Charles
I can assure you the WE Replicas are far more than "modestly " better than the Hifi series. They have more extended highs and lows with more detail retrieval and much better tonality and timbre. Bass is heaps better than the HIFI series as is speed and dynamics. The downside is that you will never use the old tubes again.
BTW quality of construction is so much better too. |
I have taken the plunge and bought the CSLS. Coincident have the same price world wide ( delivered to Australia) and that was very much appreciated. It has replaced my Supratek Cabernet Dual and I have to say I agree with all that has been said about it. Transparent, natural with the best imaging and soundstage I have come across.
Very happy and though I use it with tube power amps ( Mingda MC300845-AB) it really adds magic to solid state power amps as I found out at a friends place. So far so good! |
Just thought i would let you know that i have installed a pair of new WE Replica 101D tubes onto the CSLS. They are made by PSvane and are available in China only at the moment. I bought a pair while at the Guangzhou hifi show . They are available with current 300B type pins as well as original WE pin configuration. Link below.
How do they sound? in a word WOW! Highs and lows are more extended, larger soundstage, more detail, better midrange, better dynamics and bass . Did I mention they look sensational too? Check this out:
http://www.psvane.com/?Series/WE101D/
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Charles,
There are two types of PSvane 101D. The 1:1 WE replica has only just been released in China and is currently not available elsewhere as far as I know. The other type which some people also like has been around for a little while, but is nowhere near the same league as these new ones.
All 101D 's to date are based on WE designs but these new ones are 1:1 exact replicas all the way through, like others in the Psvane WE replica range - ( their very best tubes)
Brownsfan, can you confirm which PSVane 101D's you have been using?
I cannot emphasise enough the difference between these exact 1:1 WE replicas and the regular PSVane 101D tubes from their HIFI range. The audible differences are huge ( I own them all) . I paid around $600 for them but don't know what they will retail for when generally available. Given that genuine WE 101D's in reasonable condition will set you back $000's and are often of dubious quality, these are a bargain I think
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The WE 1:1 replicas are smoother sounding than both the Shuguang and Psvane regular 101D's. Yet they resolve more detail, have better dynamics and bass which I think takes the CSLS to a new level. They also come in the best case I have seen tubes presented in - high gloss lacquer with chrome hinges and catch. They do need burn in but they come on strong all of a sudden after a couple of days of running. The link I provided was for the Chinese language site only because they do not appear on the English site yet. I wouldn't be surprised if mine are one of the first of not the first to be used outside of China. Please try these links. The first is a picture of them installed on my CSLS. The second is the PSvane China site but it isn't always accessible. You could try a different browser. http://i668.photobucket.com/albums/vv49/tp1_2009/amps0901_zps415855a4.jpghttp://www.psvane.com/?Series/WE101D/ |
I missed a couple of questions before- sorry about that. I was at the Guangzhou hifi show and they were selling them there. Btw, Full Music also were showcasing their new giant 211 and 845 tubes. Very impressive looks and sound. Also other 101d's from brands I hadn't heard of before.
At the show they only accepted cash. The psvane guys managed to communicate with limited English but were very knowledgeable and helpful. I have the contact details of psvane in GZ if you want but I'm not sure how reliable an English language email will be. I wonder if Grant Fidelity have any plans to import them.
Regarding the standard psvane 101d, they did improve with more hours under their belt and I lent them to a friend who had them for a few weeks. In total they would have clocked up around 500 hours .They had some good qualities but I think the bass was a bit light on and the treble could sound forward depending upon how the system was set up.
These 1:1 WE replicas however are better in every respect- more bass and dynamics than Shuguang and more mid range detail and extended highs than psvane Std. And sweeter sounding than both |
Charles
No worries mate. A couple of guys here in Western Australia also have CSLS and are trying to secure the new tubes through a contact in China. ( there is no going back once you have heard them in your system!).
Hopefully the usual sources will have them soon enough. |
I can't wait for you guys to try them out. I have an Aussie friend In Guangzhou who will be getting 2 more pairs for CSLS owners in Perth, Western Australia ( the CSLS is catching on over here). Apparently the next batch of tubes will be completed by the end of February.
It sounds like Israel might offer the WE replicas as an option on the CSLS. Cool.
BTW, don't forget that these tubes definitely need running in. It was around the 70 hour mark that the magic started to appear and they improved further after that.
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Hi Charles,
Yes that is me. The Soulution 710 was on loan from a friend and we did get to compare the CSLS to the Soulution 720 preamplifier a couple of weeks ago in his system in the presence of a group of hifi tragics like myself.
Of the people who were present most preferred the CSLS. They thought it was more organic sounding with a bigger sound stage and the sound was more natural overall. This was with the new WE 1:1 Replica tubes however!
The Soulution's owner preferred the Soulution citing better bass and dynamics. The $40k Soulution being an all out assault on high end pre-amps was always going to do something better. But the CSLS was certainly no slouch in those areas and I thought the dynamics and bass were very close.
The CSLS actually mates very well with SS power amps due to its speed. Although it is quite neutral it does add a natural timbre ( and a touch of warmth) to the sound compared to many SS preamps which can sound a bit dry by comparison. |
Th sonly time I have encountered any noise was with the CSLS partnered with Halcro power amps AND with the mute switch on. The owner of the Halcro contacted Israel who i understand was aware of this on happening on rare occasions and has made changes to newer models. It was no big deal for me because it was totally silent with the mute "off" mso it wouldn't be a problem using it.
Apart from the Soulutiion 710, have also hooked up the CSLS to a pair of Gryphon Colosseum monoblocks, Jungson JA-100's , Bakoon amps, Doge 9's, mingda and McCormack power amps and one or two others with absolute silence at all times and being fed by DAC's CD players and phono stages.
I think Brownsfan's advice is right on the money - its worth talking to Israel to help solve the problem although new owners shouldn't have this issue in future. |
Jordan,
I am with you on the PSvane HIFI series. I think they lack a little bottom end and can sound a tad bright depending upon the rest of your system. Running them in a lot helps but they are not as good overall in my system as the Shuguangs IMO. |
I bought my 101D WE Replica tubes at the Guangzhou HiFi show in December which was their first release. I think we can therefore claim the scoop on these!
There was no risk of getting the wrong pins at the show however. The PSvane guys were very thorough in determining the application before they handed over the tubes. |
Brownsfan,
As Charles has indicated the correct pins are the 300B style which must be specified while ordering.
Although the first batch as described by Rachel may have been comparatively small, I was told by Psvane that they were made by their most experienced employees and passed several tests before making the world debut at the GZ show. ( this is one of the most important shows in China) |
Rachel, The specs you have quoted are different to the ones on the Chinese language site for the WE101D/101D-L Replicas. These are the parameters that I have taken from that site . Filament voltage 4.5 V Filament current 1.0 A Anode voltage of 190 V gate voltage - 18 V Anode current 6.4 mA BTW, the WE-101D-L is the one with the 300B type pins that should be specified for the CSLS. At the GZ show, the PSvane guys asked what preamp it would be used in and I told them. There was a discussion in Chinese amongst themselves before concluding they should be OK. Can you please reconcile the different specs you were given to the ones on the site? This is the link to the specs- it seems to work intermittently but I can post jpeg images of it I have saved in both Chinese and English if you have problems accessing it. http://www.psvane.com/?Series/WE101D/ |
Rachel,
I now see you were only referring to the tubes sold at the HIFI Show in GZ. The information you were supplied is puzzling. The data sheets that came with mine match the website and the known specs for 101D. The lower specs that you posted are in fact specs for the 101F, not 101D.
Are you seriously suggesting that PSVane in its world launch of the WE 101D replica passed off sub standard tubes as 101D? |
Hi Dr David
The WE 101D-L sounds way better than the WE 101D hifi series. The HIFI series are IMO no better than the previous Shuguangs
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Correction
I meant to say the WE-101DL sounds better than the PS Vane 101D HIFI series |
Of course I can't guarantee everybody will experience the same results with the new tubes because the "experience" depends upon each system and each listener's perception.
In my system I hadn't changed anything else for quite some time and I knew all the nuances of my favourite recordings. It was therefore obvious to me what change the new tubes brought ( after burn-in). It would have been a lot harder to appreciate the differences if there were other tweaks happening at the same time |
Grant fidelity have been shipping the new PSvane 101d WE replicas for a week or so now, Anybody got theirs yet? |
Please keep us posted Brownsfan. |
Dmarkov, which PSvane tubes are standard now- the Hifi Series 101D or the new WE 101D-L ( WE 1:1 Replica 101D)? I have them both and there is a big difference between them. |
I have just returned from leave to the sad news. Grant Fidelity have been able to supply some decent gear to Western countries that was so hard to source before.
BTW, a few guys have bought the new WE 101D replicas over here as well and I understand they may be currently sold out.
My report on the WE replica 101D's may have sounded enthusiastic but believe me I was toning it down to be a little conservative.
Dr David, just wait until you have a few hundred hours on these tubes- they just keep getting better. The tonality and timbre continues improve gradually up to around 300 - 400 hours. I have played mine 24/7 to get the hours up. I think they need around 80 to 100 hours to get a good idea on what they are capable of, even though they sound great out of the box.
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