[Wes S]

Well, I am happy to report that I finally received my replacement WE300B, and it's dead silent.

I went a good 3 weeks without listening with my HA300m2, and it seriously felt like forever and really threw off my routine and rhythm. My system keeps me sane, and is how I escape all this madness going on in the world. Now that my HA300mk2 is up and running, I feel whole again, and life is good.

Now for the long burn-in period to get back to the magical sound. . .

Long live my WE300B's!

 

[krude]

Well, I am happy to report that I finally received my replacement WE300B, and it's dead silent.

I went a good 3 weeks without listening with my HA300m2, and it seriously felt like forever and really threw off my routine and rhythm. My system keeps me sane, and is how I escape all this madness going on in the world. Now that my HA300mk2 is up and running, I feel whole again, and life is good.

Now for the long burn-in period to get back to the magical sound. . .

Long live my WE300B's!

Glad to hear the warranty works

I've been swapping some drivers yesterday, and at least in my system, WE benefit from sharp and technical drivers. Combination with VR135 quad has great synergy. I'm not sure if it came out of my comparison yesterday, but WE are top class sound. They do everything that ER does, but they sound more neutral and natural (not sweet). Add to that beautiful packaging, a very nice build, and 5 year extended warranty and it becomes a serious contender for the best power tube in this class. Obv YMMV

 

[krude]

I would also like to give a shout out to Lyric Audio EU from Spain for having this mad deal on Western Electric 300B around Dec and Jan. Their regular prices are very decent as well, and they were very communicative. There was a delay bc of production delays, and bc they collected a huge amount of orders (no surprises there at that price). To "compensate" for the delay they've even thrown in a set of isolation feet from their sister company Lyritech. All in all, great experience all around. I will use them again if I have the chance, no doubt.

 

[ARCXENOS]

I would also like to give a shout out to Lyric Audio EU from Spain for having this mad deal on Western Electric 300B around Dec and Jan. Their regular prices are very decent as well, and they were very communicative. There was a delay bc of production delays, and bc they collected a huge amount of orders (no surprises there at that price). To "compensate" for the delay they've even thrown in a set of isolation feet from their sister company Lyritech. All in all, great experience all around. I will use them again if I have the chance, no doubt.

You got a great deal and more!

 

[Wes S]

Glad to hear the warranty works

I've been swapping some drivers yesterday, and at least in my system, WE benefit from sharp and technical drivers. Combination with VR135 quad has great synergy. I'm not sure if it came out of my comparison yesterday, but WE are top class sound. They do everything that ER does, but they sound more neutral and natural (not sweet). Add to that beautiful packaging, a very nice build, and 5 year extended warranty and it becomes a serious contender for the best power tube in this class. Obv YMMV

Yes sir, the VR135 are incredible paired up with the WE.

 

[walterboss]

Does anyone want to convince me on buying HA300mk2 vs Feliks Envy? Would be used mostly with Abyss 1266 and Diana TC but I might have ZMF Atrium incoming soon.

 

[Wes S]

Does anyone want to convince me on buying HA300mk2 vs Feliks Envy? Would be used mostly with Abyss 1266 and Diana TC but I might have ZMF Atrium incoming soon.

Tough call. The HA300MK2 has the "advantage" of rolling rectifiers to fine tune the sound even further, yet the rectifiers are quite hard to find.

On the other hand, with the Envy you don't have to "worry" about rectifiers. . .

Really can't go wrong with either one, and I'd say aesthetics also play a role, as they look completely different.

 

[krude]

Tough call. The HA300MK2 has the "advantage" of rolling rectifiers to fine tune the sound even further, yet the rectifiers are quite hard to find.

On the other hand, with the Envy you don't have to "worry" about rectifiers. . .

Really can't go wrong with either one, and I'd say aesthetics also play a role, as they look completely different.

IMO rectifiers are a must in a tube amp. But that's just one man's opinion. I'm sure Envy is a great sounding amp, but so is HA300MK2 If money is no object and you don't care about tube rectification, flip a coin or go on looks.

If you care about the cash though, you could spend the price diff to roll some TOTL tubes.

Also whatever you do, budget circa 2k euro extra for tube rolling. TOTL tubes are a must in those amps IMO.

As always YMMV : )

There's one more angle as well, HA300MK2 can run speakers very well, while Envy has dedicated pre-outs (but pre may not use 300B tubes, something worth checking probably).

 

[Wes S]

IMO rectifiers are a must in a tube amp. But that's just one man's opinion. I'm sure Envy is a great sounding amp, but so is HA300MK2 If money is no object and you don't care about tube rectification, flip a coin or go on looks.

If you care about the cash though, you could spend the price diff to roll some TOTL tubes.

Also whatever you do, budget circa 2k euro extra for tube rolling. TOTL tubes are a must in those amps IMO.

As always YMMV : )

I agree about the rectifiers, and that's the main reason why I went with the HA300mk2 over the Envy. The price difference and the fact that my favorite dealer (ZMF) carries Cayin were just icing on the cake.

 

[walterboss]

Tough call. The HA300MK2 has the "advantage" of rolling rectifiers to fine tune the sound even further, yet the rectifiers are quite hard to find.

On the other hand, with the Envy you don't have to "worry" about rectifiers. . .

Really can't go wrong with either one, and I'd say aesthetics also play a role, as they look completely different.

IMO rectifiers are a must in a tube amp. But that's just one man's opinion. I'm sure Envy is a great sounding amp, but so is HA300MK2 If money is no object and you don't care about tube rectification, flip a coin or go on looks.

If you care about the cash though, you could spend the price diff to roll some TOTL tubes.

Also whatever you do, budget circa 2k euro extra for tube rolling. TOTL tubes are a must in those amps IMO.

As always YMMV : )

There's one more angle as well, HA300MK2 can run speakers very well, while Envy has dedicated pre-outs (but pre may not use 300B tubes, something worth checking probably).

Thanks both

 

[Wes S]

Happy to report I found a killer pairing with the WE, and it's a New Production 6SN7. Say hello to the Apos Ray Reserve.

I actually never thought a New Production 6SN7 could hang with the better NOS tubes, and especially the 6J5/6C5, however with what I am hearing I was wrong.

As for the sound, they have super tight, deep and impactful bass (some of the best I have heard period), that has texture and nuances galore. The mids are super clear/transparent, airy and open with vocals as good as it gets, and again texture and nuances galore. The highs sound super extended and airy, yet are in no way harsh and sound super refined already with just a few hours of play. The staging is massive, and as holographic as it gets, with excellent layering and nothing ever sounds too diffused or distant, with reverb and decay that goes on forever. They are also some of the quietest tubes I have ever heard with a pitch black background and my amp is the quietest it has ever been right now.

This is a big win for tube addicts, as we can get these anytime we want, without having to worry about supply issues or chasing super rare tubes.

I will be doing a full review on these tubes, so more to come.

 

[krude]

Happy to report I found a killer pairing with the WE, and it's a New Production 6SN7. Say hello to the Apos Ray Reserve.




I actually never thought a New Production 6SN7 could hang with the better NOS tubes, and especially the 6J5/6C5, however with what I am hearing I was wrong.

As for the sound, they have super tight, deep and impactful bass (some of the best I have heard period), that has texture and nuances galore. The mids are super clear/transparent, airy and open with vocals as good as it gets, and again texture and nuances galore. The highs sound super extended and airy, yet are in no way harsh and sound super refined already with just a few hours of play. The staging is massive, and as holographic as it gets, with excellent layering and nothing ever sounds too diffused or distant, with reverb and decay that goes on forever. They are also some of the quietest tubes I have ever heard with a pitch black background and my amp is the quietest it has ever been right now.

This is a big win for tube addicts, as we can get these anytime we want, without having to worry about supply issues or chasing super rare tubes.

I will be doing a full review on these tubes, so more to come.

They better be good for 400 a pair

 

[Wes S]

They better be good for 400 a pair

I said the same thing, when I first saw them. I spoke out in the Apos thread, saying they could no way be worth that. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bes...os-ray-6sn7-reserve-vacuum-tube.971649/page-2 So, they sent me a pair to review, and now that I have heard them, I get the pricing.

They are legit, and are top notch tubes.

 

[Wes S]

Got to love the blue glow of the WE's, and the rectifiers look like candles. I fired up my amp at 4am this morning, as I was so excited to have another listen. I love this amp, and it definitely looks the part.

 

[RobertSM]

Happy to report I found a killer pairing with the WE, and it's a New Production 6SN7. Say hello to the Apos Ray Reserve.




I actually never thought a New Production 6SN7 could hang with the better NOS tubes, and especially the 6J5/6C5, however with what I am hearing I was wrong.

As for the sound, they have super tight, deep and impactful bass (some of the best I have heard period), that has texture and nuances galore. The mids are super clear/transparent, airy and open with vocals as good as it gets, and again texture and nuances galore. The highs sound super extended and airy, yet are in no way harsh and sound super refined already with just a few hours of play. The staging is massive, and as holographic as it gets, with excellent layering and nothing ever sounds too diffused or distant, with reverb and decay that goes on forever. They are also some of the quietest tubes I have ever heard with a pitch black background and my amp is the quietest it has ever been right now.

This is a big win for tube addicts, as we can get these anytime we want, without having to worry about supply issues or chasing super rare tubes.

I will be doing a full review on these tubes, so more to come.

Great initial impressions Wes!

We've owned some of the same gear over the years and I've learned to trust your ears. While I don't think we agree on every little detail(how boring would that be). I definitely find that we hold many of the same beliefs in audio generally.

Looking forward to your formal review. And learning more about these new production 6SN7s.