Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
I'm curious which amp will still be here then. B22 shipped Saturday, tubes are bought awaiting shipping. My Q Audio 1/4" and XLR go out this week. Guess I best not forget Mother's Day 
Woo WA22, Liquid Fire, Trafomatic HeadOne, GS-1 w/ DACT, AMB B22 compared.
- Thread starter Solude
- Start date
-
- Tags
- woo-audio-wa22
c12mech
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2010
- Posts
- 225
- Likes
- 11
Quote:
That could put a quick end to your test right there.
I'm pulling for the B22 to win, obviously. I've been wanting one since first hearing about it. Now that I have the means to build it I am. Same with the other gear I listed.
Quote:
Twisted Pear Audio is who makes the Buffalo III. If you are asking who does builds of them, I'm not sure. I build as much of my own stuff as I can. Send me a PM if you are interested in having one built.
I'm curious which amp will still be here then. B22 shipped Saturday, tubes are bought awaiting shipping. My Q Audio 1/4" and XLR go out this week. Guess I best not forget Mother's Day
That could put a quick end to your test right there.
I'm pulling for the B22 to win, obviously. I've been wanting one since first hearing about it. Now that I have the means to build it I am. Same with the other gear I listed.
Quote:
Twisted Pear Audio is who makes the Buffalo III. If you are asking who does builds of them, I'm not sure. I build as much of my own stuff as I can. Send me a PM if you are interested in having one built.
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
Well its not looking good for mwilson yet again. About a 1/3 through the A/B of the WA22 and GS-1 and very much to my surprise the WA22 is besting the GS-1 in areas I thought the GS-1 was just going to walk all over the WA22.
Similarly, I can hear where people are coming from on the LF front. The two share quite a bit sonically and as such share faults. The LF is a better GS-1, though at nearly 4x the price after tube upgrades
Similarly, I can hear where people are coming from on the LF front. The two share quite a bit sonically and as such share faults. The LF is a better GS-1, though at nearly 4x the price after tube upgrades
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
On a lighter note, my WA22 notes sometimes simply read bazinga or poor MacedonianHero now 
Quote:
I do miss that beauty on my rack. But sonically I'm pretty happy with the LF and my decision overall. BTW, I did pick up a matched quad of Mullard E88CCs today. I loved them on my (now sold) WA2....hopefully I'll love them as much on the LF.
Looks like we both ended up with amps we both really enjoy and fit our tastes.
On a lighter note, my WA22 notes sometimes simply read bazinga or poor MacedonianHero now
I do miss that beauty on my rack. But sonically I'm pretty happy with the LF and my decision overall. BTW, I did pick up a matched quad of Mullard E88CCs today. I loved them on my (now sold) WA2....hopefully I'll love them as much on the LF.
Looks like we both ended up with amps we both really enjoy and fit our tastes.
mwilson
Ants in my Stax
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
- Posts
- 1,063
- Likes
- 274
That's ok. I put my name on a list for a mystery amp later this year. Have no idea how it will sound, but trust its designer.
Well its not looking good for mwilson yet again. About a 1/3 through the A/B of the WA22 and GS-1 and very much to my surprise the WA22 is besting the GS-1 in areas I thought the GS-1 was just going to walk all over the WA22.
Similarly, I can hear where people are coming from on the LF front. The two share quite a bit sonically and as such share faults. The LF is a better GS-1, though at nearly 4x the price after tube upgrades
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
If its like mystery meat probably best I taste test it for you first... no?
mwilson
Ants in my Stax
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2009
- Posts
- 1,063
- Likes
- 274
Quote:
Ever so helpful, eh?
I will let you have it if I don't like it. Seeing how you pulled a bizarro on the LF, my dislike for it should be a home run for you
Ever so helpful, eh?
I will let you have it if I don't like it. Seeing how you pulled a bizarro on the LF, my dislike for it should be a home run for you
hodgjy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
- Posts
- 4,305
- Likes
- 1,225
I've tried several combos, but I think I can finally stop. The Trafomatic and HD600 is perfection to my ears as well as my wallet. I hope the different tubes change your opinion of the Trafomatic. It really is quite an amazing amp.
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
Right there with you hodgjy. Extremely hopeful it sweeps the comp. Its smaller, tubes are peanuts and I won't need a preamp for my studio monitors. At the price I paid, its not exactly killing me to hold on to it either. GE label Brimar shipped today. Waiting to see shipping info for the Reflector tubes.
hodgjy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
- Posts
- 4,305
- Likes
- 1,225
That is a pretty sweet rectifier. It will definitely upgrade the sound, even moreso than the driver tubes.
I've found that the HD600s scale the best with amplification over any other set of cans I've tried, so the Trafomatic really highlights the HD600s. And, the Trafomatic scales really well with the source. My cd player has a pretty competent Wolfson DAC in it, but as soon as I added an outboard DAC, the Trafomatic went to a whole other level.
I've found that the HD600s scale the best with amplification over any other set of cans I've tried, so the Trafomatic really highlights the HD600s. And, the Trafomatic scales really well with the source. My cd player has a pretty competent Wolfson DAC in it, but as soon as I added an outboard DAC, the Trafomatic went to a whole other level.
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
Technically still three more songs to listen to on the WA22 that I have already taken notes for on the GS-1 but... it's not going to change anything.
Round 3 is yet again dominated by the WA22. The surprise of the night was where the GS-1 lost ground to the WA22. I completely expected, having spent near a decade with some Gilmore amp or another, for the GS-1 to just crush the WA22 in resolution and transparency. It didn't :O
The GS-1 performs quite a bit like the Liquid Fire with a slightly more mid centric sound. Noise is non existant. Blackground is great. Resolution is slightly less than the LF, as is transparency. But they both share a compression to dynamics, giving the impression of constraint or distance from the experience. Imaging is also less laser precise than the WA22, with instruments taking up a larger space left to right.
I honestly find the WA22 so far to just be wiping the floor with the competition. We'll see where the Trafo with NOS tubes sits when they come in and get some hours on them. Fingers crossed, it can punch above its weight class.
It might be a language thing but when I listen to a piece of music with the WA22 and the GS-1 or LF I find the WA22 portrays the entire instrument better. For example and frankly the easiest to reproduce is in cymbal work. The WA22 clearly shows the sticking, the attack, the decay and the full range of a cymbal. The LF and GS-1 only really follow the primary or in this case the shimmer in its primary focused area. I play drums daily, except when I'm reviewing 5 amps at once like a fool /facepalm, and can honestly say the WA22 is first amp I listen to that conveys the entire experience of sitting on the throne.
The joke, if I hadn't of bought the WA22, the LF would have been praised and the GS-1 shown the door. But as a drummer, the amp that puts the WA22 to the curb is going to have to portray percussion as completely or its just not in the running. Oh and be watching the For Sale section... one HeadAmp GS-1 w/ DACT incoming
Round 3 is yet again dominated by the WA22. The surprise of the night was where the GS-1 lost ground to the WA22. I completely expected, having spent near a decade with some Gilmore amp or another, for the GS-1 to just crush the WA22 in resolution and transparency. It didn't :O
The GS-1 performs quite a bit like the Liquid Fire with a slightly more mid centric sound. Noise is non existant. Blackground is great. Resolution is slightly less than the LF, as is transparency. But they both share a compression to dynamics, giving the impression of constraint or distance from the experience. Imaging is also less laser precise than the WA22, with instruments taking up a larger space left to right.
I honestly find the WA22 so far to just be wiping the floor with the competition. We'll see where the Trafo with NOS tubes sits when they come in and get some hours on them. Fingers crossed, it can punch above its weight class.
It might be a language thing but when I listen to a piece of music with the WA22 and the GS-1 or LF I find the WA22 portrays the entire instrument better. For example and frankly the easiest to reproduce is in cymbal work. The WA22 clearly shows the sticking, the attack, the decay and the full range of a cymbal. The LF and GS-1 only really follow the primary or in this case the shimmer in its primary focused area. I play drums daily, except when I'm reviewing 5 amps at once like a fool /facepalm, and can honestly say the WA22 is first amp I listen to that conveys the entire experience of sitting on the throne.
The joke, if I hadn't of bought the WA22, the LF would have been praised and the GS-1 shown the door. But as a drummer, the amp that puts the WA22 to the curb is going to have to portray percussion as completely or its just not in the running. Oh and be watching the For Sale section... one HeadAmp GS-1 w/ DACT incoming
hodgjy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2010
- Posts
- 4,305
- Likes
- 1,225
If you want to hear all of the Trafomatic's strengths, as well as weaknesses, play Dave Matthews Band the Central Park Concert. The Trafomatic mops the floor with my other amps. It's not even close. But, the critical ear can detect some minor limitations as well. It's a fair test.
Solude
Headphoneus Supremus
Reflectors have shipped! Q Audio XLR has shipped! CanadaPost know me by name now! Ah bugger, last one probably is a bad thing
Quote:
LoL, I've thought the same thing too on several occasions!
Reflectors have shipped! Q Audio XLR has shipped! CanadaPost know me by name now! Ah bugger, last one probably is a bad thing
LoL, I've thought the same thing too on several occasions!
Users who are viewing this thread
