[Khragon]

I thought NU 6F8G didn't work well on WA5.  I guess you're using NU 6SN7?
Too bad one of my Mullard CV181 failed before I get a chance to listen to them... It was in the amp for about a min and then suddenly shorted... have no idea why.  crap happens I guess.

 

[TonyNewman]

  I thought NU 6F8G didn't work well on WA5.  I guess you're using NU 6SN7?
Too bad one of my Mullard CV181 failed before I get a chance to listen to them... It was in the amp for about a min and then suddenly shorted... have no idea why.  crap happens I guess.

 
It doesn't. The original poster has a WA22, not a WA5 (I hope I read that correctly). The NU 6F8G works great when not trying to drive a 300B tube - so WA6 / WA22... etc are golden with the NU 6F8G.
 
Bad luck on the Mullard CV181 - that is a pricey tube to have fail. Be happy it didn't wreck your amp - I had a crappy PSvane T2 CV181 fail spectacularly in my WA5 and blew 2 caps. Nasty.

 

[joseph69]

With the WA6 I find the driver/power tubes effect the sound just as much as the rectifier tube, if not more.

 

[Khragon]

   
It doesn't. The original poster has a WA22, not a WA5 (I hope I read that correctly). The NU 6F8G works great when not trying to drive a 300B tube - so WA6 / WA22... etc are golden with the NU 6F8G.
 
Bad luck on the Mullard CV181 - that is a pricey tube to have fail. Be happy it didn't wreck your amp - I had a crappy PSvane T2 CV181 fail spectacularly in my WA5 and blew 2 caps. Nasty.

Not as bad because I purchased them at a steep discount because they measured borderline minimum, was hoping I could pull a hundred or so hours before one of them failing.

 

[Badas]

  I found that on my WA5 the order is: power > rectifier > driver
When I was using the WA22, the order that I found is: driver > rectifier > power.
 
guess the standard ymmv applies here, what a hobby, haha.

Yes as a WA22 owner that has just completed the whole tube rolling thingy I would agree with that WA22 statement.
 
I tried many types of all three tubes. To me it was also Driver>Rectifier>Power.
 
Interesting thing I noted is power tubes did bugger all until I used either the NU or TSRP drivers. With RCA 6SN7 Greyglass or clearglass drivers installed you could run any power tube. Cheap or expensive they sounded the same. NU and TS RP allowed the power tube sound to get noticed.

 

[amalgamist]

   
Drivers IMHO. The heart and soul of the tube trinity.
 
I have tried many of the NOS, and just about all the new production. I can recommend only 2 - both NOS - the Tung Sol Round Plate (TS RP) and National Union (NU). TS RP is little more detailed and accomplished, the NU is a little warmer/sweeter. Either will give sonic goodness.
 
NU requires a 6F8G adapter. TS RPs can be crazy expensive.

 
Wonderful thanks for that info! 
 
Is it still possible to purchase the 6F8G adapter from Woo or are they no longer offering their adapters at all ?
 
Is Glenn the only good source to go for adapters if that is the case ?

 

[mikoss]

For the WA2 I'd say Power > Driver > Rectifier. Both power and driver tubes make big differences; the rectifier tubes not so much.

 

[Badas]

   
Wonderful thanks for that info! 
 
Is it still possible to purchase the 6F8G adapter from Woo or are they no longer offering their adapters at all ?
 
Is Glenn the only good source to go for adapters if that is the case ?

 
If you are talking about the WA22 then Glenn is the way to go. So you can have those wires away from other tubes.
 
Like this:
 

 
I have a second set on the way with a different look below:
 

 

[Krutsch]

For the WA2 I'd say Power > Driver > Rectifier. Both power and driver tubes make big differences; the rectifier tubes not so much.

 
For the WA3 I'd say Power > Driver ... ah, guess that's it 

 
I've experienced that with a low quality Power Tube, the Drivers make no real difference - it just sucks; but the reverse is not the case.

 

[TonyNewman]

   
Wonderful thanks for that info!
 
Is it still possible to purchase the 6F8G adapter from Woo or are they no longer offering their adapters at all ?
 
Is Glenn the only good source to go for adapters if that is the case ?

 
I would use the Glenn adapter, if possible. Never used the Woo version, so can't talk about it.

 

[amalgamist]

Any recommendations to make my WA22 have that traditional "tube sound" ? Seeing as I already have a Schiit Ragnarok on hand, I'd like the WA22 to perform completely opposite of a SS amp. Use any of the standard key phrases people typically run with when describing tubes like romantic, lush, syrupy, etc..
 
I'm slowly making my way through the entirety of this thread and other ones recommended on Dubstep girls rectifier thread, definitely not an easy task trying to learn all about tubes in just the 3 days I've owned the WA22 

 

[Badas]

  Any recommendations to make my WA22 have that traditional "tube sound" ? Seeing as I already have a Schiit Ragnarok on hand, I'd like the WA22 to perform completely opposite of a SS amp. Use any of the standard key phrases people typically run with when describing tubes like romantic, lush, syrupy, etc..
 
I'm slowly making my way through the entirety of this thread and other ones recommended on Dubstep girls rectifier thread, definitely not an easy task trying to learn all about tubes in just the 3 days I've owned the WA22 

Try this. My current arrangement. I go for that exact signature. As far away from SS as I can get.
 
Rectifier: Brimar 5Z4GY from Langrex. Just get it sooooo great for the price. Dynamic with nice mid-range. Exactly what you want in a rectifier
Power: Sylvania 6080 Gold labels is best. Super cheap. Cheap is my middle name.

No other 6080 sounds as lush. I have tried every 6AS7G power tubes. Massive amount come with noise and when they are quiet there is nothing great about the sound. Have not tried 5998 or GEC 6AS7G which are suppose to the best. Too expensive. I have tried Tung-Sol 7236 and Bendix 6080 they are boring SS sound.
Driver: Tung-Sol (must be round plate RP) or NU 6F8G. Sorry you will have to part with the $$'s here. I have tried them all. Nothing gets close. TS RP is my perfered. If you don't want to go to adapters (you should) then RCA 6SN7 GT (grey or clear glass), however you will loose some treble.

 

[kokushu]

I think which tube give greater sq depend on the tube.  On my WA5 the power tube doesn't do much until compare to the driver until I add the elrog 300b.  With the elrog I notice more different than any driver I use so far.

 

[dahan]

  Any recommendations to make my WA22 have that traditional "tube sound" ? Seeing as I already have a Schiit Ragnarok on hand, I'd like the WA22 to perform completely opposite of a SS amp. Use any of the standard key phrases people typically run with when describing tubes like romantic, lush, syrupy, etc..
 
I'm slowly making my way through the entirety of this thread and other ones recommended on Dubstep girls rectifier thread, definitely not an easy task trying to learn all about tubes in just the 3 days I've owned the WA22 

My favorite combo so far: Tungsol 5998, Brimar 5Z4GY, and NU 6f8g. It sounds warm, romantic, and very smooth with my HD800.

 

[daverich4]

Try this. My current arrangement. I go for that exact signature. As far away from SS as I can get.

I have tried every 6AS7G power tubes. Massive amount come with noise and when they are quiet there is nothing great about the sound. Have not tried 5998 or GEC 6AS7G which are suppose to the best. Too expensive. I have tried Tung-Sol 7236 and Bendix 6080 they are boring SS sound.
Driver: Tung-Sol (must be round plate RP) or NU 6F8G. Sorry you will have to part with the $$'s here. I have tried them all. Nothing gets close. TS RP is my perfered.

Well, the OP didn't mention a budget so I'll chime in and say that my GEC 6AS7G's are dead quiet and an ideal match for the HD800's. However, I see the OP has LCD3's and for me, there is just something wrong with that combination. Can't really put my finger on it but listener fatigue sets in pretty quick. In my WA22 the TS 5998's are a much better match with the LCD3's. And for drivers with either headphone they'll have to pry my TS 6F8G's out of my cold, dead hands. YMMV.