Woo Audio WA6 + WA6SE: Tubes, Comments, Pictures, and Advice - Page 23

Checking in with a beautifully quiet, black WA6-SE ...      Just for kicks, I rolled in the "stock" rectifier tube -- I use a Sophia Princess normally -- and I have to report: What a great amp!

 

I thought I'd perhaps hear some sign of a "cheap tube" ... nope! It sounds great. Maybe going back to the Sophia, I'll notice the character difference between the two.

 

By the way, I'm running a pair of GE 6DR7 ... and LCD2. (which reminds me, I've not ever tried the combination of "Woo stock" 6EW7 with the stock rectifier ...  maybe tonight!)

 

So I was enjoying xx's eponymous album The xx a few minutes ago (it sounds amazing through the WA6 and HD 650s by the way) and I noticed a streak of light was shining through a crack in the blinds across the room and upon my WA6; It was a magnificent and marvelous moment to behold. Coincidentally, I had my camera nearby so I just managed to capture the instant before seconds later watching the ray of light disappear beyond the nethers of the horizon.

I am neither a great photographer or artistic but dare I say it, I am a hopeless romantic and maybe, just maybe, ever so slightly poetic.

Nothing special, just wanted to share with you all. :)

 

 Cheers!  Nice pic...wonder, what are those drivers?

 

 

Cheers guys! 

 

Also, the drivers are Military grade 6sn7's. 

I find this to be true as well on my WA6.  Good times.

Beautimous!  You're a lucky duck.

 

Wow, those brown bottom tubes are looking sexy!  Wish my 6SE can take some 6SN7s    

 

Hahahaha, I don't care too much for how sexy they look, but they sure sound sexy. 

 

 

 

Right on ... 

 

If I had a point to make, it would be: To those interested in these amps, wondering, "are the tube upgrades, additions to the cost ($) of the new amp, initially necessary to enjoy the amp?"

 

No. 

 

With a few hundred hours run-time on everything now, I find the completely stock "tube complement" shipped with the WA6SE to be perfectly wonderful ... to my ears, I hear nothing objectionable.

 

 

I have now swapped-in the (original stock) Westinghouse 6EW7 ... along with the Sophia rectifier -- somewhat not expecting goodness (since that was my "break-in period" tube complement) -- but ...     It sounds great! 

^ i used sophia + 6ew7 for my WA6-SE all of last year and it was a very good combination. its only until this year that i started trying new tubes out that things really got interesting 

 

Just a quick report.
I've just rolled in a pair of NOS 6DR7 Pinnacle, and it supprisingly good (better than my memory of them).
6fd7 still slightly have better PRAT and 6EM7 have a better stage and detail.
But this pinnacle have a better tonality, particularly female vocal and piano in live performance.
It's better than my 6dr7 rca and GE to my ears.
This tube with sophia princess even slightly better tonality than my burson soloist, using audio-gd ref7 and jkenny mk3 usb spdif. Soloist still win on imaging and detail though imo.

Hi,

I have recently committed myself to a WA6, and new to tube rolling in this amp. The amp came stock with Chinese 274b and 6dr7, and I guess there is a lot of potential to be explored with other tubes.

Rectifier tubes are fairly well explained but I am confused with tube adapters for 6sn7 and 6em7. Is Woo the only place to get these adapters, or there are other places you would recommend? And are adapters for 6sn7 and 6em7 the same?

At
Thanks

 

I believe that the adaptors are different so they aren't interchangeable. As far as where to get them, another head-fier, Glenn offers them custom made to order and is very respected as an eBay seller (under the name 2359glenn on eBay). This will allow you to use a greater range of tubes but not all of which are recommended by Jack Wu. Personally, I have a 6sn7 adaptor from Woo and you can see them in the picture I posted above. :)

Edited by scolaiw - 3/16/13 at 2:22am