The new Audio Fidelity A/D converter. WAVAC visits AcousTech/RTI!

Thanks, this is a great thread, I love the WE 300B's too, interesting you use them in the mastering/recording process. They have such a wonderful midrange

 

I finally returned to my Ohio office and wanted to say a very gracious "Thank you" to both Steve and Kevin for their hospitality. Ito-san and all from WAVAC thoroughly enjoyed our visit and was duly impressed seeing the technical side of the mastering process.

Scott, I was wearing my Bengals colors as we had just visited an owner of the HE-833 and updated his amp with the SH circuit. The owner played for the Pittsburgh Steelers who play the Bengals Sunday...just some pre-game activities.

Again, thanks Steve for your time...it was sincerely appreciated! I sure wish I could bottle that CA weather and scenery.....

See y'all at CES where we will introduce some new toys including our LCR phono amplifier.

 

As Steve said:

"As you know, any extra tiny bit of ambient retrieval is always welcome. This makes things like echo and reverb sound more lifelike. "

Then you preserve that hi-fidelity signal in the digital domain. See, all the DSD or hi-bitrate PCM in the bitstream is useless if the analog signal you feed it sounds puny. You have to get all the data off the tape and get it lifelike even before it hits the computer.

Do you have the SACD of the 2 Big Star albums? It has thin bass, no body, no front to back depth. A PERFECT example of how not to do it. If you don't have the cd already, don't waste your money. Get an Audio Fidelity SACD like the Donovan, Searchers or Zombies set, and listen to those WAVACs at work. All ambience, all melifluous, no harshness or screech.

 

Steve, Why is the 300B preferable to other tubes? Is this mainly for mastering, or are you praising it as your preferred amp tube also?

 

For mastering or listening?

 

Wow, this is interesting. I always thought that EL84 was reserved for tube audio infantry (like me), while generals would not touch it - being busy with tube amps based around 211 tubes and similar.

Goran

 

I noticed that Wavac has an amp with the prefix SH.
Wonder what SH stands for.
Could it be????

 

Well, "officially" it is for Super Highend......but in my heart it's really for, well, you know who...

 

Sooo Steve- What project might you break in the A/D with? Bad Co perhaps?

 

LOL......"Bad Company"?? For the extra suttle nuances?

How about a Nat King Cole or something.......

 

Yeah, good one. (PS. That would be "subtle").

 

I think Steve said he used it for the Faces cd coming up.

 

EL-84? What amps use that? We don't seem to bring that tube up much...

 

Dynaco SCA-35, Scott 222's & many others.

P.S.

See my profile!

Joe

 

Ya know, talking about ambient retrieval...Bad Company was recorded with the Rolling Stones Mobile Sound Unit...perhaps you won't get the sound that you would in a major studio, but a savvy engineer with proper mike placement could make the most of basically live backing tracks...with stereo psycho-acoustical clues that lie dormant, untill the future, when new advances bring forth these details. yay!

 

Sounds great! I can't wait to hear Bad Company! I love that album, and the recording. It is so fat and analog sounding! I really can't wait to hear your version!

 

Steve,
What about the 2A3? The 45? The RCA VT-25? Even, the VT-52? I found these triodes to be better sounding overall to the much revered WE300B, IMHO.

 

Steve,
I thought that you used efficient speaks, like the Tannoys. If so, then power shouldn't be a concern...