[lumdicks]

Dude you weren't kidding when you suggested this combo! I mean good lord I dont think I've ever heard such a big improvement in sound. Don't get me wrong, I loved the wa22 from the get go but this is on another level. Those mullard ecc35 are a powerhouse and the we421a shaped the combo into something so sweet and smooth it's just unreal! It's hard for me to put my finger on what tube changed what because as you know it was my first time rolling tubes and I changed them all within a week. All I know Is I really really love the sound. I didn't really love my lcd x that much on the wa22 with stock tubes but with this combo they are freaking great! Of course the Verite Closed sounds phenomenal with these tubes. You definitely hit the nail on the head with this tube combo. I am anxious to try another rectifier with a different sound signature. The eml 5u4g is clean and crisp and I would like to try something different from that to see what It would sound like. Maybe the Tak274b like you said earlier!

Go for WE422A and it is a perfect match with your 421A and ECC35. I am pairing it with ECC32 so I know how good it is.

 

[9bphillips]

Go for WE422A and it is a perfect match with your 421A and ECC35. I am pairing it with ECC32 so I know how good it is.

I will have to check into those. If it is anything like the we421a then I'm all on board. I absolutely love those tubes. The 421a did the most for the sound quality in my opinion. I plan on having several tubes incase anything unfortunate happens!

 

[Adnan Firoze]

Awright! All stock tubes swapped. Thanks @ColSaulTigh for recommending the mighty USAF 596 rectifier. There was a week wait to have them make the adapter.

 

[ColSaulTigh]

Awright! All stock tubes swapped. Thanks @ColSaulTigh for recommending the mighty USAF 596 rectifier. There was a week wait to have them make the adapter.

Yeah, the wait is rough, but they're very well made and about the best I've found (although I understand Glenn makes some excellent ones as well.)

 

[Adnan Firoze]

I have a quick question. Is it worth paying for "elite" power tubes just for the power? I am running my Susvara from my Benchmark speaker amp with the WA22 as a preamp. Is investing in TS 5998 worth it then, cause I don't need anything on the "gain" front? But how about the sound signature? What else is out there w/o TS 5998 and WE 421a?

 

[9bphillips]

I have a quick question. Is it worth paying for "elite" power tubes just for the power? I am running my Susvara from my Benchmark speaker amp with the WA22 as a preamp. Is investing in TS 5998 worth it then, cause I don't need anything on the "gain" front? But how about the sound signature? What else is out there w/o TS 5998 and WE 421a?

I'm curious about that also.

 

[deutscherhififan]

Takatsuki 274B is even more clean and pure than the EML 5U4G. If you want some grunt, find a USAF "Mighty" 596 + adapter (Woo Audio stocks them, I think). Rich, thick, "syrupy" sounding. Great for jazz, classic rock/hard rock, blues, etc. Not something you use for EDM/Techno.

Awright! All stock tubes swapped. Thanks @ColSaulTigh for recommending the mighty USAF 596 rectifier. There was a week wait to have them make the adapter.

 

[deutscherhififan]

I picked up a used WA22 on Headfi and love it. I also use the USAF rectifier and can confirm it made a huge improvement over both EML and Sophia Electric 274B. I also realized this amp is hugely sensitive to the quality of power. If I plug it into a regular outlet in my house I get hum and noise. If I plug it into my PS Audio P5 connected to a dedicated power line for my hifi set-up, it is dead quiet. I started to play with the Linlai Elite 6AS7 and really like them. Have a pair of NOS 6AS7G Tung-Sol Chatham 1955 coming from Holland, very excited.

 

[Roasty]

seeing all these pics.. once again I have regrets selling my WA22. if I had the spare cash, I'd get one again if only just to listen to the tak/ecc35/421a combo again.

 

[lumdicks]

seeing all these pics.. once again I have regrets selling my WA22. if I had the spare cash, I'd get one again if only just to listen to the tak/ecc35/421a combo again.

I am almost only using my WA22 listening to WE274 / WE422A / ECC32 / 421A combo indeed.

 

[Adnan Firoze]

I think we have the same set of tubes.

What socket savers are those, the golden ones?

 

[drjerryyan]

... If I plug it into my PS Audio P5 connected to a dedicated power line for my hifi set-up, it is dead quiet.

I have SIGNIFICANT problems with hum. How do you do a "dedicated power line"? Have others used power supplies that help with the problems with "hum" on their WA-22?

 

[VanHai]

What socket savers are those, the golden ones?

Those are from Amazon.

Amptata Octal 8pin Tube Saver​

 

[deutscherhififan]

I have SIGNIFICANT problems with hum. How do you do a "dedicated power line"? Have others used power supplies that help with the problems with "hum" on their WA-22?

I had my Electrician run a dedicated line from our main breaker box to my hifi system when we upgraded our electrical system for solar and home batteries. Nothing else is on that line and it shows. The P5 is more for protection than clean power.

 

[orrman]

There are days I miss my WA22.. enjoy yours everyone!