[eiotadsa]

Alternatives to WA2 that I have tried was the La Figaro 339 and the Glenn OTL. I would say the 339 is a step down 192.168.100.1 192.168.1.1 jpg to pdf from WA2,but still very nice sounding.
The Glenn is the cream of the crop,by far. However Glenn builds each of his amps by hand while still working a fulltime job. The current wait for an amp is close to one year.

You're on the right track with the Woo WA2. My first real set-up was a Beyer T1.1 and WA2 with the 5998 upgrade.

 

[ZigsterB33]

I had the 339 prior to getting my Glenn. One of the better rolls I heard on it was a pair of Bendix 6080s(not cheap) and a pair of RCA Reds(fairly cheap).
When I had my WA2 way back when I had no clue about tubes,rolling,or gear synergy. I bought the 5998 upgrade(not cheap) and figured that was the end of it.
In retrospect I wouldnt use 5998s with Beyers and would probably opt for some Mullards or RCA for added warmth.
To be honest I really do not recall what tube types the WA2 can take,but theres plenty of thread detailing that.

If I were you I'd grab the WA2 and place an order with Glenn. Once your Glenn is ready will probably be at least one year,at which point you can sell your WA2 and invest in great tubes for the Glenn and your T1.

Just my semi-biased opinion.

Thanks for all the help. I’ve tentatively decided to go for the WA2, what a beautiful piece. Going to start with the T1’s and the WA2 should follow sooner or later.

@eiotadsa Thanks for the input, nice to hear you’ve been there. I’ve heard nothing but good claims on the combo. What DAC were you using?

I’m considering a multibit, or a DacMagic, in determination if a much nicer DAC is going to be necessary right off the bat.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I have the WA2 on my short list. I think a pair of Sennheiser 600s could save you some money, would be great with the Woo. Some people like the 600s more than the Beyers.

Alternative would be the Audeze LCD-2C which is kind of like a planar with the old school dark Sennheiser house sound. But the WA2 is not a good amp for those.

As far as DACs I got away from the low-end stuff quickly. I want MQA and DSD support. An RME ADI-2 DAC for 1K is impossible to beat for the money and feature set but does not play MQA. However it is a good match for the LCD-2C, it has enough amp.

Is that confusing enough?

 

[ZigsterB33]

I have the WA2 on my short list. I think a pair of Sennheiser 600s could save you some money, would be great with the Woo. Some people like the 600s more than the Beyers.

Alternative would be the Audeze LCD-2C which is kind of like a planar with the old school dark Sennheiser house sound. But the WA2 is not a good amp for those.

As far as DACs I got away from the low-end stuff quickly. I want MQA and DSD support. An RME ADI-2 DAC for 1K is impossible to beat for the money and feature set but does not play MQA. However it is a good match for the LCD-2C, it has enough amp.

Is that confusing enough?

Haha noted. All this surfing of head-fi sees my vocabulary quickly increasing lol, thanks for the input. Anything you would recommend in the sub 500 range for DAC?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Haha noted. All this surfing of head-fi sees my vocabulary quickly increasing lol, thanks for the input. Anything you would recommend in the sub 500 range for DAC?

Sorry, no. I went through some cheap/inexpensive gear and decided I'm not rich enough to keep buying junk

 

[ZigsterB33]

Sorry, no. I went through some cheap/inexpensive gear and decided I'm not rich enough to keep buying junk

I appreciate that in place of a cheap suggestion. Helps confirm my hunch that buying something solid up front may be more well worth it for the long run, rather than messing around with budget friendly items.

 

[Monsterzero]

I have the WA2 on my short list. I think a pair of Sennheiser 600s could save you some money, would be great with the Woo. Some people like the 600s more than the Beyers.

Alternative would be the Audeze LCD-2C which is kind of like a planar with the old school dark Sennheiser house sound. But the WA2 is not a good amp for those.

As far as DACs I got away from the low-end stuff quickly. I want MQA and DSD support. An RME ADI-2 DAC for 1K is impossible to beat for the money and feature set but does not play MQA. However it is a good match for the LCD-2C, it has enough amp.

Is that confusing enough?

OP enjoys the upper mids of Beyer headphones,so I doubt he would like the HD600 or the LCD-2c

Anything you would recommend in the sub 500 range for DAC?

I would stick with something from Schiit not because there arent better DACs out there,rather they have name recognition and should be easy to sell once you find the sound you're after and want to upgrade.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

OP enjoys the upper mids of Beyer headphones,so I doubt he would like the HD600 or the LCD-2c


I would stick with something from Schiit not because there arent better DACs out there,rather they have name recognition and should be easy to sell once you find the sound you're after and want to upgrade.

My bad for not reading thoroughly. Thanks.

 

[ZigsterB33]

Thought I would update:

2 hours in on a fresh pair of T1 Gen 2's. I am really, really just appalled by the detail... the clarity. Those highs really bring out so much in the guitar, trumpets... I'm stoked to say the least. It does get harsh when I really crank it with the gain, but I suppose the tube amp should really soften that up.?

I'm pushing the 600ohms off of my Fiio Q1 Mark 2 Dac/Amp as Dac, from MacBook, and then amping them with a Magni Heresy. Underwhelming when I imagine the WA2 that will be showing up in my mailbox in a few weeks time. Can't imagine it can only get better.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Even a Lake People G103s will push the T1 to great listening.
It is able to throw 17.8 volts on them on 600R.

Spoiler: Specs

Max. output level:
> 17.8 Veff in 600 ohms = 530 mW
> 16.0 Veff in 300 ohms = 850 mW
> 13.7 Veff in 200 ohms = 940 mW
> 7.5 Veff in 50 ohms = 1130 mW
> 3.7 Veff in 16 ohms = 890 mW

Hard to beat in that price range, i guess.
If you want a bit more control, take a look at the G109, which is a real competitor to the Violectric V200 line.
The Magni Heresy is running out of power with the T1 for sure.
So the sound on higher volume level will thin out and hide the T1 from its best.
Take a look at the measurements at ASR.

Hope you'll find your satisfying combo to credit the T1 well.
It's a great headphone to listen to.

All the best
Chris

 

[ZigsterB33]

Thanks for the kind words, @Chris Kaoss.

Stoked to update that Michael from @WooAudio has helped me place my order for a WA2, shouts out to some great and quick customer service.

With what I've got running right now, I've realized the longer I wait the longer I am missing out on a fuller experience with these T1.2's. Until then, I'm burning hours on these cans so when the Woo rolls around I can really pick apart what the hype is all about.

 

[Monsterzero]

Mike is cool people!

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Thanks for the kind words, @Chris Kaoss.

Stoked to update that Michael from @WooAudio has helped me place my order for a WA2, shouts out to some great and quick customer service.

With what I've got running right now, I've realized the longer I wait the longer I am missing out on a fuller experience with these T1.2's. Until then, I'm burning hours on these cans so when the Woo rolls around I can really pick apart what the hype is all about.

Great pick.
Please share your impressions once the Woo is at your home.