WOW! I do not think anyone else does as fine of a job reviewing gear,....very thorough. It is so very refreshing to NOT hear the same 6 -10 core words used over and over to describe sound and performance.

I've rolled pre and power tubes on three different integrated tube amps and have found that upgrading the tubes in the line stage w/ tubes purchased from reputable sources have had as much of an effect as upgrading the power tubes. The most consistent effect of upgrading the tubes in the line stage is a reduction in grain/harshness leading to a smoother, less fatiguing experience without suffering a drop in detail, as well as improvements to detail retrieval and separation within the soundstage. Upgrades to the power tubes have consistently resulted in tighter, more articulate bass and more compelling dynamics. As you indicated in your video and my personal experience has confirmed the tube type changes the tonal characteristics more than rolling the same type of tube. An EL34 and a KT70 are going to sound more different than a better EL34 compared to a lesser EL34 etc. at least in my experience.

I’ve got the same tubes on my R8 but I also changed 6sl7 with a pair of vintage Melz tubes, and that made a dramatic change in clarity and instrument separation!! I also got a set of Tung Sol el34b for the power section and while they don’t have the same bass weight, dynamic and top sparkle compared to the psvane kt88 Tii, they put voices right where they need to be!! R8 really is an incredible amp for the money!!

I purchased the Williston R8 my first tube amplifier connected to the Denafrips Pontus II and to my new KHL model 5 all I could tell you I’m having fun listening to music 🎸

Very interesting findings for everyone interesting in the R8 especially those who prefer and are looking for a more overall balanced more neutral sounding amp to pair with their system. Thanks and well done! 🤩. Great to hear that you and the family have recovered nicely👍🏻

Great review. I've had this amp for over a year and still love hearing it everyday. The variety of tubes that it allows is ridiculously fun (and expensive). Changing out the 6SL7's makes the biggest change in sound. Also, this amp in el34 needs to be run in a high bias, much higher than the the little meter suggests. 6550's are ok right around the high end of the meter. Lots of threads on the internet on the bias being a little off. I recommend Melz 6SL7's, Tung Sol 6SU7GTY, and RCA VT 229 grey glass. Tube AMP Doctor (TAD) 6550's sound fantastic as do NOS Svetlana Winged C 6550c. The best sounding 6SN7's are really any NOS American or Russian or high end Psvane tubes.

For the budget of 1600 pounds , that’s the price of the R800i 48W class A in China. That wld be my next upgrade in March. It’s a great time for chi fi with great companies like Denafrips , Willsenton , SMSL, Matrix Audio , Hifiman , Kinki Studio, Doge , PSVane etc producing audiophile gear at very affordable prices which 10 years ago was non existent. Great review , looking forward to more insightful reviews.

I have to confess that I’m ancient enough to recall hearing tube based amps in client listening rooms in audio recording and mastering facilities in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and I can very clearly recall a mate’s audiophile dad who had big electrostatic speakers and a Macintosh valve Pre and power amp set up, the memory of which has stayed with me for 40 years as a gold standard for what no expense spared can get to. In all honesty, with next to no serious hearing left in my right ear, I’m spared the rabbit hole of ever trying to replicate that experience, but it still makes me smile when I think of those afternoons in a corbu C1 chair, with imported Deutsche Gramophon pressings and a turntable requiring a pilot’s license to operate. Ahhh! Oh, and before I forget, I’m very, very glad to hear that you and yours have recovered so well from the ‘Rona, as my American daughter refers to it. It’s a bugger of a thing, so I hope you’re all exempted from any of the longer elements, too. Wishing you and your family all the best of things for ‘22 and beyond.

I love my R8. I use it with Azure 851n streamer , Chord Qutest dac, and Tannoy Revolution XT 8f speakers. I have not upgraded the tubes as yet because I am enjoying the sound so much. I previously used Roksan Kandy K2 integrated and power amps in bi amped mode which were also outstanding for the money but craved that tube sound. It is difficult to pick between the 2 setups as both are excellent . The R8 is incredible with the streamer giving lashings of tubey sound without loss of detail and dynamics. The kt88s are far better than I ever expected them to be. When I use my turntable, a highly modified unit with bespoke srm tech plinth, delrin platter, rega rb330 arm with origin live upgraded weight and connection rod, rega motor and power supply and audio technica MC cartridge, I think the roksans have the edge but only slightly. Upgraded tubes may change this. Overall I could not be happier with my R8 but still cannot bring myself to sell the Roksans. I am hoping that upgraded tubes will allow me to say goodbye to the solid state amps as the money will go towards the Willsenton r800i that I have be eying for some time now. Tubes are great fun for those with time on their hands and or people who love tinkering with their gear. Buy the r8 without hesitation as it is a no brainer purchase for almost any hifi enthusiast whether you have experience with tubes or not. You will not be dissapointed!

As a current and happy owner of a stock R8 I was pleased to watch this video, Tarun. Thank you. Unfortunately, everything I've been seeing says that rolling the 6SL7 tubes make the most difference sonically. We R8 owners would live a follow up.

When I worked as a repair tech years ago, tube rolling was something else. It was rolling the pins on a bench so the tube could never be used again. Too many techs would test a tube thinking it was good, but was actually bad and put it back in a box on the shelf. Rolling the pins made sure those fellas didn't grab it out of the garbage can to set up another tech for failure. This was with industrial test equipment, not audio tube amps. Thanks for the video

Many thanks for the great review of your upgrades to the R8 - always good to hear the detail behind your choices. I ended up purchasing an R8 with the 3 x PS-Vane upgraded preamp valves. It sounded ace with the KT88 power tube set it came with. I then replaced the remaining 2 6SL7 with 6SL7GT-SYLVANIA CHS (Sylvania)s. That was a great match and set the amp off well. After a couple of tube rolls with EL-34s and KT88 types - I ended up settling on 4 x KT77 Genalex Gold Lions. That, for me at least ,gave the best of both worlds when it came to the KT88 and EL34s strengths and weaknesses.

Good to have you back Tarun… I’m thinking of pairing a tube pre-amp, perhaps from Icon Audio with a solid state power amp. Any views gratefully received. Many thanks.

Tube rolling is one of the best reasons to get a tube Amp but, at the same time it is one of its downfalls as tubes can go bad a need replacement. Also, tubes can take a while to break in. For years I only used tube amps Bob Latino ST70 "modified" later I used the Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum "also upgraded" and while I love those amps very much and couldn't let them go, I decided to give one more chance to solid state amps after owning in the past Adcom GFA 5500, Cambridge Audio 851W and a few others and gave a chance to the Yamaha A-S1200. Well that Amp impressed me very much right from the first time I powered it, and it has been my main Amp for about a year now. As of now I have a pretty good tube collection that I spent quite a bit of money on just seatting around. Tube rolling can make a big difference and also, one thing most people don't ever mention is the biasing settings. After being a tube guy for a number of years I realized that Amp manufacturers want you to under bias the tubes so they last longer and there is less stress in the Amp "less warranty issues" but that also undermines how good the Amp can really sound. Go online and learn how to really bias a tube Amp you might be surprised how much better they can sound when properly biased.

I find that each time I've come to the end of one of Tarun's reviews I think "now that's how a review should be done". Whether I agree or not doesn't matter, although I typically do. This one is an excellent example of that. It goes right to the point without wasting time. As regards tube rolling, I've done it many times. What I've discovered for myself is that changing tubes out of nothing more than curiosity is a black hole. It can be expensive and not particularly helpful. I've a box full of tubes that's a testament to that approach. Rather, I think that having a specific sense of what I'm trying to accomplish works better. Knowing what I want to change and having a clear sense of what that change should sound like helps me to clear the fog. Tarun, thanks for another brilliant review.

I had a lot of fun tube rolling on a budget with a Little Dot mk 3 head phone amplifier and my DT1990's. Very satisfying experience switching out the tubes and hearing the effect on the sound; shifting between warmer and more neutral tones and accentuating different aspects of the music. I highly recommend it for anyone nervous about tube amps/tube rolling to see how rewarding it can be to tailor your hardware to your listening preference.

I'm down with Covid myself as I watch this. Glad you are well!

I did similar upgrades with psvane tubes, but I also changed 2 remaining willsenton tubes to tungsols, running with denafrips ares 2 and bluesound node 2, and old Zu Essence mk1 speakers. The sound has opened up so much that now I am selling my Zu speakers and looking for something more refined, since the rest of the chain can pull it off. Very much fun indeed.

I picked up a tube package from Valves-N-More matched for the R-8. Front end are vintage RCA and the KT-88 replaced with Electra Harmonics 6550. Everything about the R-8 has improved. It’s amazing.

Being a Yorkshireman I'm not rushing out to swop the stock KT88's. Sounds great as it is. When I first switched mine on I wondered where all the bass had gone compared to my Rega Elex R and I really want convinced. It seemed a lightweight sound and like hearing it thro a small hole into a room. Now it's like being in the room, bass is great and it's a keeper.

As a happy Willsenton R8 owner this was a fun and informative watch.

Glad you got over Covid without drama. Also good to see your chat with Randy! I have a pair of ProAc Tablette 10's coming soon for my bedroom system - if you fancy a listen or review, I'll let you borrow them 🙂

I got my R8 back in December of 2019 and wrote a review on Amazon in March of 2020 that a fair number of people found helpful (yeah, THAT Corey340) so I like to think I'm the one that started the whole Willsenton R8 thing. While I thought the amp was something special (still do), I was never a fan of KT88 tubes and the R8 did not change that perception. Several months into ownership of my R8 (could barely afford it), I managed to save enough to change the power tubes to Genalex Gold Lion KT77's and never looked back. Unlike the slow slug EL34, I find the KT77 to be much faster, more dynamic and even more powerful than either EL34 or KT88. I think the KT77 gives the R8 that last little bit of micro detail refinement to get it over the finish line. While my set of JJ KT77's exhibit the same characteristics they bring the R8 down a notch in overall sound quality so I'm letting them enjoy an extended vacation in their boxes. On the front end, early on I tried numerous vintage tubes that I've had for decades (GE, Tung-Sol, RCA, Sylvania) but found the thick slow sound of them not to my liking so I put the stock 6SN7 tubes back in. They worked well for over a year until one developed a crackling noise (oddly nothing showed up on the tube tester) so I swapped them out for some 1980's Soviet Era 6H8C (6N8S) tubes. The Soviet military surplus tubes give it more speed and clarity but take away some of the dynamics. Still better than the vintage tubes in my opinion. -- Enjoying your channel. Keep up the good work!!

First of all I hope you and your family are doing well after contracting C.19. Wishing you the very best... Now, on to the fabulous R8. If you wish to get the absolute best from the R8, these tubes come as a must have when tube rolling. 6SL7 - Either circa early 1950s MELZ 6H9C mil-spec metal-base or circa mid-1970s Sylvania 6SL7WGT JAN (Joint Army Navy). 6SN7 - Late 1950s Sylvania 6SN7GTA T-plate (also called straight-plates as the next series were called the angle-plates, and while excellent, are not quite as good as the T-plates). 6SN7 rectifier slot - Any well-balanced 6SN7 or equivalent, although I am using the NEVZ 6N8S, but not the stock tube as it was not balanced. Of course, you may use another Sylvania 6SN7 T-plate, or the PSVane CV181-T Mk II which you already have. EL34/KT88 - The best (arguably) EL34 ever made was the early 1960s Mullard xf2 6CA7/EL34 made in the Blackburn factory in the U.K., while one of the best KT88 tubes was the late 1900s/early 2000s Svetlana 6550C. Personally, I like the EL34 sound, although the R8 should only be used in triode mode. Ultralinear mode causes the midrange to come forward in the soundstage and sound a little artificial. Still, each to their own. So, how does the R8 sound with the above tubes installed. Absolutely amazing! In fact, for some people it could be their endgame amplifier! If you want a step up in performance then buy the Willsenton R800i (805 version) SET amplifier. Throw the stock tubes away and fit Mullard M8162 (12AT7 equivalent - yes, I know it's a 12AX7 slot, but the 12AT7 can be used in this slot). Next is the Sylvania 6SN7GTA T-plate mentioned above. Best 300B tube that I've found so far is the Takatsuki TA-300B, while the best 805 tube is the PSVane Acme series A805. The best rectifier tube is the Svetlana 5U3C made in St Petersburg. So, could the R800i be an endgame amplifier - absolutely! In fact, it very well may be for me. Hopefully you will review the R800i - I believe you will be very surprised at just how good this amplifier is. Mind you, the R8 is excellent too, but the R800i is next level good!

Great review. I had seen many review on R8 but yours is the first one to cover the upgrades which is what I would be interested in.

One of my favorite reviewers, I lived in Swaffham when I was stationed at Raf Lakenheath, miss the UK..

Hi Tarun... Great review. You helped me decide to pull the trigger on my r8 with psvane 6sl7 stock kt88. Tried using my rega elex r a pre for better bass slam playing psychedelic /house music, so bass definition improved but the holographic imaging shrunk sharply eg noticed girl from ipanema snap sounds stopped imaging to 2 feet from my left shoulder. Too much of a compromise i reverted back to just the r8. Sorry to ramble on, Just sharing my experience....i ll try rolling the stock kt88 next. Fingers cross ;) thanks for the reviews, keep em coming.

Great vid even 7 months later. I received my R8 ten days ago. I finally have a power amp with 4-ohm taps to drive my 1984 KEF 104/2 floor standers. I’m using a mid-70s Luxman CL-35 MkIII preamp (six 12ax7 & one 12au7 tubes). My R8 came with the stock KT88 tubes but I ordered/received two matched sets of new Mullard EL34 tubes. I will swap power tubes in a few weeks. The price/tube was pretty reasonable. Now seven months later, tube prices have gone through the roof, so I plan to take my time tube rolling. I love the sound of the R8 over my SS power amps. VPI Scout TT, Bluesound Node 2021, Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ and a Audiolab 6000cdt CD transport.

The ProAc history talk was great

Thank you for the great review. I've had my Willsenton R8 for about nine months now and I love it. I am very much looking forward to trying out some new tubes soon and this review and the helpful comments of your subscribers are a great source on information. Many thanks and hello from Mobile, Alabama USA.

Thank you for your diligence. Love your show. Tube rolling. I went from stock ElectroHarmonics 12AX7 to rebranded Telefunken for my Pro-ject Tube Box II turntable preamp. It was an epiphany moment. I drank the Kool-aid and it was great. I am hooked. No going back.

Glad to hear you and family are recovering from 'that virus', Tarun. It was worth watching the video just to hear how one British audiophile pronounces "pee, ess, vain". I used to call it "Swain", but I know better now. As for tube rolling experience, I regularly switch between several makes of vintage 6DJ8 tubes in the hybrid amplifier I use and, yes, there are noticeable differences, though nothing earth shaking.

Glad you are feeling well now, and back with new videos. Thanks for answering the question on what you think of the current ProAc range. Hope you get the DB1 for comparison soon. On tube rolling, I have the Cayin A88T Mk2, which is a very similar design amp - does not have the tube rectifier, but has the 6SL7s pre, 6SN7 drivers and the KT88/EL34 changeable power stages. Like many others have commented, I found that the 6SL7 pre tubes make the biggest difference in the clarity and musicality of the setup. I recently put in NOS RCA 5691s in there and the difference has been amazing. The next biggest difference was the power tubes. I originally had SED Winged C KT88s that I love - very dynamic and bold. I then tried new TungSol EL34s and that totally changed the tonality of the music - a warmth and liveliness that I enjoy a lot. I can't say which one is better - both are very good and very different. It's like having 2 amps in one - just change the power tubes, and you get dramatically different performance. The driver tubes made the least difference - a bad set can make it sound grainy, but I could not discern between decent mid-range new ones and highly regarded NOS ones. Loving my amp, and given how similar the R8 and the A88 are, I think this also settles the question in my mind if I should consider your Amp of the year 🙂

Hi Tarun, Glad you're feeling better. UPS delivered my R8 today. Spent all evening listening to my first tube amplifier, very impressed. Like you, have been living with a solid state amplifier for the last 12 months (Musical Fidelity M5si) and the hype surrounding this Willsenton is justified. Musical Fidelity brand is known for delivering a muscular, dynamic sound and the R8 is its Equal for a third of the price. Only using stock tubes for the moment, what a bargain this £600 amplifier is, truly remarkable for the price. Nearly £1200 cheaper than the M5si and misses nothing in performance. Bought some Sylvania 6SL7GT / 6SN7GTB (NOS) and Svetlana winged-c 6550c tubes couple of days ago, ready to replace Willsenton stock tubes.

I really like your reviews. I think it's because you provide a lot of good information in a straightforward and relatable way. I can't afford any of the gear you're reviewing and even if I could, living in a flat with thin walls and next to a busy road means I'd rarely get the chance to appreciate it. All that aside there's a lot to learn in hi-fi and I keep telling myself one day...

Hi! Tarun, as you know I have the R8 bought stock with the el34's. I wanted to go the upgrade path regarding the tubes and found the US company Valvesandmore ( tube lab on youtube ) He bought the R8 and worked on tube rolling and offered tube packages for the R8. I did so in buying his top sounding selection quad matching 6550C SED Winged C Svetlana tubes. ( $399us ) I dare say without going into details that it upgraded the R8 in every direction, certainly worth the money spent. To note I initually had the Triangle Genese Trio hooked up but now have the Triangle 40th Anni Comete EZ set up and sound wonderfull together. I have now proceeded to buy Sylvania 6sn7 GTB and Sylvania 6SL7 GT to replace the others hopefully for even more improvements😀Note the 6550C tubes are similar to the KT88's....Regards Alain

Terrific review--yet again. When I bought my Rogue Audio Sphinx V.3, the dealer made it clear that at some stage I would have to replace the four tubes that drive the output. Your review has taken a good deal of the potential anxiety out of the prospect of ordering new tubes, opening the chassis, rolling the new valves in. Thank you. PS: I love the Sphinx. So much more musical information gets transferred to my loudspeakers without hype.

I retubed my Prima Luna prologue 5 with Gold Lions.4 KT88 2 12ax7 , 2 12au7@ around $500 with platinum grade from Upscale.Big improvement over stock Chinese.Smooth liquid sound. GL has arguably the best new production tubes if further screened by the retailer.

I have a Muzishare X7, which is another high quality, Chinese KT88 amplifier around the 1k mark and I've been having fun recently rolling older, second hand valves. The English made Brimar and Mullard valves from the 50's, 60's & 70's have an excellent sound and can be picked up cheaply from eBay. Every manufacturer has a different sound signature, so it's fun mixing and matching to find the right sound.

I have done a heap of tube rolling with this amp ,what i have been running for the last 6 months is NOS Mullard EL34 XF1 dual getters ,NOS Melz 6SL7 metal base and NOS Sylvamia JAN-CHS-6SN7GT and the sound is very good to me .

Agree with your findings , I’ve tried 6500, KT88 and EL34.s in the power stage and presently finding the 6500’s (NOS) to my liking . I’ve been led to believe the R8 is actually tuned more towards the EL34’s as it actually can’t fully power the kt88’s . Some listening tests also find changing out the rectifier ( front middle 6SN7 ) offers little change to the sound . All in all a fun listening experience. It is very important for the tube types to be bias matched which in most cases really puts one’s trust in the seller. A critical but important step . Some new tubes from China are matched poorly which will affect the sound . I wish the originals came with each tubes biased measurements

I replaced 4 of the pre tubes on my R8 with new Tung Sols and the sound improved exponentially. I then replaced the stock KT88s with new Sovtek 6550s and was disappointed. The sound became more compressed; less articulate. I put the stock KT88s back and am extremely happy. For now. A great match with my Heresy 4s.

Glad to hear you’re all much better. Very interesting review.

FYI, HiFi Amps China sells Shugang 6SL7 tube (Shuguang WE6SL7 electron tube vacuum tubes). My R8 with 3 PSVane 6SN7 tubes plus a pair of Shugang 6SL7 tubes sounds very neutral with good bass and midrange and wider soundstage than the stock tubes (with the stock KT88 tubes). Of the two types of tubes, I thought the Shugang 6SL7 tubes gave a greater tonal impact than the 6SN7 tubes.

Happy New Year Tarun. Great video. Glad to see you are getting over the covid. I have been a tube enthusiast for nearly 25 years and happy to add my own observations. As an aside, when it comes to power amplifiers, the greatest upgrades are to be made by those of us wielding soldering irons. The general consensus in the self-build tube community is that half the sound of your power amplifiers is dictated by the output transformers. Having spent the recent Christmas break replacing my output transformers with Lundahl amorphous metal C-cored types, I wholeheartedly concur. For the rest, its down to tube-rolling. I confess I have never indulged in the ultra-exotic four-figure tube types. I have tried types up to five times the price of the original equipment ones though. In my view, this topic is a classic case of the HiFi law of diminishing returns. My sweet spot is in the 2-3 times the price of the OE tubes. Even within that budget, always do your research first, particularly failure rates (read the forums, not the manufacturer's data). I myself have been "bitten" by costly tubes which sound great but fail after a few months. Finally, always remember that tubes are *consumable* items. Power tubes seem to have the shortest life span, particularly directly heated triodes (e.g. 1-2 years for a set of 300Bs). Pre-amp and driver tubes can easily manage 5 years. Even decent quality tubes gradually age and change with use though. Those with deep enough pockets for the high quality types seldom experience outright failures but will tell you that re-tubing every few years yields a noticeable improvement in sound quality. Te re-iterate the experience of others, adjustable bias amplifiers (like the Willsenton reviewed) usually benefit from re-biasing every few months, depending on amount of use and particularly after the first few months with brand new tubes. As ever with HiFi, your mileage may vary... 🙂

I think I'm one of like two people who selected upgraded EL34's when purchased. I was familiar with the shear power of these tubes when used in British guitar amps. Connected to a pair of Heresy's, they give me plenty of warmth. I found that unloading the lowest frequency's (Under 50 HZ) to a 15 sub before hitting the R8 was very beneficial for my system. I would love to try some new tubes, but I need a DAC upgrade first. Great video, thanks.

First, happy to hear that you (and presumably your family) have recovered from your COVID 19. It's interesting listening to you talk about the differences between tubes and comparing that to IMO the modern digital equivalent of choosing different eq options on the amplifier, such as the EQ options available on my SMSL VMV A2 that I own. In my case, I was initially drawn to the SMSL's SBD option, but then realized that although initially I thought it was modifying the treble in a positive "more in your face" sort of presentation, I don't really like what it is doing. OTOH, I chose "Super Bass" and that really works well with my original B&W 805s which need a little help with the bass but nothing more. It's nice to have options. In my case they don't cost more money though, just a selection on the remote... And yes I know my comments are digital vs. analog, let's not get into that debate, I like both...

Hi Tarun, You have to forgive me, but I had given up on You and I thought I never see the Day .... meaning this Review on the R8 with upgraded Valves, but it is nice to see that I was wrong ;-) As others already pointed out, it is a pity that You left the 6SL7 untouched, but maybe You can come back later to them ? Because this might make all the Difference to give the Crown to the R8 for Best Amplifier of 2021 ! And this is the Beauty of Valve/Tube Amps, you can tweak or upgrade them step by step in a way that is not possible with Transistor Amps and you get free Eye Candy and a Winter Heating. Thanks for that excellent and long awaited Review, Ralf

Hello Tarun, Happy new year to you too. Tube amps are lovely and tube rolling makes much more sense than "cable rolling", so it could be actually more economic than a solid state amp for some audiophiles in that sense ;) I am currently stuck in the 70s / 80's with my HiFi gear and I am happy with it. My first HiFi I owned was tube based an old Philips tube amp and an old Philips HiFi tuner (I have never come across any solid state tuner that sounds better than that one, great for short wave as well but I am digressing) and to top it off an old Philips speaker based on the so called poor mans Lowther, 9710 full range driver. The problem was that it was a mono set up so eventually I wanted to upgrade from that. Needless to say that it took quite some effort to get back to a comparable standard with respect to tonality. I am thinking of returning to a tube amp but if so I will build one my self.

Happy New Year and welcome back. I hope every one over there is feeling better, I enjoyed your review and am looking forward to your next one.

Thanks for sharing your experience in such a eloquent way. I have comparable experience with replacing 6N2 with 12AT7 (with socket adapter) and 5Z4 with decent 5AR4, and a cheap EL34 with golden lion KT77. Remarkable : Changing the rectifier tube made the biggest difference. Done on a Reisong A10 (along with other modifications)

Happy New Yer Tarun. Glad to hear that you and your family had the "light" version of COVID! Thank you for all your great reviews - thorough, honest, no-nonsense point of view. Your videos are the ones I look forward to view the most every week. I belive that in your "Best-of" the year, you mentioned that you are reviewing the Denafrips Thallo. Just want to say that I am really looking forward to it as I am itching to order one, which I won't do until I hear you out! Thanks in advance!! Marc

Just received my R8 today and tested it out with a Bluetooth adapter. It seems to be performing well. It is new and not burned in yet. I am waiting for the CD player to arrive tomorrow and see how it goes. But I am loving it already.

Thank you for revisiting this amplifier, Tarun. I have one myself, and I'm enjoying it immensely. I too did some tube rolling with it. I originally bought the stock KT88's and thought they were a little sharp at the top end ... a touch sibilant and fatiguing. I found a guy in Canada (ValvesNMore) who sells tubes of all varities and bought a "matched" pair of NOS EL34's. My understanding is that this amplifier utilizes Push/Pull current distribution and having a truly matched quad of power tubes can significantly improve the performance over ones that haven't (perhaps) been measured. Was this something you looked into at all? I'm loving the NOS EL34's for their warmth and body, but now think I need to try some NOS 6550's to get closer to the sound you're describing here. Thank you again for following up on this. I'm really enjoying your channel.

Tube experience comment: For about two years I owned one of the wackiest mass-market audio products I've ever even read about: It was the Dared DV-6C, an all-analog multichannel integrated, with a tube preamp stage and a class-D power stage. You only got two RCA-analog inputs -- one two-channel and one six-channel, with no on-board DAC -- but you also got a remote control, complete with the ability to trim channel levels independently and/or toggle between two- and six-channel output with the six-channel input selected. Output was rated at about 35-45wpc/8ohms if I remember correctly, but because I'm an idiot I hooked it up to a pair of Salk Songtower transmission line speakers and it ran them without a twitch. The sound was impressive in every possible respect, with improbably good bass control, terrific PRAT, and a liquidity to the upper midrange into the low treble that I've never heard before or since. And all for $450USD including shipping. I'd probably still have and still enjoy listening to this puppy if I hadn't moved from Florida to Phnom Penh in the meantime. The only problem was the obvious one, which was that this thing was going to work in the systems of about nine total people on the planet, specifically those whose two-channel source material could be confined to a single set of input sockets, coincidentally had on-board digital decoding at the source stage for their multichannel input, wanted "tube" sound with class-D convenience and didn't mind the stigma of that bizarre combination, and didn't mind an absolute and total lack of in-situ expansion capability. It was also frustratingly small, especially on the back where the connections got so crowded as to border on impractical. Rolling tubes was never my bag, so instead I took the consensus advice and replaced the three stock 12AX7's with Mullard equivalents and never seriously considered trying anything else. In this respect I think Taurin's comment toward the end about how tube gear comes with its own unique set of downsides might be exemplified by my experience, rather than contradicted by it: I've always wanted to be the audiophile who buys kit once and never thinks about it again (and as such have, instead, spent the bulk of my life acquiring and reselling stuff at a faster clip than most professional reviewers), and while the Dared never once let me down, there's little question that I left at least some of the thrill of ownership on the table by never stretching out my tastes in tubes. Personally, I would recommend **against** acquiring tube amplification -- regardless of sonic preferences -- if you felt any sort of kindred resonance with my comment about not really wanting to swap out the larger pieces of kit into which the tubes are plugged. It's not fair to draw such a straight-line connection, but it's fairer than it sounds. If your personality is shifted toward the forget-the-market-and-be-happy end of the audiophile continuum, the point and appeal of tube gear is just going to be automatically diminished in the process. YMMV, as always.

Hi Tarun, great to see you in the new year. I have no experience with tube amplifier and I am not consider tube amplifier for the following reasons: 1. The amplifier is too heavy usually above 25kg. 2. The amplifier is getting very hot , a potential of danger. 3. The tubes have limited life time. 4. Solid state amplifiers are more hassle free and can last for a long time. Great to hear you and your family recover quickly. May God bless you and your family. Always looking forward to your next video.

Yessir... He said 'all good in the hood'. From the states and that's what's up my hifi brotha from another mother!!

Happy New Year Tarun! Glad to hear you and your family are doing better. Excited for all the content to come this year!🙌🏾

Glad to hear that you and your family are well now. Take care. I am now listening to the music and not the system - bless you and the 2510! I’ve been hesitant about tubes generally and now have no reason to try and overcome that hesitancy. I think it started with the high price of tube amplifiers and the further cost if tubes had to be replaced. Now I think my system reveals all I’m capable of hearing so no reason to try tubes.

Hi Tarun. Luna tube amplifiers were suggested to me by salespeople to pair with my speakers, but I have a friend who already had one and when one of the tubes broke, he was waiting several weeks for the part, which was very unpleasant. The fact that after a few years it is necessary to replace the valves, as well as the space they occupy in height and the time they take to reach the ideal sound, for me, are factors that make me prefer class AB amplifiers, despite recognizing the qualities sound from valve amplifiers.

Hi Tarun, I’m a couple of days late. First off, I’m very glad you did not have a serious case of CoVid! In 2020, I acquired a Reisong A-10. It came with EL-34 output tubes. That amp only outputs around 6 watts. The speakers I have were not efficient enough for it to sound good. It was totally flat and dead. None of the sweet mids it supposedly produced. I had a pair of cheaper Klipsch bookies and they didn’t sound robust either. So, I was a bit put off and traded it for other gear.

Happy new year, Tarun. I've bought the R8 from China Hifi with the upgraded PSVane tubes, both the KT88 & the 6SN7 so I never listened to the R8 in "stock" form. It's been really enjoyable. I've recently replaced the 6SL7 tubes with Tungsol Gold 6SL7 and it sounds cleaner than before. The only downside is having to use my H190's fixed outputs to the R8 because I'm too lazy to mess with cables everytime I want to use the R8 LOL. Thinking of getting a proper Preamplifier so I wouldn't have to turn on the Hegel. All in all, your videos have been really entertaining, and some times bad for my wallet LOL. Keep it up, buddy!

Nice re review, as you have found out the type and make of tubes you roll do make a difference on the sound quality. I use SED C wing Svetlana KT88 and EL34, and swap over for various listening sessions. 34's are great for Jazz and acoustic music. 88's superb on blues, electronic and rock music. Tung sol 6SN7 and RCA 6SL7 are the best I have got to in the pre amp section they work together extremely well. Yes, totally agree the Willsenton R8 is a superb tube amp .

glad you and the family are on the mend Tarun .never owned a valve product but very interesting video as always .very best .🙂🙂🙂

Happy new year to all. I have been watching/reading up on the VK-80i Integrated Amplifier.

Lovely review. I would like to see you do a review on the R 800i. Glad to hear you’re well and back at it.

Hi Tarun. First of all, Great to hear that you and the family are on the mend. Thank you very much for your awesome reviews. As a "newbie" I am learning so much! Please keep it going! FYI, it may be cool to review/do a roundup of a few more of these more "value" oriented integrated tube amps e.g. Cayin, Black Ice Fusion series, etc. potentially nipping at the heels of the more expensive Primalunas, Ravens, etc. An Audiogoner has an interesting post going on this currently. I believe that there are a lot of people interested in quality tube amps but just cannot afford to spend the big money and would benefit from being educated on quality options in this "tube value" market segment. For me it was down to the Willsenton and the Black Ice Fusion series. I went with the Fusion F22 and I am very happy with it. No tube rolling... yet (-:

I have a Yaqin MC 10L that I bought years ago. Its quite OK but not anything to write home about or in this case, my ancestral home, England. I swapped out the stock EL 34s and replaced them with four JJ KT 77s. Did the swap make a difference? If so, I couldn't hear it. The amp weighs a ton but its probably the prettiest amp I currently own. (green/gold version) I use it as my desk top amp only with a decent DAC and a pair of Kef Q150s. I have to admit, with well recorded KZfaq videos and with anything CD quality or above - the amp performs very well and provides a lush but very detailed sound. It lights up like a Christmas tree and when someone sees it for the first time they usually ask "What is that?" My response is "Amp-Art" You know, kinda like the James Webb telescope which I refer to as "Space Jewelry" Did I mention I liked this video/review? I love pretty tubes and and Psvane certainly make a few of them. Happy New Year Tarun and to your family (and dog) as well🇨🇦 **glad you're feeling better!!!!

Very much appreciate the added content concerning tube rolling the PSVANE tubes, but a bit mystified about the segway into your vintage speakers. The segway just didn't seem to support the title. ;-) Thum bs up. I'm currently waiting on my R8. Supposed to be here mid-month. I went for the EL34 tubes. And HAPPY NEW YEAR! Very glad you and family are good to go after being ill.

I have rolled between 6550c, KT-88, EL-34 and KT-150, as well various 12AU7, 12T7 AND 6922 tubes in my preamps. I have found this to be a lot of fun since there are subtle differences on how these changes affect the sound. Like you, I favored the sound of the KT-88 over the EL-34 for the same reasons. I felt they opened up the sound stage more and had faster, tighter, low end. Right now my favorite power tube in my system been the Kt_150. Just love the punchiness they have,. However if you want something akin to the richness a 300b has, these are not the tube for you.

Thanks for another great review Taron, Happy New Year and good to hear you are back on top form.

I have tube rolled my Eastern Electric Minimax pre, removing the stock output valve for a Mullard, given that this tube does both right and left channels - this was a very cost effective way of improving the sound, less glass like in the top end. It’s worth having a dabble for sure.

Happy New Year Tarun, and thanks for the update on R8 , very explanatory as always. I am glad to hear that you and your family are fine.

Nothing has improved this amp more for me than EL34 mode but with the matched Electro-Harmonix 6CA7EH Fat Bottle Vacuum Tubes interchangeable with an EL34. I was blown away such a reasonable tube price resulted in such an improvement for my system.

Great review tarun, I tube roll on my xduoo dac amp headphone amplifiers, I use Wilson valves in the UK to obtain new and vintage valves , I have definitely found a difference in sound quality replacing the stock tubes, and a great way to change the sound signature of said equipment.

Hi Tarun. I am big fun and really appreciated your remarkable work on this channel. I am happy owner of R8 for about 3 years now. Hope you will not mind if I share my tube rolling experience so far. I have had stable preamp section for all that time. 2 * Tung-Sol 6SL7GT and 3 * PSvane (same as in review) and here are my experience with power tube rolling: 1. KT88 (Stock Wilsenton) - raw and rough overall KT88 presentation but still not bad experience at all, as good tubes in preamp section has big impact to overall sound 2. KT88 (same PSvane as in this review) - from sound perspective I could only agree to all you said, but big disappointment for me here was fact that they lasted only for one year!!! 3. 6L6 (TAD GCM-STR REDBASE, played in EL34 R8 amp mode) - not bad tube at all but also nothing to recommend here. I am too big fun of KT88 and here I could not find my nirvana. But still, I have so much respect to stability this tubes and most of EL34 provide. There was almost no need for BIAS for the whole time and this tube gives me impression that they will last forever 4. KT77 (JJ Electronic, played in EL34 R8 amp mode) - this tubes are the most cheap one. 100€ for quartet and they are basically reason for my writing of this whole comment. Magic really happens here. R8 come up to completely upper level compered to KT88 PSvane combination. Amount of details and separation blow me away, 3D sound stage feeling together with amount of the base and base definition was remarkable. My Zingali Overture 2b never so far goes that deep in base section with so much dynamic and overall power in base line. Too short this up, after long long time, with just KT77 replacement in my system I experience that feeling of listening well known songs again and again and founding new details together with new way of how they are presented this time. Last, but not least, as you probably could guess, this tubes are also supper stable ones. As KT88 lover, KT77 as mainly EL34 substitute tube completely blow me away. They also confirm me that having some believes or so called prejudges based on my 20+ years long audiophile journey is very good to have, but in same time, be completely open and challenge those prejudices from time to time is MUST Dear Tarun, I am so happy that you have this amp for so long time as one of 3 reference amps (Thanks for new MF A1 review!!!, I am happy owner of still working original one.) I am not sure if you have time, interests, or maybe even plans in place to do another upgrade review of R8, but if something on those line ever happened, please take KT77 power tubes in consideration. Wishing all the best to your channel and just keep on doing very good work as you did so far.

Happy New Year Tarun. Glad the COVID didn’t bite. Another great explanation. Cheers

Hi Tarun. Happy new year. Sorry to hear you had covid. I got it this time last year. It wasn't nice. Took a while to get over it. My willsenton r8 arrived last March. Since then I have changed all tubes to used vintage and new old stock tubes with Jim from ValvesNmore in Canada. Sound guy to deal with. The sound is fantastic. But you are right. It can be very expensive. I have spent over €1000 so far. But I think the amplifier is much improved. If its now worth over €2000 I'm not sure. As I could of got the willsenton r800 for that. 45 Watts class a. But you are correct. Tube rolling if you get it right improves the sound.

If you are inclined to tinker, the mods for this amp don't stop with the tubes. YT member Skunkie Designs Electronics has a useful series on rework of the circuit of this amp that produces improvement in performance. One or two are done for reliability (a bias pot safety resistor placement,) the rest are swap-outs of stock resistors and capacitors for higher-quality parts and a separation of the channels at the pins of the central 6SN7 tube to reduce potential for channel cross-talk. I have done most of her programme with satisfactory results, although I did not feel the need to create a central star grounding scheme to avoid ground loops, or re-route the tube heater AC wiring or remove the 120/240v selector. Even if you are loathe to change your device, the bias pot bypass safety resistor installation is worthwhile.

thank you for taking the time to do ths!! and happy new year :)

Happy 2022 to you too!

Interesting indeed!! I too have the VMV hooked up to the R8, currently changed the dacs profile to Rich 3 and I'll be leaving it on this for a while. I feel this has opened the sound stage and softened the highs just a tad. Worth a try if you still have the dac. Going to have to listen to the Amphions! Ok, it’s also worth checking out an online store called Watford Valves (here in England).Great range of tubes there which aren’t too expensive, I had to replace the 6SL7’s and managed to pick up the Sylvania’s (American made, I think they are New Old Stock). They did change the sound slightly, felt there more bass in the mid to lower range, it felt a little more forward! I haven’t tube rolled the others but will use this video as a reference point moving forward. Thank you Tarun, glad you and your family are recovered. Quite a few people I know where I'll over the new years, myself included! 👍🏽

As always a very interesting video. I've been trying to get as much information on the R8 as possible as it would be my first tube amp. I was thinking of pairing the R8 with the Fyne F15s. After watching the video and hearing that the upgrade tubes flatten out the "smile" I think it would suit the "frown" of the Fyne's. Thanks for the video Tarun and I'll offer my Fyne's for review if you'd like. We can't be that far away from each other as we use the same shop. Thanks for all the hard work. It keeps it very interesting.

Great video. I Enjoy the flow and depth of info. Thank you

Fantastic narration, terrific mic, lovely to listen too. Concise and knowledgable - Well done. Can you do a video about wattage between valve and solid state. I hear that a 40w valve amp is more powerful than a 40w solid state, that not all watts are equal and a not often talked about word ‘current’ is sometimes more important when considering how well an amp will drive ‘hard to drive speakers’.

I never bought a tube amp because I'm concerned about finding replacement tubes. But maybe I should change my mind about it because it is easier to find parts on the web today. Also, I prefer to have a good amount of power available and transistors are still better for the most part. I too got COVID from a family member at Christmas, but the effects were mild, so I took the opportunity to get a week more of vacation. Some companies will only send products to 'dedicated reviwers' as a way to control the kind of publicity they will receive. Not a very honest practice, but a prevalent one. Happy New Year!

Nice review as always from BA(!) I had this amplifier for about 6 months before selling it. The R8 replaced a less expensive Boyurange A50 300b amp. I was hoping the R8 would have tighter and more controlled bass (which it did), and that it would be more resolving, and less grainy. However, I initially found the sound of the R8 to be a step backwards overall. To my ears and in my system, it sounded brittle, not very engaging, and the sound stage was neither deep nor wide. I did try tube rolling: changed all the stock tubes except the center power supply filter, swapping the KT88s for a matched set of Tung Sol EL34Bs. This definitely helped make the sound a bit sweeter and less fatiguing. But it still wasn't the sound I was looking for, which is (I've discovered), the sound from class A amplification. So I sold the R8 and now have an Elekit TU-8600 300b amp that I’m really enjoying - much closer to the sound I’m after. One note: My speakers are Tekton Electron SEs. They’re high sensitivity (98db) but a 4ohm design. When I first hooked up the Elekit TU-8600, I used the 4ohm setting. But recently I tried it on the 8Ohm setting and wow - huge improvement! Sound was more alive, with greater dynamics and sense of space. Makes me wonder what my speakers would have sounded like on the R8 using the 8Ohm taps. Would be interested to hear if others have had similar or different experiences

interesting ! I’ve heard this amp and must say great bang for the buck (£ LOL) With better tubes it really transforms . But , I’ve found something even better : the Cayin CS 55 A integrated ! Better build quality ; better stock tubes and versatility ; it also sounds superb! Less than 2K Canadian an even better bargain! Cayin and Prima Luna are both built in the same factory : this is a good thing!

Of course there are many options for 6SL7s, especially in NOS market. Besides tube rolling there are generic resistors that can be upgraded especially in the feedback loop. Plus the coupling caps between each stage can be upgraded.

I would find comments more valuable if they specified the owner's front-end - (DDC, DAC, and preamp) and speakers, as well as the types of tubes used. Our experience with tube rolling has a lot to do with the quality of the signal coming in, the load that speakers present, and the quality of the tubes themselves. I expect the more resolving the rig, the greater our ability to detect the impact of improving all tubes from stock. I have the Denafrips Iris DDC, Pontus II DAC, and Schiit Freya S (buffer mode) as my front end. The speakers are Forte IVs. I've been able to detect improvements when changing all tubes from stock. The 6SN7s are Sylvania GTA and GTB NOS, the 6SL7s Ken Rad VT229 military grade NOS. A couple of weeks ago I replaced the power tubes with Mullard KT88 reissues. Each day the soundstage has been expanding in all directions and air around the instruments flowing more freely. In my case then, all tubes have made a difference. I buy into the experience of anyone not sharing my experience. What you hear is what you hear. However, to help readers evaluate the effectiveness of rolling tubes, I would suggest sharing components. Cables, too, if you care to, although there we run the risk of distracting interested readers with controversy. I believe that cables can have an impact depending on the cables and the rig's overall resolving ability. I have a PS Audio P15 regenerator to provide clean power to all components. Power cables are Audioquest NRG-Y3, the interconnects AQ Waters, and the speaker cable AQ Robin Hood Zero. I also have the R8 processing only frequencies above 100hz with an inline high pass filter. Those at or below are sent to an SVS SB-4000 sub. The latter makes the low bass more transparent and detailed. It is easier to differentiate a new tube's bass prowess.

My experience with valve/tube amps vs solid state. I moved from a Cambridge Audio 851W and 851N to a Cayin CS 55A with built-in DAC and was shocked at how good the Cayin sounded. I then upgraded to a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium (closest equivalent the newer EVO 300) with upgraded KT120's and it is very good, but I feel it lacks a certain something. There was something about the sound of the Cayin CS55-A, that made me smile when I listened to it. I don't get that with the PrimaLuna. To me the PL is more solid-state sounding. That said imbetween the CS55-A and the PL U experimented with a Lyngdorf TDA 1120 class D all in one. Yyyyuuucchh. Had it a month and sold it. Compared to the Cayin it was flat, dull, lifeless, and made listening to music tortuous. I also tried a Cambridge Audio CXN v2 streamer with the PL and HATED it. After the unbelievably good Burr-Brown DAC in the Cayin CS55-A the Cambridge sounded tinny, weak and gutless. I have now upgrade to a Cayin iDAC6 MK II and it is very, very good. Overall I prefer tube/valve amps but th8 851W and 851N combo was very good. Oh, I also tried an Arcam SR750 and although it sounded very good the bass was off the scale and simply overpowered my room. My speakers have been Q Acoustic Concept 500s, Monitor Audio PL200 (MK 1), Monitor Audio PL11 (MK 2), Monitor Audio Gold 100 and Monitor Audio Silver 300's. There is an interesting comparison by Thomas & Stereo on KZfaq comparing the Cayin and Willsenton.

Fabulous reviews, Tarun. Even with the upgraded tubes, it seems like a bargain. I’d be curious as to what percentage of gain the tubes are set for. On guitar amps, which I’ve done tons of tube rolling over the years to, it’s usually around 70% to hit the sweet spot. I used to run a Parasound solid state amp with a tube pre and tube phono pre, but prefer my Quicksilver mid mono monoblocks. They came with a set of EL34’s, but I prefer KT88’s. The driver and input tubes are a 12AX7 and a 6922. I’ve got a pair of those Psvane CV-181’s mixed with a pair of NOS Sylvania 6SN7’s in my preamp. I did a lot of tube rolling before finding that combo to work best in my system at least. Again, fantastic review, Tarun. Many thanks!

Cheers and Happy New Years Tarun+family,, 🍻🥰👍‍‍

Hi Tarun. Regarding tube rolling I have a Cayin headphone amp and I changed the stock tubes , 12AU7’s and EL84’s with Gold Lions on both ends and the sound improved dramatically. Not to say that stock tubes are bad in general but replacing them in time will have a significant effect and you don’t have to go too exotic to achieve an audible improvement.

Upgraded mine to shuguang KT88-T, 6SN7-T and 6SL7-T. You could call it the all black edition. This series of shuguang is simular to the psvane you put in. The 6SL7 swap makes the most difference. Love the sound.

Hi Tarun Happy New Year great review glad you and your family are feeling better.

Bare in mind that these amplifiers come from china are suitable for 220v voltage,you will see a lable on back stating the mains voltage. Since your country and some others too works on 230 vac,it means that all internal voltages Inside Will be higher ,cathodes heaters capacitors etc. That will shorten the life of the device,tubes will be replaced sooner and component failure will be sooner. Repairing Is costly and not everyone knows to repair or will charge More money because of the risk involved. Tube amplifiers must be suitable to the country voltage , suitable transformer must be inside because there is no voltage regulator, especially with tube rectifier. I made this mistake myself and learned from it a lot.

Great review. I had some tube amplifiers over the years from PP integrated to small single ended and big monoblocks. Got tired of expensive tube rolling and have only kept a small Elekit-tu-8200r. My experience with octal preamp tubes is very limited but i have found that both pre/power tubes make a difference in sound. I had good luck with KT90 that i preferred over KT88 but that was a time before premium Psvane tubes came in to the market. I would still give them a try with this amp but perhaps with a higher bias than KT88.

Hi Tarun. Happy New Year from Chicago. I am beginning my experience with tube rolling. I have a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP integrated amp. I recently swapped out the stock EL34 power tubes for a set of Tung Sol KT150 tubes. It has changed the character of the amp significantly and for the better. I need more time to assess it so I can articulate the differences in detail. But so far, so good.

Aloha from Hawaii. I really enjoy your videos and find them very informative. I just purchased a Willsenton R8 amplifier and contemplating tube rolling. My brother has been into tubes for a couple of decades and had some tubes around. He gave me some Neotron 6SL7s, vintage Gold Monarch KT88s as well as a set of vintage GE EL34s and a set of Mullard EL34s. I did not notice much of a change sonically until I replaced the 6SL7s with a pair of Tung-Sol reissues. The soundstage had expanded by quite a bit as well as more air between instruments and vocals. I am waiting for the arrival of the PSVane KT88T MK II as well as the CV181-T MK II to see if there will be further improvements (but I understand that the combined change 6SL7 and 6SN7 does not make any difference as the change of either tubes, e.g. there is no cumulative improvement). Do you still have the R8? Have you done any other upgrades to the amplifier? Have a happy holiday season. Mahalo.