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Telefunken
Telefunken CV2493 = E88CC/01 Matched Pair Orig. Box - Ulm 1967 - Same code - NOS
Telefunken CV2493 = E88CC/01 Matched Pair Orig. Box - Ulm 1967 - Same code - NOS
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Product Summary
CV2493, Telefunken, Ulm, Diamond bottom - the combination of these keywords should have your FULL attention by now. The rare military version of E88CC/01, CV2493 is usually seen on Mullard labels, perhaps occasionally on Amperex and almost "never" on Telefunken. But here we are - another Soundlumia Exclusive presentation of one of the rarest tubes on Earth. And we can do better than that: a matched pair of CV2493's with identical Ulm date code in original CV2493 boxes. With extremely low noise to the vanishing point, carefully matched triodes, batch tested rigorously to meet military specs and shock-resistance, these are the tubes that tell the naysayers that Telefunken does mean business when it comes to tube sound and its leadership remains unquestionable.
Sound Qualities
Experienced listeners of Telefunken E88CC tubes will find the following three NEW sound characteristics on CV2493 very appealing:
1. Enhanced midrange presentation. Gone is the "hollowness" (for the lack of a better word to describe the recessed tone on most Telefunken tubes incl. CCa) that some audiophiles find fatiguing after long listening sessions and added is a full and complete presentation with a noticeable forwardness, which feels incredibly warm and intimate. If the Mullard 10M Series proves that the best tubes can be both musical and analytical, this is Telefunken saying the best tubes can be both analytical and musical - yes there IS a difference between the two.
2. The bass on CV2493 cannot be described with any regular vocabulary we have been using in any of our tube sound reviews. This is a different type of bass, and you cannot talk about it without reviewing the important concept of "micro-dynamics" in sound, the precision of effect. You don't just hear the bass punches as an after effect, but you hear how each punch is initiated, how it "drops" from the ceiling to the floor, how the impact with the floor is created, followed by trailing of harmonics in slow motion, and finally how it disappears from the sphere of your music world.
3. For those who enjoy the holographic sound stage of Telefunken tubes, CV2493 offers a fantastic enhanced version as well. It feels much closer and more enveloping than on Telefunken E88CC/E188CC/CCa. You are not one of the audience sitting a few rows back from the stage any more. Rather, you are put in the center of the stage and sound is all around you.
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 WA2 Headphone Amplifier (Power tubes: 2x Telefunken 6080)
- 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.
Professional Tube Testing
Both tubes tested Super Strong NOS (120%+ nominal mutual conductance) on a reliable and recently calibrated Mercury 2000 tube tester with the following result (mutual conductance both in uMhos and in percentage of nominal):
Tube 1: 14,200/13,900(129%/126%)
Tube 2: 14,000/13,500(127%/123%)
Good tubes start at 7000 and new tubes (incl. NOS/NIB) 11,000 - 11,500, and the Mercury 2000's rated mutual conductance (nominal) for new CV2493/E88CC tubes is 11,000. Test result can also be seen in the pictures. In case you wonder what all these numbers mean to your sound experience, it's actually quite straightforward: mutual conductance directly translates to a tube's ability to amplify sound so the higher the numbers the stronger.
Appearance & cosmetic condition
Beside the world-class sound characteristics, we treasure this pair also because of its pristine condition - near 100% of the paint and lettering are well preserved. The identical Ulm factory date code is 100% visible both tubes:
U 7117005 x (U = Ulm, Germany, 7 = 1967)
And of course the diamond mark on bottom - the symbol of the best sound one can ever find on E88CC's.
Packaging
This pair of tubes will be packaged in the ORIGINAL Telefunken CV2493 tube boxes, secured by a handmade paper ribbon (by courtesy of Soundlumia.)
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