[Vladid]

Hi chaps, I am a fresh owner of a beautiful WA6SE with all shiny upgrades. Now I am facing a bit of an issue. The amp is producing a constant light buzzing / noise in my D7000 cans, which is independent from the amp being plugged into a source. I switched out the 6EW7 from the Sylvania to the GE flavor with the same result. Switching the Sophia out didn't change anything either. 
 
Any idea what gives?
 
Thanks!

 

[SanJoseCanJunkie]

The HE-5 are louder out of the high-gain plug for a given attenuation step than out of the low-gain plug.  IMO, the difference isn't enough, and if I cared to spend the shipping and labor cash, I would probably send my unit back and ask for the low-gain plug to be even lower.  This is using AFAIK the quietest tubes as well (6EW7).  Other tubes, like the 6CY7 are really too loud; I don't know for certain, but I bet with those tubes a HE-6 would work just fine out the high-gain on a WA6SE and hopefully I get a chance to test this one day.
 
I'm sure that the info is in this thread somewhere, but I believe that 6SN7 tubes w/ adaptor would put even more volume through the amp.
 
Quote:

What is the difference between the high and low outputs on the WE6SE? I generally understand the difference between high and low impedance headphones and the relative needs for volts or amps. When you have an "inefficient" but relatively low impedance headphone like the HE-5/6, for example, would selecting the low output actually offer more amps to drive them? Or in the case of an inefficient low impedance headphone would you go with the high output? I guess I need to understand what effect different gain settings have from an amp, or simply put I guess I don't really understand what gain is exactly?

From some of the more recent post I am coming to understand that I will need to learn how tube selection will effect power output.

I am asking this question because my HE-5LE's will arrive this week and after hearing so much about what it takes to drive them I want to know how I should connect them. I have in the past found that I often prefer the sound at a higher gain setting on my amps even with some IEM's and low impedance headphones, but I have selected on what I like to hear, not with the real knowledge of what the cause and effect is.

I was hesitant to go with an HE because of all that I've read about properly driving the 5's and especially the 6's and almost decided to order and wait for the LCD2's, but after listening to the 5's at a recent meet on the SE(I really enjoyed them) and after reading some good reports of them being adequately driven by the SE I am hopeful my Woo will be up to the task!

 

 

[baka1969]

Quote:Originally Posted by Vladid 

"Hi chaps, I am a fresh owner of a beautiful WA6SE with all shiny upgrades. Now I am facing a bit of an issue. The amp is producing a constant light buzzing / noise in my D7000 cans, which is independent from the amp being plugged into a source. I switched out the 6EW7 from the Sylvania to the GE flavor with the same result. Switching the Sophia out didn't change anything either. 
Any idea what gives?
Thanks!"


One possibility could be a ground loop issue. I had one and used cheater plugs on all the audio gear and removed them one at a time until I found the culprit. It was my laptop causing the issue. So I removed the cheater plugs from the other components and left it on the laptop's power cord.

It's one option anyway.

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

Quote:

Hi chaps, I am a fresh owner of a beautiful WA6SE with all shiny upgrades. Now I am facing a bit of an issue. The amp is producing a constant light buzzing / noise in my D7000 cans, which is independent from the amp being plugged into a source. I switched out the 6EW7 from the Sylvania to the GE flavor with the same result. Switching the Sophia out didn't change anything either. 
 
Any idea what gives?
 
Thanks!

 
I had a WA6SE that mysteriously developed a slight hum; after trying everything, I finally tracked it down to the wall outlet.  I have several outlets in my home where the top receptacle is controlled by a nearby wall switch, so a table or floor lamp can be turned on/off from that wall switch.
 
I had all of my gear plugged in to a power conditioner, which was then plugged in to the unswitched bottom receptacle of one of these outlets.  While trying to isolate the problem, I plugged the amp in to a similar outlet in another room, where the problem, of course, was the same.
 
It wasn't until I finally plugged the amp in to a receptacle where neither outlet of the pair was controlled by a wall switch that the hum went away.
 
 

 

[sillysally]

Don't know about the HE-5's but the HE-6 using my max WA6SE will not properly power the HE-6's. Yes you have enough volume but you will never hear what the HE-6 can really do. The only headphone amp that I know about that can properly power the HE-6's is the WA5/LE from the low imp or the high imp and also the XLR jack in the WA5.

 

[Vladid]

Thanks baka1969 and Mike!
 
All my audio components are hanging on a Furman PL-8C conditioner and I am using a pretty decent PS Audio power cable for the WA6SE. The wall outlet is not switched, but I am definitely going to try the amp in another room to see if that helps.

 

[Golfnutz]

Anyone have any experience with Sylvania 6sn7gt VT-231's from the 50's (non bad boy, but look similiar) vs 6sn7wgta's from the 60's (brown based)?  Is either any good? Which one is better? Thanks.

 

[flaming_june]

Quote:

Don't know about the HE-5's but the HE-6 using my max WA6SE will not properly power the HE-6's. Yes you have enough volume but you will never hear what the HE-6 can really do. The only headphone amp that I know about that can properly power the HE-6's is the WA5/LE from the low imp or the high imp and also the XLR jack in the WA5.

I think the WA22 would be good for it as well.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

T
 
I'm sure that the info is in this thread somewhere, but I believe that 6SN7 tubes w/ adaptor would put even more volume through the amp.
 

 

6SN7 output is comparable to the 6DE7/6EW7.  It is technically higher gain, but the difference is slight, not like the 6FD7/6CY7/6DR7 which produces a substantial increase in output.

 

[Hi-Five]

Well, I can't comment on the subtleties of the sound that may be missing, but to my ears the WA6SE drives my HE5-LEs beautifully. They are easily the least efficient set of cans in my collection, but I have a pretty hot source so I have no problems with gain using 6de7/6ew7 tubes. I find the presentation to be very, very good compared to my VHP-2 or out of my backup preamp's headphone jack. That said, I have not heard the HE5-LEs on a more powerful amp.
 
In any case, I have no doubt you will find the 5s are a pretty sweet match with your amp.  
 

 

[Clayton SF]

Hey EML 5U4G mesh plate ppl (second version). My big fat tube is beginning to darken a little. It must have barely 300 hours on it. It's just a slight graying on the inside of the tube--soot-like. Is anyone else's EML tube starting to show signs of premature gray?

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Hey EML 5U4G mesh plate ppl (second version). My big fat tube is beginning to darken a little. It must have barely 300 hours on it. It's just a slight graying on the inside of the tube--soot-like. Is anyone else's EML tube starting to show signs of premature gray?

I have just about 50 hours on mine and no soot yet.
 
 

 

[Xcalibur255]

Almost the entire inside of my EML 274B darkened over time.  It was like it gave itself a window tint job.  You can even see streaking around the area where the glass curves into the dome because the burned off getter didn't drift through the tube evenly.  There is no part of the glass that looks completely clear on mine anymore, and I doubt I have more than 300 hours on mine overall since I am always swapping it out for other tubes to make comparisons or just mix things up.

 

[SanJoseCanJunkie]

Ah, thanks for the info.
 
Quote:

6SN7 output is comparable to the 6DE7/6EW7.  It is technically higher gain, but the difference is slight, not like the 6FD7/6CY7/6DR7 which produces a substantial increase in output.

Also, I don't know about the EML, but the Sophia turned pretty darn dark w/o a ton of time, maybe 4-500 hours?

 

[Clayton SF]

^ Good to know that it darkens over time. I got mine last summer and I've been swapping it in and out out too.
 
Skylab's suggestion to look for reasonably priced NOS 5U4G paid off. I just ordered a couple NOS RCA 5U4G black plates for under $60. I've never rolled the RCA coke bottle tubes before.