[kboe]

That was funny! I like it.
 
Quote:

There is only one headphone amp, the McIntosh C220. Try to return the WA2 and get your money back (good luck) and buy the C220. You will choose listening to the C220 over food or sex. It is heroin for the ears. 

THAT (the above) was funny.
Quote:

Do you own the WA2? Have you auditioned it? Do you have the same setup as LAmitchell? If not, how can you make such a comment? Please don't make comments that will mislead others.
 
Thanks,
AJ

 

[minimus]

Well, the mcintosh c220 is generally regarded as their worst preamp...why is it so great as a headphone amp?

Regarding the Woo, the impression I have is that the amps need NOS tubes to sound good, and the stock tubes are best for breaking the amp in only. Skylab holds the WA2 in high regard but of course he uses some great tubes in his amps. Welcome to the world of vacuum tubes. Read up and start collecting some tubes to replace the stock ones. Otherwise it is unlikely to ever sound all that stellar.

 

[akart]

@LAmitchell: Did you get stock tubes, or did you purchase any upgrades?
 
Thanks,
AJ

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Avs, Akart:
 
I have been running music through the WA2 for 8 hours at a time
followed by 20 minutes of shutting it off. I have done this since getting it
yesterday afternoon...
 
 
so far, the popping/static sound is WAY LESS SEVERE and coming
LESS FREQUENTLY. i did leave an email for Jack today describing the
situation. i'm sure he'll respond when he checks email monday and i'll
let you know what he says.
 
 
 
this is my FIRST amp. EVER. i was listening (if you can call it that)
to my HD650's plugged into my APOGEE ONE << MACAIR.
 
because it is my first, i guess i'm not "qualified" to really give an
audiophile impression at this point.
 
from an aesthetic view point, i agree with what i've read:
it's gorgeous, it has PRESENCE, the weight is hefty conveying high value,
the build is SOLID and gives off the feeling that it is very well put together,
tubes give off such a nice ambience with lights off.
 
 

 
i know its not a good pic, but it'll have to do for now
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I would bite the bullet and keep your amp turned off and wait for Jack's answer.
 

 

[tdoggystyle]

I only go by my own ears when evaluating an amp. But if I did go by reviews I would see the C220 is considered one of the best amps ever made. The only complaints have been that it is stereo and not multi channel home theater compatible. Nothing but the highest praise for its sonics. It also uses the time proven 12AX7, the standard for sound quality. The WA2 uses oddball tubes.

 

[Golden Monkey]

Also, once you get this issue sorted out (bad tube is my opinion as well, btw), I'd avoid on/off/on/off powercycles.  If you're going to listen to it on any given day, then turn it on and leave it on...it's better for the tube's health and lifespan, and you can avoid the warm-up/cool-down sound quality issues.  It's like an incandescent lightbulb...ever notice that 99% of the time they blow up when you turn them on?  Same thing happens with tubes.  Typically what I do is if I'm planning on rocking some tunage, I turn the amp on around 30 mins before I put the headphones on.  This allows the tubes to come up to temp and settle down...if you listen closely to the tubes without any signal running through them when you turn the amp on you'll usually hear some pinging or ringing noises as they warm up.

 

[LAmitchell]

Well here it is 48 hours since I got the WA2 and the noise is GONE.
 
still makes me wonder, though. why did it do that? is that normal? will it come back?
 
 
 
also, is it my imagination or has the quality of sound increased?
 
i bought it thinking it would be a good 40th birthday present to myself
to be able to listen to what i was in the mood for regardless of what 
a roomate/girlfriend etc. wanted to hear. so i really WANT this to work out.
 
i think i might have been too hasty when i posted it for-sale last night.
i'm listening to a julia fisher album now. i'm not too familiar with her, but
i downloaded after reading a post somewhere on head-fi, and it sounds....
good. it's not "3-D sound with the SMELL of violins", but it's clear, non-fatiguing,
and well, beautiful. i guess in my mind i was prepared to hear
each of the orchestra members breathe, move around in their seats, etc.
yeah, i know, i'm wacky right? this is my first amp, and i guess i just didn't
know what to expect.
 
 
 
 

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

Well, the mcintosh c220 is generally regarded as their worst preamp...why is it so great as a headphone amp?

Regarding the Woo, the impression I have is that the amps need NOS tubes to sound good, and the stock tubes are best for breaking the amp in only. Skylab holds the WA2 in high regard but of course he uses some great tubes in his amps. Welcome to the world of vacuum tubes. Read up and start collecting some tubes to replace the stock ones. Otherwise it is unlikely to ever sound all that stellar.

 
Well, not necessarily.  You are already dropping a nice amount of change into the amp.  The tubes tailor the sound but should not be "the end all be all" in reference to this amp.  For power tubes, I have over 20 pairs that I use with the WA2 and other amps and although the stock GEs from Woo might not be on par with my TS 5998s or TS 6AS7Gs, they are nice nevertheless.  Enjoy the amp first w/ stock tubes then venture into the world of tube-rolling.  Get a foundation then roll.  To the OP w/ the static, my WA2 is dead silent no matter what I plug into it.  I use all four inputs and the pre-out.
 
Here is a pic that I just took and posted in another thread.  I have had my WA2 for almost two years and just threw in the stock power tubes with my current setup and it does sound good.  Humble beginnings my friends.  Tube rolling is an addition, not a must.  A tweak, if you will.  I love tube rolling very much but with this amp the urge to roll is diminished because it sounds very good vanilla, as it is.
 

 
 

 

 

[Henerenry]

 
Quote:

The WA2 uses oddball tubes.

 Other than the choice of rectifier the WA2 uses fairly standard tubes. Basically eery piece of tube equipment I use uses 6922's and the 6as7's are in quite a number of amps (atmosphear is the most obvious).
 
As to the OP its a pity it wasnt what you looking for, as much as I love my headphones, it sounds like a good 2 channel system is what you are after. Other factors that may have contributed to the headphone system not hitting the mark are the recording and the source as well as the headphones themselves haha (and the amp of course).

 

[akart]

I couldn't agree with you more. After dropping $1000+ on a headphone amp, it's a joke if it does not sound great. And "stock" tubes better be god-damned good if this is the price point. Turns (a beginner like) me off from buying a tube amp in the first place ...
 
If it takes $1000+ and then a matched pair of NOS tubes and then re-cabling the cans, then good-bye tube amps. After a point, the sweet jingle of $ in the pocket is way more satisfying than any great music coming out of such a tube amp.
 
The argument put forth by some folks here doesn't make a lot of sense. It's like buying a Ferrari, but it comes with a Honda Civic engine - "unless you replace the engine, it won't run well." - doesn't make much sense to me.
 
Sorry for the rant - but I think I am justified at least when it comes to the more expensive amps.
 
Quote:

Quote:

Well, the mcintosh c220 is generally regarded as their worst preamp...why is it so great as a headphone amp?

Regarding the Woo, the impression I have is that the amps need NOS tubes to sound good, and the stock tubes are best for breaking the amp in only. Skylab holds the WA2 in high regard but of course he uses some great tubes in his amps. Welcome to the world of vacuum tubes. Read up and start collecting some tubes to replace the stock ones. Otherwise it is unlikely to ever sound all that stellar.

 
Well, not necessarily.  You are already dropping a nice amount of change into the amp.  The tubes tailor the sound but should not be "the end all be all" in reference to this amp.  For power tubes, I have over 20 pairs that I use with the WA2 and other amps and although the stock GEs from Woo might not be on par with my TS 5998s or TS 6AS7Gs, they are nice nevertheless.  Enjoy the amp first w/ stock tubes then venture into the world of tube-rolling.  Get a foundation then roll.  To the OP w/ the static, my WA2 is dead silent no matter what I plug into it.  I use all four inputs and the pre-out.
 
Here is a pic that I just took and posted in another thread.  I have had my WA2 for almost two years and just threw in the stock power tubes with my current setup and it does sound good.  Humble beginnings my friends.  Tube rolling is an addition, not a must.  A tweak, if you will.  I love tube rolling very much but with this amp the urge to roll is diminished because it sounds very good vanilla, as it is.
 

 
 

 

 

[Golden Monkey]

I don't think it's a matter of "it doesn't sound good", it's more a matter of "I had no idea what to expect, and in my excitement I vastly overestimated what an amp was going to do for me. I'm also a noob at this whole hobby and don't really know what I'm listening for"...

 

[ccklone]

 
Hey Now,
 
Is that a Gohonzon? . . . . doin' some namyos to get the Woo to sound right 

 
--
Finest kind,
Chris
 
 
Quote:

 
i know its not a good pic, but it'll have to do for now

 

[kiddragonsoft]

I totally agree with minimus here. When I received my WA2 I thought the stock tubes sounded horrible. Once I swapped out all the tubes I found it to be a whole different experience. The music sounded much livelier with the new tubes. I swapped out the rectifier with the Amperex ez80, the power tubes to the TS 5998, and the drive tubes to the Amperex 6922. Check out Joes tube lore on which tubes to use.

 

[HeatFan12]

Quote:

I totally agree with minimus here. When I received my WA2 I thought the stock tubes sounded horrible. Once I swapped out all the tubes I found it to be a whole different experience. The music sounded much livelier with the new tubes. I swapped out the rectifier with the Amperex ez80, the power tubes to the TS 5998, and the drive tubes to the Amperex 6922. Check out Joes tube lore on which tubes to use.

Horrible?, Don't think so, sorry.....Must have been something else in your chain...How much did you drop on the total of tubes?   I have all the tubes you listed, but for now 2x Tungsram EZ-80, 2x Tesla ECC88 and the stock GE power x2.  Tube rolling makes a difference, but not night and day.  So, in the head-fi tradition, I respectfully disagree.  My WA2 has never sounded horrible.  

 

 

[akart]

It is a pity that such an expensive amp comes with stock tubes that sound horrible. Does not make any sense to me.
 
Quote:

I totally agree with minimus here. When I received my WA2 I thought the stock tubes sounded horrible. Once I swapped out all the tubes I found it to be a whole different experience. The music sounded much livelier with the new tubes. I swapped out the rectifier with the Amperex ez80, the power tubes to the TS 5998, and the drive tubes to the Amperex 6922. Check out Joes tube lore on which tubes to use.