[Jamesy1969]

   
Well, they arrived one day early - yesterday, whilst I was out

 
Picked them up from the post office today and all looks well. Very well packaged (that BIG outer box was full of poly chips) and look true to the NOS description.
 
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

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I'll give them a quick listen later today and keep you up-to-date with their breaking-in progress

 
OK, I'm genuinely going to try not to gush too much!
 
When I first bought my Voskhods I thought "Wow, these really are better than the standard tubes...anyone still using those is missing out." but these?
 
I'd genuinely rate these as the biggest upgrade I've made to my system. Bear in mind that I went from a pair of HD25s out of a Creative Live card a few years ago, to what I have now and that is saying something!
 
I would guess they should be about broken in by now (mostly with music, I don't really go for specific breaking in processes) and...
 
Firstly, where is the noise? With my HD700s plugged in, I have turned the volume all the way around and can detect no hiss at all, none whatsoever. Nada. The noisefloor is in the cellar somewhere. They are deathly silent.
 
Soundwise, I am now getting lost in the music again and forgetting to be critical. They have added a real sense of scale to everything whilst simultaneously unveiling micro detail previously unnoticed. I've currently got my HD700s on my head and listening to Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises with a real sense of wonder. It's a great, dramatic soundtrack anyway but it could have been written specifically as a demo piece for my system now

  Everything else I've listened to has sounded, well, right. Rock retains its bite, jazz (and ska) have a fantastic rhythmic timing...female vocals are as lush as they should be.
 
The only negative I have found so far is a very slight (I mean very slight - you really have to be listening for it) ringing to the mid-treble. That may even have been there before and veiled, I'm not sure, and it's at a very specific frequency so it's not going to be a deal breaker! I've only noticed it twice whilst critically listening in the last few days.
 
I'm now worried that I won't be able to replace these when they die in years to come. If that doesn't say everything, I don't know what does.

 

[oAmadeuso]

I know what you mean.
My E188CC Dario miniwatts are making music sound so good i'm just getting lost in the soundscapes and i'm finding myself liking genres I didn't get on with before.
Jazz.... who knew?
 
A pair of 1974 Voskhod grey shield E88CC's just got delivered today.
Going to be a wrench to unplug the E188CC's to burn these in....

 

[Guidostrunk]

I'm curious as to how many hours you've put on your tubes. I've noticed that you also have the HD700's. No matter what tubes I threw at the 700's, I could never get rid of the slight midrange harshness. Even with Mullard Blackburns , in which they're probably one of or if not the warmest tubes out there. Hopefully it's just that your tubes need more time to settle.
Cheers

OK, I'm genuinely going to try not to gush too much!

When I first bought my Voskhods I thought "Wow, these really are better than the standard tubes...anyone still using those is missing out." but these?

I'd genuinely rate these as the biggest upgrade I've made to my system. Bear in mind that I went from a pair of HD25s out of a Creative Live card a few years ago, to what I have now and that is saying something!

I would guess they should be about broken in by now (mostly with music, I don't really go for specific breaking in processes) and...

Firstly, where is the noise? With my HD700s plugged in, I have turned the volume all the way around and can detect no hiss at all, none whatsoever. Nada. The noisefloor is in the cellar somewhere. They are deathly silent.

Soundwise, I am now getting lost in the music again and forgetting to be critical. They have added a real sense of scale to everything whilst simultaneously unveiling micro detail previously unnoticed. I've currently got my HD700s on my head and listening to Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises with a real sense of wonder. It's a great, dramatic soundtrack anyway but it could have been written specifically as a demo piece for my system now   Everything else I've listened to has sounded, well, right. Rock retains its bite, jazz (and ska) have a fantastic rhythmic timing...female vocals are as lush as they should be.

The only negative I have found so far is a very slight (I mean very slight - you really have to be listening for it) ringing to the mid-treble. That may even have been there before and veiled, I'm not sure, and it's at a very specific frequency so it's not going to be a deal breaker! I've only noticed it twice whilst critically listening in the last few days.

I'm now worried that I won't be able to replace these when they die in years to come. If that doesn't say everything, I don't know what does.

 

[Jamesy1969]

I'm curious as to how many hours you've put on your tubes. I've noticed that you also have the HD700's. No matter what tubes I threw at the 700's, I could never get rid of the slight midrange harshness. Even with Mullard Blackburns , in which they're probably one of or if not the warmest tubes out there. Hopefully it's just that your tubes need more time to settle.
Cheers

 
They've been warm since I received them - 4 days ago, so about 100 hours but probably played only about 20 hours or so of music. I think they may have some slight loosening up to go still
 
I think the 700s sound fantastic through them (I have put a sneaky bid on a pair of 800s today though - if I win those I probably won't be able to hear anything from the ringing of my wife smacking me round the head

)

 

[mikoss]

I'm curious as to how many hours you've put on your tubes. I've noticed that you also have the HD700's. No matter what tubes I threw at the 700's, I could never get rid of the slight midrange harshness. Even with Mullard Blackburns , in which they're probably one of or if not the warmest tubes out there. Hopefully it's just that your tubes need more time to settle.
Cheers

Mullards do have undeniably sweet midrange... Never heard electric guitar sound so good than with them.

As for the HD-700's, they can be modded to sound even better.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Hahahahahahahaha , good luck with the wife.

They've been warm since I received them - 4 days ago, so about 100 hours but probably played only about 20 hours or so of music. I think they may have some slight loosening up to go still

I think the 700s sound fantastic through them (I have put a sneaky bid on a pair of 800s today though - if I win those I probably won't be able to hear anything from the ringing of my wife smacking me round the head :eek: )

 

[Guidostrunk]

Absolutely agree. Female vocals are spooky good as well. If they had the Soundstage and Holography, of some of the CCa's, they would have never left my Lry. Lol

Mullards do have undeniably sweet midrange... Never heard electric guitar sound so good than with them.

As for the HD-700's, they can be modded to sound even better.

 

[oAmadeuso]

Just been rolling the grey shield rockets....
 
I forget who said it or where but whoever recommended cling-film (saran wrap for those of a non English persuasion) you sir are a genius.
Spent a full 10 minutes failing at getting my other tubes out whilst the rim of the Lyr 2 socket gently ground down my thumb nails until I remembered that bit of advice.
 
A bit of film for grip and they popped right out!
 
On the 74 Grey shield rockets....
After an hours listening they seem ok, better than the stock Lyr tubes. Seem louder than the E188CC's and not so musical.
Going to use these as my backup tubes and gradually burn them in.

 

[Mediahound]

  Just been rolling the grey shield rockets....
 
I forget who said it or where but whoever recommended cling-film (saran wrap for those of a non English persuasion) you sir are a genius.
Spent a full 10 minutes failing at getting my other tubes out whilst the rim of the Lyr 2 socket gently ground down my thumb nails until I remembered that bit of advice.
 
A bit of film for grip and they popped right out!
 

 
You might also consider getting one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111792755991
 
Works really well, especially if you want to swap tubes often. 

 

[korzena]

  On the 74 Grey shield rockets....
After an hours listening they seem ok, better than the stock Lyr tubes. Seem louder than the E188CC's and not so musical.
Going to use these as my backup tubes and gradually burn them in.

Looking forward to more impressions from your comparison to Dario miniwatts. 

 

[Astral Abyss]

My yellow Valvo CCa's arrived from Switzerland today, but unfortunately they require me to be present to sign for them from USPS.  That was quick!  I asked them to be held at the Post Office and I'll pick them up after work tomorrow.
 
I'm really looking forward to trying them out to see if they can beat my '75 Reflektor HGs that I'm currently using.

 

[roman410]

I found Siemens CCa tubes with delta date codes made in Heerlen Holland factory. They are real? I never saw that before.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Quad-Siemens-CCa-Tubes-ECC88-6922-E188CC-Same-Date-Codes-/151842465705?hash=item235a8427a9

 

[ThurstonX]

  I found Siemens CCa tubes with delta date codes made in Heerlen Holland factory. They are real? I never saw that before.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Quad-Siemens-CCa-Tubes-ECC88-6922-E188CC-Same-Date-Codes-/151842465705?hash=item235a8427a9

 
Interesting.  If I'm seeing the tube type + change code correctly, it looks like 7LH.  That would make the 4 in the factory + date code = 1974.  I don't know enough about the history of Siemens and their relationship to Philips to say for sure, but it's possible Siemens had farmed out the production to Heerlen.  One aspect that seems to indicate these are legit is the getter post.  It is flat, which is indicative of Heerlen (in my limited experience), whereas German-made E88CCs (and thus CCas) used an indented post, at least if it was a single post and not an 'A' frame, or the skinny single wire post they used in the early 1970s.
 
As to the printing "Made in Germany", I hope we've all learned that the printing is for schiit, and any company could print whatever they wanted to sell a tube in a given location, up to and including misrepresenting the tube type (I have a pair like that of a different type).  And while it's true a factory code could be forged, these seem to bear other trademarks of legitimate tubes (the seams at the top, for example).
 
Nice find.  This will be interesting to watch.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Wow. That's pretty crazy to see Siemens from heerlen. I noticed immediately that the spikes were missing on the micas, and the construction was different. And what you said about the getter post. Pretty cool to see.

Interesting.  If I'm seeing the tube type + change code correctly, it looks like 7LH.  That would make the 4 in the factory + date code = 1974.  I don't know enough about the history of Siemens and their relationship to Philips to say for sure, but it's possible Siemens had farmed out the production to Heerlen.  One aspect that seems to indicate these are legit is the getter post.  It is flat, which is indicative of Heerlen (in my limited experience), whereas German-made E88CCs (and thus CCas) used an indented post, at least if it was a single post and not an 'A' frame, or the skinny single wire post they used in the early 1970s.

As to the printing "Made in Germany", I hope we've all learned that the printing is for schiit, and any company could print whatever they wanted to sell a tube in a given location, up to and including misrepresenting the tube type (I have a pair like that of a different type).  And while it's true a factory code could be forged, these seem to bear other trademarks of legitimate tubes (the seams at the top, for example).

Nice find.  This will be interesting to watch.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Looking forward to your thoughts

My yellow Valvo CCa's arrived from Switzerland today, but unfortunately they require me to be present to sign for them from USPS.  That was quick!  I asked them to be held at the Post Office and I'll pick them up after work tomorrow.

I'm really looking forward to trying them out to see if they can beat my '75 Reflektor HGs that I'm currently using.