[Silent One]

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Many - well known, no-name, rebrand...many. Also 7N7 & 7AF7 tubes. Currently sitting on about 125 tubes. Not a lot to some, but I think I should have bought a tube tester @ 25 tubes. 

 Okay, this summer!

 thats alot of tubes!

Skylab would laugh the D7000 right off my head! Perhaps, I have 0.005% of what he got.

 
The USAF-596 is very rare. Even if you fall for something else, you should keep it around the listening room.

 

[Yiannis1974]

I got the WA3 back yesterday and I am happy to say that it now works just fine . I am very happy I did not turn my back on it.
 
It turns out that the power tube supplied was faulty. The crazy thing is that the additional tube I purchased (tested etc) was also faulty. So when I was testing it and swapped the tubes, the problem remained. What are the chances of that?!
 
In any case, it works fine now ... except for some very very very faint buzzing that might be due to EM noise (placed WA3 right next to a set top box + Apple TV + Sony DVD). I think I will try some tube dampers out of curiosity. In any case, I can live with that very faint buzz (have to listen in silence and concentrate to 'hear' it) and the WA3 is now singing.
 
Connected as a pre-amp to a Creek amplifier and some Monitor Audio RX1s. Loving the Amp
 
Ok... down to tube rolling now

 

[Sid-Fi]

Yeah that seems surprising. I wonder why.
 
On my WA22 the rectifier always seemed to make the most obvious changes to the sound. I had a stock Chinese 274b with no brand marking on it that came with it. I then went with a Millard gz37 which was very warm and tubey with a wide stage, but very slow. Mullard gz37 was the opposite - very fast and energetic with closed in sound stage. The Sophia Princess mesh plate was a big upgrade. It was warm and inviting but still faster with a wide sound stage and good separation. The 596 seemed more energetic with greater impact, but still had a nice warm sound with good separation. I found the 596 to have the highest potential, but it didn't have great synergy with my preferred Sylvania GTA. It sounded great with Tung Sol BGRP, but don't cash for them at the moment. 
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Hmm...I just recently did a tube rolling for a heck of it.  The least sound changing part on my 6SE was the rectifier.  I've tried RCA/Tungsol 5u4g, Sophia 274b, & 596; they all sounded the same to me.  I am surprised that you guys are saying the rectifier makes a significant difference.  I got my 6SE recently (2 months ago), may be Jack did something to the design??  I took out my 596 and rock on a RCA 5u4g now.
 
On the driver tube side, I was impressed with the 6FD7 (without adapter) and 6EM7 (with adapter) immensely.  The CY/DR/EW/GL/DN were good but not impressive.  DE was the worst of the bunch.    

 

[Sko0byDoo]

Quote:

Yeah that seems surprising. I wonder why.
 
On my WA22 the rectifier always seemed to make the most obvious changes to the sound. I had a stock Chinese 274b with no brand marking on it that came with it. I then went with a Millard gz37 which was very warm and tubey with a wide stage, but very slow. Mullard gz37 was the opposite - very fast and energetic with closed in sound stage. The Sophia Princess mesh plate was a big upgrade. It was warm and inviting but still faster with a wide sound stage and good separation. The 596 seemed more energetic with greater impact, but still had a nice warm sound with good separation. I found the 596 to have the highest potential, but it didn't have great synergy with my preferred Sylvania GTA. It sounded great with Tung Sol BGRP, but don't cash for them at the moment. 

 
When I got my 6SE, Jack didn't include a generic rectifier since I ordered the Sophia 274b along with the amp.  May be I just need to listen to a generic brand to truly appreciate the branded ones...

 

 

[Silent One]

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When I got my 6SE, Jack didn't include a generic rectifier since I ordered the Sophia 274b along with the amp.  May be I just need to listen to a generic brand to truly appreciate the branded ones...

 

 
I ordered my 6 Special Edition with Miss Sophia and Jack threw in the stock Russian anyway! 

 

[Sid-Fi]

Actually, that's probably pretty darn true. The Sophia Princess 724b is one of the best possible rectifiers for the Woo Amps IMO along with maybe EML and 596, so with that as your only point of reference that might be the major issue in being able to appreciate the differences. The 596 sounded a lot more like the Princess than different IMO compared to many other rectifiers I have heard.
Quote:

 
When I got my 6SE, Jack didn't include a generic rectifier since I ordered the Sophia 274b along with the amp.  May be I just need to listen to a generic brand to truly appreciate the branded ones...

 

 

[Silent One]

Inside the listening room: "When Push Came To Shove"
 
It was not unheard of for me to have two, three and dare say four hour warm-ups for my Woo. Naturally, I'd be doin' other things - sometimes a simple hour would do...but I'd get busy with other stuff.
 
One night, during one of these extended warm ups, Miss Sophia approached the throne slotted "5U4G" to take her rightful place for the night. Out of nowhere, the EML glass appeared, quietly and suspiciously. Then rudely and abruptly tossed the Princess aside. Feelings hurt, she pushed back but then fled.
 
Looking smug, the big Eastern European got comfy.
 
And then...
 
...out of the dark emerged a newcomer, and stood between the EML Glass and low level light. Not knowing what to make of this stranger, the EML immediately stood, as if threatened. The USAF-596 remained poised and silent. So, the EML got ALL up in it to provoke the stranger into leaving.
 
"So, who the..." and in one swift move, The Mighty 596 shoved the EML Glass clean off the stage, mid-sentence! Make no mistake, the '596' was hardly arrogant, just no nonsense.

 

[longbowbbs]

Quote:

"So, who the..." and in one swift move, The Mighty 596 shoved the EML Glass clean off the stage, mid-sentence! Make no mistake, the '596' was hardly arrogant, just no nonsense.

 
The Mighty 596 Stands alone!
 
 

 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Quote:

"So, who the..." and in one swift move, The Mighty 596 shoved the EML Glass clean off the stage, mid-sentence! Make no mistake, the '596' was hardly arrogant, just no nonsense.

 
The Mighty 596 Stands alone!
 
 

 
I exchanged messages with you earlier, exercising the greatest restraint. And then you turn around and hit me like this?! You sir, are up to no good! 

 

[longbowbbs]

What?? Just a postscript to your fine missive...

 

[Silent One]

Is that...no, can't be...wait...is that tube looking at me?!

 

[Clayton SF]

Don't forget the music. Music moves even when the best tubes cannot be got.

 

[Silent One]

You 

 know it! I told rosgr63 last year that I could enjoy my favourite tune inside an elevator. 

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

You 

 know it! I told rosgr63 last year that I could enjoy my favourite tune inside an elevator. 

Agreed! And I have, too.

(Bossa nova sounds really good in an elevator.)

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

Skylab would laugh the D7000 right off my head! Perhaps, I have 0.005% of what he got.

 
The USAF-596 is very rare. Even if you fall for something else, you should keep it around the listening room.

 
lol true, hes supposed to have like a warehouse full of tubes or something right? (well maybe not that much!) 

 
 
i can tell its getting really rare! i'll be using it for a while, if i ever upgrade my amps too, its gonna be a WA22, so the 596 will always be there