Thank you for the suggestions.     Yes, I agree.  For several reasons people think that if you don't share their taste, it's like calling their babies or children butt ugly.  But individual tastes differ, and there is no point arguing about tastes.  And there is a lot of group-think going on...

No, I listened to the 3 models below that, and it was not my cup of tea.  Now, of course, I am making an assumption that the big mono-blocks would have the same sonic signature as their "cheaper" amps, but they are too big anyways, and I already have 2 full-out-assualt 2 channel systems with...

I listened to top of the line Woo models recently. They were slow as molasses, completely lacking PRAT even with Beyer T1's.  Bored me to death.     What are the best and fastest tube headphone amps today?  

Wow!!!  8 days later.  No replies.  Only 74 views of the thread.  If I had "Woo" in the title, there would be several thousand hits.   I think people here should really broaden their horizons a bit and hear the Luxman gear. It is quite good!   It also shows that Luxman gets no respect...

Just 12-18 months ago, this high end amp was on top and had a lot of buzz.  A little time passes, and no one mentions any more. Instead, people are talking about the new, hot amps.   Is this amp still in the top tier?  Has it been surpassed?  If so, how?

Musicman,   It's always a challenge comparing gear in different systems.  Do you remember what the source was for the Manley when you heard it?   I agree with you about the sonic signature of the Woo.    I recently heard the Manley with a very expensive Esoteric CD player, and it was...

Musicman,   Congrats on your purchase.   My impressions at Canjam were very similar to yours - your new amp is as good as it gets. How would you compare the sound of the WA5LE to the Manley 300B?  to the Zana Deux?   Quote:

Quote: It's always a good idea to listen for your self before buying.  Relying on other people's opinions is dangerous.  How do you know if they like the same thing as you?  The good news here is that these amps have good resale values.  (So don't bang them!)    To my ears, the Woo 5...

Quote:     Is there a huge difference between a $6 bottle of wine and a $15 bottle of wine?  Is there a huge difference between a $15 bottle of wine and a $50 bottle?    The answer is it depends on your experience.  Chances are is that if you are new, you may not be able to tell...

Anyone?  Anyone?

Yes. thanks.  I LOVE the Woo 5.  It's just too big for my space. Also, it is not as good as the Manley in terms of the richness of the musical information.  However, I have heard some other 300B designs that I was not so enamored with. 

Quote: Yes, it could be that.  As discussed in many other threads, the CD just does not store enough musical information.  However, there are many CD's that are great recordings and sound fabulous.  The question for you is to figure out what you listen to and pick out the best source for...

  Quote:   You are probably right about the lower and mid-priced and lower-priced units.  I don't have much knowledge nor interest in these units.  There are people in this hobby focused on "balanced", "OTL", tube rolling, cable differences, etc., and that's great if it rocks their...

Quote: No not quite.  But as you know, in this hobby, once you hear something amazing you seek it.  And if you get something else, you start thinking about how it would compare to the piece you really want.  Eventually you wind up getting it anyways.   Why not take the most direct path...

I heard the 300B today.  It is really, really special.  It is the best headphone amp I have heard to date.  It is very musical.  It is not lush.  It has great PRaT, yet does not sound bright.   It has amazing transparency that brings the musicians to you that you at times forget that you are...

The Manley 300B is the best headphone amp I have heard.  Has anyone heard anything better?

Anyone compare these 2 amps?  Please compare / contrast the sonic signatures based on your experience.    What tube complements make them sound closer to each other?  Which tubes make them sound more different from each other?   I own the Beyer T1, Ayre C5-XE MP source, and Transparent...

  Quote: The SS and tube sounds have been converging over the last 10-15 years.  The more you spend, the closer are they are to each other.  If you are hearing grainyness, it's possible you have not heard expensive enough gear. (or there is something else wrong in your chain or the...

There are actually 2 definitions.  The first one is as you say.  If I am playing a piano in a room, it's 100% transparent. The highs, the lows, nor the midrange are spotlighted (if a decent room).  I am just taking in the musical whole.  Unfortunately, most audiophile equipment is not...

Quote:   Too much transparency could be a dangerous thing.  The best analogy I have heard regarding transparency is that it is like reading a book with a 1000 Watt flood light.  You notice every detail about the paper, the typeface, the bindings of the book, etc.  The problem is that you...

Quote: Audio is intangible.  It is an experience.  It is one of a few products that is similar to a service.  Is $5K spent on a trip to Europe bring that much more pleasure than a  few bucks spent on going to a local park?  It depends on the experience.  Also, of course, the law of...

Quote: Amen!!!!

Quote:   My preference for unamplified acoustic stuff is the Audez'e LCD-2.  It has much more natural tonality than the HD 800.  However, it lacks the PRaT and the weight/ slam of the t1.    

Quote: If you read the Playback review, it comes to the same conclusion as me, but he is more politically correct:   "I’m more in the camp that likes, but doesn’t love, the HD 800. I believe that has less to do with outright flaws in the HD 800, and much to do with what I want a...

Quote:   How do you like your ZD?  What else did you hear before picking it up?   I go hear live music a lot.  Hd-800 doesn't sound like live music to my ears.  It presents details for the sake of details.  Here's a quote from the Playback review, which is a bit more politically...