beaux said:

  I am considering a amp to pair with my hd800 in this price range. WA5 is one of the best choices.

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Yes the WA5 is an excellent amp for just about any headphone.  The Cavalli Audio amps are very nice too.

beaux said:

I am considering a amp to pair with my hd800 in this price range. WA5 is one of the best choices.

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Completed 3 listening sessions，some further view to share.

It is too early to make a conclusion and for my personal taste I may not like best the stock tubes pairing with the HD800 . Nevertheless, I discovered a sense of "completeness" ever and I have to admit that HD800 did better on WA5 over WA22 and WA6 SE on every technical aspects.

ghhf said:

  Two big & heavy boxes from FedEx today, definitely that is my WA5+++ delivered on 7 January 2017! I would take 1-2 days to set it up and take a gallery of unbox pics before the first listening session .....

 

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Congratulations! Be sure to give the system a couple of hundred hours to break-in. Nothing special you need to do, just enjoy as normal. The sound should improve with every use.  Please keep us posted with your listening impressions. 

hifiguy528 said:

   
Congratulations! Be sure to give the system a couple of hundred hours to break-in. Nothing special you need to do, just enjoy as normal. The sound should improve with every use. 

 Please keep us posted with your listening impressions. 

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Thank you. Yes, there was difference in every sessions I experienced. By the time I completed the first 6 listening sessions in about 15 hours run time, I thought it has started shining ..... I am going to assess everything in details in the coming months  

Have the fuse changed in WA5，let's see what would be the difference?

I am also adding other accessories, these two mice now sitting on the WA5, they do make a difference, would share impression some few more listening sessions later.
 

I managed to experience "base noise" of my WA5，here is my assessment for reference.

Hugo DAC connected to the WA5 default input at position 2 via RCA connectors，WA5 volume knob set at 9o'clock where I feel everything all right for enjoying music. When I stopped the Audirvana player on MAC Book，only dead-slient from the HD800 headphone as expected.

I then turned the knob right and stopped at 12o'clock where I started experiencing "noise". With the WA5 Level switch set downward from "Hi" to the "Lo" position，it returned to slient even I further turned the volume knob to Max. most right side at about 5'o clock.

And finally，I changed the source input on WA5 from position 2 to position 3 (also 1)，another RCA (XLR) pairs but without any life connections，WA5 just keeping slient no matter where the position was set for the volume knob and Level switch.

Seems that is a pass result.

I also managed to setup my lab and loaded the WA5 on a strong flat bed trolley。That makes life much easiler for assessment works in the coming months before I confirmed the final configuration for my WA5。

grats on the well manicured nails

Thank you, but actually no effort for well manicured, just have them cut in some mins every two months or so .....  

ghhf said:

I managed to experience "base noise" of my WA5，here is my assessment for reference.

Hugo DAC connected to the WA5 default input at position 2 via RCA connectors，WA5 volume knob set at 9o'clock where I feel everything all right for enjoying music. When I stopped the Audirvana player on MAC Book，only dead-slient from the HD800 headphone as expected.

I then turned the knob right and stopped at 12o'clock where I started experiencing "noise". With the WA5 Level switch set downward from "Hi" to the "Lo" position，it returned to slient even I further turned the volume knob to Max. most right side at about 5'o clock.

And finally，I changed the source input on WA5 from position 2 to position 3 (also 1)，another RCA (XLR) pairs but without any life connections，WA5 just keeping slient no matter where the position was set for the volume knob and Level switch.

Seems that is a pass result.

Click to expand...

 
HD800 is VERY efficient so LO power is recommended. Also, it is OK to run the volume knob beyond 2–3 o'clock or MAX in this setting.
 
- LO power, HI impedance and LO level
 
I use this setting when driving my Fostex TH900 which is also super efficient. Just be sure to set volume to MIN. (zero) when you change headphones.

hifiguy528 said:

   
HD800 is VERY efficient so LO power is recommended. Also, it is OK to run the volume knob beyond 2–3 o'clock or MAX in this setting.
 
- LO power, HI impedance and LO level
 
I use this setting when driving my Fostex TH900 which is also super efficient. Just be sure to set volume to MIN. (zero) when you change headphones.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the information and suggestions. Even I set it at the same volume output (HI Level at 9o'clock and LO Level at 11o'clock) HD800 seems performing more dynamic and aggressive at HI Level , relax and easy at the LO level which I prefer.
 
I would like to confirm the WA5 setup for AKG K1000 headphone, I intended to set it as - HI power, LO impedance and HI level.

Content merged into WA5+++ First Impression.

Content merged into WA5+++ First Impression.

WA5+++ First Impression
 
Unboxing
Had my WA5+++ delivered on 7 January 2017 and open box, the package comes with a set of WA5 with upgrade components:
 
- WA234 Class Output Transformers
- Alps RK50 Potentiometer
- DC cord with SCC wires
 
Stock tube set:
- Psvane 300B x 2
- Psvane 5U4G x 2
- Sylvania 6SN7 GTA x 2
 
Base Setup
I started a base setup with the stock tubes, an ordinary copper RCA signal cable and 13A UK standard AC power cord for electronic equipment. I feed the WA5 with Hugo running in dedicated DAC mode and a set of HD800 headphone attached to the 6.3 jack, Hugo + WA5 (stock tube) + HD800.
 
"Huge" and "Conscious"
After completing more than 20 listening sessions in the past two weeks for over 50 hours operating time. That seems the right time to make a summary for my first impression on the combo. Long story short, I would like to conclude that into four words - Huge, Conscious, Complete (and Beautiful). Don't get me wrong, it is not perfect and I don't think current combo is delivering the "most touching" effect I experienced ever, but definitely something new from another dimension to explore and expect.
 
Did I mention the combo is delivering a sense of spectacular scene?! And I mean I just feel like I were wondering *** in *** a such broad perspective landscape filled with "Huge" structure composing of sonic elements and presenting in a "Conscious" arrangement - inter-related multi-chains and multi-layers. The result is live impression, not only I never lose the subject but also with enjoyment of individual and separated technical aspect.
 
"Complete" and "Beautiful"
For "Complete" & "Beautiful", let's start from the Woo Audio Amplifier Comparison Chart, in particular the chart highlighted the difference between my WA6SE, WA22, WA5 and the WA234.
 
 
So what ratings I would suggest for my WA5+++ (+ with upgraded add-on enhancements)? Sorry, but I am not going to give exact ratings as I don't have a stock WA5 nor WA234 for side-by-side comparison, and sorry again, no figure from instrument measurement too, that is totally subjective impression, but I thought that should give sufficient room for imagination. And let me further conclude that as follows:
 
Though I may not necessarily find it a "touching" effect I like best (a matter of personal taste), I would suggest this WA5 combo is "Complete", superior than both WA22 and WA6 SE in every technical aspects, in a sense of "nothing missing", and "no identified defect". With the add-on enhancements like fuse upgrade, vibb eater mouse, SCC power cord, Zendo RCA signal cable, sonic now goes intensively, space is purified and becomes transparent but fully filled with powerful energy field, subjects are connecting and flow through gracefully, all these resulted in delivery of "Beautiful" imaging.
 

 
Nature Imaging
By the time I complete this posting, already got more than 40 listening sessions over 100 hours operating time in a month after open box, I have to admit that my WA5 sounded impressive with the stock tube set (at least true for my copy). While my WA5 delivered familiar and similar confident & bright "Woo Tone" as from my WA22 and WA6 SE (is that the common signature for these OTC AMPs?), I found it specifically the nature imaging presentation much better than my WA22 and WA6 SE loaded with decent tube sets like WE 421A/ GEC 6SA7G/ TS 5998, TSRP 6SN7 GT, WE 274B/ Marconi/ Osram/ GEC 5U4G etc.
 
And yes, if WA22 and WA6 SE are 2D, then my WA5 should be Brilliant 3D!
 
I hope you get my first impression right - Huge, Conscious, Complete (and Beautiful)