May 11, 2012
-
Telefunken ECC88/6DJ8: Part 1
Since I'm leaving the GEC KT88's in the Premier 11A for a while, I thought I'd focus on some small signal tubes used in the Premier 16LS2 preamplifier.
In the current review set, four of the Telefunken (TFK) ECC88/6DJ8 tubes are a matched set from 1968, made in the Ulm production plant for the German military. They are packed in military boxes and bear the BWB designation (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung: German Federal Office of Defense, Technology and Procurement).
Although not visible in the photograph, they display the Letters "BWB" and a falcon underneath. The other pair, year made unknown, comes from the Telefunken Berlin plant.
Military production tube with box
All six on the larger (left) and smaller (right) standard TFK boxes.
Note the code starting with the letter "B" on the third and final tubes
which show they were produced in Berlin.
All bear the TFK hallmark diamond molded into to the bottom of the tube between the pins. Tubes marked as Telefunken that do not have the diamond were not actually made in the Telefunken plants. For example, some tubes were marked as TFK but were made by Siemens, another German manufacturer. You can distinguish these latter tubes by the seams (sometimes two, other times four) visible at the top of the tube. These are very respectable tubes and you’d be lucky to have them even though they aren’t genuine TFKs. The only other manufacturer with seams visible on the tube top is Amperex.Diamond molded into glass Amperex 7308 (left) with four seams visible and TFK with no seams (right)
The TFK ECC88/6DJ8 tubes replaced a set of Amperex USN-CEP (US Navy-Commercial Electronics Philips, I think) 7308’s made in Hicksville, NY. These Amperex 7308’s are among my favorites in the Premier 16LS2.
Amperex USN-CEP 7308
Most tube aficionados consider Amperex, Siemens and Telefunken to be the premier manufacturers of vintage European tubes. Based on my limited familiarity with the company, I would add the Lorenz PCC88/7DJ8 made at their Stuttgart plant in the 1960’s to this august group.In the next installment: Are Diamonds an Audiophile’s Best Friend?
Comments (4)
Uh-uh. I think it was Margaret who said that BWB stood for Big Wide Boobs and Bitches With Beer.
But I am envious that you even have the Telefunken boxes!
@rpghero27 -
Ummm...given the choice, I don't know.
i see 3 and 4 hundred dollar prices on these....have to be a damn congressman to buy one with other peoples money
Not really. Online vendors such as Upscale Audio carry TFK 6DJ8 tubes at prices ranging from $89 to $129 depending upon grade. That's not cheap but it isn't outrageously expensive either, naturally depending upon how many you need.