[leftside]

One upper mica spacer is totally round and the other has a jagged edge. Probably won't make a difference, but I like my paired tubes to have exactly the same construction and to be closely matches. I would never have installed 4 6BL7's if I couldn't find a matching quad.

 

[jerick70]

Your wallet hates me now

I went out and purchased a WA5 LE today thanks to your review. I'm eagarly awaiting it's arrival.

 

[phonyx]

You won't be disappointed, theyre fabulous.

 

[Badas]

You won't be disappointed, theyre fabulous.

+1

 

[jhljhl]

  One upper mica spacer is totally round and the other has a jagged edge. Probably won't make a difference, but I like my paired tubes to have exactly the same construction and to be closely matches. I would never have installed 4 6BL7's if I couldn't find a matching quad.

Yeah I noticed that with the ecc32.

 

[leftside]

I have 3 pairs of ECC32. Each pair are matching, but each pair has slightly different construction to the others. Hopefully that makes sense!

 

[Shini44]

I went out and purchased a WA5 LE today thanks to your review. I'm eagarly awaiting it's arrival.

try to change the stock tubes. thats for sure. the difference even with the smallest change really matters.

 

[jerick70]

try to change the stock tubes. thats for sure. the difference even with the smallest change really matters.

Which tubes do you recommend replacing first? My budget is a bit shot because of the WA5 purchase. I would appreciate tubes on the lower end of the price spectrum.

 

[Shini44]

Which tubes do you recommend replacing first? My budget is a bit shot because of the WA5 purchase. I would appreciate tubes on the lower end of the price spectrum.

i feel you, i had the stock tubes for while too because of the budget :' )
 
the 1st tubes i went with were the brimer gy5z something, forgot the name XD i think its on my review check it out
 
these says to be 70~90% as good as TA-247 but the price is like super cheap. less than 50$ for a pair.
 
make sure to check who is the best seller for these. but searching in the thread for "Brimer" etc. 
 
for the 300B save like 300$ and get the Mesh Plate upgrade. you can check alternatives as well.

 

[phase0]

Which tubes do you recommend replacing first? My budget is a bit shot because of the WA5 purchase. I would appreciate tubes on the lower end of the price spectrum.

 
I'd say change the rectifier first, try something like the Brimar 5Z4GY cause they're pretty cheap, and then there's lots of 6SN7s you could try. I've been running 6F8G and 6C8G which you need an adapter for which will cost more than the Brimar tubes but so far I've liked even the ultra cheap RCA over most of the 6SN7s I tried. I got a cheap pair of RCA 6SN7 GTs that were decent for like $30. The 300Bs are pretty expensive so you could wait on those.

 

[reeltime]

   
Well I don't have much experience here but when I asked about the Sophia Electric and CV181 Treasures, people told me that they are over priced for what you get and the best sounding tubes are old stock. I remember reading a few posts a long time ago with some initial excitement about the CV181 Treasures but then it seemed like the conclusion I read is they're really not a great value. 

 
I still have a pair of CV181 Treasure 2s.  Every time I try them in the amp (they barely fit) I listen for 20 minutes and back in the box they go.  There is a crunchiness to these tubes I just can't get past.  
 
Someone once told me the 181s clear up after like 300 hours. My response?  If I have to listen to 300 hours of crap to get to something decent, you've made a bad tube.

 

[phase0]

  Someone once told me the 181s clear up after like 300 hours. My response?  If I have to listen to 300 hours of crap to get to something decent, you've made a bad tube.

 
LOL reminds me of another tube people say is awesome... the Tak 300Bs... 320 hours to reach the ready point. The solution is to get two amps. One for burn in and the other to listen too

 

[Shini44]

320 hours burn in on the TA-300B was so worth it <3  

 

[reeltime]

Which tubes do you recommend replacing first? My budget is a bit shot because of the WA5 purchase. I would appreciate tubes on the lower end of the price spectrum.

Check out the EMLs.  They cost enough to "hurt" but well under the top tier Taks.  I think the EMLs are in the sweet spot as far as price to value.
 
I'd go with a 300B first, then the rectifier.  Do the driver last.  You're going to drive yourself nuts looking for the right pair (everyone does). 
 
The one thing I'll warn you about: changing one set of tubes affects the sound relationship between the others.  One brand of 300B will sound different when paired with a GZ34, Brimar, 274, or 596 and so forth.

 

[reeltime]

  320 hours burn in on the TA-300B was so worth it <3  

OK, but the Taks sound good out of the box.  The 181 sounds like crap out of the box.  

 
 
(I finally found a 6SN7 that works.)