[alphapig]

At Can Jam, I listened to many different amps, including several of the Woo's there. However, I wasn't particularly impressed by what I heard from these setups. From reading reviews since then, I know that these amps are pretty highly regarded.

So if I didn't like the sound of these amps, what <$1000 amps might work for me? Do other tube amps like the LittleDot MkIV sound like a Woo? Or do some solid-state amps have tube-like musicality (Meier, HeadAmp, Heed, PS Audio)? I have Conrad-Johnson tube pre-amp and SS amp in my main stereo and would like a similar smooth but lively quality. Thanks in advance for your help!

My current equipment: AKG K702's, Oritek OMZ 4.2 DAC.

 

[alexboo12]

Hi,
There are quite a bit of people here who might be able to help but maybe you could be more specific regarding what you do not like about the Woo.
Cheers,
AP

 

[alphapig]

AP, although I can't remember many details, my general impression was that the midrange sounded thin and grainy, not full and smooth. I was listening to track 2 on the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over" CD, as well as some violin music (Hillary Hahn/Bach Violin Concertos).

The setups that I thought sounded best: Zana Deux with Senns, Stax/ES-1 (perfect!), Benchmark DAC1 (best of the SS I heard).

Hope that clarifies. Thanks.

 

[Blackmore]

Maybe Lehmann SoundStage! Equipment Review - Lehmann Audio Black Cube Linear Headphone Amplifier (2/2005)

Or Trafomatic http://www.trafomaticaudio.com/experience_head_one.php

 

[1UP]

I actually found the Trafomatic surprisingly controlled and somewhat similar to the Woos.

I think you might like to look at the Cavalli EHHA or of course, a Beta 22

 

[Seba]

I did compare my Little Dot MKIV SE to a fellow head-fier's WA6 (very highly modded). I found the Woo to have a very easy and mellow sound but instead my Little Dot sounded very energetic but still maintained very clean sound from the tubes.

So I like the Little Dot MKIV SE way better than WA6, but that's my opinion.

 

[rapzoo]

The RSA Raptor offers a much different sound than the Woo amps and is near the upper end of you price limit. It offers a very lively sound while still maintaining the smoothness of tubes. However, some Head-fiers have indicated that the Raptor does not have very good synergy with the K701/2.

 

[olblueyez]

Raptor + 701 = crap.

One amp I notice people seem to love with the 701 is the Graham Slee Solo. I would read up on that for the 701.

 

[alphapig]

Olblueyez, do you think the Slee Solo is a better bet than the Heed Canamp in terms of the sound I am looking for?

Thank you all very much for your help!

 

[olblueyez]

Based on what I read over and over I would say go for the Heed if you want a warmer sound and more bass presence with your 701's or go Graham Slee if you want dynamic and detailed with less coloration. Depends on the speed of your music tastes too. Heed for slower music and GS for faster type music.

 

[Skylab]

The K701/2 have a low enough impedance that some of the OTL (output transformer-less) tube amps that are out there will not due them justice. Do you remember if you tried the K702 with the Woo WA6? that would be the best choice of the Woo line-up for the K702, at least technically.

When I owned the K701, I thought they were very dry in the mids, so a tube amp that is lush and sweet in the mids would be best, but also one that can drive lower-impedance headphones well. One you might consider is the Decware CSP-2 - while it is OTL, it does well with my 70 ohm JVC DX1000, and with the right tubes, it can be lush in the mids (it can be flavored a lot of different ways depending on what tubes you use with it).

 

[atothex]

Good rep, tube, low output impedance, not Woo, AND <$1000?

What are the output impedances on the Trafomatic and Yamamoto? If they're both low, then I believe those are you only commercial choices. I suggest you ask some of the DIY folk about what's good in DIY.

 

[Spareribs]

If you can try the Head Direct EF1, you may like it. It's a hybrid amp and perhaps it may suit your taste.

 

[alphapig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by atothex /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good rep, tube, low output impedance, not Woo, AND <$1000?

Actually, I am open to solid-state amps, but was wondering which ones would yield the kind of sound I'm looking for.

 

[alphapig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you can try the Head Direct EF1, you may like it. It's a hybrid amp and perhaps it may suit your taste.

Were they at Can Jam? I heard a CTH 3-channel in the Whiplash Audio room that looks like a similar design. Would the EF1 have a comparable sound?