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WOO Audio 3+ experience
Oct 14, 2010 at 2:45 PM Post #136 of 190


Quote:
realmassy said:
damned...this place is evil!! You really make me want to upgrade the capacitors...I should take a deep breath and count to 100.
 
Woo 3 tube rollers, please help me to spend my money: what would you choose between:
1) 6DJ8 / ECC88 Amperex Bugle Boy, made in Holland
2) 6DJ8 / ECC88 Amperex, 1960s, white HP label
3) 6DJ8 / ECC88 Amperex, A-frame, dimpled disc getter
4) 6DJ8 / 7308 / ECC88 Sylvania made
5) Amperex 6922 PQ - Gold Pin
6) something else :)
Click to expand...


 
If I was spending your money, I'd go for #1 & #5.  The older "Bugle Boy" labelled era 6DJ8s are spectacular, warm, inviting, they image well, and they just have something magical about them.  A bit smooth and slightly rolled off on the top end though, but this makes them easy to listen to.  Also, the US made 6922 PQs are fantastic...probably my favorite "all around" tube...they just do everything so well.  I'm not a huge fan of the later (say after 1968 or so) 6DJ8s with the A frames or dimple disks, but others may disagree.  Shoot me a PM and let me know what you're paying for these, and I might be able to point you in a better direction...
 
Oct 18, 2010 at 7:34 PM Post #137 of 190
My 1962 Siemens CCa's arrived today!  I don't even know if I WANT to put them in the amp, lol...the pins are perfect (looks like they were just inserted once, to test them).  Oh man...decisions, decisions...
 
Oct 19, 2010 at 4:06 AM Post #138 of 190
Oh come on! Of course you want to try them! 
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I still have to decide which tubes to get (my wallet needs a break!), so any impression is appreciated :)

On my side, yesterday I experienced something very very odd 
confused_face_2.gif

Basically during the last week the sound coming out the Woo was awful, I mean literally awfull: congested soundstage, poor dynamics, distortion durung fortissimo, and no bass or highs extension.

I blamed the source for it, I opened a thread on the dedicated source forum looking for some DAC suggestions, and I've been very close to pull a trigger on a new one.

I re-read all my posts here, tried the same recordings, but everything sounded so bad and blurry.

But yesterday, all of a sudden, the magic was back!
I heard some noise, not loud, some 'tic', and the soundstage was slowly opening up again! I kept listening, wondering what was happening to my amp, and after 30 min my Rachmaninoff's concerto never sounded so well!
Headphones disappeared again, with deep and wide soundstage, strings were playing like strings again!
 
I actually don't know what happened, but I'm looking forward to go back and listen again!
 
 
Oct 19, 2010 at 5:27 AM Post #139 of 190
Well, I caved in, and the CCa's are in the Woo, with a 5998.  I have never heard a tube that sounds SO good fresh and un-broken in...I can't wait for these baby's to open up!
 
Massi, that's indeed strange...were the tubes you were using fairly new/unused?  Nothing else in the chain changed?  Are you sure Jack didn't sneak into your room in the dead of night and secretly re-cap your amp? Lol...
 
Oct 19, 2010 at 5:51 AM Post #140 of 190


Quote:
golden monkey said:
Well, I caved in, and the CCa's are in the Woo, with a 5998.  I have never heard a tube that sounds SO good fresh and un-broken in...I can't wait for these baby's to open up!
Massi, that's indeed strange...were the tubes you were using fairly new/unused?  Nothing else in the chain changed?  Are you sure Jack didn't sneak into your room in the dead of night and secretly re-cap your amp? Lol...
Click to expand...


Damned...another tube to add to list!!
 
Yes those tubes (Sylvania) were unused, I tested once and I didn't like the sound. Then I put them in last week as they are quieter than stock 6922 and they were still  sounding very bad. But change happened yesterday was not gradual, but sudden, with those 'clicks' in the drivers. Anyway, I'll report later :)
 
Oct 19, 2010 at 4:36 PM Post #141 of 190
Glad to hear everything is sounding good again realmassy. CCa tubes have a reputation for being one of the most liked among the 6922 variants. If you really like a 3d sound stage and transparency, try a Telefunken E88CC which can usually be had for peanuts. If you like it, you can spring for the Telefunken CCa or E188CC which are extremely rare tubes. By the way, you will generally hear some crinkling noises with tube amps as the glass expands due to the heat.
 
Oct 19, 2010 at 6:57 PM Post #142 of 190
Thanks for your suggestion computerparts.
 
I've 'installed' two cheap upgrades for the Woo tonight, but I had no time to listen: the first is a small Bada power filter, which never worked for me on the solid state rig, the second is a Isokinetik isolation platform, with sorbothane feet.
I tried the filter a few days ago, and the background was blacker (or I thought so!), but the sound was generally so bad that I had no critical listening.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 4:00 AM Post #143 of 190
While I'm waiting to buy some serious NOS tubes yesterday I got a matched pair of (cheap) Tesla E88CC, from a reliable German Ebay seller.
These are not the JJ of current production.
They are very quiet, and tonally warmer than my Sylvania, with a nice instruments separation and good detail. Soundstage is narrower and deeper, but not as deep as the stock Jan.
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 5:10 AM Post #144 of 190

Quote:
realmassy said:
While I'm waiting to buy some serious NOS tubes yesterday I got a matched pair of (cheap) Tesla E88CC, from a reliable German Ebay seller.
These are not the JJ of current production.
They are very quiet, and tonally warmer than my Sylvania, with a nice instruments separation and good detail. Soundstage is narrower and deeper, but not as deep as the stock Jan.
Click to expand...


With all my extravagant tube purchases lately, the NOS Teslas & Tungsrams are next on my list of ones to pick up.  Telefunken ANYTHING has gone through the roof, price-wise, and they sound the same to me as Siemens, so they're off the list.  Maybe my next "pricey" tube set will be some Mullard 7308's or something.
 
The CCa's with the TS 6520 is a ridiculously good combo.  The CCa is an extremely quiet and neutral tube...no coloration, not overly "tubey" sound...very solid state, but like really high-end solid state.  The 6520 is still a little too high-gain and microphonic, although a damping ring helped a lot.  It's fine, as long as there's no external vibration though.  It's very similar to the 5998 in sound signature, with a little more brightness, but I still think the 5998 is best in class...it's the most articulate bass, richest mids, and quiet as far as noise goes (the TS 7236 is dead silent though).  The 1948 RCA 6AS7G I picked up is a fantastic sounding tube as well.  Very lively and musical at both ends, with a neutral midrange.  I'm still leaning towards the 5998/Amperex 6922 PQ combo, or 5998/Valvo (Amperex) 7DJ8 as my favorite all-around set.
 
AND I think my Black Gates are settling in at last.  There's less wishy-washiness when it comes to what you get with each listening session.  Sometimes there would be a flatness or compactness to the sound stage, or it would just sound congested, but now things have opened up nicely, and imaging and separation is like never before.  It's weird listening to choirs or large string sections, and being able to pick out individual performers with ease.  I'm REALLY happy at this point with the whole rig.
 
 
Oct 22, 2010 at 10:10 AM Post #146 of 190
Those Tesla's are my favorite. Put a GEC A1834 too and you have some great sounds. Put the Bendix 6080WB in and you will have a combo that will ROCK.
 
Quote:
realmassy said:
While I'm waiting to buy some serious NOS tubes yesterday I got a matched pair of (cheap) Tesla E88CC, from a reliable German Ebay seller.
These are not the JJ of current production.
They are very quiet, and tonally warmer than my Sylvania, with a nice instruments separation and good detail. Soundstage is narrower and deeper, but not as deep as the stock Jan.
Click to expand...

 
Oct 30, 2010 at 3:24 AM Post #148 of 190
Yeah, pretty much LOVE the CCa/5998 combo now...the BG caps have settled (as far as I can tell), and I got an Isoclean fuse for the Woo.  I can't really tell the diff with the fuse, but with all the recent changes it's hard to pick out individual changes.  I did verify correct polarity, but I couldn't tell you if it made anything better or worse, lol. I just know that overall, with everything from AC plug to ears, I think I've finally gotten to that point where I'm happy 100%.  The resolution and detail is staggering, the musicality and presentation just blows me away.  I hear things that I heard before, but they take on exciting new directions...hearing space and air, edges of transients, everything.  In fact, many many of my CD's are revealed to have lousy recording, mastering, heck even editing (there are times when you can literally tell when the master tapes were spliced).  But on those high resolution well made discs...oh my god, I'm in another world...
 
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