I have the EAR Acute 3 CD player and wondering about tube rolling myself. Has anyone tried the Genalex Gold Lion E88CC/6922's in the EAR Acute? I saw in the thread that one user loves the Siemen's 1960's but what about that tube did you like? What makes it a good match for the Acute? |
Calvinj, I looked on Upscale Audio's site for those Siemen's tubes you are using with the Acute, but they have about 4 different ones in the 6922 / 6DJ8 / 7308. Which specific ones are you using and how much did they cost? Plan on giving Kevin Deal a call and talking things over, maybe ordering a pair of the ones you found success with. Thanks! |
I was also interested in the Mullard CV2493/6922 I saw on Upscale Audio. Anyone ever use these or the Gold Lion 6922's in the EAR Acute? |
Calvinj,
For the Siemen's tubes in the EAR Acute, is there any listening fatigue at all? Is there any warmth or is it straight neutral? Not looking for anything TOO clean or TOO analytical where it becomes bright. Trying to find a tube that is smooth from top to bottom but very detailed and airy but controlled as well. Is the Siemens a good fit? If so, will give Kevin a call for an order. Tough call between the Siemens vs. the Amperex 7308's. Thanks again for your insights. |
Calvinj,
Do you know which Amperex 7308's you used? I know there is a white label, green label, and orange label, and also one's made in Holland and the USA. Each has a different sound, with the 1960's white label getting the best reviews for soundstage and body and detail. Not sure if you ordered them from Upscale or somewhere else. I did call Dan at EAR USA and he uses different tubes in his player - one Amperex and one Mullard (his preference for his tastes). Just an FYI if you wanted to experiment with the sound of your EAR - you don't have to use the same tubes but can mix and match. Seems like having an assortment on hand would be best. Money of course can impact this. |
Sense63 - Which NOS tubes have you tried and which ones were your favorite? What are musical tastes? Always glad to hear of another who loves the EAR Acute. It is a great player. |
Are you already getting tired of the Siemens? Why the change? Based on your previous posts, seemed like you really loved the Siemens.
I just ordered a pair of Siemens from Brent Jessee and will let you know my thoughts. Should be burned in about a week or so. I'm able to return them if they not what I am looking for but hoping for things to open up and still be extremely musical and engaging. Upscale only had the Siemens A-frame which was from the 1970's, and Brent had the early 1960s Siemens 6922 that he says will have a more fuller bodied midrange with the same detail and airiness of the other Siemens. Have not heard much about the Ediswans other than the reviews on the Upscale website. |
No,
I own the Acute 3. The Acute 4 is two separate units and double the cost of the Acute 3. I bought my Acute 3 used so it is quite a lot more money, though I'm sure it would be fantastic. |
Calvinj, keep me posted on your tube experiments. Do you have any other tube gear in your system? What is the rest of your system (amp, speakers, etc.)? I am running my EAR through a Primaluna Integrated Amp, so thinking I will be experimenting with those tubes next. My preamp and driver tubes on my integrated that drive my power tubes are all 12au7's, so there is a lot of good NOS tube options that may enhance my EAR sound. Enjoy the fun! |
Maybe also try one Siemens and one Ediswans too. Were the Amperex's a dud? Thinking of trying an Amperex with the Siemens when they arrive too. I can see how this can addicting yet so fun. I know what you mean! |
In absolute terms, what isn't overpriced in high-end audio? I personally would not buy anything for the listed manufacture price, but that could just be me. The build quality may not be as good as other competitors, but everybody I've talked to (dealers and non-dealers) say Tim's circuitry design is unbelievable which is the reason the sound quality is so good. Granted, he could use better parts. but that would certainly drive the price even more which would exclude me from being able to buy. I can understand your issues with the parts he uses though. If you can find a used EAR Acute 3, I would say the price is worth the performance, even with the questions about the build quality. The flexibility of tube rolling is a bonus as well to help tailor the design to your liking. There is much debate in the digital world though and beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. |
Tried the Siemens 6922 - WOW! All the attributes are correct - very neutral without any body whatsoever. Detailed, fast, and open. i loved the Siemens on some types of music but miss the warmth/richness on some types of genres. I was actually surprised how neutral the sound was. I have laid back speakers in my Sonus Faber Olympica's and EL34's in my Primaluna. Luckily it is relatively easy to change out. Think I will experiment with some Amperex White Labels and maybe 1 mallard to have on hand and that should do it. The Ediswans could also be in the mix. Let me know what you hear CalvinJ. CalvinJ, do you take the recommendation of having the volume output turned all the way up on the EAR Acute and then adjust the volume accordingly on your amp/integrated amp? |
Didn't know that Bdp24 - thanks for sharing |
CalvinJ,
Just talked with Kevin at Upscale - did you ever try his Telefunken E88CC/6922's on his site? He said that are very open and have a sweeter midrange than the Siemens. These are interesting to me as well. |
Can't handle the Siemens - too liner, too cold and analytical. Not engaging or musical to me. Could be my system compatibly or simply my listening tastes, so take with a grain of salt. I know the tubes were high quality, as got them from Brent Jessee who graded and matched them. Going to return them back to Brent. Brent recommends Amperex Holland White Label 7308's from early 60s, so will give these a try. Ediwsans will be next on my list though I expect the Amperexs should do the trick for more musicality, body, sweetness and soundstage. Let's hope! |
Tim liking the Mullard sound does not surprise me. Most of his stock tubes are most characteristic of the Mullard sound - very full bodied and warm at the expense for clarity and extension. His stock tubes are actually quite good if that's what your after.
I've just put in a pair of 7308 Holland Amperex NOS tubes and have about 30 more hours of burn in time. So far, everything is excellent. The only quibble is the bass is a bit bloated but this hopefully will tighten up with the burn in time. Otherwise, I may have found my perfect tube. If bass doesn't tighten, I will try one Amperex and one Siemens to see how they blend. At least it is really fun! Great CD player though. |
Arsh,
Dan Meinwald, the EAR USA rep, uses one Amperex 7308 and one Mullard (all New Old Stock tubes) in his EAR Acute. His stuff always sounds great and is highly regarded in the audio industry, even from non EAR dealers I've spoken to. That may be a good starting point. I personally like that sound but would like to get a bit more sound extension based on other system component. Your listening tastes and other system components should also be considered when deciding which tubes to put in. Dan Meinwald thought putting 2 amperex tubes would be too lively, but my system is already warm and laid back with my Primaluna EL34s and Sonus Faber Olympica speakers. A little more liveliness and soundstage with some warmth is where i need to go.
If you go on other forums and reviews, many have put the Siemens in the EAR Acute and loved it. I read one review on Upscale Audio of a reviewer loving the Telefunken 6922's. On reviewer positive feedback put in Ediswan, while another reviewer put in Mullards. there really isn't a right or wrong. It comes down to your tastes, genres of music you listen to, and other components of where it lends and what you are trying to do.
The one thing I'm not yet sure of is how changing some tubes of my Primaluna Integrated Amp will impact the sound of the EAR Acute. I've only tube rolled the EAR Acute thus far. Not sure what substituting some 12au7 NOS tubes on my Primaluna preamp section will do with the EAR Acute hooked up to it. If the Amperex's are good overall, but could use a bit more clarity, maybe a more transparent 12au7 tube would be the way to go. How big of an impact will that make to a CD player hooked up to it, I have no idea. Any body ever do this in a similar situation? What effect did changing amp or preamp tubes make as to change tubes out in the actual source CD? |
The most balanced I've tried are the Amperex 7308 White Labels, USA version. The Holland version 7308 had a bit too much emphasis on the midrange at expense of losing a lot of instrumentation and detail. The White Label USA 7308 is the best at being detailed but without being too lean, as it is still full bodies and a bit warm. I would trie the White Label, CalvinJ. I ordered mine from Brent Jessee at www.audiotubes.com. You can return them if they don't work out. But I think this is the best balance of detail, soundstage, and warmth, and jazz piano and vocals are all excellent.
You also may want to try swapping the positions of the tubes if you are using 2 different tubes, as the position definitely matters. I noticed the sound takes more of the sonic quality of the tube in the front position (closest to the front panel) in my Acute 3. |
