Hello all my music and headphone friends.
As we all love music, it is normaly our intension to have a wonderful time while we listen to it and forget all the things arround us.
This feeling, to relax and dive into the music, for me it´s a real big part of lifequality. I think many of you will share this.
At spring this year, i searched a real good Headphone-Amp for my new Grado GS 1000. After days of reading in this forum,
i decided to order a WA6 maxed with all upgrades from Woo Audio. The sounding as well as the build quality was absolute perfect for the money.
It makes so much fun, that i decided to go one step further and try to get the ultimat Headphone Amp.
My searching ended at the WA5-LE, also from Woo Audio, because from my point of view it has the best technical basic layout.
Now it was time for me to think about the the posibillities to upgrade Jack Woo´s basic WA-5 LE.
First i decide to get his premium parts upgrade that integrate the best sounding electronic parts that you can buy such as Black Gates,
V-Cap and Jenson capacitors, Kiwame & Mills resistors. Tell it German perfectionism, but i thought there were still a few points to optimise.
First i would like to change the standard RCA-Sockets to WBT-0210 Cu nextgen.
The next point were the Tube-Sockets. Here i decide to switch to Yamamoto´s teflon gold types, that are mechanical the best on the planet.
The last and most critical part was the attenuator. Because of the high gain design of the WA-5 LE, Jack couldn´t integrate a step-attenuator
to get a fine volume adjustment. So there was only one part in my mind to build in.
The giant Alps RK-50, also used in the Accuphase C-290V Preamp.
Now you are thinking, witch Tubes will this crazy German High-End Freak choose. To make it short, no NOS!
I would like to have Tubes with a real mash design for the 300B and 5U4G.
I could compare this real mash design in my previous WA-6. Absolute outstanding. If you would read my short review, klick HERE.
There is only one company, who has the technical knowhow to do this, Emission Labs.
Greetings to Jac van de Walle of JAC Music, who is a real nice guy and had a great reputation in the community.
The 6SN7 Tubes goes to Electro Harmonix 6SN7-EH-GB, also one of the best from current production.
So with all my wishes in mind i ask Jack Woo, if he could do this modifications for me.
After a few days of calculation and brainstorming because of the Alps monster, he will be happy to build this Custom Amp.
And now, here it is....
Here the WBT´s:
And the Alps Giant with the Yamamoto Tube Sockets:
Now a complete shot of the PSU...
... and of the AMP-Section:
Now i have about 75 hours of burn-in and all i could say is that this Amp makes me wet eyes!
I never heard such a autential playback with absolute perfect 3D liveness.
The burn-in go on...
As we all love music, it is normaly our intension to have a wonderful time while we listen to it and forget all the things arround us.
This feeling, to relax and dive into the music, for me it´s a real big part of lifequality. I think many of you will share this.
At spring this year, i searched a real good Headphone-Amp for my new Grado GS 1000. After days of reading in this forum,
i decided to order a WA6 maxed with all upgrades from Woo Audio. The sounding as well as the build quality was absolute perfect for the money.
It makes so much fun, that i decided to go one step further and try to get the ultimat Headphone Amp.
My searching ended at the WA5-LE, also from Woo Audio, because from my point of view it has the best technical basic layout.
Now it was time for me to think about the the posibillities to upgrade Jack Woo´s basic WA-5 LE.
First i decide to get his premium parts upgrade that integrate the best sounding electronic parts that you can buy such as Black Gates,
V-Cap and Jenson capacitors, Kiwame & Mills resistors. Tell it German perfectionism, but i thought there were still a few points to optimise.
First i would like to change the standard RCA-Sockets to WBT-0210 Cu nextgen.
The next point were the Tube-Sockets. Here i decide to switch to Yamamoto´s teflon gold types, that are mechanical the best on the planet.
The last and most critical part was the attenuator. Because of the high gain design of the WA-5 LE, Jack couldn´t integrate a step-attenuator
to get a fine volume adjustment. So there was only one part in my mind to build in.
The giant Alps RK-50, also used in the Accuphase C-290V Preamp.
Now you are thinking, witch Tubes will this crazy German High-End Freak choose. To make it short, no NOS!
I would like to have Tubes with a real mash design for the 300B and 5U4G.
I could compare this real mash design in my previous WA-6. Absolute outstanding. If you would read my short review, klick HERE.
There is only one company, who has the technical knowhow to do this, Emission Labs.
Greetings to Jac van de Walle of JAC Music, who is a real nice guy and had a great reputation in the community.
The 6SN7 Tubes goes to Electro Harmonix 6SN7-EH-GB, also one of the best from current production.
So with all my wishes in mind i ask Jack Woo, if he could do this modifications for me.
After a few days of calculation and brainstorming because of the Alps monster, he will be happy to build this Custom Amp.
And now, here it is....
Here the WBT´s:
And the Alps Giant with the Yamamoto Tube Sockets:
Now a complete shot of the PSU...
... and of the AMP-Section:
Now i have about 75 hours of burn-in and all i could say is that this Amp makes me wet eyes!
I never heard such a autential playback with absolute perfect 3D liveness.
The burn-in go on...
