[Franatic]

   
I am anticipating a significant jump in SQ. Is that what you experienced?

Krutsch, with your WE 421As, you are starting way ahead of the game. I have never heard the Tele E288CC, They have a good reputation but I shied away from them due to their high filament current. They should be fine in the WA2 though. I wonder how they compare to the CCA. Probably pretty close.
 
Beyerdynamic is coming out with the T1 V2, you might want to look at that. I love my Forza cable upgraded T1s and believe they are a perfect match for the WA2.
 
Good luck with your WA2. I look forward to your impressions. The WA2 is the only tube amp I've had......don't see a need for another.

 

[Krutsch]

 
With your glass collection it should be.  The WA2 will give you more of the good things that you have in the WA3.  You may want to consider the Senn. HD800 down the road to pull out all the extra detail.

Sounds like good advice... I am also considering the new Beyer T1 (depending on the reviews).

 

[zeroduke]

Last week I received my WA2.  The valves included are GE JAN 6080 WC, Philips JAN 6922 and EH 6CA4.  With that configuration it sounds  better than my previous SS preamp.  I had decided to complete the break-in stage with the valves provided until a friend donated the Philips E188CC SQ (Heerlen) and Tesla EZ81.  So, with these changes I will complete the break-in before trying further changes.  HD800 was used to analize the changes because of the analytical profile of the headphones.  But listening music for 45 minutes plus, once again, I prefer Beyerdynamic T1.  Another HP who improved a lot is the HD650, which allowed very long runs with no trace of fatigue.

 

[Krutsch]

  Last week I received my WA2.  The valves included are GE JAN 6080 WC, Philips JAN 6922 and EH 6CA4.  With that configuration it sounds  better than my previous SS preamp.  I had decided to complete the break-in stage with the valves provided until a friend donated the Philips E188CC SQ (Heerlen) and Tesla EZ81.  So, with these changes I will complete the break-in before trying further changes.  HD800 was used to analize the changes because of the analytical profile of the headphones.  But listening music for 45 minutes plus, once again, I prefer Beyerdynamic T1.  Another HP who improved a lot is the HD650, which allowed very long runs with no trace of fatigue.

 
I have noticed this with the WA3 ... I can listen with the HD-650s all night without fatigue; no other headphone + amp combination does that for me.

 

[Krutsch]

  Krutsch, with your WE 421As, you are starting way ahead of the game. I have never heard the Tele E288CC, They have a good reputation but I shied away from them due to their high filament current. They should be fine in the WA2 though. I wonder how they compare to the CCA. Probably pretty close.

 
They are very similar, but one of my Siemens CCa tubes exhibits a slight hum, so it's hard for me to compare. The Tele E288CC is really a Siemens tube that was re-branded/sold as a Telefunken in the early '60s. It's my current favorite tube, but the Telefunken E188CC is a close second.

 

[ru4music]

  Last week I received my WA2.  The valves included are GE JAN 6080 WC, Philips JAN 6922 and EH 6CA4.  With that configuration it sounds  better than my previous SS preamp.  I had decided to complete the break-in stage with the valves provided until a friend donated the Philips E188CC SQ (Heerlen) and Tesla EZ81.  So, with these changes I will complete the break-in before trying further changes.  HD800 was used to analize the changes because of the analytical profile of the headphones.  But listening music for 45 minutes plus, once again, I prefer Beyerdynamic T1.  Another HP who improved a lot is the HD650, which allowed very long runs with no trace of fatigue.

Yes, the HD650 is very smooth and mesmerizing with its presentation and has a synergy with the WA3/ WA2 combo.  I also was up many a late night listening to my WA3.
 
Let your amp break-in (at least 100 hours) and then consider upgrading the 6080 to a 5998 or similar tube.  Your Philips E188CC SQ should perform very well and your Tesla EZ81 (if of the original/ old Tesla brand) should do well also.
 
The HD800 is an incredible hp that will present superb detail and imaging from good/ great recordings and also expose the flaws on lessor production efforts.  The T-1 provides a good balance overall and good detail with a  smaller image presentation and helps to subdue recording/ production flaws.  The HD650 is more laid back and seems to resonate the music while receding recording flaws deeper into the presentation background.
 
My main (go-to) hp is the hd800 95% of the time, then the T-1, and then the HD650 (although I really haven't used this hp much on the WA2.)
 
Enjoy and keep us posted!

 

[zeroduke]

   
Let your amp break-in (at least 100 hours) and then consider upgrading the 6080 to a 5998 or similar tube.  Your Philips E188CC SQ should perform very well and your Tesla EZ81 (if of the original/ old Tesla brand) should do well also.

Thanks of the advice.  This week-end I had a very long run with the WA2.  And, despite my previous decision I rolled back to Philips JAN 6922 I received with the amp.   The Philips E188CC SQ is excellent.  More clarity in upper midrange and high frequencies definition but loses in midrange/low midrange. It turns the sound towards SS.  For SS I've got Accuphase, what I pretend here is a more warm "valve" sound.  The 6922 achieves that. So, I will follow your advice and complete the 100 hours break in but with the Philips provided by Woo (+1 to Woo).  Then, I will give consideration to changes.
 
The EZ81 is an old Tesla made in Czechoslovakia.  I'll keep that because there was a good improvement in definition without changing the sound I want.
 
By the way, rolling back to 6922 improved the sound delivered by HD800, according to my taste.
 
A question:  what would give the 5988 over the 6080 in WA2?

 

[ru4music]

  Thanks of the advice.  This week-end I had a very long run with the WA2.  And, despite my previous decision I rolled back to Philips JAN 6922 I received with the amp.   The Philips E188CC SQ is excellent.  More clarity in upper midrange and high frequencies definition but loses in midrange/low midrange. It turns the sound towards SS.  For SS I've got Accuphase, what I pretend here is a more warm "valve" sound.  The 6922 achieves that. So, I will follow your advice and complete the 100 hours break in but with the Philips provided by Woo (+1 to Woo).  Then, I will give consideration to changes.
 
The EZ81 is an old Tesla made in Czechoslovakia.  I'll keep that because there was a good improvement in definition without changing the sound I want.
 
By the way, rolling back to 6922 improved the sound delivered by HD800, according to my taste.
 
A question:  what would give the 5988 over the 6080 in WA2?

What I find with a coke-bottle Tung Sol 5998 (domino plates) is: better focus/ detail on the soundstage/ imaging, higher resolution of timbre, tighter and refined bass, greater separation and layering of the music.  While different 6080s and small bottle 5998s can exhibit some of these characteristic I find the TS 5998 pulls all of them together.  The TS 5998 can be described as having more of a refined sound and the 6080 can lean towards that generalized tubey warmth (though not necessarily euphonically speaking.)
 
I believe you'll find that your taste in presentation on the WA2 will expand with more exposure and tube rolling.  Remember, we all don't hear exactly alike and have different taste and system components, so enjoy the journey!
 
BTW, I am running Amperex/ Heerlen white label 6922 PQs, Brimar EZ80s for my subjective description above.

 

[zeroduke]

Thank you  for your comments, ry4music.  They are much appreciated.

 

[thecrow]

Wa2 black or white?

Looking to enter the world of tube amps (wa2) in the near future. Whilst I'm trying to get my head around the tube rolling kind of world and what tubes are all about, options and stuff (thus will do my head in) I must stop and ask what colour works well.

My desk does have mostly black and silver on it - iMac, monitors, external hard drives so either will be fine.

Now the black looks good for evening listening and viewing and it really won't matter BUT ........any feelings on these options? Any regrets on previous choices?

I'll come back with noob tube questions later

 

[devilboy]

Wa2 black or white?

Looking to enter the world of tube amps (wa2) in the near future. Whilst I'm trying to get my head around the tube rolling kind of world and what tubes are all about, options and stuff (thus will do my head in) I must stop and ask what colour works well.

My desk does have mostly black and silver on it - iMac, monitors, external hard drives so either will be fine.

Now the black looks good for evening listening and viewing and it really won't matter BUT ........any feelings on these options? Any regrets on previous choices?

I'll come back with noob tube questions later

I think you meant black or silver.

 

[Krutsch]

I think you meant black or silver.
 

 
Silver... the way to go, without a doubt.

 

[thecrow]

I think you meant black or silver.

Exactly.

 

[devilboy]

Picture was small cuz it was sent from my phone.  Here's a bigger one.  Black looks cool too.  I saw a few pics in black and the contrast with the orange glow of the tubes looked awesome.  However, silver just has a touch of class that I love.
 

 

[thecrow]

That's why I asked. I saw those black and orange pics too.

And then there's the silver.

I feel there's almost something missing under both colour options to dazzle me.

It's no biggie but it's more like neither is grabbing me 100% so I'm swaying between the two.

On the other hand my iPhone's black and my iPads white and there was some sort of "internal rationale" in choosing those but with the wa2 I can't make "sense" of this