[RobertSM]

I think you are both overthinking this. It simply sounds like a bad tube, probably from shipping. I wouldn't go sending the amp in just because a tube you've never used before is shorting out. It's also shorting out at the exact time I would expect it to... during heater warm up. If none of your other tubes exhibit this problem, you're fine. Just send the tubes back for a replacement set.

Maybe you're right. That said sending a piece of gear back to the factory(that was bought used) for service is a good idea and worth my money in my book.

 

[haasaaroni]

I think you are both overthinking this. It simply sounds like a bad tube, probably from shipping. I wouldn't go sending the amp in just because a tube you've never used before is shorting out. It's also shorting out at the exact time I would expect it to... during heater warm up. If none of your other tubes exhibit this problem, you're fine. Just send the tubes back for a replacement set.

Yes! The voice of reason. I'll try getting a replacement set first, and if it doesn't resolve the issue I'll send the WA6 in for a check-up and oil change. It does sound like a good idea in any case.

 

[guitargonaut]

Found some Sylvania 13FD7 fat bottle tubes online and ordered a couple to compare to the GEs I bought last month. They arrived today and look exactly like the GEs. LOL!!!

As an aside - I ordered a couple more GEs from another seller and received one GE and one Philco. Does anyone have a fat bottle Philco they'd like to sell?

 

[Astral Abyss]

Found some Sylvania 13FD7 fat bottle tubes online and ordered a couple to compare to the GEs I bought last month. They arrived today and look exactly like the GEs. LOL!!!

As an aside - I ordered a couple more GEs from another seller and received one GE and one Philco. Does anyone have a fat bottle Philco they'd like to sell?

The Philco is likely a GE also.

 

[cebuboy]

Found some Sylvania 13FD7 fat bottle tubes online and ordered a couple to compare to the GEs I bought last month. They arrived today and look exactly like the GEs. LOL!!!

As an aside - I ordered a couple more GEs from another seller and received one GE and one Philco. Does anyone have a fat bottle Philco they'd like to sell?

I think they are made by Sylvania, GE tubes have those dots etched on the glass from what I know. Do they look like these?

 

[guitargonaut]

The Philco is likely a GE also.

The bottle is a different shape and there's a silver wing on the side of one of the triodes. The getter is on top instead of the side. Looked all over the internet for a picture but the best I could find was on Reverb. The bottle shape is the same. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't show the wing or the different structures on the top mica.

 

[guitargonaut]

I think they are made by Sylvania, GE tubes have those dots etched on the glass from what I know. Do they look like these?

The GEs and the Sylvanias I have look just like the tube on the left.

 

[guitargonaut]

Here's a couple of pictures of the Philco tube.

 

[471724]

I thought I would mention that for my WA6 SE 1st gen I've experimented with several varieties of 6FD7, in particular looking for differences in sound between the side getter clear top Sylvanias and the top silvered getter Syvanias, GEs, Philcos, etc. I haven't found any significant sonic differences, despite some claims that the side getter Sylvanias are better. The biggest differences have been with some tubes, otherwise measuring very good, sounding inferior apparently due to being somewhat microphonic. This is despite there being little or no ambient sound actually vibrating the tubes. Evidently self-generated micro-vibration is occurring in the tubes just due to their electrical operation.

 

[guitargonaut]

Mmmm...

 

[471724]

Off topic, but does anyone know of somebody who has a service where they will shorten and reterminate the amplifier end of an existing long headphone cable? I have a 15 ft. HE1000V2 cable that now needs to be shortened to 5 ft.

 

[RobertSM]

Off topic, but does anyone know of somebody who has a service where they will shorten and reterminate the amplifier end of an existing long headphone cable? I have a 15 ft. HE1000V2 cable that now needs to be shortened to 5 ft.

Check your PM

 

[Flisker]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but it's hard to find comparison between WA6 and WA6-SE.

Reviews on WA6 I found, mostly say that WA6 sounds more neutral, more solidstate like. Is this the case with WA6-SE too ?

I'm asking since I'm looking for something that sounds similar to WA2 (OTL), warm, but can drive Clears and maybe Empyreans someday in future, without the impedance mismatch problem that I'm getting on WA2.

Thanks

 

[MrBasseyPants]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but it's hard to find comparison between WA6 and WA6-SE.

Reviews on WA6 I found, mostly say that WA6 sounds more neutral, more solidstate like. Is this the case with WA6-SE too ?

I'm asking since I'm looking for something that sounds similar to WA2 (OTL), warm, but can drive Clears and maybe Empyreans someday in future, without the impedance mismatch problem that I'm getting on WA2.

Thanks

I have a WA2, WA6SE, and a THX 789. I would describe the WA2 as soupy warm (or at least getting there), the WA6SE as clean but with character, and the THX 789 as too clean. I don't know if that helps...but if you like the WA2 the WA6SE is a different animal to my ears. Perhaps look at the WA22?

jc

 

[Flisker]

I have a WA2, WA6SE, and a THX 789. I would describe the WA2 as soupy warm (or at least getting there), the WA6SE as clean but with character, and the THX 789 as too clean. I don't know if that helps...but if you like the WA2 the WA6SE is a different animal to my ears. Perhaps look at the WA22?

jc

That is certainly helpful information, thank you.

So I guess my only option is Feliks Elise. Since reviews say that this one is "syrupy/tube" sounding and they did some magic to make even lower impedance headphones work as far as I know. Even asked them and got reply from Feliks saying that it will work very well with Focal Clear and decently with Empyrean, but he would suggest getting Euphoria for Empyrean. Probably because Euphoria is said to be less warm and has more power.

I was thinking about WA22, but I also read that it's more neutral compared to WA2 and the then the price is very high and what about getting amazing tubes for it... that will prolly lead to some insane numbers that I can't afford. It's already pretty nuts with the WA2 where 5889's are going for like 400$ incl. shipping.

Or I will stay with my current heretical setup, just listening to Clears straight from WA2 and using EQ to tone down the bass boost. Still sounds very, very nice.

I also have SP200 as solid state, but I just can't listen to it, after spending years with WA2, it sounds harsh and unnatural to my ears. Would expect THX 789 to sound similar.

Reviews talk about how amazing all these solid states are and how well those measure, but I don't know, it just sounds bright and subjectively distorted compared to life presentation or good tubes.