3 thoughts on “Tesla E88CC Gold Pins

  1. Another fantastic tube from Tesla. It doesn’t stand out from the crowd the same way E83CC did, but none the less, one of the more pleasing 6DJ8 tubes. Vocals are very pronounced and warm. Great amount of details and nice and tight bass – can’t compare in bass to the 6N23P-EV, but not too bad at all. Quite tight in sound at the moment, but it has only a couple of hours on it. Will write more in a couple of days and the tube burns in…

  2. The Tesla E88CC is one of the last “bargains” out there in the 6922 world. They do not perform quite like treasured Dutch or USA Amperex 6922/E88CC tubes from the early 1960s, (!!) with the Amperex 6922 “house sound” of phenomenal detail, crisp, extended treble, along with midrange depth and 3-dimensional texture to die for… But few 6922 tubes DO have the “Amperex Sound” Few even come CLOSE to the Amperex sound, but the Tesla E88CC “sound” is quite acceptable, and very much as described by TubeMaze above. It is a “midrange prominent” E88CC/6922 tube and in that sense should be very pleasing to fans of female vocal, small ensemble jazz, and baroque/classical chamber music. Tesla 6922/E88CC tubes from the “good” years–1960s and 1970s—can be purchased in absolute NOS state from reliable suppliers in fairly large quantity to this day in 2012, and one SHOULD be able to re-tube almost any preamp with Tesla E88CC tubes for less than the retail cost of the preamp itself! I recommend the Tesla E88CC very much; it does nothing WRONG and gets quite a bit RIGHT. If you are pleased with the sonic balance (bass/midrange/treble “mix”) of your audio system, the Tesla E88CC is a good choice because it is quite neutral, neither adding nor taking away any part of the sonic palette. The Tesla E88CC is a Great tube! It is really one of the few still-affordable NOS 6922/E88CC tubes worthy of a true high-end audio system.. and in that respect get a very high recommendation. 5 stars!

  3. As much as I like the Tesla E88CC, and I definitely do love the Tesla’s sweet midband response, I have to say my favorite “bargain” or “sleeper” 6922-type tube is absolutely the red-labeled 1970s Tungsram 6922. These fantastic Tungsram 6922s are an absolute steal at an average of $35- $40 each for tested NOS on the popular auction site. Prices from a reputable dealer are usually slightly higher than this but worth it. This extremely long-lived, especially high Gm-spec industrial/scientific red letter/nickel pin Tungsram 6922 was made to last, and is extremely rugged. The sound? Well… imagine the drive, punch, dynamics, and sheer SOLIDITY of the NOS Russian 6H23N (Voshkod “rocket logo” or 1970s Reflektor 6H23N/6N23P) coupled with a strong twist of treble delicacy and extension, and most of all terrific depth of soundstage. I must caution that the Tungsram 6922 is a bit on the “bright” side sonically, so if your system needs to be “cooled down” in the treble region, absolutely do NOT look to Tungsram! However, the Tungsram 6922 is so sweet yet simultaneously so focused and coherent in its’ stereo imaging that it is worth giving them a try even if you might prefer a slightly more “mellow” sonic signature. These tubes are well available, but as with all NOS tubes, know your vendor! Ask for audio tested/transconductance tested examples of Tungsram 6922s only! I routinely use a combination of Tungsram 6922s in linestage service with a “sweeter” 6922 such as the Amperex PQ USA curved-D-getter, tall bottle 1960-1961 era 6922 as the phono stage source tubes. This is an extremely synergistic marriage of two great 6922s that will save the extreme cost of re-tubing with all USA Amperex (or Dutch Philips/Amperex) E88CC/6922 tubes. The Tungsram is the perfect 6922 for medium gain applications, lasts virtually forever, and has not (yet) been hunted to extinction. The time to try some out is now!

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