VanHai
500+ Head-Fier
My favorite combination for the WA6-SE. Mullard 5V4G + Zenith 13EM7
Woo Audio WA6 + WA6SE: Tubes, Comments, Pictures, and Advice
- Thread starter Ahzari
- Start date
I agree 100%. I never had the want to roll tubes again.
The layering and transparency is insane. It is technically capable, but still has the warmth of musicality of slower-sounding tubes, but without the drawbacks of less transparency, congested soundstage, etc.
Its magical that it can blend the best of both worlds of a warm-sounding tube and a more clinical-sounding tube
joining the WA6-SE club via a used gen 1, being delivered today or tomorrow. already begun the tube rolling fantasy in my mind. LOL
VanHai
500+ Head-Fier
Welcome to the club, glad that you are on board.
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Woo WA6 1st Generation + Brimar / Footscray tubes is always a sure bet for great, involved, satisfying listening.
[PS to David ‘bomp’ 222: is the WA6 unpacked?]
Woo WA6 1st Generation + Brimar / Footscray tubes is always a sure bet for great, involved, satisfying listening.[PS to David ‘bomp’ 222: is the WA6 unpacked?]
@jonathan c -
What driver tubes are you running?
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Those are the Brimar CV455 KB/FB 1956. 12AT7 tubes via 12A#7 —> 6DE7 adapters from Xuling Audio Lab.
Just got a used WA6-SE gen 1, plugged it in, and it is sounding great already. It included a (fake, I think) Sophia 274B and a pair of Raytheon 6EW7's. Tthis thing sounds amazeballs already. I am curious how those tubes compare performance-wise and 'sonci-signature wise to other options. I have nothing to compare it with, having been a sold-state guy for many years now, and haven't tube-rolled since I had my Moscode gear several decades ago.
I'd love to hear some options/suggestions.
Editing to report the probably fake 274B tube. I was googling to see if there were differences between the sold and mesh plates, and noticed that the "branding" printed on the base of the tube looks NOTHING like the pictures on the web. Mine just says Sophia on the top line, and 2784B directly underneath that - in fairly plain, yellow/green type. Not sure if the Raytheon's are legit, but they look more 'real' in terms of their branidng. I still think this amp sounds great with whatever tubes these are - no bummed out about the tube provenance, just curious if I am leaving performance on the table.
(Use case is Anax-mod HD800s, ZMF Auteurs, fed from a very good dac/streamer.)
I'd love to hear some options/suggestions.
Editing to report the probably fake 274B tube. I was googling to see if there were differences between the sold and mesh plates, and noticed that the "branding" printed on the base of the tube looks NOTHING like the pictures on the web. Mine just says Sophia on the top line, and 2784B directly underneath that - in fairly plain, yellow/green type. Not sure if the Raytheon's are legit, but they look more 'real' in terms of their branidng. I still think this amp sounds great with whatever tubes these are - no bummed out about the tube provenance, just curious if I am leaving performance on the table.
(Use case is Anax-mod HD800s, ZMF Auteurs, fed from a very good dac/streamer.)
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ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
I believe that's an early "Sophia" and not the more well-known "Sophia Princess" that we've all come to know and love.will the real Sophia please stand up!
This amp is quite wonderful, am driving my Empyreans with it now. Also, insane audiophile stuff: Wireworld Silver Eclipse intercconnects, Shunyata Alpha NR power cord, Isootek and Audioquest power conditioning stuff. Thanks for i.d.-ing the tube, was taken by surprise when looking at the newer versions, and the Rdeo Drive script branding printed on them.
I did not take any photos of the 6EW7's, but their Raytheon brinding looks familiar to me - my uncle worked for Raytheon years ago. Alternate tubes that would take it even further, if possible would be cool as well.
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
There's all sorts of good driver tubes for that amp. As for rectifiers, go hunt down a NOS Brimar 5Z4GY on eBay for about $50USD shipped. One of the best bargains out there.
Good stuff.
I also run Shunyata Research NR power cords. As where you run Isotek & Audioquest power conditioners, I kept with Shunyata and run a Hydra Delta D6. It's amazing how good the Shunyata NR line are at significantly lowering the noise floor. Add in the Hydra Delta D6 and it's shocking how black the background can get.
For the WA6-SE gen 1, the best 6DE7's I've found are the five star Toshiba's that Woo Audio sells. These are NOS tightly matched pairs from the 1970's. Very good. A harder pair to find but still available if you look long enough are the Tung-Sol 6DE7's. A very full bodied sound that doesn't sacrifice detail. I recommend both.
I've tried almost all of the top 20-25 rectifiers in the Dubstep girl's 5U4G thread. For the WA6-SE gen 1, to my ears the Osram/GEC/MWT/ U52 from the 1950's is about the best. A excellent budget friendly option that is still available if you are patient and look hard enough is the Marconi Canada 5U4G. This was made by Radiotron Valve Company in the 1950's and 1960's in Montreal Canada. Very sweet sound with a polite presence. Of course the Cossor 53KU is another fantastic example but these tend to be pricey. I didn't like the Western Electric 422A. I thought the high end was disjointed and smeared. It lacked the seamlessness of the U52 and the 53KU. Of course I can't forget about the classic and outstanding metal base GZ34. In the WA6-SE gen 1 I found this rectifier to add a faster speed to the warm signature that this amp has. Woo Audio amps are known to have a warm and slow presentation. Some suggest that the Woo Audio house sound comes from the way they wind their transformers. Indeed, I think with the exception of the new Woo Audio Luna amp, I've heard everything in the line-up and Woo definitely has a specific soinc signature. The metal base GZ34 almost brings a soild-state speed into play. It cuts though the mud and adds a different and welcomed tonality.
Either way, congrats on the WA6-SE gen 1. You've got yourself an amazing amp. Have fun with it. Plenty of rolling options for both the driver tubes and of course many options for rectifiers.
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Just picked up a used Gen 1 WA6. My first tube amp! Woo woo!! Overall it sounds great to my ears. However...
Not sure how to describe it, but certain genres like metal (where there's a lot of stuff going on at once) can be a bit muddy at times in the middle frequencies.
Perhaps I'm looking for a bit more separation and pop from instruments?
Any recommendations for tubes and rectifier?
Not sure how to describe it, but certain genres like metal (where there's a lot of stuff going on at once) can be a bit muddy at times in the middle frequencies.
Perhaps I'm looking for a bit more separation and pop from instruments?
Any recommendations for tubes and rectifier?
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