[indydieselnut]

Okay, I'm still planning on writing a full review but I couldn't contain my excitement after getting this amp unboxed and hooked up! The USPS stretched my patience to the breaking point (I expected the amp last Wednesday) but it is finally here. The packaging was great, everything was in top shape and the giant Sophia is lit...the music is flowing! I'm spinning too many discs right now to list but the GS1000i's are certainly benefiting from the power on tap with this amp. Soundstage breadth and specificity took a large step in the right direction. I'm getting used to most of this gear but it definitely feels like everything needs to limber up a bit. Micro detail is fairly well resolved but macro gestures (symphonic crescendos, etc) still seem a bit constrained.

I'll take some pictures, write up my 0-50 hour remarks, and put it all in a new post sometime soon.

As a bonus today, I found a much neglected 10-year-old pair of Grado SR-60's at the bottom of a box of cables. Where do I get replacement pads?

 

[takezo]

congrats on the purchase. those black gates will take hundreds of hours of burn-in to
sound open and unfettered... no exaggeration. you should try getting some output tubes
like the 6FD7 and the 6CY7 after the burn-in trial. i feel they better the 6EW7 and 6DE7
respectively. i love the gs1000 on my wa6SE too. best bass and mid timbre i've encountered
thru headphones to date... have fun.

 

[peanuthead]

Congrats!!! We demand some internal shots!

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif congrats on the purchase. those black gates will take hundreds of hours of burn-in to sound open and unfettered... no exaggeration. you should try getting some output tubes like the 6FD7 and the 6CY7 after the burn-in trial. i feel they better the 6EW7 and 6DE7 respectively. i love the gs1000 on my wa6SE too. best bass and mid timbre i've encountered thru headphones to date... have fun.

Strongly agree... the 6FD7s (RCA) and 6CY7s (Amperex, in particular) may be a bit better... but... the Raytheon 6EW7s and TungSol 6DE7s, Amperex 6DE7s, and Sylvania/Philco 6DE7s are also great! Not that others of each type are not good also - but, these seem to stand out.

And... the 6SE Maxed... just keeps getting better and better in all respects, as the BGs and all components burn in and settle - smoother, clearer, more detailed, more dynamics, better soundstage, everything - with all phones!

I've had mine almost 6 months, with probably less than 200+ hrs on it, and its still continuing to improve... and... amaze me!

I'm looking forward to its ultimate maturation, and... finally... settling on just one, or two tube sets... to actually focus on listening to the music and not the components - which is hard to do. As I've noted previously... that's the only thing I dislike about this amp... or any tube amp... the "hassle of the tube search."

I do thank... Takezo, and Jamato8, and a few others... for suggesting the better tubes to try with the WA6 - they do make a difference.

 

[takezo]

that's great to hear Gradofan2. i heard changes in the amp til 850+ hrs. with the blackgate
in the power and drive section circuit. some days it'll sound congested and held back
followed by expansive open sound with luscious mids on other days... it settled on the
latter by 850+ hrs.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif that's great to hear Gradofan2. i heard changes in the amp til 850+ hrs. with the blackgate in the power and drive section circuit. some days it'll sound congested and held back followed by expansive open sound with luscious mids on other days... it settled on the latter by 850+ hrs.

Yeah... I've noticed the sound on some occasions seems harsh, and maybe maybe a bit closed... and... on other occasions... warm, rich, clear and open.

Its a bit surprising as it varies back and forth. If you didn't know that it would get better, and you didn't occasionally experience it... you might... give up too soon. Though, even the days it sounds a bit harsh, or closed, it still sounds better than most... but... its just not so much better that you think its so special, as when it sounds its best on the other occasions.

And... it seems to totally transform all my phones to much better sounding phones, as it does so.

 

[dannie01]

Quote:

Originally Posted by peanuthead /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats!!! We demand some internal shots!

Yeah, some internal pics please. Congrats on the great amp purchase, you'll have fun with it, enjoy.

 

[indydieselnut]

Thanks to all for the encouragement!! Although I've been into audio for the past twenty years, this is the first piece of truly tube gear I've owned so...a question: When I want to take those much desired internal shots do I just wait for the tubes to be completely cool and then ease them out? That Sophia has me so nervous...I don't want to damage it prematurely!!

I have a pair of NOS RCA 6EW7's with the Kuhl-tube treatment I was going to try next...I'll have to look into all of your suggestions for A+ replacements!

Thanks!

 

[dannie01]

Hi indydieselnut,

Yes, turn the unit off and wait for about 30 minutes, let the tubes cool down. Take out your BELOVED (so am I) Sophia and output tubes and ease them carefully. Then all screws underneath and take some beautiful internal pics for us. Many thanks.

Also, tell more about the NOS RCA 6EW7's with the Kuhl-tube treatment with the Sophia would be appreciated and anticipated.

 

[takezo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by indydieselnut /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks to all for the encouragement!! Although I've been into audio for the past twenty years, this is the first piece of truly tube gear I've owned so...a question: When I want to take those much desired internal shots do I just wait for the tubes to be completely cool and then ease them out? That Sophia has me so nervous...I don't want to damage it prematurely!! I have a pair of NOS RCA 6EW7's with the Kuhl-tube treatment I was going to try next...I'll have to look into all of your suggestions for A+ replacements! Thanks!

please unplug the power cord from the unit or the wall socket before you open
up the bottom plate... as long as the tubes are cool to the touch it should
be safe to gently take them out. try not to gyrate or use turning motion in
taking the tubes out as it will loosen the socket pins prematurely. it's tough
but gently nudging and pulling on the tube straight up is best. take your time and be
careful not to hit the tube glass against the chassis as you yank it out.

i've not tried any cryoed output tubes but fell for a cryoed gz32 rectifier many months
back... they don't sound any better than non-cryoed gz32... i hope you have
better luck.

 

[uberburger101]

Congratulations! I hope it gives you many hours of listening pleasure. I'm waiting for my amp to arrive too... Wish it were the WA6SE maxed with Sophia though.

 

[krmathis]

Congratulations!

We are ready for pictures and impressions when you are...

 

[apatN]

Looks like a good day for you. I bet everything sounded great as well.
Now up with those pictures!

 

[Orcin]

Gratz!! Don't waste time opening the amp and taking pics for these vultures... just listen and enjoy!!

 

[indydieselnut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Gratz!! Don't waste time opening the amp and taking pics for these vultures... just listen and enjoy!!

Ha! I'm wondering if I might just leave well alone

I'll take pics and write down my thoughts (both of them...wait, now I just have one left) but I'll probably only take the bottoms off if my curiosity gets the better of me. One motivating factor is a brother-in-law thats an electrical engineer...he'd get a kick out of the "innards" as well.