Woo Audio WA22 Amp Owner Unite
May 24, 2022 at 10:14 AM Post #1,726 of 2,633
For comparison, their deal on 596's (with adapter) is actually a bargain, considering these have been going for $225-250 by themselves on eBay.
Agreed! I tried the rest, went for the best….Woo adapters are 👍👍….modeled by ‘Sixilla’ on my desk runway….
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May 24, 2022 at 10:19 AM Post #1,727 of 2,633
Agreed! I tried the rest, went for the best….Woo adapters are 👍👍….modeled by ‘Sixilla’ on my desk runway….9A69BEE7-91CA-4322-9619-FECB721D43B5.jpeg

Obligatory one-upsmanship photo. But their adapters are the only ones I buy. Just got a set of 7N7's that came with other adapters. They felt like junk, so ordered them from Woo. Built like a tank, work like a charm!

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May 25, 2022 at 1:45 PM Post #1,729 of 2,633
I am thinking my next purchase will be ts5998 or we421a. I have been told some say these are basically the same tube. If anyone has any experience with these I would love to have some insight on these before purchasing. Which should I go with and why? Also I have seen a lot of talk about adapters. I'm assuming adapters are for tubes that don't match up with the WA22 pin wise so it gives more options for tubes? Are there other benefits to that or is it the same with tubes that do match up with no adapters?
 
May 25, 2022 at 2:27 PM Post #1,730 of 2,633
I am thinking my next purchase will be ts5998 or we421a. I have been told some say these are basically the same tube. If anyone has any experience with these I would love to have some insight on these before purchasing. Which should I go with and why? Also I have seen a lot of talk about adapters. I'm assuming adapters are for tubes that don't match up with the WA22 pin wise so it gives more options for tubes? Are there other benefits to that or is it the same with tubes that do match up with no adapters?
Adapters should only be used for COMPATIBLE tubes that require a different pin alignment. You can't throw any-old 8-pin tube in, it's gotta be compatible. Woo publishes a partial list on their website HERE.
 
May 25, 2022 at 2:35 PM Post #1,731 of 2,633
I am thinking my next purchase will be ts5998 or we421a. I have been told some say these are basically the same tube. If anyone has any experience with these I would love to have some insight on these before purchasing. Which should I go with and why? Also I have seen a lot of talk about adapters. I'm assuming adapters are for tubes that don't match up with the WA22 pin wise so it gives more options for tubes? Are there other benefits to that or is it the same with tubes that do match up with no adapters?
I have never heard the WE 421A, but I own bottom and top getter 5998's. From what my supplier has said, and was staring at these two tubes when he said this, "the bottom getter 5998 and the WE 421A have the same construction and are the same tube." You'll probably have a MUCH easier time finding a pair of 5998's.
 
May 25, 2022 at 3:48 PM Post #1,732 of 2,633
Adapters should only be used for COMPATIBLE tubes that require a different pin alignment. You can't throw any-old 8-pin tube in, it's gotta be compatible. Woo publishes a partial list on their website HERE.
That's what I figured but wasn't sure.
 
May 25, 2022 at 3:50 PM Post #1,733 of 2,633
I have never heard the WE 421A, but I own bottom and top getter 5998's. From what my supplier has said, and was staring at these two tubes when he said this, "the bottom getter 5998 and the WE 421A have the same construction and are the same tube." You'll probably have a MUCH easier time finding a pair of 5998's.
Western electric 421a was suggested to me along with the ts5998. I'm going to do a little research on them. You are right that the ts5998 is easier to get. At least thats what I have gathered from looking online.
 
May 25, 2022 at 10:59 PM Post #1,734 of 2,633
Western electric 421a was suggested to me along with the ts5998. I'm going to do a little research on them. You are right that the ts5998 is easier to get. At least thats what I have gathered from looking online.
tube depot says it's "This is the world's best 6AS7G." which is a compatible tube, but best to verify with woo directly.

5998 and 7326 can output a bit more power and a bit better with orthos if that's your goal. otherwise, some cheap RCA 6as7g will sound great IMO and save you a bunch.
 
May 26, 2022 at 3:22 AM Post #1,735 of 2,633
You're right regarding the adapters though, they are hands down the best. Speaking of which, I need to order my adapter and USAF 596 :)

Absolutely right !!! Jack gets 5 stars from me. Or 6 stars out of 5?

The 596 rectifier and adapter from Woo Audio came a month ago. My own custom amp uses Yamamoto sockets but these Teflon adapters from Woo are just as good if not better. Those who use this adapter will know that it can be rotated slightly to get the perfect front facing angle and the 597 USAF tube is brand spanking new.

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May 26, 2022 at 2:15 PM Post #1,737 of 2,633
My few frustrations.

Some power tubes don't play nice in the WA22. They produce a background noise when mixed with the wrong type of driver. Occasionally the rectifier can cause issue as well. Basically synergy. WA22 is unforgiving with a number of power tubes.

The power tubes I've discovered that can be of issue are:

Sylvania 6080 (can be a hit or miss (out of 4 tubes 3 were noisy)).
RCA 6AS7
Sventlana 6N13
Mullard 6080 (can be a hit or miss (out of 6 tubes 2 were noisy)).

Thank you SO MUCH for your post...
I wished I read this before I tried to get Sylvania 6080 and RCA 6AS7 working... it was IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of the hum...
Can you please help me understand how and why do we run 6BL7 in pairs?
 
May 26, 2022 at 4:18 PM Post #1,738 of 2,633
Thank you SO MUCH for your post...
I wished I read this before I tried to get Sylvania 6080 and RCA 6AS7 working... it was IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of the hum...
Can you please help me understand how and why do we run 6BL7 in pairs?

Depends on the tube and not the type. I had a pair of RCA 6as7g that is quieter and another pair that is noisy, so it’s possibly the pin flows. Some put hot irons through the pins and that shut the tube up alright. :wink:

I’ve run dual 6bx7gt on each of the power slots. It’s a good tone but no better than 5998. Dual 6bx7gt is kind of ugly so I stopped being Frankenstein. Instead I got Glenn to build OTL that uses six 6bx7gt.

Dual 6bx7gt is better than single because it has more power and punch than single 6bx7gt…. at least to my ears.

Now this where you want to be careful. Lots of noisy 6BL7 / 6bx7 in the market.

Since I sold off the Glenn OTL amp some time ago, I still have a dozen 6bx7gt which I light up the Christmas tree every year.

What a long story. Now I can go back to sleep.
 
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May 26, 2022 at 5:38 PM Post #1,739 of 2,633
I have a eml 5u4g mesh plate rectifier in my WA22. I am planning on going with ts 5998 or we421a next. I was planning on pairing the mullard ecc35 6sl7 with them but I have read it may be too bright. Does anyone have any suggestions on some other driver tubes to pair with the eml 5u4g and ts5998 and or we421a? I don't mind spending some $ if I need too. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thx!
 
May 26, 2022 at 5:58 PM Post #1,740 of 2,633
I have a eml 5u4g mesh plate rectifier in my WA22. I am planning on going with ts 5998 or we421a next. I was planning on pairing the mullard ecc35 6sl7 with them but I have read it may be too bright. Does anyone have any suggestions on some other driver tubes to pair with the eml 5u4g and ts5998 and or we421a? I don't mind spending some $ if I need too. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thx!
Depending on your source and headphones, the 5998/6SL7 combo may provide too much gain. I would definitely start with the 5998's though. For driver tubes I really like my late 1940's RCA Gray Glass 6SN7's and Sylvania Brown Base 6SN7's.

6SL7's will work in the WA22 but they are not recommended by Woo Audio. I have a pair of Tung-Sol Black Glass 6SL7's coming tomorrow, and even though my DAC3 has it's gain set to -20dB I'll probably take out my 5998's and use some Chatham 6AS7G's with them.
 

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