I've owned and auditioned quite a bit of gear in the few years I've enjoyed head-fi. From my humble beginnings with the Koss PortaPro and the way up to the Audeze LCD3's with plenty in between, I've gotten to hear a lot of quality headphones and gear. I've gotten off the merry-go-round for the headphone circuit (with my PS1000s and ZMF Ori's), and now, thanks to the Woo Audio WA8 Eclipse, I see the end of the tunnel for upstream gear as well.
The Breakdown:
The Chain:
MBP running JRMC21 > Woo WA8 > PS1000, Ori, 64 Audio U8
Zebra Ori's from the WA8 are killer!
Test Songs (all 320 MP3, 16/44, or 24/96 FLAC and ALAC):
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman - Campfire
"Strasbourg/St. Denis" by The Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood
"Grown Folks" by Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha
"Hands are Clever" by Alex Clare - The Lateness of the Hour
"Best for Last" by Adele - 19
"Modern Soul" by James Blake - The Colour in Anything
"House of Mercy" by Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent
"Jupiter, from The Planets" per Sir Adrian Boult and the LSO
Sound: In three words: rich and clear. I've owned two other Woo amplifiers and to me the Woo sound is definitely warmer than neutral and while the WA8 still has a bit of that delicious tube warmth, it's a little leaner than some of the other offerings from NY. This makes it a great option for serious listeners who have a variety of tastes and/or headphones.
Bass: Great impact with lots of texture and layers. In three-tube mode, the WA8 plumps up the low end a bit, while two-tube mode levels things out more. I felt like I was getting the control from a SS amp, but the rich, fat thump that I've only ever heard from all-tube designs. From the U8 IEMs to the ZMF Ori's the low end through the WA8 doesn't leave anything to be desired! Check those kick drums:
Mids: The reason I can't get out of the tube game is because of that rich midrange sound. Well, Woo has done it again. Vocals aren't quite as forward as my older WA6 or something like a MAD Ear, but they are still wonderfully placed. Adele sounds great, as well as the guitar and sax solos in my Snarky Puppy. Lots to enjoy here, especially with cans that are known for a quality midrange presentation.
Treble: Clean! This was the only thing I was a little worried about. I've never been able to keep any Sabre-based DAC because I always found the upper end fatiguing over time. So glad to report that so far, I've not got that hair-raising feeling I usually get when cymbals get busy or violins soar into the stratosphere. Compared to the other Woo's I've heard, I'd say that the upper end is the biggest departure from the classic Woo sound. It's certainly not strident or overly-aggressive, but definitely not as smooth and slick as the WA6 or WA22 to these ears.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation: Well, I wouldn't say that the soundstage is a revelation by any stretch, but I would say it's on par with or better than Schiit Mjo2, Questyle CMA600i, WA6SE, and the Feliks Elise. The beautiful, holographic soundstage that Woo is known for is there, but with better spatial cues and placement than a lot of full-blown desktop rigs I've heard. Jupiter is my soundstage test. Check it!:
Other stuff:
Qualms: Not really anything. MSRP isn't great, but you can't complain about that and still think $4k for a pair of headphones is okay... Also, several have commented on the short battery life. Here's my take: Woo messed up in calling the unit a 'portable' solution. That word is automatically associated witjh small handheld units like DAPs and stackable amps a la ALO CDM and Chord Mojo. Thinking of the WA8 as a desktop unit that can be transportable would be a better description. Don't expect it to run all day off the battery, but do realize that you can take it to Starbuck for a few hours and not need to be tethered to the wall. Also, being assured of clean, steady power, no matter who's dingy, poorly-wired apartment you're in is definitely a plus as well.
JD's Combo Unit Ranking list: Woo WA8 > Teac UD-503 > CMA600i > Emotiva DC-1 > Chord Mojo > Audio-gd NFB 29 > ALO Pan Am > Resonessence Concero HP > Audio-gd NFB 11.32/15.32 >
(please note this list is based on both function AND SQ)
Final Thoughts: All in all, the WA8 really impresses on every level. It sounds great, looks great, has a tiny footprint, is very competitive with full desktop amp/DAC rigs, and plays well with a lot of headphones. I suppose some quality nitpicking would find some niggles, but considering all you get in this attractive package, I'd say this a grand slam for the Woo crew! Thanks for reading!
The Breakdown:
The Chain:
MBP running JRMC21 > Woo WA8 > PS1000, Ori, 64 Audio U8
Zebra Ori's from the WA8 are killer!
Test Songs (all 320 MP3, 16/44, or 24/96 FLAC and ALAC):
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" by Matt Redman - Campfire
"Strasbourg/St. Denis" by The Roy Hargrove Quintet - Earfood
"Grown Folks" by Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha
"Hands are Clever" by Alex Clare - The Lateness of the Hour
"Best for Last" by Adele - 19
"Modern Soul" by James Blake - The Colour in Anything
"House of Mercy" by Sarah Jarosz - Undercurrent
"Jupiter, from The Planets" per Sir Adrian Boult and the LSO
Sound: In three words: rich and clear. I've owned two other Woo amplifiers and to me the Woo sound is definitely warmer than neutral and while the WA8 still has a bit of that delicious tube warmth, it's a little leaner than some of the other offerings from NY. This makes it a great option for serious listeners who have a variety of tastes and/or headphones.
Bass: Great impact with lots of texture and layers. In three-tube mode, the WA8 plumps up the low end a bit, while two-tube mode levels things out more. I felt like I was getting the control from a SS amp, but the rich, fat thump that I've only ever heard from all-tube designs. From the U8 IEMs to the ZMF Ori's the low end through the WA8 doesn't leave anything to be desired! Check those kick drums:
Mids: The reason I can't get out of the tube game is because of that rich midrange sound. Well, Woo has done it again. Vocals aren't quite as forward as my older WA6 or something like a MAD Ear, but they are still wonderfully placed. Adele sounds great, as well as the guitar and sax solos in my Snarky Puppy. Lots to enjoy here, especially with cans that are known for a quality midrange presentation.
Treble: Clean! This was the only thing I was a little worried about. I've never been able to keep any Sabre-based DAC because I always found the upper end fatiguing over time. So glad to report that so far, I've not got that hair-raising feeling I usually get when cymbals get busy or violins soar into the stratosphere. Compared to the other Woo's I've heard, I'd say that the upper end is the biggest departure from the classic Woo sound. It's certainly not strident or overly-aggressive, but definitely not as smooth and slick as the WA6 or WA22 to these ears.
Soundstage/Imaging/Separation: Well, I wouldn't say that the soundstage is a revelation by any stretch, but I would say it's on par with or better than Schiit Mjo2, Questyle CMA600i, WA6SE, and the Feliks Elise. The beautiful, holographic soundstage that Woo is known for is there, but with better spatial cues and placement than a lot of full-blown desktop rigs I've heard. Jupiter is my soundstage test. Check it!:
Other stuff:
- Operation is really straightforward.
- There's a surprising amount of power for my planars.
- 3-tube > 2-tube to me, but going to 2 does offer a little more neutrality if that's your thing!
- Dead silent background from sensitive IEMs to dynamics.
- Setup - piece of cake. No hiccups whatsoever, just plug-n-play.
- Volume knob - never used another I like as much as the Woo's!
Qualms: Not really anything. MSRP isn't great, but you can't complain about that and still think $4k for a pair of headphones is okay... Also, several have commented on the short battery life. Here's my take: Woo messed up in calling the unit a 'portable' solution. That word is automatically associated witjh small handheld units like DAPs and stackable amps a la ALO CDM and Chord Mojo. Thinking of the WA8 as a desktop unit that can be transportable would be a better description. Don't expect it to run all day off the battery, but do realize that you can take it to Starbuck for a few hours and not need to be tethered to the wall. Also, being assured of clean, steady power, no matter who's dingy, poorly-wired apartment you're in is definitely a plus as well.
JD's Combo Unit Ranking list: Woo WA8 > Teac UD-503 > CMA600i > Emotiva DC-1 > Chord Mojo > Audio-gd NFB 29 > ALO Pan Am > Resonessence Concero HP > Audio-gd NFB 11.32/15.32 >
(please note this list is based on both function AND SQ)
Final Thoughts: All in all, the WA8 really impresses on every level. It sounds great, looks great, has a tiny footprint, is very competitive with full desktop amp/DAC rigs, and plays well with a lot of headphones. I suppose some quality nitpicking would find some niggles, but considering all you get in this attractive package, I'd say this a grand slam for the Woo crew! Thanks for reading!