All of this information is ever so helpful; I am strongly anticipating a change in my present financial condition; that will allow me to try more tubes with your recommendations.
Telefunken vacuum tube E88CC-TK; NOS versus brand new.
Telefunken vacuum tube E88CC-TK; I just purchased a pair of these and they are fantastic; they raised my phono to a new level.
Now here's the question, I paid $60 apiece for a pair of these brand new. "Uncle Kevin" at Upscale Audio, sells these for $349. apiece. His are NOS, they should cost more, they also probably last longer, but do they sound better? That is the question. It is not in my budget to pay $700. to find out. Do you have any comments on this?
Showing 9 responses by orpheus10
Let me tell you what prompted me to write this thread. For about a year now, I've been focusing on TT, phono, and cartridge. With each upgrade I got substantial improvement, but it wasn't until these last tubes did things really pop. BTW, this is the second set of these same kind of tubes, but this set was purchased from a different tube monger. That just goes to show you that not every batch of tubes is the same, especially when you're talking about new tubes as opposed to NOS. These last tubes opened up a new world; records that have been in my collection forever are brand new all over again. I bought Carol King's "Tapestry" when it came out, and now it's like I'm hearing it for the first time; we're talking holography, and each song seems to have more meaning, plus somehow I can almost feel her presence in the room. The bottom line to all of this is just how much difference the right tubes can make. Also, you must take into consideration that this is the last improvement at the bottom of the list of many other improvements, all in the record playing section. |
Music is very important to me, not stereo equipment; however, the importance of stereo equipment changed after I wandered into a high end emporium in 1990. Before that time, I had absolutely no idea how good music could sound when played on "High end equipment". That was also when I discovered tubes. The thought never occurred to that I had been listening to tubes from the time I was born, and that transistors were what was new. Somehow "they" made me believe transistors were the thing, but after "re-discovering" tubes.....you know the rest. It's nice to be communicating with people who know just how far a good pair of tubes can elevate a phono or preamp, and I am learning a lot. I have a question for you, with NOS tubes, it's difficult to ascertain how much of the price is due to scarcity, and how much is due to the outstanding ability of the product to deliver the goods. Do you have any comment on that? |
Dave, this is not the first time I got these same kind of tubes. I don't want to mention who I purchased them from, but the tubes went bad, and they made things good. The second tubes didn't last as long, but long enough that I couldn't request my money back. These present tubes came from a different source https://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/e88cc-tk-6922 It seems that who ever gets the tubes from the manufacturer has to take them through a lengthy screening process to deliver the best tubes. When the tubes sound good and the price ratio is 6 to 1 for NOS, I have to give some latitude. I am 100% per cent in agreement about NOS tubes. There are so many factors that make this so, including the experienced people working on the line to manufacture them, that no longer exist. |
I want to thank everyone for their input; you guys have really added to my knowledge of vacuum tubes. As good as these tubes sound, the first thing I'm going to do Monday is order another matched pair and hope I luck out again. When people who know more than I do, take the the time to answer my questions, I want them to know how much I appreciate their help. It irks me that after knowledgeable people take the time to answer questions, some folks don't even say thanks. I'm not one of those; THANKS ! |
I’ve used 6922 tubes for many years, and these are the best I’ve ever purchased. In regard to NOS being much more expensive; I’m not going there because I still believe NOS are better if they are genuine because of production and material available. While that would make them last longer, they may not be audibly better than a new tube coming from the same factory. As I look at it, I can buy 5.8 tubes for the price of one NOS; I don’t think I’ll even bother to find out if they last longer, because I have doubts about them sounding better than these. Thanks for your comments. |