Valvo
1x Valvo ECC186 7316 O-getter - Holland '65 - Strong
1x Valvo ECC186 7316 O-getter - Holland '65 - Strong
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$304.20 USD
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$304.20 USD
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Product Summary
The "textbook Heerlen sound" has been referenced in several Soundlumia listings of Amperex Holland 7316/ECC186 tubes, and many tube enthusiasts asked what that all means. So this is the answer: the late 1950s and very early 1960s tone, the beginning of over a decade's excellence in sound, the classic tonal template for all the great (and greater) Amperex/Philips/Valvo/Miniwatt tubes to be made in the years to come, the timeless Philips radio tone that many of us grew up listening to.
But there's also a "secret" version of the textbook Heerlen sound that very few have heard: ECC186 (aka 7316 or 12AUWA) tubes made in Holland (and ONLY in Holland.) As an improved version of 7316/ECC186 designed for computers, ECC186 has a a special cathode that allows the tube to be operated without anode current for long periods of time without damage. Remember the last time you heard people talking about the elusive "circuit tubes?" You are looking right at them! It would be fascinating to understand the technicality as to how this special design had made the the Heerlen sound so amazing, but our audiophile ears perhaps only care to know this is Amperex Holland's official answer to Telefunken's ECC802S and Mullard's 10M Series. In other words, these tubes compete and ONLY compete in the Holy Grail league of the 7316/ECC186 family.
Professional Sound Evaluation
The pair worked wonderfully and sounded terrific in our professional studio setup for monitoring.
- Input: Cambridge Audio CXC V2 dedicated CD transport + Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 Multibit DAC
- Amplification: Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies (3rd gen) Balanced Headphone Amplifier
- Output: Focal Clear MG Pro open-back headphones
Our full tube sound review was written 100% based on the actual listening experience while this pair of tubes were running in the system described above.
Product Description
Packaging
NEW reproduction Valvo tube box.
