[Badas]

I've owned the Elise and it is a very good amp.  Not as good as the WA22, but very good for the price.

Nice to know. Really enjoying my WA22 at the moment. The tube arrangement didn't play nice with the new NightHawk HP's that I got last week. Hawks are the most lush holographic HP's I have ever listened to. With lush tubes it was too much. Solid State was working better. I've now got some amazing magic working now. 4 6BL7's and switching TAK274B for Brimar 5Z4GY has leaned up the sound a little and with Hawks it really works.

 

[phase0]

Nice to know. Really enjoying my WA22 at the moment. The tube arrangement didn't play nice with the new NightHawk HP's that I got last week. Hawks are the most lush holographic HP's I have ever listened to. With lush tubes it was too much. Solid State was working better. I've now got some amazing magic working now. 4 6BL7's and switching TAK274B for Brimar 5Z4GY has leaned up the sound a little and with Hawks it really works.

 
How would you compare the Nighthawk to the LCD-X? Are you finding more enjoying from the Nighthawk?

 

[Badas]

How would you compare the Nighthawk to the LCD-X? Are you finding more enjoying from the Nighthawk?

Two totally different HP's. NightHawks have more clean bass. Stax of bass. Very holographic. You don't really need tubes with this HP. Tubes are nice but not nessary. Soundstage is about the same. Treble is not elevated. All the detail is there however it is just not enhanced. The closest to a speaker sound I've heard from a HP. Hawks need heaps of burn from new tho. Didn't sound their best straight from the box. They open up with time.

My number one like on the Hawks is the treble. Or is it the holographics? Or maybe the bass? Oh! I give up.

I really can't think of anything that the LCD-X does better. It has more treble so depending on music it might sometimes be preferred.

Hawks are the comfort King as well. They weigh nothing. Headband and the way the drivers are mounted is the work of a genius. Today I have been wearing them for 8.5 hours solid. One more hour to go before I pack up and I've had no discomfort at all. I can't do that when th the LCD-X.

 

[phase0]

Heh, makes me want to buy, no wait... hear them. There's a dealer here who might have them. I like the idea that they're great in their own right and stand in the same company as the LCD-X at a fraction of the cost. Something that can be a good backup or part time on the home setup and possibly travel in a portable setup.

 

[Badas]

Heh, makes me want to buy, no wait... hear them. There's a dealer here who might have them. I like the idea that they're great in their own right and stand in the same company as the LCD-X at a fraction of the cost. Something that can be a good backup or part time on the home setup and possibly travel in a portable setup.

Yeah they can do all that. Crikey I burnt them in off my phone and they sounded superb. I looked at all my amps and DACs and thought this is rediculus what do I need all this gear for? Should have just used a phone and Hawks. Luckily I came to my senses. They do scale up even better off great gear.

I thought it couldn't get better than the LCD-X. LCD-X has been knocked off the top list tho.

Technically the LCD-X is probably the better HP. Musically the Hawks are better. I don't care much for technically.

Debating what to do with the Audeze. At least one should go. Not sure which one. My LCD-3's are the classic version and they do have more bass and gooey mid-range over the new version. Howewever the LCD-X is more accurate.
It is likely I will do nothing about it as I'm too lazy.

 

[jhljhl]

Can you use Mesh plate eml 300b in the wa5le v1?

 

[artemart]

TA-300B tube is so tempting to me, but manufacturer life expectancy is 5,000 hours which I know most people say that it should out live it. I may just save up for WE-300B made in 1988 to get some thing that should last 40,000 hours.

 

[Torq]

  TA-300B tube is so tempting to me, but manufacturer life expectancy is 5,000 hours which I know most people say that it should out live it. I may just save up for WE-300B made in 1988 to get some thing that should last 40,000 hours.

Never get into high-end vinyl replay ... life-expectancy of a good cartridge (or the stylus at least) is closer to 800 hours.  Easy to go through in a year.  A re-tip, never mind a replacement, for a moderately high-end cartridge (never mind a TOTL model that would be equivalent to, say, the Takatsuki tubes) will easily broach $1,000 ... often more for the really good stuff. 
 
I do understand the issue though!  It's not fun to think about every listening hour in terms of dollars/per hour!

 

[Badas]

TA-300B tube is so tempting to me, but manufacturer life expectancy is 5,000 hours which I know most people say that it should out live it. I may just save up for WE-300B made in 1988 to get some thing that should last 40,000 hours.

A WE-300B won't last 40,000 hours.
I've even seen a 100,000 hour C3G fail at the 100 hour mark. It's just manufacturer dreaming quoting extra long life. Tubes will either last or not. Simple as that.

From members who have owned both the WE and TAK 300B's they often say the TAK is the better sounding.

 

[acguitar84]

The WA5-LE sounds much bigger than WA7+tp, bigger images, more holographic soundstage, thicker tone, more air between instruments, there's no comparison, WA5-LE is much superior

Even with the stock tubes in the WA5-LE?

 

[jerick70]

Nice to know. Really enjoying my WA22 at the moment. The tube arrangement didn't play nice with the new NightHawk HP's that I got last week. Hawks are the most lush holographic HP's I have ever listened to. With lush tubes it was too much. Solid State was working better. I've now got some amazing magic working now. 4 6BL7's and switching TAK274B for Brimar 5Z4GY has leaned up the sound a little and with Hawks it really works.

 
The Nighthawks sound very nice.  Congrats.

 

[Badas]

  Even with the stock tubes in the WA5-LE?

Yip.

 

[Badas]

 
Have many of you tried these Chesky recordings?
I just bought these in as a bit of a sample.
Damn they sound amazing.
 
If you have which ones should I grab next?

 

[acguitar84]

 
Yip.

I want one!!

 

[Badas]

  I want one!!

Yeah! I would like one as well. However I would like some nice 300B tubes to go with it. Maybe the TAK's or Tony is saying he is getting excellent results with the EML.