[zach915m]

Pendant is $1800 with the 200 off owners/combo discount. EL3N is amazing if you can find one. Wells milo isn't tubes but has that sound for around there.

 

[mixman]

I can confirm the WA22 works incredibly well with both my HEKse as well as the Verite and Eikon I auditioned on it. Love the amp!

Love the look of the Woo and briefly heard it at Can Jam. My buddy Dan Lee has one and loves his.

@mixman I like my Cayin Ha-1a mk2 tube amp, it has an impedance selector, which should help with running planners and I found it to have a nice tube sound but closer to “neutral” at least in comparison to the more “tubey” BHC. I’m running all Tung-Sol (Russian new stock) and find it pretty nice, but I’m not a tube aficionado =)

This I have been looking into as an interim tube amp, hopefully a bit above the Crack as far as being detailed? Don't want too much of a tubey sound, just a nice holographic soundstage with detailed warmth.

Pendant is $1800 with the 200 off owners/combo discount. EL3N is amazing if you can find one. Wells milo isn't tubes but has that sound for around there.

Good to hear. I was looking into this amp and I figured after some tube rolling it might end up way above budget. I believe a new EL3n is about $1,500-$2,000 from Glenn? It's really the 6 month or more wait that's a killer.

 

[TylersEclectic]

Pendant is $1800 with the 200 off owners/combo discount. EL3N is amazing if you can find one. Wells milo isn't tubes but has that sound for around there.

@mixman I got to hear this (ZMF pendant at ZMFestivus this past weekend) it was awesome sounding and if you are willing to jump the price up it is a solid buy, I was really enjoying it. I am probably going to upgrade to it as my next tube amp, as like you, as much as I like the Glenn (it was amazing listening to it! Honestly, if you ever get the opportunity to hear a Glenn jump on it), They are rather difficult to come by and the waitlist is getting prohibitively long. Hopefully Glenn starts feeling better and he can continue producing his magic in amp form =)

Anyhow, The Pendant is an easy recommendation after hearing it this past weekend. The Cayin I recommended and have currently, is feeling a little lacking after hearing the Pendant. But still a great amp =) both are great amps in their price brackets, with enough changes in quality to warrant the price differences. At least in my opinion, not that my opinion is worth much

edit: saw your post after hitting go lol, but yes the Cayin is a more holographic closer to neutral sound, at least to my ears. The thing ways a ton for its compact size though lol, something to consider. But it is one of the best looking tube amps I’ve seen, but due to its enclosed nature tube rolling is a pain in the rear. Based on what you have said are your preferences, I think the Cayin and or the Pendant would be right up your alley...neutral with just enough tube goodness implemented.

 

[pippen99]

Check out the WA22 thread. I have been off it for some time but back then the consensus was that the WA22 could be made to sound very good but it took loads of money to get the tubes that made it that good.

 

[heliosphann]

Check out the WA22 thread. I have been off it for some time but back then the consensus was that the WA22 could be made to sound very good but it took loads of money to get the tubes that made it that good.

That sounds about right. I never had a WA22, but the WA2's sound was entirely dependent on what tubes you had in it.

 

[JLoud]

I had a Woo WA6se that was great with my LCD-4 and Utopia as well as HD800S. So everything from 70 ohms to 300. It even had enough juice to drive my Abyss 1266 tc. Maybe not perfect for the Abyss but not bad. Looking at $1500 with decent upgraded tubes. $1200 stock. I sold mine for $1200 earlier this year with EML rectifier and some nice driver/power tubes. Fits in your price range.

 

[mixman]

@mixman I got to hear this (ZMF pendant at ZMFestivus this past weekend) it was awesome sounding and if you are willing to jump the price up it is a solid buy, I was really enjoying it. I am probably going to upgrade to it as my next tube amp, as like you, as much as I like the Glenn (it was amazing listening to it! Honestly, if you ever get the opportunity to hear a Glenn jump on it), They are rather difficult to come by and the waitlist is getting prohibitively long. Hopefully Glenn starts feeling better and he can continue producing his magic in amp form =)

Anyhow, The Pendant is an easy recommendation after hearing it this past weekend. The Cayin I recommended and have currently, is feeling a little lacking after hearing the Pendant. But still a great amp =) both are great amps in their price brackets, with enough changes in quality to warrant the price differences. At least in my opinion, not that my opinion is worth much

edit: saw your post after hitting go lol, but yes the Cayin is a more holographic closer to neutral sound, at least to my ears. The thing ways a ton for its compact size though lol, something to consider. But it is one of the best looking tube amps I’ve seen, but due to its enclosed nature tube rolling is a pain in the rear. Based on what you have said are your preferences, I think the Cayin and or the Pendant would be right up your alley...neutral with just enough tube goodness implemented.

I may still check out the Cayin on my way to the Pendant or the Woo. Trying to get the collection where I want it to be before I buy a pretty expensive amp.

That sounds about right. I never had a WA22, but the WA2's sound was entirely dependent on what tubes you had in it.

Yeah, I heard about that. It was mentioned that the stock tubes were pretty much "garbage".

I had a Woo WA6se that was great with my LCD-4 and Utopia as well as HD800S. So everything from 70 ohms to 300. It even had enough juice to drive my Abyss 1266 tc. Maybe not perfect for the Abyss but not bad. Looking at $1500 with decent upgraded tubes. $1200 stock. I sold mine for $1200 earlier this year with EML rectifier and some nice driver/power tubes. Fits in your price range.

Might also check that WA6SE out also as an interim amp. You have the amp I really would like the WA5LE. That or the Cayin HA-300 would be my semi-endgame tube amp.......or maybe amp period. I say semi-endgame.....because as long as we are here on the forum, it's never truly endgame.

 

[nishan99]

Going back and forth between the verite and universe pads multiple times for days of a/bing and I very much prefer the V pads, it's much more detailed, dynamic/engaging and with more precise imaging. And after +120 hours of burn in the stage with the V pads is a lot better... bigger than any headphones I own!. The SS is as wide as the hifiman ananda but shorter and much much deeper.

Try Silver for monsters... by Marcin Przybyłowicz and hear how crazy deep the stage is.

 

[Gibson59]

Check out the WA22 thread. I have been off it for some time but back then the consensus was that the WA22 could be made to sound very good but it took loads of money to get the tubes that made it that good.

I don’t mean to derail the thread but I gotta strongly disagree. I have a mix of both expensive tubes and cheap tubes for my WA22 and I can genuinely say the amp sounds amazing regardless of tube cost for me. It’s much more about what sound you’re trying to shape. Some people of course are tempted by the high price tubes and may end up regretting the hole in their wallet. When I roll my tubes I’m not thinking about what they cost me, but rather what they’re doing to the sound and I often end up with a combo in the amp that was low cost to me With a little research you can find tons of affordable tubes. That goes for any tube amp of course. Don’t let it discourage you @mixman !

 

[UntilThen]

Check out the WA22 thread. I have been off it for some time but back then the consensus was that the WA22 could be made to sound very good but it took loads of money to get the tubes that made it that good.

I don't mean to derail the thread too but my love of Verite with tube amps is very obvious. Just to show that I'm not partial to GOTL or Studio Six, I was offered a mint condition Wa22 at half price today. I couldn't say no because I do love tube amps and it don't matter what brand. As long as it sounded good. Once I got Wa22 home, I selected the tubes from my collection. They are not the best tubes in my collection but good enough.

GEC U52, Sylvania 6sn7gtb chrome top and Tung Sol 5998. Listening for the last 2 hours with Verite and it's pretty amazing ! I could live with this tube amp and Verite, no kidding. I'm impressed.

 

[TylersEclectic]

I don't mean to derail the thread too but my love of Verite with tube amps is very obvious. Just to show that I'm not partial to GOTL or Studio Six, I was offered a mint condition Wa22 at half price today. I couldn't say no because I do love tube amps and it don't matter what brand. As long as it sounded good. Once I got Wa22 home, I selected the tubes from my collection. They are not the best tubes in my collection but good enough.

GEC U52, Sylvania 6sn7gtb chrome top and Tung Sol 5998. Listening for the last 2 hours with Verite and it's pretty amazing ! I could live with this tube amp and Verite, no kidding. I'm impressed.

Cool, I’ll take your Glenn then! please...lol

 

[TonyNewman]

Cool, I’ll take your Glenn then! please...lol

... from my cold, dead hands...

 

[UntilThen]

... from my cold, dead hands...

Darthpool, you heard this man !

 

[ProfFalkin]

It's OTL Dome. Two audiophiles enter, one audiophile leaves. FIGHT!

 

[whirlwind]

Good to hear. I was looking into this amp and I figured after some tube rolling it might end up way above budget. I believe a new EL3n is about $1,500-$2,000 from Glenn? It's really the 6 month or more wait that's a killer.

Unfortunately the wait is more than likely correct ....but I can tell you that this amp will kill it with both dynamic and planar headphones.
The GOTL will also work and the basic version can be had much cheaper then the GEL3N amp....IMHO the GEL3N is better with my LCD-3 and my ZMF Ori.

With adapters you can also roll tubes....here the amp is with EL34 power tubes as well as EL3N power tubes.

Not sure how this amp stacks up with the price of the Pendant though...you would have to check with Glenn.
Understandable if you do not like the wait time though.