[Bonddam]

@Bonddam What happened to your EVO 400 integrated?

But i also just ordered (well changing my order from a WA22 to WA5-LE)
where did you get the KR300b?

I'm not sure which tubes to get. Takatsuki TA-300B?
https://www.partsconnexion.com/TSUKI-81942.html <-- is partsconnexion a legit place?
i'm not sure about the rectifier. Maybe the Sophia? (Also maybe a Sophia 300b too? people seem to like the royal princess... https://sophiaelectric.com/collections/vacuum-tubes/products/pages-se-royal-300b )

Anyone try either either the

Don't get the WA22 you get more out of a WA5 as it doesn't limit your headphone options. There's a school of thought that balanced amps get rid of important harmonics that we perceive as musical. My other amp is the Wells Audio Dragon Hybrid amp that has the most current output of any amp on the headphone market and powers every headphone that's Dynamic and planar. Has no hum and hiss comes with four gain switches different ground option switches and switches to change between two different tube choices. The amp only has 5 watts of power but is more robust then HeadTrip 2 and better sounding. Last cool thing is the volume control is optical so it's more precise then high end Alps. It doesn't have the issue of a sudden volume spike it's always gradual increase in volume. Only thing to get use to is that it keeps spinning there's no clock orientation like old school attenuators.

 

[Nicolas Yance]

I've a pair of EH 300B gold grids, Sophia 274B mesh and stock driver tubes on my WA5 LE 2nd gen. I'm planning on upgrading the driver tubes but I can't decide which one to get. RCA 5692 Red Base or Kenrad VT231/6SN7GT Black Glass, both are the same price.

 

[Bonddam]

WA5 owners you aren't missing that much with not being able to get the 33. 33 is more holographic but you get more toe tapping sound as you aren't loosing even order harmonics that come with a balanced circuit. Yeah you get better parts if you go Elite but you are better off getting a 234. Also the 33 is noisy with it's transformers even the amp makes noise and you can cook an egg on it.

 

[Bonddam]

I've a pair of EH 300B gold grids, Sophia 274B mesh and stock driver tubes on my WA5 LE 2nd gen. I'm planning on upgrading the driver tubes but I can't decide which one to get. RCA 5692 Red Base or Kenrad VT231/6SN7GT Black Glass, both are the same price.

I researched the RCA 5692 and they are not worth their weight in gold. I'm using Ken Rad VT231 and those are awesome makes it close to the 33. I have KR300B HP Sophia 274B and Ken Rad and I'm more then happy.

 

[morrissey]

WA5 owners you aren't missing that much with not being able to get the 33. 33 is more holographic but you get more toe tapping sound as you aren't loosing even order harmonics that come with a balanced circuit. Yeah you get better parts if you go Elite but you are better off getting a 234. Also the 33 is noisy with it's transformers even the amp makes noise and you can cook an egg on it.

Thx for the suggestion

 

[Bonddam]

I've gotten as close as I can to the performance of WA33 for EDM using KR300B, Tung Sol 6sn7GTB and Sophia 274B(not a real mesh but cool because the filament is visible. I find EML mesh which is real stuff to sound mushy. The biggest gain was the holographic presentation improved and everything became coherent in the mids to treble by smoothing out the region so it sounds normal, so no etch in the sound.

 

[Zurv]

Thoughts Takatsuki vs KR (for power - 300b)? Royal Princess?
ugh.. all of these cost way to much but so i life
I'll be using the WA5 with the Susvara and Utopia.

all are around the same price:
https://abyss-headphones.com/collections/headphone-accessories/products/kr-audio-300b-hp-tube
https://www.partsconnexion.com/TSUKI-81942.html
https://sophiaelectric.com/collections/vacuum-tubes

(The Takatsuki looks the best )

 

[Bonddam]

Tak

Thoughts Takatsuki vs KR (for power - 300b)? Royal Princess?
ugh.. all of these cost way to much but so i life
I'll be using the WA5 with the Susvara and Utopia.

all are around the same price:
https://abyss-headphones.com/collections/headphone-accessories/products/kr-audio-300b-hp-tube
https://www.partsconnexion.com/TSUKI-81942.html
https://sophiaelectric.com/collections/vacuum-tubes

(The Takatsuki looks the best )

Tak is super smooth. This is what Mike from Woo said. He pushed me towards the KR.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Thoughts Takatsuki vs KR (for power - 300b)? Royal Princess?
ugh.. all of these cost way to much but so i life
I'll be using the WA5 with the Susvara and Utopia.

all are around the same price:
https://abyss-headphones.com/collections/headphone-accessories/products/kr-audio-300b-hp-tube
https://www.partsconnexion.com/TSUKI-81942.html
https://sophiaelectric.com/collections/vacuum-tubes

(The Takatsuki looks the best )

The KR seems to be way more affordable here, maybe they ship to your country:

https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/kr-audio-300b-paar-2-gematchte-roehren?c=169

I Shop all my tubes there, very trustworthy Shop.

 

[Zurv]

The KR seems to be way more affordable here, maybe they ship to your country:

https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/kr-audio-300b-paar-2-gematchte-roehren?c=169

I Shop all my tubes there, very trustworthy Shop.

Are they different than the ones sold by abyss? The base is a different color (white vs black)
I like the black better. That German site is a lot cheaper too.

EDIT:
the Abyss ones are KR 300B HP (high performance) - now is that a different model or one that just tested differently? (it does have a white base)

woo.. they have KR 150s there too. I should bookmark this for when my TS die (which i will be a long time from now.)

 

[pippen99]

Deleted

 

[ThanatosVI]

Are they different than the ones sold by abyss? The base is a different color (white vs black)
I like the black better. That German site is a lot cheaper too.

EDIT:
the Abyss ones are KR 300B HP (high performance) - now is that a different model or one that just tested differently? (it does have a white base)

woo.. they have KR 150s there too. I should bookmark this for when my TS die (which i will be a long time from now.)

Seems like they are actually different.
I didn't know about 300B HP tubes until now.

I knew the 2A3 HP tubes, which are different from the non HP version.

So the tubes I posted are not the ones sold at Abyss.

The HP version of the 2A3 was initially US only, maybe the 300B version still is?

 

[Bonddam]

So far TAD currently has the KR 2A3 HP and if not familiar Tube Amp Doctor they manufacture their own brand. I their 12bh7 comes stock in Wells Audio Dragon and Cipher. Only problem is they don’t have the 300b but they have the regular ones. One last thing the price for 2a3 from tad is currently $200 less US from them. I’m thinking about trying regular 274b which cost $350 less then HP version.

 

[Bonddam]

Ultra-Rare TAKATSUKI TA-300B Triode Power Tubes: Matched Pair; Premium Gift Box, NEW-in-BOX; 34% Off​

Listing makes me laugh “Ultra-Rare”. Rare basically means you can’t get them right but these are more Rare then just being rare. If so rare why does Woo get them full price? Does Audiogon just have a bunch of dishonest sellers? Good thing is the price is $1645 American.

 

[Bonddam]

Sorry for constant posting. It morning and too many thoughts. Last thing the Elrog tubes are they good tubes? I have to ask because I like the design.