Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 valves

[mlinhares]

I'm considering changing the valves in my Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 and I have a few questions.

1) Is it a very difficult task? Can I see somewhere on the net some sort of a "how to"?

2) Anyone has a valve suggestion? I'm considering um Siemens&Halske (ECC88) or Telefunken (6922).

Thanks.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by mlinhares

I'm considering changing the valves in my Musical Fidelity X-Can V3 and I have a few questions.

1) Is it a very difficult task? Can I see somewhere on the net some sort of a "how to"?

2) Anyone has a valve suggestion? I'm considering um Siemens&Halske (ECC88) or Telefunken (6922).

Thanks.

Not a difficult task at all.....just a matter of opening it up(having left it disconnected for a while first)and slotting in the new tubes.

Make sure they are decent quality,preferably NOS(new old stock) tubes,and both Mullard and Telefunken would be good choices.
For Telefunken,the older the better,as some of the factory's output in the latter(communist)years was a bit variable.

Chelmer Valve are a good place to start,and if buying off eBay,be very careful,as there's a lot of heavily used rubbish floating about.

You could also consider a PSU upgrade for your X-Cans,which may also be beneficial in the longer term.

[mlinhares]

Originally Posted by alexs2

Not a difficult task at all.....just a matter of opening it up(having left it disconnected for a while first)and slotting in the new tubes.

Make sure they are decent quality,preferably NOS(new old stock) tubes,and both Mullard and Telefunken would be good choices.
For Telefunken,the older the better,as some of the factory's output in the latter(communist)years was a bit variable.

Chelmer Valve are a good place to start,and if buying off eBay,be very careful,as there's a lot of heavily used rubbish floating about.

You could also consider a PSU upgrade for your X-Cans,which may also be beneficial in the longer term.

A friend of mine suggested the Siemens&Halske. He says that they are better than the Telefunken, what do you think?

There are a couple of X-PSU V2 on Ebay currently. Do you know if they work with my V3 X-Can?

Thanks.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by mlinhares

A friend of mine suggested the Siemens&Halske. He says that they are better than the Telefunken, what do you think?

There are a couple of X-PSU V2 on Ebay currently. Do you know if they work with my V3 X-Can?

Thanks.

Not sure about the X-PSU v2...you'd have to email Musical Fidelity or similar for that,but I would expect not,marketing being what it is!

When it comes to NOS tubes,you'll find the quality of virtually all of them is better than most of the current output,but Telefunken,Mullard and Seimens were all amongst the very best.

It does come down to personal taste,and although I use a Mullard driver in my Earmax H/P amp,I use Telefunkens as the output tubes,as they have a drier and more controlled sound,but the Mullard edges them on detail....it really does come down to choice,and at the price of these currently,there isn't anything to stop you buying a couple of each,and testing them.

[Nic Rhodes]

Siemens&Halske are good choice.

Mullard made some lovely ECC88s but I like the ECC188 even more (they might take a smidge more heater current), they work fine in the X10D with that power supply, again Mullard. The E88CC is also great, again older the better (but less variability than the TFKN).

Look out for the military CV2492 (E88CC) or the CV2493 (E88CC-01 (selected for noise).

6922 is an E88CC for all intents.

But get NOS first and foremost before you consider current stuff, even a basic Mullard will out do a selected high number Russian tube

A new supply makes a big difference as well.