Telefunken E188CC Sound

Jea48,

Thanks for your input.
I have a Audio Note dac with Amperex white label gold pin PQ shield USA.
I just bought the Siemens CCa gray plate that is in the mail.
I am about to pull the trigger on the Telefunken E188CC for $325.00 new in the box and sealed.

An E188CC tube is a big improvement specs-wise, over an E88CC. E188CC is another name for the 7308, both being prized in the tube world.

I think tubes are definitely a flavor kind of thing, very system and audiophile dependent. I may prefer this tube for its low end, but you might dismiss it out of hand because of something that irritates you.

I used to wonder how different people could prefer different tubes, as the rankings always felt more or less clear cut to me, but I now I strike it up as a vanilla/chocolate kind of thing. For example, I am not a fan of most Russian tubes. The Slovak and a lot of the current (and I do stress, current) Chinese tubes appeal to me a lot more. But, as I read these threads, a lot of people I respect like the Russian tubes better than the ones I like. I don't understand it, and don't agree, but people should run what they like best.

Still, in my experience, better tubes are worth the additional money. If you're the type of guy who has some serious money invested in your system, it seems automatic to me that you'd strive to have the best tubes you can get. You'll definitely hear it, and the effects can often be far more than subtle.

All this being said, "better" must be found through experience, as it doesn't often correlate with price. As an example, we have been running a lot of tube shootouts, and have found a few new tubes that can match or even exceed the stratospherically priced classic varieties. In these cases, you can live well on a fraction of what is normally considered the way to go. It's really great when you sell your $300 tubes, and replace them with a $6 tube! The end goal always being to maximize sonics, factoring in value.

Bojack, last year I paid $400 for a pair of 1972 NIB Siemens low noise 7308. Yes that's a lot of money. However, they clearly outperformed any 6922/Cca/E88CC/E188CC, etc. I had heard previously in THAT particular application. Would they have made the same difference in another preamplifier or Glorys' Audio Note? Dunno, but don't criticize what you don't understand.

Following up on Audiofeil's post, he made a very important point regarding low noise. I went through 6 Siemens early 60s CCa tubes before I found two that were quiet in my system. Quiet CCa tubes are rare, and it's one reason they cost so much (not to mention scarcity of CCa in general, and buyer demand). BTW, the noisy CCa tubes cost $400/pair, too, but for that money, I insisted on having quiet tubes, and I kept returning them to the E-Bay seller until I had two that were quiet.

Tvad your point is well taken. There exists, among many audiophiles, a belief that all Cca tubes are created equal. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Having used Siemens and Telefunkens from different production runs there is no doubt in my mind that Cca guarantees very little. I've heard and used Amperex and Philips 6922 that were far superior to many Cca. My humble advice when buying tubes at the price levels discussed is know your seller. It may cost a few dollars more but also save a lot of headaches. Caveat emptor.