I’ve got a Longdog phono stage which has amongst other valves has ECC88’s.
I was advised on purchase rolling was worthwhile, so I’ve got Russian Silver wire Reflector.
While I think they do sound better, I’m getting an intermittent blip/static in one channel and there is more noticeable hum compared to the Amperex Bugle Boy’s.
Is the extra noise a result of buying cheap/unmatched/ counterfeit/russian/shite * or do they need running in? As far as I know they’re NOS.
*delete as appropriate.
I’m keeping the Paradise, so this is a learning experience rather than searching for the ultimate set of valves.
I used to have a pre that used 6 ecc88s. Tried Reflektors a few times and they always fizzed, popped and hummed. I never found a better valve than the Amprex. Siemens were probably the next best IME.
I picked up some Reflectors for my Aesthetix a year or so ago. It’s notorious for driving tubes hard and issues with noise however the Reflectors have been great, every bit as good as the Mullards they replaced and quieter.
I’ve always avoided valves, just another thing to collect and compare.
However, left the Longdog on this afternoon, and come back to silence, not SS quiet, but more than acceptable. All I did was swap them back in. Will monitor for pops and gurgles this evening. I said in original post I prefered the sound.
I’ve tried a few in my Icon Audio phono stage including Russian rocket 6h23n. The ones I always go back to are Philips jan 6922. In my phono they sound open, warm but not over warm with a great bass.
