So I bought the Willsenton R-800i


After I bought the Klipsch Cornwall IVs recently it became apparent quite quickly that to make it really shine it needs a tube amp to drive it. (For me at least.) After doing some (=endless) research, considering the options (budget, shops nearby carrying models I´m interested in, etc.) and also asking around on this very forum I decided to go for the Willsenton R-800i. None of my friends here shares my excitement for audio stuff or even has a comparable system, so what´s now in my living room is the one tube amp I know. And I´m delighted. Together with the speakers it gives the music the presence and glow that I so desired.

Of course I can tell that there´s more potential in this amp and I already exchanged some of the stock tubes. There are more on the way and I can´t wait to test them. For now my financial means are a bit limited so I´m not ordering Western Electric and Takatsuki 300Bs just for the sake of comparing them. In fact I´m waiting with those a bit and go for the others first.

Searching online I find a lot of information on English language forums. Somehow tube rolling is not discussed as much on the German forums I checked though – and out of curiosity (and because they were pretty cheap) I went for both West- and East-German ECC83s and a fairly random mix of other tubes from the US and the Soviet Union. I´m waiting for them to arrive and not being able to read about some of them it raises my curiosity how they will sound. Maybe crappy, maybe not so bad, maybe even very good. I´ll see. Tube rolling will take some time and I don´t mind. The amp is there to stay for quite a while.

There´s an exhaustive thread on the Willsenton amps and fitting tubes here but since I found people´s comments on this forum so helpful I´m looking forward to hear from you. I´m open for tube recommendations and would like to hear anyone´s experience with the Willsenton R-800i. Or maybe someone has questions?

As for the tubes:

805 – stock replaced for Cossor
300B – stock
6SN7 – stock replaced for Sylvania GTBs, waiting for Fonon NOS (Soviet, 1979, a bargain for 10€)
12AX7 – stock replaced with current Mullard model, waiting for West German ones from AEG and Telefunken, East German ones from RSD and Funkwerk Erfurt (both used) and also Sylvania JAN 5751 NOS (a military model)
5U4G – stock, waiting for RCA NOS black plate and Svetlana NOS „Coke Bottle“

chmaiwald

I ordered it direct from China Hi-Fi. You can select your voltage there. I’ve some decent experiences in the past with them. I’ve also ordered from Doge Audio--super fast shipping to our mainland in a crate via DHL.

The R800i 805 arrived today.  What a big amp!  Here are just a few initial thoughts. 

Moving this amp in the box is a two person affair.  It is a beast

Moving It.  My friend had to bolt so I had to move it out of the box and onto a 36" tall space where it would sit all by myself.  I was able to lift it solo, but I wouldn't want to move it across the room by myself.  Something to note and think about. 

Build Quality.  The first thing I noticed was the build quality.  I used to own a top of the line Primaluna Dialogue HP integrated. If anyone is questioning whether the unit looks hokey or cheap in person, throw that aside.  Same thing if we question whether it feels solid--it feels amazing.  Everything about the build quality look, touch, sensory is as good or better than the Primaluna. (My personal opinion is I like its look better and it feels better).  Note: I haven't opened it up yet and won't for a bit so I cannot comment on what's inside. 

The VU meters remind me a bit of Cary tube products--a lovely darker blue. The power, volume and control source switches are beefy and have a nice tactile feel  feel when you move them.  

Sound Quality.  I have only had it running under an hour.  The first 30 minutes or so it sounded good but strained a touch in the midrange.  Oddly, I thought the midrange is where this guy shines though.  After it warmed up for about a half hour, it came into a nice stride.   I'm only playing CDs right now during break in. I'll retook up my Roon NUC streaming situation for high res digital later. I'll also hook up my Manley Chinook phono stage and Technics 1200 GAE turntable with Benz Micro LPS cartridge later too. 

My first thoughts on sound is clarity, presence, and space.  It does a great job of making a holographic picture, which keeps enlarging as I warm it up/break it in.  As I type this, my head pops up to hear some great holographic soundstage, warmth, and (again) clarity.  The midrange is very seductive to say the least. 

Another initial thought I'm having, after it got a good 45 minutes under its belt, is that the instruments have that "more instrumenty" sound I get with the 300B. Yet the 300B runs out of gas sooooo quickly. 

Operation.  I'm a bit confused about the biasing of the big 805 power tubes.  The manual says the following: 

"How to adjust the bias of 805A and 845? 

805 adjust bias data refers to: 120ma"

Yet the 805s came biased at about 105.  I bumped them up (with no source and volume at 0) to 110 and it started to feel that the bias adjustment screw was running out of room. 

I "think" the manual may be saying to keep the 805s biased <120ma.  At any rate, I turned the bias down to 90ma even and the midrange smoothed out and bass came on with more tuneful authority.  I guess I will leave it at 90ma for now.  

I'm very intrigued by what I'm hearing.  I've owned tube amps before and have built a few.  I hated to sell the Primaluna but it just didn't match with my Cornwall IVs as well as other amps (Elekit 300B, Carver Crimson 275, Marantz KI Ruby). I know some love that pairing, but it always felt a bit bloated and the holography was not there.  This amp has that in spades. Out of the box it's better (in this system to me) than the more expensive Primaluna.  I recall that I reluctantly sold the PL because it just didn't win my private shootouts either on a short or long term basis.  Loved that amp and the company though. 

So, like all of us I can be a victim of confirmation bias or warming up to a new sound signature. That said, I try to be very honest with myself and trust my ears. This amp sounds like it's going to be winner.  It also looks super cool in my space. 

I may not leave the house for a couple of weeks!  

 

PS--I want to be extra fair to my Primaluna;  while I found other amps paired better with the Cornwall IVs, I adored the Primaluna with modern speakers--in particular PSB Imagine T3s and T2s. 

@jbhiller 

It is good to read that your very early listening experience is quite positive. That’s a very encouraging sign. This amplifier hasn’t even begun to burn-in yet. The sound will only further improve from this juncture. Keep us posted.

Charles