a few more folks start lauding them, it's hard to jump on the bandwagon.

  We needed a few more guinea pigs...

 
Cheers!

-HK sends
 
PS - It was the same way with the Lorenz Stuttgart Tubes...

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

I wouldn't say "lost" per se, it's more like folks were hesitant.  When one person says "these are awesome", it peaks everyone's interest but until a few more folks start lauding them, it's hard to jump on the bandwagon.

  We needed a few more guinea pigs...

 
Cheers!

-HK sends
 
PS - It was the same way with the Lorenz Stuttgart Tubes...

Yeah, I agree. I had some real stinkers based on some of the experiences of others, we all hear different. For instance,  I detest the Russian tubes(in the Lyr) whereas others love them. 

 

[ilikepooters]

Quote:

Yeah, I agree. I had some real stinkers based on some of the experiences of others, we all hear different. For instance,  I detest the Russian tubes(in the Lyr) whereas others love them. 

 
Also different headphones, different DAC's and different tastes in music, it all adds up differently for everyone.

 

[Fearless1]

Quote:

Sorry, no slight intended...

 
 
No slight taken, my intention was to show joy that these hidden gems are getting the admiration that they deserve!  They are fantastic. I have two sets, French and Holland made and I essentially sold off my others based on how much I enjoy them. The only ones I keep around are the Dario Miniwatts just because of the low end and separation they bring to the mix.

 

[Oskari]

Quote:

But I guess they're actually from Holland, though the brand is definitely French.

 
I'm sure it's a great tube, and that certainly is a French (Philips) brand.
 
At the same time, I hope that everybody understands that a particular brand printed on a tube is not going to change its sound in any way.

 

[ilikepooters]

I think it would be better to describe tubes by which factory they were made in, and if known, with which tooling rather than make.

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Dear Lord Soth:

My ears are indebted to you . . . My wallet is another matter . . .

I sprung for a pair of Amperex 6922 Pinched Waist tubes from 1956, Heerlen production. They just arrived and I've been listening to them this evening with the Lyr/Bifrost-Uber stack and Senn HD800 phones.

These may be the best I've yet heard. They are ultra-detailed in all frequencies, with both a wide and deep soundstage. Listening to Mahler symphonies is like being in a concert hall - Row 15 Center. There is clear separation of instruments left to right, and a smoothness at all dynamic levels. They are so "liquid" and smooth in presentation that at first they seem warm, but that is not the case. Highs sparkle without sibilance; lows are tight and accurate.

The tubes are very microphonic, but Herbie's Rx tube dampeners fixes the problem.

In my personal rating system, they get 10 out of 10. The only other tubes that have been 10/10 (to my ears, of course - there is no objectivity to this!) are the Siemens & Halske CCa's. They are a different presentation, but also superior. Now I have to roll those in again to compare directly to the pinched waists.