Frequent visitors of our portal, even if they do not associate the brand tested today from their brilliant exposition during the Warsaw Audio Video Show, probably did get a little acquainted with it reading the reportage from my visit at their location near Warsaw. Of course I am talking about a manufacturer of tube electronics and high efficiency loudspeakers, Destination Audio. And it is a multinational brand at that, as its main market is in the United States, their second home. Fortunately the people there are open for new contacts, so knowing my priorities, they offered to have a closer look at one of the projects from their analog department. This is the reason we got in our listening room a very unique, separated construction, positioned in the extreme High-End market by its pricing, the phonostage WE417A. And you probably do know, that I am arming myself with all kinds of vinyl related items, so the pre-test expectations reached a zenith. So how did it end? Did it fail? Did it fare well? Or was it “safe” and boring in the long run? Please hold your waters for now. The introductory paragraph is not the place to put everything to the table, so please be invited to read my thoughts from dozen or so days of meeting with the WE417A put below.

Like I already mentioned, the center point of our meeting consists of two separate modules, one containing the power supply section, the other with the main amplification and correction circuitry for the signal coming from the cartridge. Obviously, like it should be in all devices from this brand, both elements of the phonostage use electron tubes. To expose everything nicely, the chasses use a 10mm aluminum frame, that becomes the carrier platform for the tubes, capacitors and transformers. But this is for sure not all in terms of external design, as they also used 4mm thick, polished copper sheets for the top and bottom covers, giving the whole a golden shine, while the rectangular and round cups and remaining parts of the main cabinets were powder coated black, what creates and interesting contrast. This seems simple, but when you look at it, it is really great. In terms of connections and manipulators, the power supply, due to it having only the function of providing power to the main unit, has only a toggle switch on the front, together with a golden writing informing of its name and function, while on the back there is a permanently mounted cable with a multipin plug and an IEC socket with a fuse. The phonostage itself, has similar golden writing on the fascia, wile the back carries inputs for MC and MM cartridges, a grounding terminal and the multipin socket to connect the cable from the PSU. From the technical point of view, the manufacturer informs, that the construction is based on triodes and works in pure class A without a negative feedback loop. It also carries a made to spec amorphous intra-stage transformer. The LCR correction is on the level of +/-0.15dB. The step-up transformers are handmade to Destination Audio requirements. The separate power supply uses the 5U4G rectifier tube. So you can see, no expenses were spared. But was it worth it?

Responding to the question posed in the previous paragraph, after the dozen evenings spent with the Destination Audio phonostage, I can tell you one thing – it was one of the rare occasions that a tube device surprised me. But please do not be upset, this surprise was very positive. Usually well applied tubes enchant with an organic, fairytale colored musical world and unobtrusive sweetness, unachievable for the solid state units. And when it would seem we have everything we need to be happy, it turns out, that in terms of reproducing the full spectrum of emotions in music, the devil is in the details. And I am not talking about splitting the mentioned aspects into bits and pieces, or arguing if the electrons moving inside the glass dome are doing it better or worse, but about shortcomings in showing other aspects of the musical spectacle. In first place it is about creating a solid bass base. And I am not talking about the undefined, sometimes too tarry, monotone murmurs, but about the energy of those lower octaves, at times quick, at times slower, becoming a whole, or more separated if required, but always fully controlled. This is the Achilles heel of all tubes – even when they try to emulate solid state, which can impair the reception of big symphonic orchestras, not even mentioning rock or electronic music. Yes, for many people this is still a very nice sound, but when put against reality, it seems to change the musical assumptions too much. And let me be clear, I like to listen to a nice tube amplifier, but I always needed to take this aspect – this one being the most important, but I assure you, there are more – into account and “compensate” for it. If I approached this aspect in such a way, everything was OK. But only for a limited time. And what do I mean by that? As you can probably guess, the encounter that changed things, was meeting the hero of our test. This construction is a device that breaks the stereotype, that if bass from this kind of devices is nice this is already a win, because this is bass from a tube, but on the other hand showing, that yes, you will not achieve a masterful bass like from a brutal, good solid state amp, but I have still to see someone to propose it on the level presented by Destination Audio. Frankly speaking I knew about this ability of the devices made by this manufacturer for a while, since I first met them. But the perception of its sound during all kinds of shows or presentations might not represent what you can hear in your own listening room with your own system, so I attributed it often to good environmental conditions. But finally time came to assess a device that can cross that very high threshold in my own listening room. And in a few words, how did this device fare?
Probably nobody will be surprised that for me the most important thing was the presentation of the whole virtual stage, where the most important aspects were the energy, swing and freedom, something that was the reason that prompted me to buy big loudspeakers. All the rest of the “fireworks”, which are usually most important for you, did also count for me, but let us not kid ourselves, how much would need to go wrong, to have a tube become bad in terms of plasticity, palpability and warmth? It does sometimes happen, but fortunately not on the level of extreme High End, so I was not worried about those any of those aspects taken from the audio ABC, and what was actually fully confirmed while listening. But returning to the thing, that was for me the epitome of the good sound of the 417, I must confess, that it was able to manage every aspect of the sound with absolute calmness, and most spectacular was the lowest part of the frequency band. It had a very condensed energy, which was fully controlled in every moment, and which resulted in even the most demanding tutti of the big orchestra to move my walls. And it was not with a long, rubbery rumble, but with an immediate, quick kick. This is very important, because on one hand it gave the feeling of keeping adequate speed of attack of the sound, but on the other, in the longer vibrating phrases, you could discern individual impulses from any murmur, a result of very good control of the sound by the whole system. I know, that most music will enchant us even without that, but when we encounter something like this, we will know how much we lose. This might be a nuance, but on a certain quality level it is a standard, and we feel a deficiency when it is not there. Fortunately this is not something that happened with the DA, what I confirmed many times, not only with symphonics, organ works but also with electronics in the form of for example Yello. But why is it so important? Without placing the sounds against controlled mass and attack, there is no appropriate visualization of the stage, this is why in the context of having a tube device handling this so good, I am repeating this like a mantra, and I am turning your attention to this aspect. This is really a high level of abilities, and if you can get a certificate confirming this, everything else will be fine, as timbre, essence, volatility and enchanting with proper 3D visualization of the stage is something that DA products have in their DNA. Does the whole testing process described above allow me to talk about meeting the ideal? Of course not, because due to the understandable technical limitations a tube has no chance in reproducing the lower notes and the speed of their visualization, when compared to an equally technologically and qualitatively advanced solid state amplifier. But I will defend the tested device and doing that in this case, the final verdict will be an effect of conscious choice of how you like to be enchanted with the sound, and even when you want to put it in absolute terms, I am willing to claim, based on my ten years of experience with reviewing audio gear, that the tested unit reached the pinnacle of quality in using electron tubes. I did not think that I will say it, but I am fully conscious of what I am going to say. The Destination Audio WE417A, when the material demands it, can kick, otherwise it can enchant, and all that on a level of refinement that, to date, was reserved for solid state devices. All that with a slightly different definition of edges, plasticity and homogeneity – we are dealing with tubes here – but in this case with a detailed reproduction of the unpredictability of every genre of music. For me this is absolutely perfect.

Summarizing my writing, I would like to tell you a little anecdote, as a kind of bracket, putting all the above together and allow you to understand, why, instead of praising the tested device left and right about the overall presentation of music I listened to, I concentrated on the lowest registers. Well, about 20 years ago my colleague bought a cult Subaru Impreza with a boxer engine and told me this: “You know Jacek, nowadays any reasonable car can reach 200km/h, this is why the game starts at that level, if and when you can do something sensible past that speed.” Telling, don’t you think? Absolutely, at least for me. And this is why, based on that very accurate description of extreme situations that sat in my head for years, I tried to tell you, what truly our hero can do. And the best thing of all is, that I did not think it could do that much. This is why you should not be surprised that I will recommend this phonostage for everybody, even to the orthodox solid state lovers. Maybe they will not bind the musical life to it, but if they will be at least somewhat impartial, they will learn, that also a tube amplifier of the signal coming from the cartridge, can cause chills. Yes, it will have a bit different esthetics, but not quality, and this means a lot, when you compare two so different technologies.

Jacek Pazio

System used in this test:
Source:
– transport: CEC TL 0 3.0
– streamer: Lumin U2 Mini + switch Silent Angel Bonn N8
– DAC: dCS Vivaldi DAC 2.0
– Master clock: Mutec REF 10 SE-120
– reclocker: Mutec MC-3+USB
– Shunyata Research Omega Clock
– Shunyata Sigma V2 NR
– Preamplifier: Gryphon Audio Pandora
– Power amplifier: Gryphon Audio Apex Stereo
– Loudspeakers: Gauder Akustik Berlina RC-11 Black Edition
– Speaker cables: Synergistic Research Galileo SX SC
IC RCA: Hijiri Million „Kiwami”, Vermouth Audio Reference
IC XLR: Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Hijiri Milion „Kiwami”, Siltech Classic Legend 880i
Digital IC: Hijiri HDG-X Milion
Ethernet cable: NxLT LAN FLAME
Power cables: Hijiri Takumi Maestro, Furutech Project-V1, Furutech NanoFlux NCF, Furutech DPS-4.1 + FI-E50 NCF(R)/ FI-50(R), Hijiri Nagomi, Vermouth Audio Reference Power Cord, Acrolink 8N-PC8100 Performante, Synergistic Research Galileo SX AC
– Table: BASE AUDIO 2
– Accessories: Harmonix TU 505EX MK II, Stillpoints ULTRA SS, Stillpoints ULTRA MINI, antivibration platform by SOLID TECH, Harmonix AC Enacom Improved for 100-240V, Harmonix Room Tuning Mini Disk RFA-80i
– Power distribution board: POWER BASE HIGH END
– Acoustic treatments by Artnovion
Analog stage:
– Drive: Clearaudio Concept
– Cartridge: Essence MC
– Phonostage: Sensor 2 mk II
– Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer: DS Audio ES-001
– Tape recorder: Studer A80

Distributor/Manufacturer: Destination Audio
Price: 30 000$

Specifications
Inputs: Pair RCA (MC), Pair RCA (MM)
Outputs: Pair RCA
Frequency response (RIAA): 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz (± 0,15 dB)
Gain: +52dB (MM); +77dB (MC)
Input impedance: MC < 200Ω; MM – 47KΩ lor on demand 85KΩ
THD: < 0,3%
Tube Complement
– Signal Tubes: 2 x WE417A – first gain step (5842 equivalent);4x 5687 – 2-nd & 3-rd gain step
– Power Supply : 5U4G Rectifier
Dimensions
– Preamplifier: 390 x 160 x 300 mm
– Power Supply: 390 x 200 x 300 mm
Weight:
– Preamplifier: 16 kg
– Power Supply: 24 kg