[Fririce0003]

I'm finally back in the Woo camp! Tube amps oh how I have missed you! Now just gotta burn in these beauties so I can roll in some Takatsuki's and TSRP's, already sounding good with, gasp, stock tubes!



Got mine with a pre amp out and a xlr loop out so I can use it with my speakers as an alternative to the GS-X.
Crappy phone pics for now, I'll take some better pics in a couple weeks when all the gears in and everything's in it's final place. Hopefully there will be some nicer tubes in as well

 

[isquirrel]

   
No... not me. And, I am on the low end of the scale. I was just thinking about this topic, when your post came across.
 
I've been listening to my rig for the past 4 hours and I can't believe how good this sounds; I've never heard a solid state amp sound like what I am listening to, right now.
 
That said, I am starting to wonder if tube warm-up is more like hours and not minutes; I am sympathetic to your comments about tube-hassle and all of that, but for me, it's all about the *complete lack* of listening fatigue. I could stay up all night listening to my rig (my family starts to freak out if I stay up too late).
 
I am curious to hear about your new Moon system (I am looking at adding a MiND 180 streamer to my stack), but see if you can put in 6 hours of head-fi time without fatigue... that's the litmus test.
 
Either way... if you are having fun, then you are winning at Head-Fi.

Tube warmup seems to come fully good in the 2nd hour, I switch mine on and notice it takes good hour for them to settle. Curious about the Moon too, lot to be said for now having to worry about tubes failing etc. Though for me I am a diehard tube fan, the Elrog's moved the goalposts a fair way for me I always found a good tube pre-amp into SSD power amps was the best way to go for speakers etc.

 

[isquirrel]

I'm finally back in the Woo camp! Tube amps oh how I have missed you! Now just gotta burn in these beauties so I can roll in some Takatsuki's and TSRP's, already sounding good with, gasp, stock tubes!



Got mine with a pre amp out and a xlr loop out so I can use it with my speakers as an alternative to the GS-X.
Crappy phone pics for now, I'll take some better pics in a couple weeks when all the gears in and everything's in it's final place. Hopefully there will be some nicer tubes in as well

Good on you Matt, you've waited a long time for those beauties. Now for the long burn in process. Does your output key allow XLR out?

 

[Justin_Time]

   
[...] No amount of tube rolling in the WA5LE has been able to match the GSX with the HD800, in my opinion. 

Have you tried the Woo with the Sylvania 6F8G or the Shuguang 50-Year Treasure CV-181 Z (preferably grade A+)?
 
You may not get the silky smooth, feather-light treble of the GS-X--no other amp will give you that--but instead you will get the liquid, lush midrange that you will not get from the GS-X, a very favorable trade-off to my ears.  Plus you get a fuller bass, something that the HD800 sorely needs, without much sacrifice in the speed.

 

[Fririce0003]

Good on you Matt, you've waited a long time for those beauties. Now for the long burn in process. Does your output key allow XLR out?

The wait was well worth it, got a bit impatient after hearing them in your system though!
Output key only works in single ended RCA since it's not a balanced amp. So I've just got a cardas RCA to XLR adaptor to plug into the Merak's. The XLR loop out also only outputs the XLR signal not RCA so it's a bit limited.
Pre amp function is very musical already though and still very accurate and detailed. Think the GSX will only be seeing use as a tube saver for non critical listening once the good tubes are in though.

 

[bpcans]

Tube warmup seems to come fully good in the 2nd hour, I switch mine on and notice it takes good hour for them to settle.

This has also been my experience even with my humble WA6.

 

[Fririce0003]

You may also want to audition the Ragnarok if you get the chance, not sure how it pairs with the HD800 but best SS pairing I've gotten with the Abyss. Haven't heard the moon 430HA though.
From what I remember of when I had the HD800 the GS-X would really play to its strengths, pulls plenty of detail, great instrument separation and near perfect texturing. Slightly narrower soundstage, but the HD800's have plenty to spare. GS-X isn't an ideal pairing with the Abyss though.
Having said that I wouldn't give up on the WA5 just yet, I think the elrogs, a pair of mullard GZ34's and some good NOS driver tubes will be a game changer for the Woo. You won't get the same level of musicality from SS, plus the Elrog and Takatsuki 300b's really are in a class above and beyond any other 300b.

 

[Audioclyde]

Anyone that has both the Takatsuki 300B's and the Elrogs, I for one am eager for any further comparisons/updates--my TA300B's are just reaching the 50-60 hour stage and I'm really liking what I'm hearing (my 'backups' are the SERP's, so no slouches in their own right).  At some point I know I will want to add the Elrogs to my stash (although the wallet has to recover first!).
 
Thanks,
 
Randy

 

[Fririce0003]

Anyone that has both the Takatsuki 300B's and the Elrogs, I for one am eager for any further comparisons/updates--my TA300B's are just reaching the 50-60 hour stage and I'm really liking what I'm hearing (my 'backups' are the SERP's, so no slouches in their own right).  At some point I know I will want to add the Elrogs to my stash (although the wallet has to recover first!).

Thanks,

Randy

The most qualified person to answer that would be isquirrel.
In the mean time, I've heard both the takatsuki and elrog, though it was when they were still rather new. Accordingly they stabilise around the 120-150 hour mark. I've got the Takatsuki's, no hours in them yet. I've also got some elrogs on the way.
From my listening, the elrog seem to be a punchier, more lively listen. Their speed and tonality adds a bit of life to the music, with the elrog you don't trade off detail for musicality. They're still a very detailed tube.
In comparison the Takatsuki has a more "sophisticated", euphonic sound. The soundstage is wider, deeper and taller, decay on the sound is longer but not bloomy. Bass quantity and extension is also better. Details are also slightly more prominent.
The two tube are both top notch, they're both voiced very differently and sound rather different. They complement each other rather competing over the same sound, a favourite tube of the two would change depending on what music I'm listening to and what mood I'm in. The elrogs would be a welcome addition to the tube stash. Sorry I couldn't save your wallet

 

[Krutsch]

  Tube warmup seems to come fully good in the 2nd hour, I switch mine on and notice it takes good hour for them to settle. Curious about the Moon too, lot to be said for now having to worry about tubes failing etc. Though for me I am a diehard tube fan, the Elrog's moved the goalposts a fair way for me I always found a good tube pre-amp into SSD power amps was the best way to go for speakers etc.

I'm curious... do you warm up while playing music or do you switch on your amp and come back in an hour?

 

[longbowbbs]

 

  Tube warmup seems to come fully good in the 2nd hour, I switch mine on and notice it takes good hour for them to settle. Curious about the Moon too, lot to be said for now having to worry about tubes failing etc. Though for me I am a diehard tube fan, the Elrog's moved the goalposts a fair way for me I always found a good tube pre-amp into SSD power amps was the best way to go for speakers etc.

I'm curious... do you warm up while playing music or do you switch on your amp and come back in an hour?

A few calisthenics or sometimes a nice sweater work for me....

 

[reeltime]

 
The Elrogs and the Metal Base GZ34 take quite a few hours to perform their best, my GZ 34's really sounded their best with some serious hours, well over 200, the Elrog's have now got 200 hours and are a different animal now. Really opened up and clarity, bass has all improved.
 
The good news is that the metal base GZ 34's will most likely outlast you, they are good for 100,000 hours apparently. Which date code do you have on yours?

 
March 1957.  I've had metal base GZ 34s (we really need a clever nickname for this tube) in the past for my WA6 (now sold)-- It was by far my favorite rectifier in that amp and the tube sold for more than I paid for it.
 
Getting a matched pair for the WA5LE took forever, and when I first put them in the amp with the Sylvania drivers I wasn't exactly impressed.  Good, but it wasn't as nice as the 596.  The RCA driver at least closes the gap.  Much better pairing for the 34, and I'm not sure which tube I like better at the moment.

 

[reeltime]

  Have you tried the Woo with the Sylvania 6F8G or the Shuguang 50-Year Treasure CV-181 Z (preferably grade A+)?
 
You may not get the silky smooth, feather-light treble of the GS-X--no other amp will give you that--but instead you will get the liquid, lush midrange that you will not get from the GS-X, a very favorable trade-off to my ears.  Plus you get a fuller bass, something that the HD800 sorely needs, without much sacrifice in the speed.

 
I've not tried the Sylvania 6F8G nor the Shugaung.  My previous tube was the EML Mesh (great sound) and the 596 (great sound, poor match for the EML).  
 
I'm a huge fan of the HD800.  It only sounds great once you give it an amp with clean high output.  With the WA6, it was a nice headphone, but unremarkable.  The Burson was only a decent match.  The WA5LE (or WA5), Dark Star, Liquid Fire, any of these great expensive amps take the HD800 to another level.  The only headphone I've heard that bests it, to my ear, is the Stax 009.  But you need to amp the hell out of it.  My opinion, of course.
 

I wouldn't give up on the WA5 just yet, I think the elrogs, a pair of mullard GZ34's and some good NOS driver tubes will be a game changer for the Woo. You won't get the same level of musicality from SS, plus the Elrog and Takatsuki 300b's really are in a class above and beyond any other 300b.

 
My WA5LE isn't going anywhere.  Even if I buy a GSX at some point, I'm not selling the Woo.  I just love the thing.

 

[isquirrel]

 
I'm curious... do you warm up while playing music or do you switch on your amp and come back in an hour?

I switch on and sometimes listen to the tubes heating up to make sure there are no problems with zero volume, I can hear the thinking of the plates as they slowly warm. That takes apparel 10 mins for all of the macro noises to disappear and for silence. I then know I have no issues.
 
As you can tell I have had more than my fair share of tube drama's. I go make some coffee, have my beloved morning smoke and then come back and have a listen.
 
An old timer friend who used to be in the tube manufacturing industry told this is how he treats his tubes. With respect, as he says some of my tubes are nearly 90 years old. You wouldn't chert in your car and give it full rev's until the oil is warmed through, that's how I treat my tubes. I don't run my tubes for more than 4-5 hours as a general rule.
 
With respect to Tony's post re SS vs Tubes, I am each way on this, I have had some big power amps with 32 big 6550 power tubes and have had spectacular blow up's in just about every tube I have owned at some stage or another. Its inevitable. This always seemed to happen when I was 2-3 hours into a late night listening session, listening to vinyl and everything just on song and magic sound was pouring out of the speakers and then bang - literally a small explosion and fireworks to match which would frighten the **** of me and anyone else listening, usually the wife.
 
In the end much as I loved tube power amps the only one's I found that worked reliably for me were the Lamm's. However I still ended up going back to SS amp's with a tube pre amp and phono stage. I still believe this is the best solution for my sanity (which is questionable anyway) 

 
There's a lot to be said for SS which with a HP amp I would feel comfortable leaving on 24/7. Trouble is I like to tinker and tune the sound and SS prohibits this.
 

 

 

 

[bpcans]

I'm curious... do you warm up while playing music or do you switch on your amp and come back in an hour?

I switch my amp on and by the time I've made some coffee the WA6 is ready to go. The second hour seems to sound better for some reason though.

A few calisthenics or sometimes a nice sweater work for me....

I could do 100 push-ups and sit-ups in five minutes, but getting a comfy cashmere sweater is a lot easier at my age.