Lampizator Valve / Tube Rolling Review Thread

[christoph]

Yes I prefer it to the Siemens c3g Christoph, simply more articulate and resolving. I have a pair of cv181 here to audition but I have been told by a few people that they are already behind c3g so my expectations aren’t high. In many respects C3g is a very likeable tube and I can understand how some may stop there, however I feel the e83f is objectively superior and also significantly cheaper.

Have 4 different types of e83f - early Tungsram 45 degree getter / original Philips / regular Tungsram - as well as the @1960 Valvo D getter you see in the photo. I like that one best as it has a little more bloom (gold pins?!?) but haven’t fully pursued the burn-in and evaluation of the others. Am not aware of there being a solid plate option.

I did also recently try two types of TFK ef804 and they certainly have merit but was happy to return to the valvo e83f.

nb these views are in the context of being using as a 6sn7 substitute with the ebay adapters. Am not sure if the 6n6p operating points in Pacific would necessarily give the same outcomes. One also needs to consider the synergy with rectifier and output tube choices - I found that e83f benefited from a denser sounding rectifier than c3g.

Thank you very much for your very extensive answer, Mark, much appreciated.
The E83F is indeed a wonderful find.

Would you agree that the C3g is the most tubey sounding of the three, the TFK EF804 the least tubey sounding and the E83F sitting smack in the middle sonically of the two other tubes?
Btw. according to the invoice, my Philips E83F SQ also have gold pins.

Pity about the E83F "only" being available in mesh, I would have loved to try them in solid plate as well.

I also use the E83F with the plastic adapters from the ebay seller xulingmrs in my Pacific.
I replaced the 6N6P with a Philips ECC182 SQ (also with an adapter) and that made a HUGE improvement over the stock 6N6P.

Now the brand new unused E83F are burning-in and already sound promising, but I haven't fully burnt them in yet and I haven't returned to the Philips ECC182 so far and therefore a final verdict is not yet possible.

How many hours would you say the E83F need to be fully burnt-in?

 

[Sablon Audio]

I would say the e83f is clear and balanced whereas C3g is denser / darker but somewhat fuzzy around the edges. I felt the Tfk ef804 (both silver hilumin shield and S version) are linear to the point of being joyless.

My valvo E83f certainly needed more burn in than many other tubes before becoming more likeable. Try leave on repeat for a week or so.

I made a short iphone recording but am not sure how to upload it so feel free to drop me an email if you want to have a listen.

 

[Carlsbad]

@Sablon Audio Love those big resisotor heat sinks. I used the exact same one in the bass signal path of my crossovers.

 

[Sablon Audio]

@Carlsbad - some nice work there

 

[DasguteOhr]

Hi Todd. I have upgraded the resistors to some metal foil ones from Vishay. These are branded Powertron but they are also used by mundorf for the MResist ultra. They are rated 3watts in free air hence within spec when run parallel for 1amp tubes. For 2amp tubes, you should use heatsinks - the 30watts ones in the photo below are overkill but fun visually. Definitely an improvement sonically but fall behind the TP special adapter from @takacs75

View attachment 121350

For info ,PHB Isabellenhütte developed these resistors, I have had copper manganin foil in my Linn Keilidh since 2004. best sound resistors ever for crossover.
PHB series available size 2.0miliohm-100ohm

PBH-1R00-F1-1.0 Isabellenhütte | Bedrahtete Widerstände | Bürklin Elektronik

Bedrahtete Widerstände ► PBH-1R00-F1-1.0 von Isabellenhütte ► große Auswahl ab Lager ✓ Top-Marken ✓ sofort verfügbar ► jetzt bestellen!

www.buerklin.com

 

[Zero000]

@Sablon Audio Love those big resisotor heat sinks. I used the exact same one in the bass signal path of my crossovers.
View attachment 121355

I went for Path resistors in my Apogee crossovers a good few years ago now.

The casings on all of them now look amazing (non-labelled area).

Copper does that as it ages. Turns all sorts of great colours you don't usually see mixed together elsewhere.

HMS Victory had a copper hull upgrade during its life. I know that's abstract for here, but hey, I really like it as a building material. It ages fantastically when used externally. You get older with it if you catch my drift.

 

[yulla43]

Hey everyone. Keen to see how many people here use the lampizator big 7 dac and what tubes you have rolled in so far that worked best for you?

 

[cpcat]

Hey everyone. Keen to see how many people here use the lampizator big 7 dac and what tubes you have rolled in so far that worked best for you?

Currently using new issue WE 300b. Also KR242, RK KR242 , and KR RK PX 25s.

You can’t go wrong with either of these in my experience. They are just different flavors of the same good sauce

Following that, try OS tubes like 112a, 01a (easier to find ) and WE101fa. if you can find them try other esoteric ones like rda27 and ad1.

 

[Zero000]

Currently using new issue WE 300b. Also KR242, RK KR242 , and KR RK PX 25s.
View attachment 121750
You can’t go wrong with either of these in my experience. They are just different flavors of the same good sauce

Following that, try OS tubes like 112a, 01a (easier to find ) and WE101fa. if you can find them try other esoteric ones like rda27 and ad1.

Now that's cool. All labels face the viewer.

How did you manage that? Especially given the differing manufacturers?

Fluke? Or work?

 

[cpcat]

Now that's cool. All labels face the viewer.

How did you manage that? Especially given the differing manufacturers?

Fluke? Or work?

Lucky for those tubes. The KR 242s face label to the right, the RK 5u4g recti slightly to the right.

 

[andy79]

Hey.

Can anyone tell me something about the KR Audio KR3A triode ?

I have them in GG2 R2R Gen.6 SE, upgraded in 2017, what a surprise... (?)

this is my first "lampi"

 

[cpcat]

Christmas came a few days early. ?? wife.

 

[Designsfx]

Hello All!
Just posting a note for anyone that might have been waiting for Sophia Electric to pic up production on their Aqua models. I received this via email this morning-

Happy holidays!

Good news! Blue glass EL34, KT88 and 5U4G tubes are available now. Blue glass 6SN7 and 6SL7 are expected to be available in about 4 weeks,

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas!

Sue and the Sophia Electric family

 

[cpcat]

Just warming up.
@Zero000 - Justin, labels look good

 

[Carlsbad]

@cpcat beautiful. I do wish the EML 300b tubes emitted a bit of a glow. No glow at all.

 

[andy79]

My Romance...

star of the evening ... VAIC 300B Globe...

the kr3a triode is also unique... as Lukasz wrote to me, it is a limited edition...

Sylvania's nos... is so inconspicuous from the side.

 

[highstream]

Anyone here been able to compare the Telefunken RGN 2004 mesh black vs. silver versions? One person elsewhere said he prefers the black, but hasn't so far indicated why.

 

[RockinBob]

Dang. So I just emailed Rob at LampiNA today and asked about available tubes and he told me he had EML pX4 available….and they were great.

Just FYI, maybe they are.
Goran thought they were boring. -search…

I have no experience with them (EML PX4)

Right now I like RK PX25. WE 300b, and RK or KR 242.

I would be interested in EML PX25 and EML AD1 however.

 

[RockinBob]

Anyone here been able to compare the Telefunken RGN 2004 mesh black vs. silver versions? One person elsewhere said he prefers the black, but hasn't so far indicated why.

HellomSir I domhave some, thanks Bob

 

[RockinBob]

Dang. So I just emailed Rob at LampiNA today and asked about available tubes and he told me he had EML pX4 available….and they were great.

Just FYI, maybe they are.
Goran thought they were boring. -search…

I have no experience with them (EML PX4)

Right now I like RK PX25. WE 300b, and RK or KR 242.

I would be interested in EML PX25 and EML AD1 however.

Hello Sirl I do have PX25 if interested and many other NOS tubes, let me know Thanks
Bob