[Humblepie]

Pm me your serial number

PM'd you later that day.

 

[traceon]

The pads are highest grade synthetic leather. We haven’t found a great strap option yet, still looking.

Roger that. Let me know if that ever changes, or if you would be willing to make a custom animal-friendly build for me.

 

[pacorrea]

Glad it was helpful!

Yeah the WyWires really opens up the soundstage a lot, and the resolution on strings and cymbals is lovely...

What’s your tube set on the Wa5? I use Sophia royal Princess 300b, 7n7 tall bottle drivers and the 5EG rectifiers. It’s pretty awesome...

.

My current set-up is with Emission Labs 300B-XLS, VT-244 RCA Rectifiers and a bunch of 6SN7s (Tung Sol RP's, 1952 Sylvania's, CBS Hytron 5692 Browns, Tung Sol Mouse-Ears, Ken Rads....). I've noticed that the EML 300B-XLS gives the amp a pretty solid-state sound which is very dynamic but lacks the syrupy sound signature which drew me to tube amps in the first place. I've considered both the Princess Royals as you mentioned and TAK-300B's. With that being said I've noticed that tube changes on the WA5 are less noticeable than on the WA22 which I'm coming from, hence my hesitation if it leads to minimal changes in sound signature.

 

[mrspeakers]

Is yours a v2 WA5 or original? I have the v2 and find the tube changes are quite obvious. I had used the RCA rectifiers but the 596 are a clear upgrade. I've only had one other set of 300B, they were a generic Chinese tube and the mids were glaring and hard, totally different.

 

[pacorrea]

Is yours a v2 WA5 or original? I have the v2 and find the tube changes are quite obvious. I had used the RCA rectifiers but the 596 are a clear upgrade. I've only had one other set of 300B, they were a generic Chinese tube and the mids were glaring and hard, totally different.

It's the V2 so I find that interesting you'd say that. Then again I've only really rolled the driver tubes due to my tube collection being 6SN7 heavy. I'll probably have to experiment with the 300B's since I imagine those probably have the biggest impact on the sound signature. I've heard good things about the 596 and I came from the WE422A on my WA22 and can confirm they were also excellent. But the Wywires Platinum definitely resulted in a bigger improvement than upgrading from WA22 to WA5 so I consider that a win.

 

[mrspeakers]

It's the V2 so I find that interesting you'd say that. Then again I've only really rolled the driver tubes due to my tube collection being 6SN7 heavy. I'll probably have to experiment with the 300B's since I imagine those probably have the biggest impact on the sound signature. I've heard good things about the 596 and I came from the WE422A on my WA22 and can confirm they were also excellent. But the Wywires Platinum definitely resulted in a bigger improvement than upgrading from WA22 to WA5 so I consider that a win.

The 300B make a major difference...

 

[pacorrea]

The 300B make a major difference...

And I just bought a pair of the Princess Royals...let's see how they perform

 

[Squeakypeakers]

Those with AFCs, have you tied any other headphones under the $1000 range and what are your thoughts on them in comparison?

Quite keen on the AFCs but have been suggested the ZMF Blackwood, Campfire Cascades and the HE560s.

Thoughts?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/1000-headphones-amp-budget-any-recommendations.878786/


Edit: Any portable amps that are good with the Aeons as well?

 

[phthora]

Those with AFCs, have you tied any other headphones under the $1000 range and what are your thoughts on them in comparison?

Quite keen on the AFCs but have been suggested the ZMF Blackwood, Campfire Cascades and the HE560s.

Thoughts?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/1000-headphones-amp-budget-any-recommendations.878786/


Edit: Any portable amps that are good with the Aeons as well?

The amp question is easy to answer. The iFi Black Label is a wonderful companion to it, since it offers a slightly warm sound and has an optional bass boost. To me, the AEON sounds much better than the Cascade, which I felt were overly warm and boomy with a narrower soundstage. The 560, on the other hand has better extension in both directions than the AEON, but by comparison sounds a bit v- shaped. Tremendous detail and imaging however, making it the more technically proficient can. It is a bit brighter than neutral though and can be tricky to pair with an amp. The AEON is easier to drive and less particular. If you are looking for neutral or closed at all, the AEON is unbeatable for its price and perhaps unbeatable at any price. About the only thing that hangs people up is that the bass can sound thin, but EQ or boost fixes that right up.

 

[JLoud]

Second the recommendation for the iFi Black label. Very nice pairing. And the bass boost works well when you want the extra kick. Doesn't mess with the kids or highs, just boosts the bass.

 

[329161]

+1 on the Ifi micro bl. The bass boost is much more effective than the supplied tuning pad at boosting the bass as it doesn't thicken up the highs. The tuning pad contributes to a loss of detail, IMO.

 

[sandy1010]

Second the recommendation for the iFi Black label. Very nice pairing. And the bass boost works well when you want the extra kick. Doesn't mess with the kids or highs, just boosts the bass.

I tried the iFi with the Aeon Closed the other day, was quite impressed actually. Amazing power for such a small device.

How does the iFi go with your LCD-3?

 

[pacorrea]

Those with AFCs, have you tied any other headphones under the $1000 range and what are your thoughts on them in comparison?

Quite keen on the AFCs but have been suggested the ZMF Blackwood, Campfire Cascades and the HE560s.

Thoughts?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/1000-headphones-amp-budget-any-recommendations.878786/


Edit: Any portable amps that are good with the Aeons as well?

I currently own both the Aeon Closed and the Cascades and they are vastly different headphones with individual strengths and weaknesses. Here are my impressions:

Most of the differences come down to inherent differences between dynamic drivers and planars but with the added dimension of vastly different tuning. The AFC's have a far more tame bass response and with a flatter audiophile tuning profile. Between the two I think the AFC are more revealing, have a slightly larger soundstage and are also more comfortable for longer sessions. Also, given the lower efficiency of the AFC they are a much better pair for amps with high(er) output impedances. My set-up for the AFC's is a Hugo2 to a WA5-LE and I can say they scale as well as any headphone on the market. The WyWires Platinum cable really elevates the clarity of these headphones in a way that justifies the price in my opinion. In my current set-up they compete with previously demo'd headphones like the HD800, LCD-4 and Focal Utopia which is remarkable.

The CA Cascade is a very interesting headphone with a 'fun' tuning profile that is great for modern genres of music that are led by stronger bass-lines. When I hear hip-hop on the Cascades I'm really 'feeling it' and you can actually feel the headphone physically rumble at points. At the same time, the bass is extremely tight and doesn't bleed into the mid's. The highs are excellent on the Cascades but lack that last 1% of sparkle found on the AFC's which leads to a less engaging treble performance but is easier to listen to over longer periods of time (think HD800 vs HD800S). The CA Cascades hiss a ton on my tube amp and therefore are connected directly to a Hugo2. The Cascades are less comfortable (not uncomfortable but the headband can create pressure points after a while and the padding is not as plush) but they fold into a smaller form factor and I'll take them on flights with my Hugo2 which really blows most portable set-ups out of the water.

Overall recommendation is that if you want a headphone that scales with high performance DAC's and Amps the AFC is probably the better bet but if you want an out of the box solution with a fun tuning profile and love some extra bass the Cascades will not disappoint while also delivering great clarity.

 

[pacorrea]

Another option that people don't normally take seriously under $1000 is the B&O H6 Gen2 which I think compete really well with the Cascades. Less technically proficient but are so light they disappear on your head. Probably the best pound-for-pound headphone in the world. I will accept criticism and ridicule for saying that but I really stand by it. If you are looking for best bang for buck you can get a pair for $250-$300 on eBay and pair it with a mojo or iFi Black Label. Probably 75-80% of the performance of the Hugo2->WA5-LE>Aeon

 

[tompaz909]

Another option that people don't normally take seriously under $1000 is the B&O H6 Gen2 which I think compete really well with the Cascades. Less technically proficient but are so light they disappear on your head. Probably the best pound-for-pound headphone in the world. I will accept criticism and ridicule for saying that but I really stand by it. If you are looking for best bang for buck you can get a pair for $250-$300 on eBay and pair it with a mojo or iFi Black Label. Probably 75-80% of the performance of the Hugo2->WA5-LE>Aeon

I feel the same way about the H6’s in comparison to the Cascade. Very fun headphone for a fraction of the price. I was debating between Cascade and Aeon. Ended up getting Aeon and H6.