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EAT ECC803S: Cruel hoax or Paradise in a bottle?

Posted by Bambi B (A) on October 2, 2009 at 08:37:20

In Reply to: EAT ECC803S posted by NAL on October 1, 2009 at 13:28:45:

PHOTO: EAT ECC803S


NAL,


I'd never heard of the EAT ECC803S, and their distributor's (?) website never heard of the concept of clarity. While avoiding stating exactly what their "ECC803S" is, they cite the cost of Telefunkens and so on, but reading between the lines, I think their offering is a selected current production ECC83 with a miniature Franklin stove glued around it, the pins goldinatified, and offered for $225:

http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MHEATECC803S

-It looks to me the EAT assumes a 12AX7 needs a similar heat dissipation to a radio transmission tube. I would worry the large diameter heat sink could cause clearance problems in some applications.

If you'd like to have a high percentage of the quality of a Telefunken ECC803S, find the Tesla frame grid copy of the mid 90's. I have 6 of these, one of which is the "XL" which is the extra quiet one, and while I haven't spent enough time to make sweeping pronouncements, and I've never owned a real Telefunken ECC803S, the Tesla copy is very, very good sounding. I tried them in an Audio Research SP8 phono and a Fisher 800 receiver that uses 8- Telefunken smooth plate ECC83. In those two tries, the Teslas had a very attractive refined quality- a delicate sound that can instantly turn punchy and full-bodied. -And very quiet. There have been comments that it's 95% of a Telefunken- that I can't confirm. I bought mine for I think $16 and I see them around now NOS for $40-50.

Personally, unless I heard the EAT or knew someone who'd heard them, and I knew what tube was really inside that cute little wood stove- a frame grid JJ ECC83S?- Sovtek LPS? - I'd wait before purchasing. It would be a fun to see who can identify the tube from the above photo -Jim McShane? -our friend formerly know as tubemonger?

To me, the distributor's description has a slight flavour of snake oil marketing. Of course, I could be completely wrong and the EAT might "eat" everything else around- plus you can make miniature toast on it while listening. If the EAT proves to be wonderful and a bargain at $225, I will eat my words and make a donation in the company's name to the Old Audiophiles Home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.


Cheers,

Bambi B

• http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MHEATECC803S   (Open in New Window)

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