Description
Perfect matched pair of vintage Philips Miniwatt SQ E88CC audio tubes - Made in Holland - 1965 - Extra Rare Tube Summary The beauty, the legend, the classic, the Special Quality(SQ) - this is the super tube from Heerlens high echelon that doesnt break your bank. Known for their superb musicality and ultra low noise, thanks to Philips proprietary SQ design, these tubes remain among audiophiles top choices for serious listening. And among all the brands (most owned by Philips) that had made SQ tubes, Miniwatt is the most sought after and also the rarest! Sound Characteristics Immediately appealing is the super smooth highs offered by these tubes with lots of open air. The overall tonality of SQ is warm, musical and euphonic. The midrange displays some secondary octave nuances, which is very unique and can even hardly be found on top-end German tubes. Similar to Telefunken tubes, SQs can create infinite levels of harmonic depth and a liquid sonic texture without altering the musicality of the sound. The bass on these is the clear winner of the Heerlen tubes family: articulate, accurate, deep, textured, full-bodied and powerful. The sound stage is wide and structured - it feels the dimensions of the sound shape are clearly defined no matter how it moves. Vocal representation the SQs is close to Mitcham and Blackburn Mullard tubes in terms of warmth, sweetness and texture, making them great alternatives to Mullards as the best vocals tube. As a matter of fact, some of the best Mullard tubes do carry the SQ logo as they were sourced from the Heerlen factory. And what truly shines on SQ tubes, especially the ones from the 1960s like this pair, is their magic in portraying piano music: creamy smooth, richly colored, realistic and intimate. For many audiophiles (incl. myself), theyre the go-to tube for piano sound. Listening to Claudio Arraus Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas on these tubes should be on your bucket list if you happen to be into classical piano music, but even if you are not, these tubes superb interpretation of piano music from any genre will amaze you. The ultra low noise on SQs also sets them apart from most of the high-end tubes. They dont compete with Telefunken tubes in low noise; theyre known for being a long-term leader in low noise. As a result, you get superb detail and clarity from these tubes as well. If you are curious to know how the Philips SQ E88CC compares to Telefunken E88CC, please check our listing of an immaculate matched pair of 1966s Telefunken E88CC tubes here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266252586987 Appearance & cosmetic condition We treasure this pair for its pristine condition given the tubes age - nearly 95% of the paint is still intact on both tubes, and the date codes of the Heerlen factory etched on glass are perfectly visible: delta 5I2 (delta = Heerlen, 5 = 1965, I = September, 2 = 2nd week of the month)delta 5A1 (delta = Heerlen, 5 = 1965, A = Janurary, 1 = 1st week of the month) 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: Liquid Platinum Tube Amplifier by Alex Cavalli - Output: Clear Focal 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 Mercury 2000 tube tester with the following result (mutual conductance in uMhos): Tube 1: 15,000/14,800 Tube 2: 15,200/15,400 Good tubes start at 7000 and new tubes (incl. NOS/NIB) 12,500 - 13,000, and the Mercury 2000s rated mutual conductance (nominal) for new tubes is 12,500. Test result can also be seen in the pictures. In case you wonder what all these numbers mean to your sound experience, its actually quite straightforward: mutual conductance directly translates to a tubes ability to amplify sound, so the higher the numbers the stronger. Shipping - Customers outside the US please pay extra attention - Same business day handling. Orders placed by 2:00PM US Pacific Time on weekdays are posted on the same day, otherwise the next business day. - Ship worldwide! Flat-rate shipping within the US. Combined shipping available - request invoice for total before making payment or receive shipping credit after order ships. - International shipping is through eBay International Shipping program by default. Its the least expensive option and customs declaration is automated but it may take longer than other carriers. If you prefer to use a different carrier please contact us before you buy so we can get you the correct shipping rates. Return Policy - Please READ carefully First of all, returns are acceptable as long as you are reasonable. Soundlumia sets extremely high standard on the quality of products we deliver. Tubes we sell are guaranteed to work because we run professional tests and sound evaluation before they are approved for listing. However, sound experience is a very subjective thing and its not uncommon to run into combability issues due to different amp designs, please contact us to work things out before submitting returns or opening a item not as described case on eBay. We would really appreciate your respect to the professional work we have done (sourcing, testing & matching tubes, evaluating tube sound and sharing our sound experience with the world through this listing) to make these wonderful vintage tubes available to you at reasonable prices. Secondly, if you are a tube roller looking to game the return system, Number One STOP. Soundlumia was founded by a professional audiophile who has advised orchestras and music studios in sound production in USA for over two decades so knowing sound is the minimum skill requirement of our team. We are experts in sound and equipment - tubes, headphones, speakers, DACs, amps, turntables, CD Players - you name it. So no tricks here please. Abusive behaviors will be reported to eBay immediately and negative feedback will be left to your account - thats also guaranteed.
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