SE with ECF80/EL84 - from newbie

[grigor]

Hello all,
I'm new in DIY audio as well as in this forum and I would like an advice from you experienced DIYers/tube-lovers.
I have couple of ECF80(6BL8) and EL84 tubes and I'm interested whether they can be used in some reasonably good SE design.
Is there a possibility to use ECF80s in Decware Zen amp? What modifications have to be done in that case?
Kind regards,
Grigor

 

[fragman56]

SE el84

Hi Grigor,

I don't know about the 6bl8's but the el84's do make a nice se amp. There are lots of designs out there--just do a search. I built something like Joel's SE el84 with 5755 driver and it sounds good. I also built it with a 12ax7--very good as well.

I can't help you very much since I am a newbie, too. But, there are lots of folks here that can!

good luck,
Rick

 

[grigor]

Thanks, fragman56.

I know about el84, but I am interested in this combination of tubes. It seems ecf80 is not so commonly used, and the only thing I could find are PP designs from Word Audio Design
Does anybody knows something about these tubes?

Kind regards.

 

[siu sin man tho]

hi grigor,

I try to use the e288cc & we5755 in rthe driver stage can get a good performance.
The el84 if nos Telefunken is the best, more romance is use RT.
Very detail sound is Amperex BB tubes.
Or U can choose EL 86, very cheap but same sound as el84.

thanks

Thomas

 

[fdegrove]

SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT.

Hi,

Or U can choose EL 86, very cheap but same sound as el84.

Not to my ears they don't.
These tubes only look alike but are otherwise quite different both electrically and sonically IMO.

The E288CC is becoming harder and harder to find nowadays and is an ideal candidate at the output of a DAC for instance.

Cheers,

 

[siu sin man tho]

hi frank,

I type the wrong no. its e283cc.
this is a insturment tube but cheap price.
But U must change the different pin out.
U know now the NOS 12ax7 is too expensive.

thanks

Thomas

 

[fdegrove]

Ha.

Hi Thomas,

E2833CC I know quite well, it has the same folded construction as the 6DJ8 and some ECC803S from TFK.

Odd pinout and a shield between the two sections, low noise too.

You may probably still find those at reasonable prices, well, for a professional SQ tube that is.

If I remember correctly some professional studio equipment (Studer) employed it.

I use it in a phonostage, so please don't pick up the remaining stock.

Cheers,

 

[siu sin man tho]

hi frank,

U great, U know what i think.
But I also thinking try to find some reasonable buy high quality tubes for diyer.
Diyer not need to use high price to buy the most common tubes with many people. Use cheap tubes but try more & make the sound great will get more satify.

thanks

Thomas

 

[fdegrove]

ECF80

Hi,

Grigor,

From what I see you could either copy the WAD amp or at least use the input stage.

Other than that there was a Radford design that used it in a similar way, I think.

It was however mostly used in radiosets from the mid-fifties.

Cheers,