I am using two Kondo M7 Phonos in combination with KSL Sfz or other transformers like Silvercore. The used tubes are decisive! In one of my M7 I am using General Electric ECC83 and some French CIFTE ECC82 NOS tubes.
In my second M7 I exchanged the tubes right now. NOS Siemens Halske ECC83 and Philips 12AU7 (= ECC82) complete the setting. What a difference to new Slovakian tubes (which are not bad) – really unbelievable!
AudioCirc.com 
Dear.
How is the performance of AN M-7 against Allnic H-5000??
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Dear Dante,
Both are very fine phono pres. I use the Allnic in the MM Modus with Kondo KSL transformers. I like the Allnic unit very much, not modified!
Best
E.
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taking a closer look at the tubes in the C37 today, i noticed that willy used Tfk E283CC … definitely not your ordinary ECC83! (if, big IF, you can still find E283CC today, they’ll cost you an arm and a leg (and a half). same with E288CC – i still have some Siemens Halske somewhere, but i’m still waiting for an amp that’s worth burning them. (i used ECC88 a lot in my amp designs – until i found out that there are tubes better suited for phono, tubes better suited for line stages, tubes better suited as drivers – and started to ask myself what the ECC88 is actually really suited for. maybe SRPP?)
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Christian, I will look for more optimised tubes for my second Kondo. The other one is already filled with NOS Siemens Halske. Good advice.
Best
E.
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