Soundlumia's Opinion
Stronger than time! This is the classic beauty in sound, admired by audiophiles for almost 60 years and will still be our top choice in the next 60 years. Particularly, the early '60s Siemens tone is considered the "reference sound" for serious classical listeners who need to upgrade the sound quality at phono stage.
The airy and transparent sound produced by these vintage Siemens tubes has been unrivaled even to this day. The magically extended yet never tizzy highs, coupled with the slightly focused upper mid-range, deliver a clear presentation of the entire frequency spectrum, completed by the precise and deep controlled bass. And the most defining sound characteristic of Siemens ECC83 tubes is their ability to retrieve the deepest levels of detail in sound, and these hidden sonic layers can go a long way to revealing the subtle ambient clues that help complete building a truly 3D holographic presentation. While as quiet and analytical as the best Telefunken ECC83 tubes, Siemens ECC88's produce a warmer, smoother and more musical sound. To see how they compare to each other please also see Soundlumia's exclusive Telefunken ECC83 listings.
Professional Tube Testing
This set was tested and certified by RoeTest V11 Professional Tube Testing System with the following result:
Tube 1:
Measured plate current(IA): 0.782/0.932 mA - 65%/78% (100% = 1.2 mA)
Measured transconductance(GM): 1.33/1.46 mA/V - 83%/91% (100% = 1.6 mA/V)
Tube 2:
Measured plate current(IA): 0.842/0.805 mA - 70%/67% (100% = 1.2 mA)
Measured transconductance(GM): 1.39/1.4 mA/V - 87%/88% (100% = 1.6 mA/V)
NO shorts, leakage or gas. NO noise or microphonics.
Curve trace is also included in the original RoeTest report.
Appearance & Cosmetic condition
Silkscreen:100% (Pristine)
Date code:
I61 ‡1J (I61 = ECC83 short plates gen #1, ‡ = Munich, 1 = 1961, J = October)
I61 ‡1K (I61 = ECC83 short plates gen #1, ‡ = Munich, 1 = 1961, K = November)
Packaging
NEW white tube boxes.
