This is a bit of a misnomer as well, while you can tweak amps with tubes, better designed amps tend to change less. I am all for optimizing an amp with the right tubes, but realistically you don’t change a balanced, fundamentally dry amp like the WA33 into an ooey gooey tube amp. It’s just not what it is.
The nature of Push/Pull (Balanced tube circuits) is they largely cancel out the harmonic distortion that people tend to associate with the big full bodied wet sound of most entry level tube amps.
The Gold Lions it ships with are bass forwards, and come across a bit richer than say PSVane Acme’s, you can improve incisiveness or relax it a bit with the right rectifier, but regardless of tubes it’ll still for the most part sound like a WA33.
My Pacific DAC for example can take a whole slew of very different tubes and even with that it still sounds like a Pacific with any of them.
The WA33 is fundamentally a very dry, technically accomplished amp with a big expansive stage and some of the other aspects of presentation I associate with DHT’s.
what cans are you looking to run? Like @Polygonhell said, WA33 isnt a warm sound even in the slightest (its extraordinarily technical, but quite dry leaning). Honestly, WA23 would be a much better move if you are after some tube sound.
WA33 seems to change a fair bit less than others in terms of tonality IME.
much better put than I could have done. TBH, i am at the point where if tubes fundamentally change an amp I kinda dont trust the amp.
Just a note for @adeadcrab, ignore the IFI regardless of the power spec stated if you want to run sus. There are simply better options at the price for that can IMO.
I seem to have slightly misrepresented myself… In @GoldenSound’s WA33 video, he states that this amp is the perfect match for Abyss 1266 TC as the WA33 adds the slightest sweetness to the midrange, complementing the cold signature of the 1266 like no other.
What I meant is this:
To my mind that is an amp tilting towards warm, yes the Ferrum Orr, Violectric V550, GSX-Mini, and indeed other tube amps would be considerably warmer but to me I classified this pairing of WA33 and Abyss 1266 as ‘flavouring’ the sound; even though I imagine many stating ‘no, no, not at all. get your facts straight adeadcrab!’
For amps like the WA33 I think the more apt adjective is ‘natural’ over warm; neutral but with only the mere suggestion, the slightest hint of warmth in tonality.
IME, the sweetness add is very slight with even the fairly linear OOR being sweeter. This isnt even to mention that wa33 being “sweet” comes down to perspective. Its sweet compaired to ahb2, cfa3, THX, etc, but honestly, I would call it dry of neutral personaly.
Ive heard normal, elite, and normal with JPS (all on dave + m scaler and sus with identical cables). they all have the same fundamental signature with just slight differences in technicalities and refinement IME.
I have 1266 and Susvara with the dcs lina stack. I’m fine overall but feel something is missing with the Susvara on the Lina amp? I saw the Bakoon/enleum video and was starting to gain interest. However upon checking I see that there is only Single ended connections on the amp. No balanced XLR input. Doesn’t that take away from performance? I see so many contradictions about that? I am looking to improve Susvara performance so that’s why I am skeptical a bit?
Although not related to the AMP-13 or the later Enleum AMP-23R, I have the Bakoon EQA -11 Reference Phono stage. It is a great product, and has worked without issue for the last 4-years after a 2nd hand purchase. It offers a current based amplification, with the advantage of no loading setting to be selected, nor gain etc. Operates with very little noise. Simply plug ‘n’ play. It operates via a rechargeable battery, and the ‘on battery’ provision is longer than any listening I have done.
As a brand, recommended based on this experience.
Unless your DAC is underperforming from its single ended output (which it shouldn’t) then don’t worry about the Enleum being single ended. It doesn’t hurt anything and pairs well with the Susvara if you’re looking for a warmer sound. It also works surprisingly well with the 1266 if you want to balance it a bit by emphasizing the mids.
definitely agree as a previous Bakoon owner. The bakoon headphone output is a direct line to their speaker amp. It has plenty of power, and it has a warm sound that really emphasizes the mids. Perfect pairing for Susvara, and I also loved it with HD600 series too.
You know it looks like a really worthy buy. Has a line in feature to pair with any DAP that has a line out feature. I imagine the KANN max connected balanced into to the E-23RM would be extremely powerful. You could drive any headphone no problem to ear splitting Levels.
