(13 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading...“The Tungsram are brighter on the high frequencies anda little coolerregarding the midrangeproducing accurate sonics without beingthe least bit sterile sounding in my applications.” Read
“Tungsram sounds much more precise, open, and clear, with more resolution top-to-bottom.” Read
Finally, the turn came for the review of the Tungsram E80CC tube. After being very impressed by ECC82 & ECC83 from Tungsram I expected the in-house sound to be carried over to E80CC and was proven right. This tube is very liquid in its sound with great very punchy dynamics (can’t stop tapping my foot :). So overall the sound is very appealing, but the more I listened to it, the more I started to miss the sound of ECC82. There is a lot of discussion about ECC82 producing a lot of distortion and how bad it is, but at the same time, outside of the measurements, the best representatives of the family just sound great! They have softness and richness that is incredibly appealing. Back to the E80CC tube, it has incredible precision and incredible density to the sound that makes it perfect – measurement wise, but makes it harder to listen to for an extended period of time. Very clinical sound, which some people love and some hate. It’s even more clinical than renowned Telefunken 12au7. So if you are after audio perfection, this gets you very close to it; however, if you just want to listen to music and enjoy it without being overburdened by information, this might not be the best choice.
A lot of people think this is “the” tube – i see it on a lot of favorites lists. I didn’t quite get it in my system. The matched quad brought incredible highs that soar to the ceiling, but the mid-range and bass seemed a bit thin. It also lacked a bit of detail in the mid-range. Soundstage exists, but not 3D or holographic. There’s also a bit of a fatiguing factor (not overbearing, but it comes eventually).
I agree with Nick, it’s punchy and has a bit of a “solid state” sound to it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re high quality tubes (and I should probably give them more time), but there’s just so many tubes out there!
Tungsram E80CC – 3.5 to 4 stars
The E80CC is my favorite small signal tube. In my system, which includes a Cayin TA-30 integrated and Legacy Classic speakers, the Tungsram’s sound more balanced and actually less fatiguing than the Philips gold pin E80CC’s I have. The Philips are known to have more midrange depth and presense. I can hear that compared to the Tungsram’s. But, I wouldn’t say that the Tungsrams are flat or clinical sounding, either. I suspect that it has something to do with my system already being fairly midrange-forward sounding to begin with. My CD player and phono stage are both tubed in addition to the the all tube Cayin integrated. The Philips E80CC’s might be tipping the scales since there is an upper midrange emphasis with those tubes installed that can become grating over time. I also really like the Tungsram 6922/E88CC tubes. Same sparkling, detailed and well balanced sound. I use them in both my Njoe Tjoeb CD4000 and Bottlehead Seduction phono stage.