[TonyNewman]

The step up to those big tubes- whether 2a3, 300b or 445- is likely to be very noticeable over both the WA6 and WA22. Given you're going for a totl bhse, I'd probably pump for the wa5 if I were you.

 
"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845

 
This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281, a solid state amp that comes ever so close to the very best tube amp I have ever heard (Glenn 300B - an amp that eats the WA5 for breakfast) in the things that tubes do so well (holographic effect + warmth) and retains the detail and dynamics of solid state. It really is like having your cake and eating it too, at a fraction of the price. Add in close to 100% reliability and close to zero warm up time and I am out of the tube game. Give me a V281 + HE6/HD800S and I am done.

 

[novaca]

   
"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845

 
This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281, a solid state amp that comes ever so close to the very best tube amp I have ever heard (Glenn 300B - an amp that eats the WA5 for breakfast) in the things that tubes do so well (holographic effect + warmth) and retains the detail and dynamics of solid state. It really is like having your cake and eating it too, at a fraction of the price. Add in close to 100% reliability and close to zero warm up time and I am out of the tube game. Give me a V281 + HE6/HD800S and I am done.

 
I am also embarrassed ...
Year of rolling tubes with WA6-SE (3000 USD for them) and now I listen Cavalli Audio Liquid Carbon (599 USD SS amp) and...
And now I do not know if I even try WA22, or leave the world of WA or even tubes. But it was great fun (for big bucks).

 

[zeissiez]

The step up to those big tubes- whether 2a3, 300b or 445- is likely to be very noticeable over both the WA6 and WA22. Given you're going for a totl bhse, I'd probably pump for the wa5 if I were you.

"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845 :wink_face:

This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281, a solid state amp that comes ever so close to the very best tube amp I have ever heard (Glenn 300B - an amp that eats the WA5 for breakfast) in the things that tubes do so well (holographic effect + warmth) and retains the detail and dynamics of solid state. It really is like having your cake and eating it too, at a fraction of the price. Add in close to 100% reliability and close to zero warm up time and I am out of the tube game. Give me a V281 + HE6/HD800S and I am done.

While I haven't heard the Glenn 300B tubeamp, I have an ECBA which has a higher fidelity than the WA5, I still like the WA5's euphonic/lush sound very much, I don't know if any SS amp can give those rich harmonics like the WA5 can.

 

[jhljhl]

While I haven't heard the Glenn 300B tubeamp, I have an ECBA which has a higher fidelity than the WA5, I still like the WA5's euphonic/lush sound very much, I don't know if any SS amp can give those rich harmonics like the WA5 can.

 
 

   
"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845

 
This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281, a solid state amp that comes ever so close to the very best tube amp I have ever heard (Glenn 300B - an amp that eats the WA5 for breakfast) in the things that tubes do so well (holographic effect + warmth) and retains the detail and dynamics of solid state. It really is like having your cake and eating it too, at a fraction of the price. Add in close to 100% reliability and close to zero warm up time and I am out of the tube game. Give me a V281 + HE6/HD800S and I am done.

 
 
At some point it is about lateral moves- like comparing lamborghini and ferrari. Horizontal product categories as oppose to vertical.  But that's what headfi is at some point we hold our taste to be the best taste maybe?  Like how can you prefer pizza over a hamburger?  Or steak at Peter Lugers over sushi at Masa. (Both of which I have not tried but somewhat renown...)

 

[Krutsch]

   
"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845

 
This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281...

 
Tony, what happened to the SimAudio Moon 430HA? I recall a similar posting on this thread about *that* amp.

 

[TonyNewman]

   
Tony, what happened to the SimAudio Moon 430HA? I recall a similar posting on this thread about *that* amp.

 
Sold and gone. 430HA has great warmth and musicality, but at the expense of dynamics and punch. Not my thing.

 

[3083joe]

No, I'm waiting for my BHSE to arrive. If I was to purchase another Woo amp it would probably be the WA22. I'm very happy with my WA6 for quite sometime now. If it turns out the BHSE/009 isn't for me, I might consider another Woo amp. or just be content with what I already have.

Thanks.

"Content" what is this word you speak of...

 

[joseph69]

"Content" what is this word you speak of...

I like my WA6/GS-1 amplifiers with my Grados very much and could be satisfied with these combos for the rest of my journey…but I do want to hear the 009/BHSE combo. I already have the 009 and I should be receiving the BHSE in a couple of months being batch #4 is complete and burning-in at this time.

 

[Badas]

   
"Big tubes" start at the 300B. Real men go for the 845

 
This is going to be heresy in the Woo thread, but I am going to say it anyway. After investing a great deal of time and money in tubes and tube amps over the past 3 years I am done. I have found, in the Violectric V281, a solid state amp that comes ever so close to the very best tube amp I have ever heard (Glenn 300B - an amp that eats the WA5 for breakfast) in the things that tubes do so well (holographic effect + warmth) and retains the detail and dynamics of solid state. It really is like having your cake and eating it too, at a fraction of the price. Add in close to 100% reliability and close to zero warm up time and I am out of the tube game. Give me a V281 + HE6/HD800S and I am done.

After hearing that V281 I'm thinking of giving up on the WA22 and tubes and get me one as well.
 
The V281 smashed the WA22.
 
How did Violectric make a SS amp sound holographic like a tube amp????

 

[thecrow]

After hearing that V281 I'm thinking of giving up on the WA22 and tubes and get me one as well.

The V281 smashed the WA22.

How did Violectric make a SS amp sound holographic like a tube amp????

Surely both you kiwis dontvwantvto have the same gear!!??

Looks like there's an impending mega tube sale about to erupt on the land of the long white cloud!!

 

[Badas]

Surely both you kiwis dontvwantvto have the same gear!!??

Looks like there's an impending mega tube sale about to erupt on the land of the long white cloud!!

It was embarrassing how much better the V281 was.
 
I kinda need one now.
 
Last week I was thinking about buying two more TAK 274B tubes. No point. I will stick my $$'s towards the V281.

 

[TonyNewman]

Surely both you kiwis dontvwantvto have the same gear!!??

Looks like there's an impending mega tube sale about to erupt on the land of the long white cloud!!

 
It's kinda interesting. Between the 2 of us we have been through a LOT of gear. The V281 is a standout product. Take the punch, detail and dynamics of the Auralic Taurus and combine that with the warmth and musicality of the 430HA - in other words the best of both amps - and you get a V281. It also has plenty of juice for the HE6 (or anything else for that matter, in balanced mode).
 
This is the first solid state amp I have heard that pushes all those buttons. I like the romance of tubes, but it really isn't a rational thing anymore for me. As always, YMMV.
 
I will keep my 300B and Wa6 amps, mostly for fun and to make use of my hefty tube stocks, but really the V281 does make them a little redundant.

 

[TonyNewman]

....  
How did Violectric make a SS amp sound holographic like a tube amp????

 
I think that is in the unusual design, which is one (improved) V200 amp per channel. They share a power supply and not much else - however they did it, it works. What impresses me most is that Lake People / Violectric got some warmth and musicality happening without sacrificing detail / punch / dynamics.

 

[jayband]

 
After hearing that V281 I'm thinking of giving up on the WA22 and tubes and get me one as well.
 
The V281 smashed the WA22.
 
How did Violectric make a SS amp sound holographic like a tube amp????

SS beats the WA22? What tube on the WA22 are you comparing? Also I suppose SS has only 1 characteristic but tube does give you more rolling options (different day at a time, you might want to listen to different types of sound....)

 

[abvolt]

Remember as with all audio gear it's highly subjective to ones own opinion..