Couple of (possibly) wierd synergy questions. How are mysphere (both if yall know) and d8000p on 13r and HSA-1B? Know these are our their combos so no issues if no one has tried em
The D8KP isn’t particularly picky, but to me that means you have a wider selection of amps to use it effectively on, I prefer it on my Stratus, to even the WA33 and liquid gold.
The fact you can get good results from it from a lower powered 2A3 or 300B SET amp, is it’s advantage to me.
2 Likes
The d8kp synergy is just a bonus since I already have it. Just figured I would ask. Basicaly I’m trying to line up all of my options for an aml that will run 1266 and sus and see what else it will handle from my list of “to try cans” as well.
Also, side /rant. Why the hell are there so few tube amps (and even fewer pres) that don’t have the tubes on full ass display? Litteraly one of the main appeals of the aic-10 to me is not having to explain what the glowey thing is on my desk (and that doesnt even have a pre-out iirc). Litteraly the only amps i can find without tubes sticking out everywhere are portable (no pre), the aic, and sub 1k.
Edit: I know the answer is just people want to look at tubes btw. I’m just annoyed since I have 0 desire to explain tubes to coworkers
2 Likes
Keep in mind the aic is a hybrid and not full tube, but the angstrom stella hp, octave v16 are somewhat hidden with the top on, lta mz3 tubes are mostly inside the amp, technically audiovalve has tubes inside but still pretty visible, same with fostex hp-v8, trafomatic head 2, leben cs-300 counts, and more. So they are out there, just less common. Tubes are hot, and also at some point need to be changed, I’d assume most manufacturers would rather leave them out of the case if they can, it’s less hassle for them and safer I’d assume, but looks are also a big reason
Edit: also mal valve headamp 3 mk4, ear hp4, modwright tryst has them mostly hidden
2 Likes
It’s as much a packaging thing as an aesthetic one, with a side of “history”.
Tubes generate heat, that has to go somewhere, it’s easier to deal with outside the box.
The history bit is really around the way diy and bespoke tube amps have been built for decades, the whole a plate with components bolted to the top and bottom design.
More powerful speaker tube amps are often covered with mesh, because they put out so much heat, but it’s more a shield than putting the tubes in a box.
D8KP is one of 3 phones I have on a list to try - and I genuinely want to try them all BEFORE making a decision. All of the discussion around the D8KP is throwing a wrench at my will power, to not just jump to it.
So sorry - I have to mute you all - lol
just kidding
2 Likes
Looks like I got a lot to Google at lunch. Ty
Oh, yha. That does make a ton sense. Just seem like making a cage that obscures visuals but keeps air flow wouldn’t be a huge deal. Hell, I’d be fine with active cooling if it meant I could keep the tubes out of site tbh
Glowing tubes are pretty
Glowing tubes get hot
Glowing tubes in hifi are usually in controlled rooms and dont travel or need protection like those in guitar amps.
Glowing tubes are now “unique”. I cant think of many vintage mundane pieces (ie old radios) that showed them off.
3 Likes
Quick question fot anyone that knows. Are wa8 and wa22 voiced similarly? Iirc there isn’t a good way to tube role wa8 but obviously you can wa22, so I know that voicing can change
Generally the wa22 is cleaner and more techincal with a bit more tightness, but does have a bit more of a midrange focus than the wa8. Still has the woo house sound, but a bit less thickly laid on than the wa8, more able when it comes to things like control, speed, general technical ability. But I haven’t heard a wa22 in awhile
1 Like
Assume wa22 is also like a full 2 tiers above wa8? Have a demo of wa8 lined up this weekend or next and trying to get an idea of what to expect from the wa22 since they don’t have one on hand.
Edit: they also have wa33. Wa22 kind of a middle ground between the two?
I haven’t heard a WA22, but the WA33 doesn’t really have the sound I associate with Woo Amps, I’m told the Elite Edition has more of it than the Standard Edition I have.
The WA33 is a relatively dry amp, though it still has some mid/low range fullness, and the immediacy and staging you seem to get with DHT’s.
The WA22 using 6SN7/6080 tubes would likely sound quite different.
1 Like
A bit yes, although to me the elite vs standard it’s still relatively close voicing wise. The WA22 is more traditional woo signature, but it’s still cleaner and dryer than something like a wa6se or wa5le
2 Likes
Not to hijack ongoing conversations, but as I read and learn, a new question has popped up that I can’t seem to find the answer -
-Does a good DDC or USB re-clocker introduce output lag to a degree that would be noticeable with movie playback, Netflix streaming, or performance critical gaming?
All three are in my primary usecase, and while I would love to be able to eliminate jitter introduced in the USB feed for music, not if it is going to come at too high of a tradeoff price.
Typically yes, the amount depends on the specific ddc at hand. There are ddc that are optimized for music production with lower latency, but you will typically take a bit of a sound quality hit if you get something with ultra low latency for the most part (compared to other ddc with more processing). Also depends on how the dac ends up processing incoming digital signals as well
That could be done, but having anything in the chain will typically increase latency, just make sure you go with a lower latency optimized ddc
A solid option (assuming you have multiple inputs on your dac) is to use SPDIF toslink (for galvanic isolation) for movies/video/games when SQ isn’t top priority and use a different input for your ddc for music
1 Like
To clarify you mean toslink right, as yes you could just use toslink or usb when latency is a big concern, and when you want to use it for music or more casual gaming/watching, then use the ddc
1 Like
Yes I do. Slip of the tongue
Suggestions on this front?
I suppose I should put all relevant details forward to get contextually complete advice… New thread inbound.
What price range are you thinking around, and would you be willing to do what @Draaly suggested as that would make things easier?
1 Like