[jamato8]

I was worried that the ZMF Aegis would start to pull people away from the HA-300. Just the hype around that amp is legendary it seems. I've been following even the DIY thread, and everyone universally seems to not only think it's amazing, but that it just may be the best amp period.

And now we've lost a heavy hitter! We're all going to have to roll extra tubes to make up for Wes moving on...

(...though I wouldn't mind perusing what HA-300 tubes he's letting go )

I wouldn't make too much of those coming and going. There is always the next biggest best thing. And it may be, or it may not be. If something sounds like real music, then you have the right equipment and sometimes you go somewhere new, only to find out that you had already arrived at what you wanted. Just enjoy.

 

[steve468]

I wouldn't make too much of those coming and going. There is always the next biggest best thing. And it may be, or it may not be. If something sounds like real music, then you have the right equipment and sometimes you go somewhere new, only to find out that you had already arrived at what you wanted. Just enjoy.

Very true! Definitely it seems to be a feature of Head-fi (or possibly humanity in general) that new things catch fire and then fade away…except for ZMF things, they always seem to be fire . Personally I already made the decision to stick with the HA-300 whatever may come.

 

[idairyou]

I wouldn't make too much of those coming and going. There is always the next biggest best thing. And it may be, or it may not be. If something sounds like real music, then you have the right equipment and sometimes you go somewhere new, only to find out that you had already arrived at what you wanted. Just enjoy.

Considering what I spent recently on the Takatsuki's, my unit is not going anywhere anytime soon.

While the Aegis sounded tempting at first, it still doesn't re-ignite the urge to hop back on and start chasing the dragon for amps again.

 

[krude]

I'm done with hype. Soloist GT, Ferrum Oor, Holo Bliss KTE (all really good amps btw), all the while my completely underhyped HA6a was comfortably holding it's ground against "the next best thing", and now it's true again with the 300 coming in where the 6a left.

But at the end of the day it's all synergy. If you change one piece and you suddenly get this magical sound then that's it.

With the 300 I already have some magical tube combinations for my headphones and speakers and that's it, there is and there won't be anything "better" for my use case, and it definitely seems to be the case for @Wes S as well with the Aegis in his system. You just get THE sound, and you know there is nothing to improve anymore for this particular flavour. "This is it".

As I already said many times, I don't believe in better from a certain level, it's just synergy.

 

[funkyfish]

Hey everyone, I'll be moving to LA next year and was planning to get the HA300. Main reason (apart from all of you raving about it) is that it can also be used for speakers. Primary use would definitely be for headphones, but I would also connect high sensitivity speakers to it. What I am just worried about a little bit is the heat it creates as I think I read that the HA300 gets quite hot … and it obviously can be quite hot in LA, too. I don't know in what kind of apartment/house I would live of course, but maybe you have some thoughts on this? I know there are ACs etc but I also don't want the power bill to explode even more Was really looking forward to the HA300, but this worries me a bit.

 

[krude]

Hey everyone, I'll be moving to LA next year and was planning to get the HA300. Main reason (apart from all of you raving about it) is that it can also be used for speakers. Primary use would definitely be for headphones, but I would also connect high sensitivity speakers to it. What I am just worried about a little bit is the heat it creates as I think I read that the HA300 gets quite hot … and it obviously can be quite hot in LA, too. I don't know in what kind of apartment/house I would live of course, but maybe you have some thoughts on this? I know there are ACs etc but I also don't want the power bill to explode even more Was really looking forward to the HA300, but this worries me a bit.

It's a big tube amp, it gets hot, but if you get any other big tube amps, or class A SS it will also get hot in general good audio components get hot.

I would also prefer to have a system that doesn't get hot for summer months, but it is what it is.

On the plus side it works really well with speakers.

 

[funkyfish]

It's a big tube amp, it gets hot, but if you get any other big tube amps, or class A SS it will also get hot in general good audio components get hot.

I would also prefer to have a system that doesn't get hot for summer months, but it is what it is.

On the plus side it works really well with speakers.

I have a Feliks Audio Elise at the moment, which does not get hot at all, just a little bit warm, that's why I am asking. Not sure what people mean with "hot" in regards to the HA300

 

[krude]

I have a Feliks Audio Elise at the moment, which does not get hot at all, just a little bit warm, that's why I am asking. Not sure what people mean with "hot" in regards to the HA300

Tubes in Elise don't get hot? So you can touch them when the amp is running say for 30 min?

 

[funkyfish]

Tubes in Elise don't get hot? So you can touch them when the amp is running say for 30 min?

I did not touch them, but when I put my hand close to the amp, I only feel some warmth. Sure, the tubes themselves get hot, but they would definitely not heat up the room.

 

[krude]

I did not touch them, but when I put my hand close to the amp, I only feel some warmth. Sure, the tubes themselves get hot, but they would definitely not heat up the room.

Huh interesting. I'm not the most experienced person in tube amps (only have 3 under my belt) but if you touched any tubes running in any of the amps I used with bare hands you'd get burned, so tubes do get hot.

Transformers in HA300 get progressively warm over time, so if you have the amp running for 2 hours they will start to get pretty warm to the touch, you will not get burned tho but you can certainly warm your hands touching them in the winter.

I only keep my amp on when I'm listening so that's not a problem for me, but if you like to have your amp on for long periods it will generate decent heat over time from trafos as well.

 

[Mattyjm]

Hey everyone, I'll be moving to LA next year and was planning to get the HA300. Main reason (apart from all of you raving about it) is that it can also be used for speakers. Primary use would definitely be for headphones, but I would also connect high sensitivity speakers to it. What I am just worried about a little bit is the heat it creates as I think I read that the HA300 gets quite hot … and it obviously can be quite hot in LA, too. I don't know in what kind of apartment/house I would live of course, but maybe you have some thoughts on this? I know there are ACs etc but I also don't want the power bill to explode even more Was really looking forward to the HA300, but this worries me a bit.

as someone who has owned the elise and currently owns the ha300, i can confirm that the ha300 does get hotter than the elise. As well as your room is well-ventilated e.g. have air that is moving, your room should be around the same temperature as with the elise.

I also realised it also depends on the headphone load as well; with harder to driver headphones it does heat up more.

 

[funkyfish]

Thanks both!

@krude Are you running the Audio Note speakers with the HA300?

 

[krude]

Thanks both!

@krude Are you running the Audio Note speakers with the HA300?

Yes, works very well.

 

[krude]

I'm listening with the Pinnacle 6J5GT + EML XLS for the past few days. It's a very pleasant sound, 6J5 have very nice, "deep" midrange and pleasant, refine timbre. Will be moving to testing them with other power tubes but that's a very nice and cost effective combination.

Utopia especially sounds really refined on these, very high class.

I have to say it could just be honeymoon but I think I like those better than Mullard WP and KenRad 7193 ... it's just a very pleasant sound, that's the biggest takeaway for me.

 

[Wes S]

The tubes used in the Aegis are all tubes I have a lot of NOS for, the best. Old Mullard and everything else. But I am surprised the output impedance isn't somewhat of an issue with lower impedance headphones.

You have the Caldera close and the amp. You were early on getting them. Any images? What color are the OPT covers?

Nice! I figure with a tube collection like you, you probably have all the one's I am lusting after at the moment like Mullard EL37, EL38, GZ34 Metal Base. . .

The output impedance of the Aegis isn't an issue with the CC, or Bokeh, of which both have lower impedance.

I have a preproduction Aegis, so the color of my unit is not what people will be getting, but here is a picture of the Caldera Closed and Aegis. The pairing is something special.