@M0N would you say there’s a noticeable gap in performance between amps in the mod ha300 range vs the woo wa33 (regular) range if coming from the allnic (ignoring sound profile)?
Hmmmm so what exactly do you mean here? Are you asking if there’s a decent jump between something like a wa33 or mod ha300 vs the gt?
Like the difference bw the gt to ha300 vs the gt to a wa33 performance wise, if that makes sense. Just trying to gauge how much of a jump to expect upgrading to one of those (assuming synergy is good and I like both amps)…
TBH I don’t think it makes sense to ignore the sound profile, the WA33 in particular can be very devisive with people expecting a big full tube sound, and if it isn’t for you get something else.
I think you have to know what your looking for in sound profile first.
It’s why ranking equipment is so hard, it’s impossible to be unaffected by your preferences.
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That’s completely fair, it’s just that I feel like I would like both basing it on impressions from here. Provided it’s not overly “tubey” and it’s engaging, I think I’d be able to appreciate both. That’s why I narrowed it down to whichever would have an edge in performance. But yeah you’re right I should nail down the preference first
My clears are now gone in a pursue of better treble and bass in general
M0N posted an extensive list in the Focal thread which you might want to go through
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Youre a lifesaver
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I 100,000% agree here. The wa33 is still the most technical amp I have ever heard, but if you gave me one for free I still simply wouldn’t use it. It very simply doesnt make me enjoy my music.
This will entierly depend on what you call “engaging”. IMO the wa33 isn’t engaging basically at all and instead pretty supremely boring. That feeling is specifically because I personally like a certain level of vividness over “neutral” that wa33 specifically aims not to have.
If however, you define “engaging” as incisiveness or just raw energy, wa33 has it in spades.
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I find it hard to listen to the Enleum after listening to the WA33.
The Woo presents in such a way that you really feel like you’re missing stuff or there’s too much color afterwards. It’s not for everyone (I wasn’t sure I’d appreciate that and still don’t know for the long term) but it’s definitely on purpose.
I don’t agree that it’s not engaging, for me it is at least. It’s simply different and won’t be for everyone.
With both amps I had “oh wow” moments - with the 23r it’s “oh wow this is so fun” and with the woo it’s “oh wow this sounds incredible”
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The 3 exogal comets from TMR are now gone, I didnt buy soon enough 
Im negotiating for the 1200 USAM one I hope I can get but as a mexican its not always possible
My exogal dream is hanging from a thread…
if I dont get that one are the dac2541 and qutest still very solid options?
The goal is to drive the adx5000 and a future utopia with my soloist, bha100, rnhp…
(What would be the most money efficient way to change more of the sound? I have about a 1350 limit if I dont get the exogal)
THANKS for your advice
I enjoyed my Qutest most with the red filter on using headphones.
I have not owned a soekrist yet.
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So I’m close to finally selling my Abbas and am still on the lookout for a good DAC. I had narrowed it down to Totaldac but the single is a bit more than I want to spend. I’m also considering the Merason DAC-1 since two are currently on the market and also the Meitner MA-1 V2. I’m mostly looking for good macrodynamics and good vocals. I think that’s the two biggest things I care about. Resolution is important but probably the lowest. Just need to be at the “good enough” level i.e. Ygg? (which i guess could be different for everyone).
So I guess my main question is would one of those meet my requirements? I think MA-1 might not meet the macrodynamics based on what M0N said on his review but overall it should be a solid DAC. So I’m kind of leaning toward Merason but not sure if I want it always to sound rich. It’s hard to know without hearing it though.
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Though I haven’t heard it, wouldn’t the mojo stuff fit your requirements (based on all the impressions here)? Or are you just looking at those two specifically?
Mojo is also a contender but the price increase really puts them out of the running for the most part. My friend has a mystique v3 that I could possibly buy our borrow but that’s a few models older compared to the current line
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So asking for a friend, and speaking in generalities:
If they werent the biggest fan of a SET (technically SEP) transformer coupled amp because to them it sounded very rolled down at the edges, and too dense and unseparated in the mids, what are the chanced they would also not like a DHT SET for the same reasons. Also just speaking in generalities as i am sure implementation, implementation, implementation.
As you observe depends on the implementation.
You can get SE Triode, Tetrode or Pentode based designs that have extension comparable with SS amps, and very minimal midrange bloom/ weight. Or you can get very rich bloomy amps.
I’d bet most people wouldn’t realize my 2 Channel monos were even tube based with a quick listen.
DHT’s do IME have a sound, though for the most part it’s subtle, it’s what I describe as an immediacy of presentation, and I don’t really have better words to describe it. But 2A3 amps generally don’t sound like 242 Amps or 300B amps, even though they all have that characteristic. But it’s not going to change someone opinion of the amp being rolled off or not.
There is also always the option of a PP (Balanced) tube amp, though the only one I know of in the headphone space is the WA33, they generally have even less tube flavor, whether DHT or otherwise, because all the harmonic distortion is cancelled in the circuit.
There are people who like the harshness present in the treble extension of some SS pieces, and it’s hard to find tube amps or higher end SS amps for that matter that present that way.
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I was hoping you would chime in and say something like “SET(P) amps will always be xx because of the inherent design does these fun technical things…” but I kind of knew the answer was coming.
While I…ahem… my friend is aching to try some 300b or other DHT amps, maybe they should still should stick with trying to audition things before buying, or going with easily digestible priced or resalable products.
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If you ever get a chance to head down 95S towards my way in Virginia happy to let you audition multiple varieties of tube flavor vs class A and SS along with completely various tube design amps w/ both speakers and a variety of decent HP’s.
It’s a long trip but worthwhile if you are hell bent on spending. At least have an idea of what you’re getting into. I was fortunate in that I travel a bunch for work and took every opportunity in every state to look for stores that would allow me to hear variety. Unfortunately I love them all which didn’t help my bank account any😔
When your taste is particular And space is at a premium you need to be a bit more choice conscious
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