[billerb1]

Bro I've tried 3 of the 2c51/5670/396a types. Theyre all good and the differences are subtle but to me the Bendix have something special. Just a bit more presence, a bit more impact, a bit more realism. I have the Tung Sols just behind them but their midrange is second to none...and I can't make up my mind on which has the better bass. Depending on your system and what you listen for, the JK WE396a's could very well be your favorite, especially if you dig the vibe of the Mullard E88CC's. Along those lines I'd say the Bendix's somewhat mimic the Siemens Cca sound and the Tung Sols are kind of a Telefunken/Heerlen hybrid sound. There that should confuse everybody, lol.

 

[ru4music]

Bro I've tried 3 of the 2c51/5670/396a types. Theyre all good and the differences are subtle but to me the Bendix have something special. Just a bit more presence, a bit more impact, a bit more realism. I have the Tung Sols just behind them but their midrange is second to none...and I can't make up my mind on which has the better bass. Depending on your system and what you listen for, the JK WE396a's could very well be your favorite, especially if you dig the vibe of the Mullard E88CC's. Along those lines I'd say the Bendix's somewhat mimic the Siemens Cca sound and the Tung Sols are kind of a Telefunken/Heerlen hybrid sound. There that should confuse everybody, lol.

Are you running the Bendix 6385 Red Bank series? I have a pair (actually some pairs) and ran them almost exclusively in the buffer output of my CD player (I have since streamed the CDP transport through the X-Sabre DAC.) They were excellent (top notch) in that position. I tried them a couple of times in the WA2 (w/ 5998s) but felt the WE396A added a little more character to the sound in my setup. I may need to rotate them again... too many great tubes to roll chasing that perfect synergy! At the moment I'm still fixated with my `74 Reflektor 6N23P "Holy Grails"/ TS 5998/ Brimar EZ80 combo (and I still have NOS 1957 Bendix Red Bank 6385s and `75 Reflektor 6N23P "Holy Grails" sitting in storage.) BTW, you'll need at least 50 to 100 hours on the tubes we are mentioning before they start to sound their best. My NOS `74 Reflektor 6N23P "Holy Grails" took about 150 to 200 hours before they really opened up.

 

[billerb1]

No not the Red Banks...mine are 1951 2C51 Square Getters. I'm running GEC6AS7G's and prefer the Bendix and the Tung Sol 2C51's over the JK WE396a's. Just personal pref.

 

[Autostart]

@billerb1 is th W2 compatible rolling in those LM ERICSSON 396A gold pins I have? Will the W2 need the adapters as well?

 

[billerb1]

@billerb1 is th W2 compatible rolling in those LM ERICSSON 396A gold pins I have? Will the W2 need the adapters as well?

Yeah the 396A/2c51's are great with the WA2. But yes you will need the 6N3 to ECC88 adapters.

 

[Autostart]

Yeah the 396A/2c51's are great with the WA2. But yes you will need the 6N3 to ECC88 adapters.

I'm dying to try out those 396A because I've heard so many good things about them. Now I have to battle with maybe purchasing a different style amp with different tubes. Everyone always raves about the 300B tubes but are they really that much better?

Do you think the W2 has enough power to drive Planars like the LCD's from Audeze? What about pairing it with HD800? I never even considered the W2. My choices for first to last are

WA5 LE
W22
W6 SE
and possibly now W2

 

[billerb1]

I’m driving HD800S’s with the WA2...great pairing. I’m sure the WA22 would be more than sufficient. Don’t know about the others.

 

[Autostart]

I’m driving HD800S’s with the WA2...great pairing. I’m sure the WA22 would be more than sufficient. Don’t know about the others.

And from my understanding you also have a set of LM Ericsson 396a's? How do they fair in the W2?

 

[billerb1]

And from my understanding you also have a set of LM Ericsson 396a's? How do they fair in the W2?

I don’t have the Ericsson’s. I’ve tried a lot of the others though and ended up preferring the Tung Sol 2c51’s. Just personal preference. BIG sound with just a killer midrange. Need a good 50 hours of burn-in.

 

[davveswe]

remove

 

[davveswe]

Can a 6f8g to 6922 adapter been used with the wa2?
6f8g uses 0,6 ampere and 6922 0,365 ampere.

 

[davveswe]

Can a 6f8g to 6922 adapter been used with the wa2?
6f8g uses 0,6 ampere and 6922 0,365 ampere.

 

[MIKELAP]

Can a 6f8g to 6922 adapter been used with the wa2?
6f8g uses 0,6 ampere and 6922 0,365 ampere.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1pc-Gold-pl...130619?hash=item2c998412bb:g:XacAAOSwjVVVwubo

 

[Astral Abyss]

Here's some good news: Myself and a few others approached Jeremy of Garage1217 about making a 2C51/5670/6N3P/396A to 6922 adapter and he agreed. The adapter was completed on Tuesday and is up on his website to order. They're $23 each, or I believe he offers a discount for multiples/pairs. I bought 1 for my Ember and 2 for my WA2. They should be here tomorrow and I'll take a pic of how they look in the WA2 with my 396a tubes.



http://www.garage1217.com/garage1217_diy_tube_headphone_amplifiers_012.htm
(scroll to the bottom of the page)

If you've used Jeremy's adapters before, you know how well they're made. I asked him about other adapters as well, and he said if this one is popular, he would likely consider it. I would love to have a nice alternative vs questionable sellers (and quality) from China for my adapters. Hopefully anyone interested will at least give these a consideration. They're definitely worth the extra cost... unquestionably superior quality.

 

[Astral Abyss]

I may have jumped the gun. New tube adapters are not working with WA2. Standby while I find out what's up...