Nice! Yeah I noticed you had a non G73-R tube! What didn't you like about the first one you had?
I was watching that auction. That was a crazy accidental buy! If I didn’t buy an AO, I would have went for those.I just accidentally won an auction for a G73-R on eBay for a pretty darn good deal (from hanoitubes). I didn't think I'd actually get it! So...keep your eyes peeled if in the coming months I realize I'll never need another one of these tubes and I decide to sell it
Yeah I just thought I’d throw an ever-so-slightly higher price in the ring, and in the last 20 min, no one did anything about it lol
It was good but not sublime? It was a version with handwritten white lettering, bought from a different vendor. I thought it was an excellent tube, did a lot of good things and would have kept it had it cost a bit less. I just didn't think it was head and shoulders better than some others I had. I was a bit confused since everyone raved about it, but wasn't the first time my ears heard "differently" so I just accepted it. The late 1950s Raytheon 12BH7A I'm using now is a great tube, my current fave of the several input tubes I've tried.
Lol, of course
! Tubes man - sheesh. Would love to know how much of an audible difference there is. Hopefully not much, but maybe ignorance is bliss 
Now we need another shootout...
Ask and ye shall receive. (I’m working on one now for some early, rare EL84’s)
Lol nice! How much do I need to pay you to say the black labels are better?
The black labels are better. There have been a few shootouts on those already. Black labels are earlier production military grade (for use in radar equipment) These are true NOS. Red labels are later production, possibly medical grade (still very good but military spec is tighter)Lol nice! How much do I need to pay you to say the black labels are better?
Why am I not surprised black vs red label is already well documented on headfi? Lol. Appreciate that insight and the link. I'll do some digging. Thanks man!
Nice job Shawn! Now I want my Valvo’s back!Time for a shootout between two of the earliest EL84's. First a bit of history on each. The very first EL84 was a Valvo produced in Hamburg Germany, bottom date code of rXP. These had 1 slot in the plate (which were stapled) and a closed elliptical getter. The pair on loan to me from @4LoveOfSound were produced in 1954, very first year of production. The pair I own are the first produced in Sittard, Holland and have 2 slots in the plate (which is welded) and a foil disc getter. My pair was produced in 1955, very first year of production out of Sittard, bottom date code rXA. These are the only welded plate foil disc getters I am aware of that Valvo produced for the EL84, by the time they switched to rX3 date codes in Sittard in 1957 those were being produced with stapled plates and O Getters. I'm not sure how many of the WPFDG Sittard rXA were produced but they are very rare today, the earlier Elliptical Hamburg rXP are much easier to come by. (The dealer I bought mine from said he has only seen 2 out of the 300 early Valvo EL84's he has sold from Sittard). I find it fascinating that these two tubes, both Valvo EL84's produced 1 year apart in different parts of the world (essentially the first 2 production EL84's) vary so widely in their structure and production methods. Since these were the first EL84's to hit the market I wonder if they were licensed out of different factories as well (Sittard later went on to become the Phillips factory not too long after). This may also explain the varying labels on the tubes as well.
Source:
http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo EL84/EL84.htm
Alright, enough about the tubes themselves. How do they sound? All tests were done on a ZMF Pendant SE with a G73-R (black label) input tube and a G.E.C. U709 (Black Plate Square Getter) as the rectifier. Headphones tested on each were Atrium Closed, Caldera and Verite Open.
The differences in presentation were most apparent with the Atrium Closed, not because it's the most resolving of the three (it isn't). It's because the tuning is already somewhat W Shaped. The Ellipticals are an interesting tube, every time I listened they benefited from a long warmup. More so than other power tubes I have rolled in the Pendant. Every other EL84 I have rolled sounds OK out of the gate and then gets better as they warm up. The Ellipticals sounded harsh at first, very peaky in the treble region but it smoothed out over time and was less fatiguing after about 30-45 minutes or so (and/or my ears acclimated to them). Even after the warm-up these are W shaped tubes. They are a fun listen, but on top of the AC which is already tuned slightly W shaped it may be too much of a good thing (especially if you are treble sensitive). This was less of an issue with the VO and Caldera. The synergy just wasn't my cup of tea with the AC and Ellipticals. The Sittards on the other hand were very reminescient of my other two favorite EL84 WPFDG's, RFT & Tungsram (I haven't heard a bad tube with this type of construction which makes me think there is something to the superior nature of this early, costly type of production method). Sittards are highly resolving, on par with my RFT WPFDG, I hear details that aren't present with my Tungsram WPFDG but the bass reaches just as low as the Tungsrams. To my ears it sounds like the best of the RFT's and Tunsgrams all rolled into one. The bass on the Ellipticals is more copious but then again the treble is too. Sittards are highly resolving in the treble region, they aren't missing that sparkle by any means. Overall Sittards are more linear, more resolving to my ears with just enough bass down low. Mids are juicy and it is a highly enjoyable listen. They are one of the more natural, effortless sounding power tubes I have heard in the pendant.
With the VO and Caldera (which are more alike in their tuning that the AC) the Ellipticals are actually a very enjoyable listen although I still prefer the Sittards just on personal preference. The VO is an especially interesting pairing as it fixes the dip at 3K and brings female vocals into the foreground (the main complaint I hear about the VO in general). Caldera sounds great with anything you throw at it as well, the ellipticals really accentuate the slam of the planar while the Sittards convey a more articulated bass but it still hits hard. The Ellipticals on the Caldera really sparkle, but were also never harsh. It's a tough call on which is a better paring with the Ellipticals but the VO and Caldera both have great synergy with them. It will come down to personal preference on this one.
At the end of the day both are great tubes for different reasons. You can't do wrong with either of them in the Pendant. Even if W shaped isn't your thing it doesn't hurt to have a pair of tubes like the Ellipticals for when you want a really fun engaging listen (just let them warm up first!)
Thank you to @4LoveOfSound for lending me his pair of Ellipticals for a week, and thank you to @haasaaroni for the initial recommendation on the early Valvo EL84's Either of these tubes are a must buy for any Pendant owner to have in his collection
Will have to keep my eyes out for more of those Sittards. Sounds like a very balanced, musical, and reference level tube. Glad you were able to do this review!Time for a shootout between two of the earliest EL84's. First a bit of history on each. The very first EL84 was a Valvo produced in Hamburg Germany, bottom date code of rXP. These had 1 slot in the plate (which were stapled) and a closed elliptical getter. The pair on loan to me from @4LoveOfSound were produced in 1954, very first year of production. The pair I own are the first produced in Sittard, Holland and have 2 slots in the plate (which is welded) and a foil disc getter. My pair was produced in 1955, very first year of production out of Sittard, bottom date code rXA. These are the only welded plate foil disc getters I am aware of that Valvo produced for the EL84, by the time they switched to rX3 date codes in Sittard in 1957 those were being produced with stapled plates and O Getters. I'm not sure how many of the WPFDG Sittard rXA were produced but they are very rare today, the earlier Elliptical Hamburg rXP are much easier to come by. (The dealer I bought mine from said he has only seen 2 out of the 300 early Valvo EL84's he has sold from Sittard). I find it fascinating that these two tubes, both Valvo EL84's produced 1 year apart in different parts of the world (essentially the first 2 production EL84's) vary so widely in their structure and production methods. Since these were the first EL84's to hit the market I wonder if they were licensed out of different factories as well (Sittard later went on to become the Phillips factory not too long after). This may also explain the varying labels on the tubes as well.
Source:
http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo EL84/EL84.htm
Alright, enough about the tubes themselves. How do they sound? All tests were done on a ZMF Pendant SE with a G73-R (black label) input tube and a G.E.C. U709 (Black Plate Square Getter) as the rectifier. Headphones tested on each were Atrium Closed, Caldera and Verite Open.
The differences in presentation were most apparent with the Atrium Closed, not because it's the most resolving of the three (it isn't). It's because the tuning is already somewhat W Shaped. The Ellipticals are an interesting tube, every time I listened they benefited from a long warmup. More so than other power tubes I have rolled in the Pendant. Every other EL84 I have rolled sounds OK out of the gate and then gets better as they warm up. The Ellipticals sounded harsh at first, very peaky in the treble region but it smoothed out over time and was less fatiguing after about 30-45 minutes or so (and/or my ears acclimated to them). Even after the warm-up these are W shaped tubes. They are a fun listen, but on top of the AC which is already tuned slightly W shaped it may be too much of a good thing (especially if you are treble sensitive). This was less of an issue with the VO and Caldera. The synergy just wasn't my cup of tea with the AC and Ellipticals. The Sittards on the other hand were very reminescient of my other two favorite EL84 WPFDG's, RFT & Tungsram (I haven't heard a bad tube with this type of construction which makes me think there is something to the superior nature of this early, costly type of production method). Sittards are highly resolving, on par with my RFT WPFDG, I hear details that aren't present with my Tungsram WPFDG but the bass reaches just as low as the Tungsrams. To my ears it sounds like the best of the RFT's and Tunsgrams all rolled into one. The bass on the Ellipticals is more copious but then again the treble is too. Sittards are highly resolving in the treble region, they aren't missing that sparkle by any means. Overall Sittards are more linear, more resolving to my ears with just enough bass down low. Mids are juicy and it is a highly enjoyable listen. They are one of the more natural, effortless sounding power tubes I have heard in the pendant.
With the VO and Caldera (which are more alike in their tuning that the AC) the Ellipticals are actually a very enjoyable listen although I still prefer the Sittards just on personal preference. The VO is an especially interesting pairing as it fixes the dip at 3K and brings female vocals into the foreground (the main complaint I hear about the VO in general). Caldera sounds great with anything you throw at it as well, the ellipticals really accentuate the slam of the planar while the Sittards convey a more articulated bass but it still hits hard. The Ellipticals on the Caldera really sparkle, but were also never harsh. It's a tough call on which is a better paring with the Ellipticals but the VO and Caldera both have great synergy with them. It will come down to personal preference on this one.
At the end of the day both are great tubes for different reasons. You can't do wrong with either of them in the Pendant. Even if W shaped isn't your thing it doesn't hurt to have a pair of tubes like the Ellipticals for when you want a really fun engaging listen (just let them warm up first!)
Thank you to @4LoveOfSound for lending me his pair of Ellipticals for a week, and thank you to @haasaaroni for the initial recommendation on the early Valvo EL84's Either of these tubes are a must buy for any Pendant owner to have in his collection
Someone who’s really mad they lost out on this auction. That’s who
Oh no! Haha did you lose that auction? That's a pretty good deal compared to other prices out there...Someone who’s really mad they lost out on this auction. That’s who
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285251839452
