Telefunken vs EAT / 6922 / CJ ET5 pre

[Sunnyboy1956]

Lloyd
Congrats on the Telefunkens. Glad it's working for you. Can you share some details about these tubes . My Amperex are a year old and I am scouting for replacements for my GAT.
Cheers
Pradeep

 

[LL21]

Lloyd
Congrats on the Telefunkens. Glad it's working for you. Can you share some details about these tubes . My Amperex are a year old and I am scouting for replacements for my GAT.
Cheers
Pradeep

Great to hear from you...Upscale Audio sells Telefunken E88CC (platinum and gold grade...i went platinum)...you can see my 'listening notes' below. By and large considered topnotch by innumerable sources (Upscale, Brent Jessee, a few thorough tube review sites). And both XV1 and Myles Astor use these in their own personal CJ GATs as well...so all in, an excellent recommendation. And now i am using them as well, and so far very happy.

Hope that helps...if you go Upscale's website, you can read all about them there as well...PM if you have any detailed questions or post them here. Happy to help.

 

[Sunnyboy1956]

Lloyd
Many thanks
PM sent
Cheers
Pradeep

 

[LL21]

One tube went noisy last nite...switched the tubes around and it is definitely the tube because now the opposite side is silent. I can hear the hiss from about 10 feet away. Irritating. will give it some time, as i know sometimes, this disappears...

 

[LL21]

So call me crazy, but i went back to an earlier formula i really, really liked...until one of the tubes went hissy. I have 1 Mullard CV2493 and 1 Telefunken E88CC...my original 'best combo' was Amperex + Mullard but the Amperex got hissy fast. So now i am back to a mix, and i really like it. Would purists say 'no go'? Perhaps, but in the end the music in the room is what i care about most rather than l to r...i sit off center most of the time anyway...and there, i find the combination to be great. The elements i like about Teles blend with the power of the Mullard (whose overpowering attributes in mids/bass are somewhat ameliorated with a more nuanced, detailed Telefunken.)

When i leave the room, the sound of sax (air plus dynamics plus 'pressure') have never sounded better. We shall see if it stays quiet too...

 

[thedudeabides]

Lloyd,

Doesn't one tube control one stereo channel and the other side, the other?

And I'm not a "purist" but am in this hobby to enjoy the music.

Call Ken about a warranty replacement if you can. Curious as to their response.

FWIW, all "true" audiophiles are crazy but, unlike their extremist companions in other categories, in a good way I think.

 

[LL21]

Lloyd,

Doesn't one tube control one stereo channel and the other side, the other?

And I'm not a "purist" but am in this hobby to enjoy the music.

Call Ken about a warranty replacement if you can. Curious as to their response.

FWIW, all "true" audiophiles are crazy but, unlike their extremist companions in other categories, in a good way I think.

Yes, you are correct...so technically speaking one speaker is slightly different from the other...but frankly, by the time the sound of the speakers reaches me, its blended, its quiet and it works. I will contact Upscale and see what happens.

 

[thedudeabides]

Any word from the "tube" guy regarding your noisy tele?

 

[LL21]

Any word from the "tube" guy regarding your noisy tele?

nothing yet...will chase and will update.

 

[XV-1]

So call me crazy, but i went back to an earlier formula i really, really liked...until one of the tubes went hissy. I have 1 Mullard CV2493 and 1 Telefunken E88CC...my original 'best combo' was Amperex + Mullard but the Amperex got hissy fast. So now i am back to a mix, and i really like it. Would purists say 'no go'? Perhaps, but in the end the music in the room is what i care about most rather than l to r...i sit off center most of the time anyway...and there, i find the combination to be great. The elements i like about Teles blend with the power of the Mullard (whose overpowering attributes in mids/bass are somewhat ameliorated with a more nuanced, detailed Telefunken.)

When i leave the room, the sound of sax (air plus dynamics plus 'pressure') have never sounded better. We shall see if it stays quiet too...

Hi Lloyd

Are you saying that one speaker has a Mullard and the other has a Telefunken tube?

Does that not sound unbalanced, after all each tube in the GAT provides gain to one channel?

cheers

 

[LL21]

Hi Lloyd

Are you saying that one speaker has a Mullard and the other has a Telefunken tube?

Does that not sound unbalanced, after all each tube in the GAT provides gain to one channel?

cheers

Yes, that is correct. is it perfect? No...the gain is roughly about right...i did this before and had to adjust the volume with the GAT by 1 notch...which forutnately as you know, we can do. But in terms of the blend of sound that emerges, for me, it works...and its quiet. If i can get the 2nd Telefunken replaced, sure i will do it...but for now, i am happy,.

 

[thedudeabides]

Hi Lloyd,

What's the word on the Tele replacement tube?

 

[LL21]

Hi Lloyd,

What's the word on the Tele replacement tube?

still chasing!

 

[thedudeabides]

What is your "dealer" saying?

Did he agree to replace under warranty or not?

 

[LL21]

What is your "dealer" saying?

Did he agree to replace under warranty or not?

I just emailed Upscale again and will keep you posted. Thanks for following up!

 

[p59teitel]

I just emailed Upscale again and will keep you posted. Thanks for following up!

I had one of five Telefunken E88CCs I bought from Upscale go bad within the 90-day warranty period - it stop working altogether, actually. I got a return authorization number during the same telephone conversation I reported the issue, and had a new tube in hand within a week.

So I would suggest calling them and speaking directly with Kevin if you aren't getting anywhere with email.

 

[LL21]

I had one of five Telefunken E88CCs I bought from Upscale go bad within the 90-day warranty period - it stop working altogether, actually. I got a return authorization number during the same telephone conversation I reported the issue, and had a new tube in hand within a week.

So I would suggest calling them and speaking directly with Kevin if you aren't getting anywhere with email.

Great suggestion! I have called and have an RA to return one of the tubes under warranty and will do so later this week.

 

[p59teitel]

Glad it worked out for you, there's no reason to suffer with a faulty tube longer than necessary!

 

[Mendel]

Last night I changed out the Telefunken E88CC for a plain old Siemens ECC88 steel pin. The sound became cleaner, more detailed and lost the darkness that the Tele had imposed on the sound.
I have noticed that in most cases in my ARC preamp (phono section), the plain jane ECC88/6DJ8s sound better than the "uprated" and gold pinned E88CC/6922/7308s. The only "fancy" tubes of this type that I think really sound better are the Amperex pinched waists and Amperex US 6922s. I have not tried the CCa.
Anyone else notice this?

 

[LL21]

I had one of five Telefunken E88CCs I bought from Upscale go bad within the 90-day warranty period - it stop working altogether, actually. I got a return authorization number during the same telephone conversation I reported the issue, and had a new tube in hand within a week.

So I would suggest calling them and speaking directly with Kevin if you aren't getting anywhere with email.

Great suggestion! I have called and have an RA to return one of the tubes under warranty and will do so later this week.

Glad it worked out for you, there's no reason to suffer with a faulty tube longer than necessary!

Hi...sadly, just to let you know, it has now been since March that i called, got the RA number...and so far have received nothing in the mail, no emails, no communications, nothing. No responses after 4 emails...just sent a fifth. Will try to call again this week. Disappointing for a company with such an otherwise great reputation.