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Help me decide which E88CC tubes i should buy

Hey

I spent 2 days researching about tubes, from technicalities like measurements, what to look for when buying etc how they sound and which sound the best as a common consensus.

I only need a single driver tube for my Decware Taboo MK III, currently i am using a Siemens E88CC with silver shields, 2x Tungsram EL84 and 1x Svetlana rectifier.

Khadas tone board as DAC and Fostex X00 Purple Hearts as headphones. I really like how the Siemens sounds but i am not the first owner of the amp so i can't say how much use that tube has gotten already.

I've also tried the Philips SQ Heerlen '60, which are a bit cleaner/slightly less veiled than the Siemens, they were not new either around 66%/70% of NOS value. So it may not be a direct apple to apple comparison. They seem to boost the midrange quite a bit tho which is very noticable considering that my headphones have very recessed mids.

After testing back and forth i always end up back to the Siemens and don't feel the need to look back, but as soon as i try my Philips for more than 1 hour i start to miss the Siemens. But i don't think that the Siemens are objectively better than the Philips.

Anyway. I narrowed it down to:

Siemens E88CC. cca. Telefunken cca, Amperex 7038 or Amperex PQ US made, Reflector 1975 "holy grail".

They all score well above 100% except the Reflector which are like 95% of NOS spec and all costs around 80$, except the Siemens e88cc might find for a bit less.

Any suggestions?

I couldn't find much info on the Reflector seems a bit of a dark horse except that one head-fi thread where 17 tubes get compared. Really as good as they say or just one persons experience?

It would be interesting to hear your opinions and experiences, i haven't found any posts where these tubes get compared.

Best regards


128x128yoshimitsu
chazzzy007
540 posts
 
rodman999994,221 posts02-29-2020 6:52amAnother, "btw": It’s important, when reading tube comparisons, to pay close attention to the descriptions of the tube construction and dates of manufacture.     The presentations can vary(dramatically), between iterations/years, even of the same designation(ie: grey plate vs silver plate CCa).     Keep in mind; the really good sounding Reflektor 6N23p tubes, were from a very narrow production run.      It’s been my experience; they’re rare, in the extreme.
The production run you speak is the whole of the year 1975. Both silver and grey shields were produced. The silver shields are generally considered superior though some might find the grey shields which have a bit less detail retrieval but a more liquid and musical presentation more to their tastes.

1974 is considered a very good year for the Reflektor 6n23p as well, with the silver and grey shields having the same general differences between them as 1975.
rodman99999
6,035 posts
 
The best(least colored) of the 6N23p’s were the 1975, silver shield, SWGP, from Reflektor.      I’d be interested in a well-matched, NOS pair of those, that didn’t cost an arm and a leg, just to see if they better the CCa, to my ears and in my own system(curiosity).      I’ve not seen any, in a few years.      In my mind; that’s, "rare".        Got a lead, for tubes from that year's production run?
chazzzy007
540 posts
 
@rodman99999 

The 75 silver shields cost much less than your CCA's. On that epic 6922 shootout  at HeadFi, the consensus is that the Reflektors better both the Siemens CCA's and Telefunken e188cc's. I've never heard either of those so I couldn't comment on the comparison.

I personally value detail, speed, and soundstage depth and layering over 'warmth", and the Reflektors do that in spades while still remaining incredibly musical.
rodman99999
6,035 posts
 
Well; your tastes in sound seem to mirror my own.      As I asked: do you have a lead, on any genuine, NOS of the specific Reflektor tube, that topped that list?      At what price?      I haven’t seen any, in quite a while, for anything reasonable.      I HAVE been looking.
yoshimitsu's avatar
yoshimitsu OP
9 posts
 
There are on ebay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-6N23P-Tube-Silver-Shield-75-Rare-SWGP-Reflector-Pair-ECC88-6922-E88CC-NOS1975/254255564580?hash=item3b32d00724:g:rLYAAOSwSrNaPGea

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-MATCHED-PAIR-6N23P-REFLECTOR-Silver-Shield-1975-SWGP-NOS-in-BOX-2pcs/114117748484?hash=item1a91f2a704:g:PHgAAOSwROleVBvn

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-MATCHED-PAIR-6N23P-Tube-1975-SWGP-Reflector-Same-date-ECC88-6922-E88CC/113695077657?hash=item1a78c13519:g:e9kAAOSwc1BeWCcB
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