Hello,
So the Odam was fitted into the Feliks Euforia back then because Iād previously installed the TFTF from Vcap on the 6SN7.
Ultimately, with the standard Mundorf capacitor fitted, I had a sharp and harsh treble peak that was simply awful.
I canāt say for certain whether it was down to the capacitor itself ā perhaps it was simply faulty ā or whether the materials used were poor.
The fact is, though, that itās simply a cheap capacitor.
Once I had the Odams fitted, nothing was the same again ā but in a good way.
The harshness was gone, as was the annoying peak; after the burn-in period, the Feliks Euforia simply sounded better ā rounder, fuller, deeper ā and, above all, the spatial imaging was more tangible.
The musical presentation had also simply become more rounded afterwards; tubes that Iād previously been less keen on became my favourites or simply sounded better.
Both the Odam and the CuTF never sound harsh at the top end; if they do, itās always well-balanced and usually spot on.
Vocally, too, the midrange is richer, more tangible, a bit more in-your-face ā but again, in a good way: never too much, never too little.
Itās always been worth the money, even if itās a bit of a pain, and the burn-in too ā but you have to say that once thatās over, you forget all about it after the first tones.
The non-Vcap option would be the Audionote Copper, which is roughly the same price or slightly cheaper than the Odam.
But itās also a good cartridge: warm, full-bodied, superb bass and top end, with an intimate vocal range that leans more towards coherence ā the treble is never grating.
Overall, very musical.
Sonically, itās not far off the CuTF; the soundstage isnāt quite as expansive, and here and there the details are a touch less pronounced.
I like it, even though it perhaps leans slightly towards a British-style tuning.
If you have both and can switch between them via a switch on the amplifier, Iām glad to have both.
Because the Audionote tends to be very well suited to neutral headphones, whilst the Vcap CuTF and Odam are more suited to warmer headphones.
As the two Vcaps are more neutral than warm.
If you want my honest opinion on silver, I donāt think it has any place in valve amplifiers.
Neither silver-plated capacitors nor Audionoteās silver resistors.
They simply ruin the sound, especially in the upper frequencies.
Opinions are divided when it comes to cabling.
You can use it, but you donāt have to.
Generally speaking, a neutrally tuned valve amp with no silver components in the circuit is sufficient on its own, paired with neutrally tuned speakers or headphones.
Alternatively, you always have the option of using hybrid or silver cables for the speakers or headphones.
This helps to prevent the sound from becoming too warm or muddy.
I had the chance to listen to the Feliks Elise once, and in the end I preferred it to the Euforia because the internal wiring was different.
Thatās why the Euforia always sounded a touch sterile and somewhat emotionless to me, due to its silver wiring.
I should have made more use of resistors back then.
That would have made the combination even better later on with the Vcap modification.