[shellylh]

I am happy to have some gear that makes others envious. It is usually I that am envious. Now, I am content... at least for this moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I SUPER DUPER HATE YOU! not really just very envious. Enjoy your wonderful new amp.

 

[strangelove]

I would be very interested in knowing how the WA5 compares with your GS-1. I just got a GS-X but am considering upgrading even higher to maybe a
WA5.

 

[shellylh]

First, congrats on the GS-X!

I haven't done any direct comparisons with the GS-1 but from memory (it has been a couple of months since I have listened to the GS-1), I would say that the WA5 is significantly better than the GS-1. Of course, I always felt that the SP Extreme was better than the GS-1. Of course, the GS-X is balanced whereas the WA5 is not. Also, it could be that I am a tube person so that might play into my preference.

I plan to do some listening to both the GS-1 and the WA5 tonight and so I will have more to say after that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by strangelove /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would be very interested in knowing how the WA5 compares with your GS-1. I just got a GS-X but am considering upgrading even higher to maybe a WA5.

 

[moonboy403]

*Drools at WA5*

That's it, I gotta go to Rice and be in your class.

You wouldn't turn down one of your student's request to try your WA5 would you?

 

[shellylh]

Of course, I drag my Woo to class everyday for some listening time at the end.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif *Drools at WA5* That's it, I gotta go to Rice and be in your class. You wouldn't turn down one of your student's request to try your WA5 would you?

 

[peanuthead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shellylh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Of course, I drag my Woo to class everyday for some listening time at the end.

Surely, you're kidding?

Did you get to do the GS-1 comparison by any chance?

 

[shellylh]

I am kidding of course. I don't think the Woo would work very well as a transportable amp.

I did some minor GS-1 comparisons a few nights ago. My general impression was that the WA5LE was better but I didn't do any critical listening. The problem was that I was sucked into listening to the Woo and kept forgetting to listen to the GS-1 (new toy syndrome I guess).

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif Surely, you're kidding? Did you get to do the GS-1 comparison by any chance?

 

[edisonwu]

I love this AMP but the worse thing is the cost of tubes could be a double or triple of the AMP itself. A pair of super vintage 300B and 274B could cost as much as 10K USD.

 

[shellylh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edisonwu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love this AMP but the worse thing is the cost of tubes could be a double or triple of the AMP itself. A pair of super vintage 300B and 274B could cost as much as 10K USD.

10K! I don't think that is really necessary at all!

Just get a pair of SP Mesh (or Carbon) 300B and 274B and your favorite pair of NOS 6sn7's and you will be sitting with a big smile on your face.

 

[Runkby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif I see! Yeah with the cost of (divorce) lawyers these days its totally understandable... The WA5 LE I am sure will keep you happy on its own though.

ill do your divorce for free ... dont sweat it man

 

[Spareribs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edisonwu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love this AMP but the worse thing is the cost of tubes could be a double or triple of the AMP itself. A pair of super vintage 300B and 274B could cost as much as 10K USD.

I have this amp as well and spending all that money on tubes is not needed. Budget tubes work great with the amp and sounds amazing. If you like to collect tubes and have money to spend, by all means go buy those expensive tubes but really, the amp is designed well and sounds killer good with cheaper tubes.

So if anyone is planning to get the Woo 5, I don't recommend on spending the money on the high priced tubes.

The cheap vintage 5u4g tubes, the stock 300B (already included) and some cheap 6sn7 tubes from the 1950s like General Electric brand will sound utterly amazing for less than $100.

 

[mikeymad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by strangelove /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would be very interested in knowing how the WA5 compares with your GS-1. I just got a GS-X but am considering upgrading even higher to maybe a WA5.

Strangelove,

thought that I would respond to your PM in the thread (in case others want to know)

Q: I was wondering if you could share with me your thoughts on how they [WA5 vs. Apache] compare?

They didn't really compare for me... The Apache was bought with the specific purpose of going all balanced with my entire rig. I liked the Apache design and features over the Rudistor RPX-100, but I liked the sound output of the Rudi a little more (in my fully balanced tests).

But WA5 vs Apache was pretty close for a while with pushing the L3000's. The Apache had a little more resolution, and the WA5 was more lush with a larger presentation. Thanks to Voltron for letting me play around with some tubes on the WA5.

But then... a shipment from France came in and changed the game.. enter the GZ34 metal base rectifier tubes...

Never thought that there was that much of a difference in the AC to DC conversion.. Man I was wrong...

The moment that these where in, all SS amps in the house were on borrowed time. There was not a single thing that was better out of the Apache or Rudistor. Out of the WA5 - Soundstage, detail, air, speed, warmth, were all some of the best that I had heard from Dynamics. I knew that this was a sound that I was looking for, and balanced/single ended did not matter to me anymore. I wanted this sound....

At the same time, as a bonus, the K1000's came to life with this new combo... I never heard classical like that before from headphones.

End of my praise... I have had it in this configuration for over a year at least... and I am not giving it up for the foreseeable future...

Cheers,

 

[strangelove]

Thanks for the reply. I am greatly looking foward to hearing your amp at CanJam

 

[Covenant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeymad /img/forum/go_quote.gif But then... a shipment from France came in and changed the game.. enter the GZ34 metal base rectifier tubes...

Just curious, was this comparing against the Sophia Princess rectifiers that Jack sells for his amps? Are the Phillips GZ34 that much better?

...and would they work in a WA6SE?

 

[mikeymad]

First the Rectifiers would work with the wa6 amps.

I have not tried a 274b rectifier tube (I hope I have the chance this weekend at CanJam)... My tubes were the original 5U4G rectifier tubes. Info about my amp can be found here including the rectifier rolling.

Cheers,