[Fririce0003]

Interesting.

I am not a big fan of Sylvania drivers - to me they are bright, to the point of harshness in some tube combinations. I have tried the TJ Full Music 6SN7 and didn't like that tube much either.

The KR300Bs and TJ Full Music rectifiers I have never heard.

Just my 2 cents, but I think there might be plenty of scope for better glass in the WA5 than the above example. Best combination I have had in mine (waiting on a pair of Elrog 300Bs as I type this) is SERP 300Bs / NU 6F8Gs (tried the TS RP - prefer the NU) / Brimar rectifiers.

Not saying that the stock WA234 won't beat a maxed WA5, just that the tube example above is not taking the WA5 as far as it can go and perhaps there is quite a bit of scope for better glass in the WA5.

I do get what you are saying on the addictive sound. Once you have a tube combination that works for you the hours just float by - the "just one more song" syndrome :wink_face:

The sylvanias can certainly get a tad bright with some combinations, some of the other tubes I've tried in it were SERP's, Sophia 274B mesh, Psvane WE274b's and I've also tried a couple of different driver tubes. At the time I was prioritising speed and detail. The SERP's were lusher but slower, the Psvane rectifiers were a little too dark which smeared the details and the Sophia mesh rectifiers didn't keep up with either.
Unfortunately most of the driver tubes I had at the time were off eBay, so the only good sets I had were sylvania bad boys and chrome domes as well as a set of ken rad vt-231's. So not too much choice there. But I do agree a better choice of driver tubes would've closed the gap a bit, the WA5 does scale wonderfully with better tubes and cables.

 

[TonyNewman]

The sylvanias can certainly get a tad bright with some combinations, some of the other tubes I've tried in it were SERP's, Sophia 274B mesh, Psvane WE274b's and I've also tried a couple of different driver tubes. At the time I was prioritising speed and detail. The SERP's were lusher but slower, the Psvane rectifiers were a little too dark which smeared the details and the Sophia mesh rectifiers didn't keep up with either.
Unfortunately most of the driver tubes I had at the time were off eBay, so the only good sets I had were sylvania bad boys and chrome domes as well as a set of ken rad vt-231's. So not too much choice there. But I do agree a better choice of driver tubes would've closed the gap a bit, the WA5 does scale wonderfully with better tubes and cables.

 
It still says a lot about the WA234 that with the atrocious stock tubes it significantly beats a WA5 with 'decent' tubes. That is no small achievement for the WA234 to pull off.
 
Then again, extraordinary performance should be expected from a product with an extraordinary price. My HeadFi journey ends with the WA5, unless I win the lottery

 

[Porteroso]

  Which combo/s do you prefer in your WA6?
I've only heard of the 6F8G recently from @TonyNewman. 

Right now I am running the Sophia with the NU VT-99, which is just the military version of the 6F8G. I also have listened to the Brimar and TS rp combo, it is great. Really both combos are very good. I would love to try some of the end tier rectifiers, but those get into the big dollars.

 

[joseph69]

  Right now I am running the Sophia with the NU VT-99, which is just the military version of the 6F8G. I also have listened to the Brimar and TS rp combo, it is great. Really both combos are very good. I would love to try some of the end tier rectifiers, but those get into the big dollars.
 

 Please accept my apologies…I do realize that I totally misunderstood your post. I missed the part where you said "the best of the 6F8G"…not thinking clearly tonight.
I have both the 596/Brimar-5Z4G and I can tell you that the Brimar held its own very well IMO. What 6F8G tubes are the best of which you would like to hear, [size=x-small]I would like to find/try them? O[/size]ne thing that is puzzling me, is[size=x-small] I don't see that the 6F8G compatible with the WA6 on Woo's compatibility chart, but you are using them with the WA6, correct? If so, is an adapter needed? Thank you.[/size]
[size=x-small]Once again, my apologies for misunderstanding your post, and as you can see I have edited my questioning you about it. [/size]

 

[Porteroso]

It was not negative. I am saying that I had considered what the 6-SE would give over the regular 6, and it was good to hear from someone who owned both that the WA6 wins out when you throw 6SN7 into the mix. 6F8G, by the way, is electrically equivalent to 6SN7, really 6SN7 was meant to replace 6F8G, because running the heater wire up to the top was a pain. 
 
All of this is what one would expect, that giving up 6SN7 would have a negative impact upon the sound, but it is good to hear it from someone who listened to both. Obviously there are headphones that the 6-SE would be better with, and you are right, everyone is different. 

 

[joseph69]

  It was not negative. I am saying that I had considered what the 6-SE would give over the regular 6, and it was good to hear from someone who owned both that the WA6 wins out when you throw 6SN7 into the mix. 6F8G, by the way, is electrically equivalent to 6SN7, really 6SN7 was meant to replace 6F8G, because running the heater wire up to the top was a pain. 
 
All of this is what one would expect, that giving up 6SN7 would have a negative impact upon the sound, but it is good to hear it from someone who listened to both. Obviously there are headphones that the 6-SE would be better with, and you are right, everyone is different.

Thanks for explaining the reason for the 6F8G replacing the 6SN7.
So then can I use the 6DE7>6SN7 adapter as well for the 6F8G, or do I need a different adapter?

 

[TonyNewman]

...[size=x-small] I don't see that the 6F8G compatible with the WA6 on Woo's compatibility chart, but you are using them with the WA6, correct? If so, is an adapter needed? Thank you.[/size]

 
They are equivalent to 6SN7, so if 6SN7s are OK, so are 6F8Gs.
 
An adapter is needed for the top mounted heater element - please excuse my crap camera work.
 

 

[bpcans]

There's a Mullard GZ34 metal base rectifier tube for sale on eBay for a few more hours, and it's only $899. Anybody bidding?

 

[TonyNewman]

  Thanks for explaining the reason for the 6F8G replacing the 6SN7.
So then can I use the 6DE7>6SN7 adapter as well for the 6F8G, or do I need a different adapter?

 
You need 2 sets of adapters, as per the picture.
 
1 set 6DE7->6SN7
1 set 6SN7->6F8G
 
I have never seen an adapter that goes directly from 6DE7 to 6F8G.

 

[Khragon]

   
You need 2 sets of adapters, as per the picture.
 
1 set 6DE7->6SN7
1 set 6SN7->6F8G
 
I have never seen an adapter that goes directly from 6DE7 to 6F8G.

You should contact Glenn, to see if he can make one for you that goes for 6DE7 -> 6F8G.
As for 6F8G adapter I preferred Glenn over Woo.

 

[bpcans]

They are equivalent to 6SN7, so if 6SN7s are OK, so are 6F8Gs.

An adapter is needed for the top mounted heater element - please excuse my crap camera work.

Holy Cow Tony! Those are some impressive driver tubes. What's your current WA6 tube setup? I'm sorry if you've already posted it, but I thought I'd ask since your up on the other side of the planet where the toilet water spins the wrong way.

 

[TonyNewman]

  You should contact Glenn, to see if he can make one for you that goes for 6DE7 -> 6F8G.
As for 6F8G adapter I preferred Glenn over Woo.

 
I have a pair of Glenn 6SN7->6F8G adapters on order (hopefully being made this weekend). These are for my WA5.
 
I am very happy to stack the adapters in the WA6.
 
Space is at a premium in the WA5 due to the silly design of putting the drive and output sockets in a straight line. Might look nice, but it gets crowded with fat bottled tubes. Plenty of room to have moved some of the the sockets forward and apart a little - as per WA22.

 

[TonyNewman]

Holy Cow Tony! Those are some impressive driver tubes. What's your current WA6 tube setup? I'm sorry if you've already posted it, but I thought I'd ask since your up on the other side of the planet where the toilet water spins the wrong way.

 
Brimar rectifier with 2 National Union 6F8Gs. The Brimar is a close to neutral rectifier (I think) so the sweetness of the NU drivers doesn't overpower the sound. I really like this combination in both the WA5 and WA6. Works great with the HD800 and HE6 (both modded - HE6 only driven from the WA5, of course). If you prefer a more neutral sound signature the 6F8G TS RP might be a better choice.
 
OT - I lived in the USA for 3 years and not once did I take notice of which way the water spins after flushing - still not 100% sure it is any different to the Southern Hemisphere

 

[joseph69]

There's a Mullard GZ34 metal base rectifier tube for sale on eBay for a few more hours, and it's only $899. Anybody bidding?

ONLY…well I'll have to think about it
I've thought about it…I won't be bidding. 

  They are equivalent to 6SN7, so if 6SN7s are OK, so are 6F8Gs.
An adapter is needed for the top mounted heater element - please excuse my crap camera work.

Thank you for the information/confirmation/photos.
Quote:

  You should contact Glenn, to see if he can make one for you that goes for 6DE7 -> 6F8G.
As for 6F8G adapter I preferred Glenn over Woo.

I prefer Glenns adapters over Woo's also, but the last time I asked Glenn to make me adapters for the 6-SE to accept 6SN7 tubes, it was a no go.

  I have a pair of Glenn 6SN7->6F8G adapters on order (hopefully being made this weekend). These are for my WA5.
I am very happy to stack the adapters in the WA6.

I don't understand, when I had asked Glenn if he could make me the Woo 6SN7 adapters for the 6-SE he said he doesn't like making adapters for Woo anymore??? I've also recently read he made a pair for someone else's 6-SE??? 

 

[bpcans]

TonyN, thanks for the tube list. I'll give the NU 6F8G's s look. Which way the water spins in a commode is something that only a 10yr old boy, or someone who's a KOOK(keeper of obscure knowledge) like me, would be interested in.