Soundlumia's Opinion
Behold the illumination at night, write down how your music sounds the moment these tubes start glowing and keep your notes forever. The finest in the fleet, Telefunken PCC88 is unequivocally the supreme commander of the entire PCC88/7DJ8 tubes family.
Like any other Telefunken tubes, these PCC88's are very pleasant to listen to: liquid, euphonic, with a slightly warmer midrange than many other German tubes, which makes your sound experience smooth and non-fatiguing, and all that happens on a unbelievably realistic holographic sound stage, where everything feels bigger, wider and taller. Sound texture can be felt through infinite levels of details, laying on top of each other, both in depth and in width. So your quest for superb sound clarity can end right here. Lastly, it never gets old to say that no other brand is even close to these when it comes to low noise - Telefunken tubes are "extremely" quiet just as legend has it.
Professional Sound Evaluation
The pair worked wonderfully and sounded terrific in our professional studio setup for monitoring.
- Input: Cambridge Audio CXC V2 dedicated CD transport + Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 Multibit DAC
- Amplification: Liquid Platinum Tube Amplifier by Alex Cavalli
- Output: Focal Clear MG Pro open-back headphones
Our full tube sound review was written 100% based on the actual listening experience while this pair of tubes were running in the system described above.
'50s (Original Box)
1x Telefunken PCC88 = 7DJ8 (6DJ8 Equiv.) Original Box ◇ Bottom - Berlin 1959
$165.80
Professional Tube Testing
This set was tested and certified by RoeTest V11 Professional Tube Testing System with the following result:
Tube 1:
Measured transconductance(GM): 11.43/8.94 mA/V - 91%/72% (100% = 12.50 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 12.892/8.827 mA - 86%/59% (100% = 15 mA)
NO shorts, leakage or gas. NO noise or microphonics.
Curve trace is also included in the original RoeTest report.
Appearance & cosmetic condition
Silkscreen: 90%- 95% (Excellent)
B7109827 (B = Berlin, Germany, 9 = 1959)
And of course the diamond mark on bottom - the symbol of the best sound one can ever find on PCC88's.
Packaging
Original Telefunken PCC88 tube box.
Early '60s
Telefunken PCC88 = 7DJ8 (6DJ8 Equiv.) Matched Pair ◇ Base - Berlin '61/'62 - NOS
$300.00
Professional Tube Testing
This set was tested and certified by RoeTest V11 Professional Tube Testing System with the following result:
Tube 1:
Measured transconductance(GM): 12.89/12.44 mA/V - 103%/100% (100% = 12.50 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 16.357/14.032 mA - 109%/94% (100% = 15 mA)
Tube 2:
Measured transconductance(GM): 13.1/11.76 mA/V - 105%/94% (100% = 12.50 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 15.922/12.967 mA - 106%/86% (100% = 15 mA)
NO shorts, leakage or gas. NO noise or microphonics.
Curve trace is also included in the original RoeTest report.
Appearance & cosmetic condition
Silkscreen: 90% - 95%
Date codes:
B1001328 (B = Berlin, 1 = 1961)
B0xx2225 (B = Berlin, 2 = 1962)
Packaging
New white tube boxes.
Mid '60s (Original Box)
2x Telefunken PCC88 = 7DJ8 (6DJ8 Equiv.) Orig. Boxes ◇ Bottom - Berlin 1965/66
$293.50
Professional Tube Testing
This set was tested and certified by RoeTest V11 Professional Tube Testing System with the following result:
Tube 1:
Measured transconductance(GM): 10.11/11.27 mA/V - 80.88%/90.16% (100% = 12.50 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 9.142/11.242 mA - 61%/75% (100% = 15 mA)
Tube 2:
Measured transconductance(GM): 12.83/11.71 mA/V - 102.64%/93.68% (100% = 12.50 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 16.732/15.735 mA - 112%/105% (100% = 15 mA)
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 codes:
B8205925(B = Berlin, Germany, 5 = 1965)
B6116226 (B = Berlin, Germany, 6 = 1966)
Packaging
Original Telefunken PCC88 tube boxes.
Late '60s (Matching codes)
Telefunken PCC88 7DJ8(6DJ8 Equiv.) Matched Pair ◇ Base - Berlin '69 - Same code
$ 271.56
Professional Tube Testing
This set was tested and certified by RoeTest V11 Professional Tube Testing System with the following result:
Tube 1:
Measured transconductance(GM): 12.06/11.99 mA/V - 96%/96% (100% = 12.5 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 13.575/13.087 mA - 91%/87% (100% = 15 mA)
Tube 2:
Measured transconductance(GM): 12.35/12.98 mA/V - 99%/104% (100% = 12.5 mA/V)
Measured plate current(IA): 12.592/15.345 mA - 84%/102% (100% = 15 mA)
NO shorts, leakage or gas. NO noise or microphonics.
Curve trace is also included in the original RoeTest report.
Appearance & cosmetic condition
Silkscreen: 90% - 95%
Date codes:
B6019022 - Tube 1 (B = Berlin, 9 = 1969)
B6019022 - Tube 2 (B = Berlin, 9 = 1969)
Packaging
New white tube boxes.
