[grokit]

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Navii: The HD650 is much more efficient that the K701, it's not all about impedance. The K701 should be on the low setting @62 ohms (but go with high if it sounds better), and the HD650 is definitely high impedance setting @ 300 ohms. The HD650 is definitely louder.
 
Spud: You have a lot more choices with the 1 watt power tubes than the 2 watt versions, so it really depends on how efficient your headphones are. There was a conversation recently about the higher-gain power tubes in the WA2, that would apply to the WA22 as well.

Just to add to this, I personally feel the K701 sounds better on the high impedance setting. Logic dictates the low setting should be better for their 62 ohm impedance, but I feel it sounds better on high.  It seems softer all around on the low setting.  The impedance switch on the WA6 optimizes the transformer for whichever load you are giving it (high impedance or low impedance). 
 

 
 
Seamaster reiterated the same thing about the 50 ohm LCD-2 recently, that it actually sounds better on the high impedance setting out of his WA22. 

 

[Henerenry]

Hmmm, yes, how is the impedance switch implemented, is it a different gain stage, or is it in fact seperate windings on the output transfromers?

 

[jc9394]

Fellow Woosies, I think I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on a WA22 but just wondered if you guys could throw in a few comments based upon your experience.


 


Are there any UK peeps here who have bought direct from Jack? The reason I ask is I'm concerned that I'll get stung for Customs / VAT (20%) / Admin etc.... Jack offers USPS or EMS to UK so I don't know if that makes a difference.


 


I have the majority of must have tubes for my WA6 (EML 5U4G Mesh / TS BGRP / Bad Boy Sylvania) so wondered what power tubes are up there with these as the best to have. I've read about GEC6AS7's but I don't know anything about them really, are they new production tubes or NOS?.


 


Last but not least how much better is the WA22 over the WA6? I'm not balanced at all (yet) so I'm talking s/e only at this point.


 


Cheers guys.

 



I upgraded from WA6 maxxed to WA22 maxxed (modded by Dannie01), using SE in and SE out is a big change. Once you use balanced in, even using SE out, like I do now with my D7000, the change is huge. I never compared SE and balanced out using my HD800 but I can assure you that it makes my HD800 sings.

GEC 6AS7G is the best sounding power tubes I heard with WA22, the GEC6080 is my second flavor, which it 1/3 price with 80+% of GEC 6AS7G.

 

[navii]

I need to do some proper testing, but I was getting the feeling that the 701s were a bit grainy on the high setting.
 
This post: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/183752/does-impedance-affect-sound-quality#post_2196576 seems to validate what I been hearing:
 
"Yeah, impedance matters, for a variety of reasons. One thing is that unless your amp and your headphone (and cable) are impedance matched, you're going to get loss which gets bounced around. I don't know at what point that becomes audible, but I do know at work that they make sure to impedance match everything because in high frequency (e.g. beyond audio band) it does matter tremendously."

 

[navii]

oops! dp

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I have to say that I'm still very happy with the 6SN7 adapters I got from 2359Glenn on eBay for my WA6, and with the Sylvania VT-231 I haven't given a single thought of going back to the 6DE7 I used before.

 

[TheAudioDude]

Quote:

GEC 6AS7G is the best sounding power tubes I heard with WA22, the GEC6080 is my second flavor, which it 1/3 price with 80+% of GEC 6AS7G.

I can second this!  The GEC 6080s have been my favorite power tubes for the past six months or so, even better than the Tung Sol 7236s.
 
I had the opportunity to try the GEC 6AS7Gs for a few days and they sound very similar to the GEC 6080s.  The only changes I noticed were a slightly smoother high-end and a slightly larger soundstage.

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Quote:

GEC 6AS7G is the best sounding power tubes I heard with WA22, the GEC6080 is my second flavor, which it 1/3 price with 80+% of GEC 6AS7G.

I can second this!  The GEC 6080s have been my favorite power tubes for the past six months or so, even better than the Tung Sol 7236s.
 
I had the opportunity to try the GEC 6AS7Gs for a few days and they sound very similar to the GEC 6080s.  The only changes I noticed were a slightly smoother high-end and a slightly larger soundstage.

AD,
 
My thoughts exactly about the GEC's.  A smoother high-end and yes the soundstage/presentation was a little larger and maybe more holographic.  What drivers were you using when you had the 6AS7G's in?

 

 

[TheAudioDude]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

GEC 6AS7G is the best sounding power tubes I heard with WA22, the GEC6080 is my second flavor, which it 1/3 price with 80+% of GEC 6AS7G.

I can second this!  The GEC 6080s have been my favorite power tubes for the past six months or so, even better than the Tung Sol 7236s.
 
I had the opportunity to try the GEC 6AS7Gs for a few days and they sound very similar to the GEC 6080s.  The only changes I noticed were a slightly smoother high-end and a slightly larger soundstage.

AD,
 
My thoughts exactly about the GEC's.  A smoother high-end and yes the soundstage/presentation was a little larger and maybe more holographic.  What drivers were you using when you had the 6AS7G's in?

 

Black glass Ken Rad VT-231.  I've been using them exclusively ever since I got them a few months ago.
 
I really want to try out a pair of the National Union VT-231s too.  I read that the sound is similar to the Ken Rads but a bit darker.

 

[Icenine2]

Having owned the WA22 for all of a week has me wondering what a WA5/WA5LE would sound like since the 22 is Nirvana.

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Having owned the WA22 for all of a week has me wondering what a WA5/WA5LE would sound like since the 22 is Nirvana.

Probably Para-nirvana.  But we need SillySally to tell us about it!
 

 

[Icenine2]

The more I listen to the WA22 it just reveals poorly recorded/mastered/remastered music.  The MFLS Gold disc of DSOTM is really good.

 

[grokit]

It has been said here that a stock WA5/LE will equal or out-perform a maxxed-out WA22 tubes and all, making the LE quite a bargain IMO, and giving me a severe case of upgraditis.

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

It has been said here that a stock WA5/LE will equal or out-perform a maxxed-out WA22 tubes and all, making the LE quite a bargain IMO, and giving me a severe case of upgraditis.

Whew. "Equal" is the operative word here. I can breath a little easier now. Until....

 

[nututubes]

Quote:

It has been said here that a stock WA5/LE will equal or out-perform a maxxed-out WA22 tubes and all, making the LE quite a bargain IMO, and giving me a severe case of upgraditis.

 While that may be true, what do we do now that we have all balanced from source to cans?