Bottlehead Forum

Bottlehead Kits => Eros Phono => Topic started by: rbc3 on February 27, 2015, 10:22:48 AM

Title: Tube rolling on Eros?
Post by: rbc3 on February 27, 2015, 10:22:48 AM

Same question I asked on the Reduction forum...

I just bought a Mainline today, but I'm considering building an Eros.  What are people's thoughts on tube rolling?  I have these matched pairs of tubes.

'70/'71 6N23P Reflector (Russian)
'79 6N23P Voskhod "Rocket" (Russian)
6922 Philips (USA)
ECC88 Amperex "Orange Shield" PQ (Holland)

I'm just wondering if these would make much of a difference in sound and noise floor.

-Robert

Title: Re: Tube rolling on Eros?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on February 27, 2015, 10:24:46 AM

The Eros has the advantage that you can buy a single 6922 and it operates for both channels.  Single 7308's sell for relatively decent prices on eBay occasionally. 

The EF86 tubes will exhibit quite some sonic differences, with the stock tubes we supply generally being slightly compressed and rolled off on top compared to something like a Telefunken EF806S. 

(The 12BH7 isn't all that important)
-PB

Title: Re: Tube rolling on Eros?
Post by: Grainger49 on February 27, 2015, 11:09:00 AM

Robert,

Here is a thread about drop in equivalents for the Eros:

http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=1028.0

Title: Re: Tube rolling on Eros?
Post by: Paully on March 01, 2015, 10:38:37 AM

And of course, as I always like to bring up, you can buy an adapter and try out some Brimar 6BR7.  But an adapter is necessary if you don't do some rewiring.

Title: Re: Tube rolling on Eros?
Post by: Downhome Upstate on October 04, 2015, 12:05:28 AM

I didn't see this thread when I separately posted about the early Valvo E80F and it's sound signature:

http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=8436.0

I'm not very good at identifying or describing specific sonic 'elements', but I know what I like, and I really like this tube in place of the 6J32P tubes that came with the kit. The Eros was both tuneful and resolving before the substitution. Rolling-in the 60's-era Valvo pair transformed the sound pretty dramatically.

Tone density increased substantiality. The timbre of strings, percussion (including piano and vibes) and horns went from very good to great, i.e., the sound hit the replay button on hi-fidelity memories of live performances I have attended. The soundstage expanded both in breadth and depth, and while imaging within that stage remained similar to what it had been with the Russian surplus tubes, the reverberant space that instruments and voices occupy within the soundstage being reproduced is just, well, alive. 

I think that about sums-up my experience with these tubes. For $60/pair, they're worth a try.