[jhljhl]

  Well. I ran my amp for 7 hours solid last night. No rest. Music feed into it the entire time. Volume loud (over half way).
No overheat issues. Amp got coolish warmish at the most.
 
Absolutely zero noise from the other tubes. Which I find interesting as I always got a bit of hum or buzz on and off. If you listened to no music you would swear you were listening to a extremely well built SS amp.
 
Sound. Well I've already said it. It is the best I've heard from my WA22 and I've owned it a fair while now. I bet my WA22 could have taken on a NOS equipped WA5 last night and it would have been competitive (actually I think it would have won on detail). The times I have heard a kitted out WA5's they have not been as good as what I heard last night.
 
BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

 

  Very interesting development using Weber Copper Caps.  Very affordable compared to other options.  I'm waiting to see the outcome. 

 
When I get my WA5 LE I'll purchase a pair and report back.

 

[abvolt]

  Well. I ran my amp for 7 hours solid last night. No rest. Music feed into it the entire time. Volume loud (over half way).
No overheat issues. Amp got coolish warmish at the most.
 
Absolutely zero noise from the other tubes. Which I find interesting as I always got a bit of hum or buzz on and off. If you listened to no music you would swear you were listening to a extremely well built SS amp.
 
Sound. Well I've already said it. It is the best I've heard from my WA22 and I've owned it a fair while now. I bet my WA22 could have taken on a NOS equipped WA5 last night and it would have been competitive (actually I think it would have won on detail). The times I have heard a kitted out WA5's they have not been as good as what I heard last night.
 
BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

 
Very cool to know this thanks for testing these,can't wait to hear what you have to say after you've gotten more time with them..enjoy

 

[Badas]

   
Very cool to know this thanks for testing these,can't wait to hear what you have to say after you've gotten more time with them..enjoy

 
My amp has been on and off with SS rectifiers a dozen times now. 3 times with the Weber Copper Caps. No issues. Just the heat issue with the first batch. No heat issues with Weber.
 
A couple of other pics of the Weber (just cosmetic changes). I ran electrical tape around the bottom to make it look like bakerlite.
 
Sounding excellent with the NightHawks.
 

 

[artemart]

If any WA5-LE owners have bough this SS rectifiers please let me know I would like to know who to follow <3.

 

[phase0]

  BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

 
And it sounds so great from your descriptions that a bunch of people want to jump in too. I wish there was some solid technical analysis to explain what all is going on both inside the amp and the ss tube replacement. It sounds like it's totally fine but that lingering what-if-it's-not and then you end up with a surprise failure down the line? I know I'm highly ignorant of electronics. Never studied it in school. From your descriptions I'd almost go order them right now. More education on it would go a ways to set me at ease especially since Woo says really don't do it, but then we all want the best sound quality we can achieve and you're making it sound like that is the best thing so far. Then not only that it is the best rectifier you've heard, it's that it's super cheap. If this works out without risk it would be a no brainer to buy it immediately.

 

[reeltime]

  Absolutely zero noise from the other tubes. Which I find interesting as I always got a bit of hum or buzz on and off. If you listened to no music you would swear you were listening to a extremely well built SS amp.
 
Sound. Well I've already said it. It is the best I've heard from my WA22 and I've owned it a fair while now. I bet my WA22 could have taken on a NOS equipped WA5 last night and it would have been competitive (actually I think it would have won on detail). The times I have heard a kitted out WA5's they have not been as good as what I heard last night.
 
BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

 
I still want those TAK 274s.  I love the GZ34 and will keep them until they die, but the Tak rectifiers have me curious.
 
Excellent line about the warning.  Nicely done.

 

[Badas]

WA22 back on with copper cap. I will do a few more hours (3 or 4) again tonight. Over the next few weeks I will run it as much as I can. I will be the WA22 sold state test pilot.

Another note. My transformers always made a very slight hum. Not anymore. That's gone. I wonder if that makes the noise level lower as that was something I really noticed.

No doubt on sound tho. I'm 100% on sound. This is the best sounding rectifier to be installed in my amp.

I will be running this warning on every post about this subject:

BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

 

[sprite40]

Was about the WS1 copper cap, but someone got before me.. next time i read a page or two back 

 
It all sound very interesting 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

 

[phonyx]

The problem (or potential problem) using SS rectifiers in these amps is they do not allow voltage sag. Tubes do, and the amps are designed for that. SS rectified amps sound tihgter and punchier no doubt, but they can sound cold, tight and lack that inherent sweetness of tube rectified gear. I don't think it will show up as heat per se, there may be components now (I'm thinking caps) that you are running at or above their design specs.

 

[Badas]

  The problem (or potential problem) using SS rectifiers in these amps is they do not allow voltage sag. Tubes do, and the amps are designed for that. SS rectified amps sound tihgter and punchier no doubt, but they can sound cold, tight and lack that inherent sweetness of tube rectified gear. I don't think it will show up as heat per se, there may be components now (I'm thinking caps) that you are running at or above their design specs.

That's where the Weber becomes gold. WU4GB is a solid state rectifier with a 50 volt voltage drop at maximum voltage. Sag so to speak.
 
I've heard the solid state rectifiers sound tighter and punchier. I haven't heard cold (I would guess more neutral). It really depends on the other tubes. If the other tubes are warm then the sound is warm. SS rectifier didn't flare well with 6BL7 power tubes. A bit dry. So there is truth in your comments. SS did do well with warmer power tubes. A good mix of both. Fast, detailed and warm.
 
I now seem to get what I always wanted from my WA22. It is quiet with no music (no hum or buzz), Silky sounding, Warm and lush, Handles pace better. A lot faster. Lots of detail and bass. Perfect.

 

[2359glenn]

WA22 back on with copper cap. I will do a few more hours (3 or 4) again tonight. Over the next few weeks I will run it as much as I can. I will be the WA22 sold state test pilot.

Another note. My transformers always made a very slight hum. Not anymore. That's gone. I wonder if that makes the noise level lower as that was something I really noticed.

No doubt on sound tho. I'm 100% on sound. This is the best sounding rectifier to be installed in my amp.

I will be running this warning on every post about this subject:

BIG WARNING THO GUYS. Don't buy these because of my comments. I take no responsibility. This is purely experimental. Not endorsed by Woo Audio.

With the SS rectifier you are drawing less current from the power transformer no 3 amp filament to power.
This could be why no hum or 50Hz vibration from the transformer. Also should have less 50Hz magnetic field around it to be picked up
by the 6C8 tubes.

 

[Badas]

 
With the SS rectifier you are drawing less current from the power transformer no 3 amp filament to power.
This could be why no hum or 50Hz vibration from the transformer. Also should have less 50Hz magnetic field around it to be picked up
by the 6C8 tubes.

Thanks for the explanation. I've never heard the amp so quiet.

I was sure one of my TSRP 6C8G's was noisy. Started producing a little buzz on and off. Switching sides the buzz would switch as well. I was just putting up with it as it is a real nice sounding tube.
Since SS rectification this buzzy tube has gone 100% quiet. Not a thing out of it. I have clocked over 20 hours of SS listening now.

 

[phonyx]

 
That's where the Weber becomes gold. WU4GB is a solid state rectifier with a 50 volt voltage drop at maximum voltage. Sag so to speak.
 
I've heard the solid state rectifiers sound tighter and punchier. I haven't heard cold (I would guess more neutral). It really depends on the other tubes. If the other tubes are warm then the sound is warm. SS rectifier didn't flare well with 6BL7 power tubes. A bit dry. So there is truth in your comments. SS did do well with warmer power tubes. A good mix of both. Fast, detailed and warm.
 
I now seem to get what I always wanted from my WA22. It is quiet with no music (no hum or buzz), Silky sounding, Warm and lush, Handles pace better. A lot faster. Lots of detail and bass. Perfect.

 
Ah so it will sag 50v, interesting. I'm not sure how much tubes sag by comparison. Tubes are able to swing current well but aren't so good at fast dynamic voltage swings, so they tend to sound lazier (usually manifesting in slower bass) but at the same time sounding sweeter/warmer/more euphonic. The opposite is true for SS gear. And yes you're absolutely correct to say it depends on power/driver tube pairings, as their relative personalities affect one another and the overall sound presentation. 
 

 
With the SS rectifier you are drawing less current from the power transformer no 3 amp filament to power.
This could be why no hum or 50Hz vibration from the transformer. Also should have less 50Hz magnetic field around it to be picked up
by the 6C8 tubes.

 
Yeah 50/60Hz hum is often derived from filament supply. It will still be producing that voltage but the tap wont be loaded as there's no filament to heat with a SS rec. But when the power tubes want more juice, that juice is there rather than the voltage sagging out when the dynamic phrases demand more, so the lack of sag will load it harder.

 

[jerick70]