My guess for less posting is the first generation WA6 and WA6 SE have been out of production for several years now. The WA6 in particular was/is a great affordable tube rolling amp so it generated lots of tube related discussion. Then there was the inevitable comparing the two models and more tube related to and fro.
The second generation amps slowed tube rollers down and so went the discussions.
The latest generations of the WA22 and WA5 still use the original tube sets so the attention goes there. An assist goes to some of the high end new production tubes of recent years.
Love rolling my 1st generation 6 and 22 but at present I don’t engage in much on line as the focus leans towards the ultimate tube sets and I focus on the middle ground or lower and using my kit. I suspect most people are in the same boat as it is really simple economics in the end. The 33 is another animal altogether and another demographic with the astronomically more expensive options and tube sets.
Today my WA6 is rocking a Sophia Princess 274B which is a competent rectifier but realistically it’s strength is looks… It is powering a pair of Toshiba Tokyo Shibaura 6DE7 NOS from Woo Audio. Guessing they were made in the 70s and they are the best none 6SN7 type tube I have heard in the amp. They get no love on these forums.
The WA22 is loaded up for war… WWII vintage Sylvania VT-231 from the USN, a Korean War vintage RCA JAN CV717 5R4GY rectifier and finally the power tubes are run of the mill RCA SC1768 6AS7G From 1950 and 53. These tubes are easy to source, affordable, and perform oh so close to tubes and amps I have auditioned costing thousands more. Rolled these in last night after a stretch with 60-70s era Mullards. Every time I roll them in they wow me without fail. This time is special, the first try out with new Sennheiser HD820 phones. Phenomenal.
Woo and cheap tubes can be magical but they will never be sexy to talk about so we don’t
The second generation amps slowed tube rollers down and so went the discussions.
The latest generations of the WA22 and WA5 still use the original tube sets so the attention goes there. An assist goes to some of the high end new production tubes of recent years.
Love rolling my 1st generation 6 and 22 but at present I don’t engage in much on line as the focus leans towards the ultimate tube sets and I focus on the middle ground or lower and using my kit. I suspect most people are in the same boat as it is really simple economics in the end. The 33 is another animal altogether and another demographic with the astronomically more expensive options and tube sets.
Today my WA6 is rocking a Sophia Princess 274B which is a competent rectifier but realistically it’s strength is looks… It is powering a pair of Toshiba Tokyo Shibaura 6DE7 NOS from Woo Audio. Guessing they were made in the 70s and they are the best none 6SN7 type tube I have heard in the amp. They get no love on these forums.
The WA22 is loaded up for war… WWII vintage Sylvania VT-231 from the USN, a Korean War vintage RCA JAN CV717 5R4GY rectifier and finally the power tubes are run of the mill RCA SC1768 6AS7G From 1950 and 53. These tubes are easy to source, affordable, and perform oh so close to tubes and amps I have auditioned costing thousands more. Rolled these in last night after a stretch with 60-70s era Mullards. Every time I roll them in they wow me without fail. This time is special, the first try out with new Sennheiser HD820 phones. Phenomenal.
Woo and cheap tubes can be magical but they will never be sexy to talk about so we don’t
While I have no experience with the Ken-Rads, I do say that you have one of the best (while sanely priced) rectifier tubes. My experience with my beloved WA6 (1st Gen) is that the rectifier has a pronounced effect on sound quality. Enjoy! 
getter).
