[Clayton SF]

Quote:

Should have but never seen any for sale in the market. And I think what they got are mostly from US, too. I've tried to grab one from Ebay but it's too heavy for shipment and not sure if it is well calibrated.

 
Well judging from the amount of high-quality NOS tubes you've acquired you've done exceptionally well without a tube tester. You've got to trust your source and, to some extent, your instincts too.
 
 

 

[nututubes]

 
Quote:

 
I would highly recommend speaking to Bob Putnak at Tubesound.com.  Bob has spent countless hours with me going over various tube testers and finally helping me decide which one was the best for my purpose.  Bob is a tube tester wiz and sells these fully calibrated and in great condition.  I would not recommend buying one from someone you don't know because you have no idea if it is working or calibrated.  The extra amount you may pay is well worth it in the end.

 
 

 


Quote:

I can really only comment on the two I have - a B&K 650, which is a big, full mutual transconductance tester, and the B&K 606, which is a very compact, emissions tester.  I get very similar results from both.  I bought the 650 calibrated, for about $300.  The 606, which is not as old, I bought for $125, and I use it a lot since it is so compact, and will test some tube types like the 6BQ5, 5670 and 6AS7 that the 650 will not test.
 
There is a LOT of great info on tube testers here:
 
http://www.tone-lizard.com/Tube_Testers.html
 

Thank you both Rob and David.
 
 

 

[Clayton SF]

Another great vendor to consider for tube testers and tubes alike is Brent Jesse at audiotubes.com. As most of you already know, he also has a very large collection of tubes both new and old.
http://www.audiotubes.com/tubetest.htm
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xcalibur255 






In regards to impedance ranges, it is 8-99 ohm for low and 100-600 for high, at least it is for my WA6.  Many amps use 100 ohm or whereabouts to draw the line between "low" and "high" impedance.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
by Silent One
 
 
To contribute further, from the WA6SE manual:
 
HIGH: High impedance outputs for headphones that are above 70 ohms. 
LOW: Low impedance outputs for headphones that are below 70 ohms.

So it is different for every model of Woo amp.  There we have it.
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

 

Trusting your ears is the way to go using the amp one way or the other is not going to heart the output transformers or 6AS7s. I don't know why there is no standards with
headphones like there is with speakers 4 , 8 , or 16 ohm. It would be expensive and a PITA for a manufacture to make output transformers with all the proper taps for all the
different impedance headphones out there. I don't know what the impedance of the taps on the output transformers on the Woo amps are but I can explain with the transformers
in my 300B amps.
  A transformer has a ratio the transformers in my 300B amps are 2500 ohm to 4 , 8 , or 16 my speakers are 8. If I have my 8ohm speakers hooked to the 8ohm tap
the 300Bs will see a impedance of 2500ohms on the plates. if I hook the 8ohm speakers to the 4ohm tap the 300Bs will see 5000ohms on the plates this normally reduces
the distortion but lowers the power output. It also changes the operating point of the output tubes that will change the sound.
 By hooking your 62ohm phones to the high impedance you will be getting more power to the phones and you prefer the sound with the 6AS7s running at a lower impedance
on the plates.
  I hope this explains what is happening.
 
    
 
 

Thanks Glenn, though no 6AS7s in my case (not yet anyway, someday).  You confirmed what I suspected:  the phones are getting more power.  The K701 is power hungry, so there is a noticeable difference in my case.
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

 
I would highly recommend speaking to Bob Putnak at Tubesound.com.  Bob has spent countless hours with me going over various tube testers and finally helping me decide which one was the best for my purpose.  Bob is a tube tester wiz and sells these fully calibrated and in great condition.  I would not recommend buying one from someone you don't know because you have no idea if it is working or calibrated.  The extra amount you may pay is well worth it in the end.

 
 

I bookmarked this, thanks for sharing.  Some of those testers look intimidating to be honest.  I think to myself there must be many people like my self who get by with only a user level understanding of the tubes themselves, but I've been thinking more and more I really need to be able to verify the quality of tubes in my collection.  If only to protect the amp, since it is my understanding that a tube with a short can take most of the amp with it in the worst case scenario.
 

 

[Clayton SF]

To all Wooaffectionados and then some... and of course all Head-Fi people:
I do believe that all headphone amps can ultimately reach a state of extreme coexistence.
In other words: They can just all get along--famously.
Happy Sunday, y'all, from San Francisco.
 

 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

To all Wooaffectionados and then some... and of course all Head-Fi people:
I do believe that all headphone amps can ultimately reach a state of extreme coexistence.
In other words: They can just all get along--famously.
Happy Sunday, y'all, from San Francisco.
 

 

5Y3 in your WA22? 

 

 

 

[Clayton SF]

OMG caught in the act in the midst of a transfer! Yes. I pulled out the EML to place it in another amp and I had an RCA 5Y3 with NOWHERE to go so I just plopped it in the WA22 for the time being. Eeek! Not kosher, yes? Hehehe. I listen to it and it did sound sub sub sub par but the WA22 was a holding station for about a day. I am chastened, Mr. Eagle Eye!

 

[jc9394]

To all Wooaffectionados and then some... and of course all Head-Fi people:
I do believe that all headphone amps can ultimately reach a state of extreme coexistence.
In other words: They can just all get along--famously.
Happy Sunday, y'all, from San Francisco.
 

 

Wow, Leben... Lucky guy, how it compare to WA2/22?

 

[shipsupt]

No time to get things looking good... I'm in the middle of swapping out computers next to the rig and that's got cables in an nightmare for now, but you can get the idea.  The umbilical is identical to stock, just, well longer.  Let me know if you were really wanting a few of the rear and I can see what I can capture.
 
If it's not clear from the poor picture, the stand is actually a lamp.
 

 
Quote:

Thanks! Would it be possible to see a photo of your set up?


 

 
 

 

[emremusic]

Thanks for the picture shipsopt.. That looks like a nice open shelf to disperse the heat. A tighter, closed off bookshelf could be a bad idea for heat.
Quote:

No time to get things looking good... I'm in the middle of swapping out computers next to the rig and that's got cables in an nightmare for now, but you can get the idea.  The umbilical is identical to stock, just, well longer.  Let me know if you were really wanting a few of the rear and I can see what I can capture.
 
If it's not clear from the poor picture, the stand is actually a lamp.
 

 


 
 

 

 

[shipsupt]

Yeah, even with the open set up if you put your hand above either of the Woo components you can feel the heat building up under the shelf above... nothing alarming but it reminds me that these things do give off some BTU's.  I wouldn't want to box them up too tightly.
 
The downsides to my arrangement are that currently the PSU sits on top of my CDP, which is likely not ideal for vibration, but I've not seen/heard any negative impact yet.  I could make an argument that the weight on top of the CDP is a good thing for the player... but I'm not sure anyone is buying that, ha.  I built a small plastic shelf at Tapplastics to keep the AMP elevated about 3" above the Stello DA-100 as this DAC can throw out some heat of it's own.  The Stello has vents on the top of its case.  This solution seems to be working well, as I don't find any undue heat building up there.
 
There are some compromises with this arrangement, but it fits into my relatively small space and it lets the rig do double duty near my computer and as a bed side set up.
 
 
 

 
Quote:

Thanks for the picture shipsopt.. That looks like a nice open shelf to disperse the heat. A tighter, closed off bookshelf could be a bad idea for heat.


 

 
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Yeah, even with the open set up if you put your hand above either of the Woo components you can feel the heat building up under the shelf above... nothing alarming but it reminds me that these things do give off some BTU's.  I wouldn't want to box them up too tightly.
 
The downsides to my arrangement are that currently the PSU sits on top of my CDP, which is likely not ideal for vibration, but I've not seen/heard any negative impact yet.  I could make an argument that the weight on top of the CDP is a good thing for the player... but I'm not sure anyone is buying that, ha.  I built a small plastic shelf at Tapplastics to keep the AMP elevated about 3" above the Stello DA-100 as this DAC can throw out some heat of it's own.  The Stello has vents on the top of its case.  This solution seems to be working well, as I don't find any undue heat building up there.
 
There are some compromises with this arrangement, but it fits into my relatively small space and it lets the rig do double duty near my computer and as a bed side set up.
 
 
 

 


 
 

You beat me to the punch! I was just fixin' to comment on your photograph. Underway, my midnight to 0300 hours listening session. First up, "Rise Remixes" by Sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Daughter of renowned Indian Sitar player Ravi Shankar, who also fathered Norah Jones (half-sisters). Her remixes are sounding good tonight!
 
Looking at your photograph, if the visual vertical display of headphones are any indication of preference, my Denon's are in trouble. And if low-man on the pole isn't enough, they're being subjected to the most heat... and that's cold!  

  Although your P/S has more headroom it generates less heat. 
 
Looking forward (Summer?), "Decoupling" your gear may yield further gains in sonics. As it stands, you've five items that are all connected - four components and the lamp itself. Which, by the way, may be producing harmful micro-vibrations on its own. But anyone of the four components could be interfering with one or the remaining three components. Isolation and/or placement could take your Woo up a notch. 
 
How you're addressing the Peas & Carrots (keeping digital & analogue sources separate when/where plugged-in) makes for another post, another time, another place... cheers!
 

                                                                                                                                                                                                
 
 
 

 

[shipsupt]

You beat me to the punch! I was just fixin' to comment on your photograph. Underway, my midnight to 0300 hours listening session. First up, "Rise Remixes" by Sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Daughter of renowned Indian Sitar player Ravi Shankar, who also fathered Norah Jones (half-sisters). Her remixes are sounding good tonight!
 
Looking at your photograph, if the visual vertical display of headphones are any indication of preference, my Denon's are in trouble. And if low-man on the pole isn't enough, they're being subjected to the most heat... and that's cold!  

  Although your P/S has more headroom it generates less heat. 
 
Looking forward (Summer?), "Decoupling" your gear may yield further gains in sonics. As it stands, you've five items that are all connected - four components and the lamp itself. Which, by the way, may be producing harmful micro-vibrations on its own. But anyone of the four components could be interfering with one or the remaining three components. Isolation and/or placement could take your Woo up a notch. 
 
How you're addressing the Peas & Carrots (keeping digital & analogue sources separate when/where plugged-in) makes for another post, another time, another place... cheers!
 

                                                                                                                                                                                                
 
 
 

I knew I should have decorated with audio gear as first priority!

I'm fighting it, but I'm already thinking about a makeover to better accommodate my gear... Maybe I can get a Head-Fi version one of those HGTV interventions?

As for the Denon's, they are in comfortable reach...