[Silent One]

Quote:

Nice looking out Silent. I think this might very well be my first 45

Over the years, the LP kept lurking in the back of mind. Then the CD... and never made a purchase. So today, I finally ordered the CD and if I can find someone with high-end TT and Metric Halo gear or something, I'd like to buy the Audiophile 45's and get it ripped @ 192 kHz.
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

This is what I asked:
 
"I was wondering why the 6SN7 adaptor is not sold as a upgrade option for the WA6SE, will is not work properly on the SE model?"

This was the response:
 
"WA6 and 6SE are different design although the same stock tubes are used. 6SN7 can be damaged on the 6SE if you use it."
 
So maybe the newest models have a different design from previous ones... I received my SE in January this year.

The take away is that it is the tube that is at risk, not the amp.  The 6SE basically runs them too hard and will burn them up fairly fast without the resistor in place, which I'm assuming steps down the plate current but Glenn would be better equipped to answer that detail than I am.

 

[takezo]

the 6se is very different from the wa6 and the driver dc cathode bias work at differing
parameters. the high-gain 6se puts out more current than the 6sn7 family of tubes can
handle, causing distortion in sound output and early death for the tube. these dc bias
cathode have a resistor placed between it and the ground, replacing the need for extra
stages (a separate negative dc voltage source for the grid stage) changing the value of
the resistor allows the use of the 6sn7. but doing this is permanent and will limit tube
rolling significantly. thus the resistor is added in series in the adaptor. since this is the
driver cathode bias it affects the signal amplification rather than the power amplification
stage. the 6se has a large cap bypassed with the resistor to short the ac signal passing
through to the ground. without this cap the the gain will be slightly reduced and noise
is introduced. for example, using the lcd2 one would go from 10 o'clock to 10:30. not very
significant. of course this will change depending on your cd/dac vrms. but for filtering the
ac signal, the large cap is essential. i've tried both using a small cap value bypassing the
resistor and without, within the adapter. while it does affect the gain, the SQ
doesn't seem to be affected at all in my use. the large cap before the adapter must be
filtering out all significant ac signal, imo.
 
btw, the large cap bypassing the cathode bias resistor in the 6se stock is very poor.
replacing this cap with higher quality capacitor really helps with headroom, separation of
notes and lowering noise floor, imo.

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

btw, the large cap bypassing the cathode bias resistor in the 6se stock is very poor.
replacing this cap with higher quality capacitor really helps with sound quality, imo.

 
Since that is the case it would probably behoove me to use my money towards having the poor cap replaced with a higher quality cap before I started investing in tubes and/or interconnects.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

the 6se is very different from the wa6 and the driver dc cathode bias work at differing
parameters. the high-gain 6se puts out more current than the 6sn7 family of tubes can
handle, causing distortion in sound output and early death for the tube. these dc bias
cathode have a resistor placed between it and the ground, replacing the need for extra
stages (a separate negative dc voltage source for the grid stage) changing the value of
the resistor allows the use of the 6sn7. but doing this is permanent and will limit tube
rolling significantly. thus the resistor is added in series in the adaptor. since this is the
driver cathode bias it affects the signal amplification rather than the power amplification
stage. the 6se has a large cap bypassed with the resistor to short the ac signal passing
through to the ground. without this cap the the gain will be slightly reduced and noise
is introduced. for example, using the lcd2 one would go from 10 o'clock to 10:30. not very
significant. of course this will change depending on your cd/dac vrms. but for filtering the
ac signal, the large cap is essential. i've tried both using a small cap value bypassing the
resistor and without, within the adapter. while it does affect the gain, the SQ
doesn't seem to be affected at all in my use. the large cap before the adapter must be
filtering out all significant ac signal, imo.
 
btw, the large cap bypassing the cathode bias resistor in the 6se stock is very poor.
replacing this cap with higher quality capacitor really helps with headroom, separation of
notes and lowering noise floor, imo.

Thanks for the well thought out explanation - reference material to be sure! And deserves to be "Stickied." Yes, it will come up again in this thread... right dab smack in the middle of your playing piano for relaxation. 

 
Had I not bought a new amp, I was going to have you or 2359glenn "Hot rod" my WA 6 Special Edition. 

 

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

Thanks for the well thought out explanation - reference material to be sure! And deserves to be "Stickied." Yes, it will come up again in this thread... right dab smack in the middle of your playing piano for relaxation. 

 
Had I not bought a new amp, I was going to have you or 2359glenn "Hot rod" my WA 6 Special Edition. 

 

 
Maybe they can hot rod your future WA5? 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 
Maybe they can hot rod your future WA5? 

How much soup must one eat? 

 

[hodgjy]

I'm still on a soup diet after bringing the Trafomatic home.  Although, the new amp did inspire me to drop about $100 on new CDs over the last two weeks. 

 
Quote:

How much soup must one eat? 

 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

How much soup must one eat? 

Ha! 
 
We can call it the Ramen for Gear movement.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

I'm still on a soup diet after bringing the Trafomatic home.  Although, the new amp did inspire me to drop about $100 on new CDs over the last two weeks. 

 


 

When greed = hunger. Initially, I began saving for the WA6, eating quite well and having delicate tea with the Emperor himself! Once that goal was reached, I opened up the front door to retrieve the mail and found "Upgrade-itis" standing on the porch. 
 
"No problem" or so I thought. Saving up for the 6 Special Edition (while out of work) meant Soup For One over the next few months. Dynamically speaking, it was worth it! I can't wait to get some new music into the library this spring, by the way!
 

 

[Johmem]

Hmm, I'm discovering a downside to having a nice headphone rig.  I just got my RS1is a few weeks ago and my WA6 a few days ago.
 
I've been going through my collection of CD rips (flac) noticing some things.  Some of my favorite albums are almost unlistenable.  Red Hot Chili Peppers "Californication" is actually painful, IMO.  Tool's "Undertow", one of my alltime favorite albums, sounds pretty crappy too. 
 
On the other hand Rage against the Machine's self titled is mindblowing.  I'm finding strange pleasure in listening to the pickup noise in Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Little Wing, I've never heard it there before.
 

 
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Hmm, I'm discovering a downside to having a nice headphone rig.  I just got my RS1is a few weeks ago and my WA6 a few days ago.
 
I've been going through my collection of CD rips (flac) noticing some things.  Some of my favorite albums are almost unlistenable.  Red Hot Chili Peppers "Californication" is actually painful, IMO.  Tool's "Undertow", one of my alltime favorite albums, sounds pretty crappy too. 
 
On the other hand Rage against the Machine's self titled is mindblowing.  I'm finding strange pleasure in listening to the pickup noise in Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Little Wing, I've never heard it there before.
 

 
 

I'm struggling with this too. With every increase in fidelity, my favorites are falling by the wayside. 
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Ha! 
 
We can call it the Ramen for Gear movement.

Isn't Ramen for Gear a publication for audiophiles? Or am I thinking of Top Gear for Auto enthusiasts?! 

 

[hodgjy]

But, on the positive flip side, those wonderful recordings become more sublime.  I never knew Alice in Chains Unplugged was such a wonderful recording until my WA3 showed me the way.
 
Quote:

I'm struggling with this too. With every increase in fidelity, my favorites are falling by the wayside. 
 

 

 

[Silent One]

 

 True. Also, tracks that once sounded rather forgettable on the Woo, now sound much improved on the OTL. But tracks that sounded stellar on the Woo sound pedestrian on the OTL at best. My entire music library is in disarray.