[audios81]

Hi guys! Well new to the forum and tube amps have a bit of a two fold question. First I have Grado SR85, AKG 501's, Senny HD580, Hifi an HE4XX, Audeze Sine closed and AT ATH PRO700Mk2 I've read some places tubes are no good for PM headphones, but read a review about the Woo WA7 being simply amazing with them. Overall which would I be better with, with my current setup? I plan to add the Senny HD6XX, some more Audeze's which I love immensely, also have a few older B&O headphones sitting around. Would you go the Woo or Little Dot. Now imagine the price was almost the same! Which would you get. And if the price were 3x the little dot for the Woo? Secondly if I did the LD would I need an external DAC? I have a FiiO Q1 Mk2, would this suffice? Your great knowledge is greatly appreciated!

Cheers
Audios81

 

[ProtegeManiac]

LD MkIII isn't that good with low impedance, low sensitivity headphones.

And for the price of the WA7 personally I'd be more inclined to go with the WA6 and a separate DAC. Not that the WA7 is bad, but I just like the more neutral tone of the WA6.

 

[audios81]

LD MkIII isn't that good with low impedance, low sensitivity headphones.

And for the price of the WA7 personally I'd be more inclined to go with the WA6 and a separate DAC. Not that the WA7 is bad, but I just like the more neutral tone of the WA6.

Hey mate,

Thanks for the advice. Yeah I read that before about the LD hence my apprehension about it. The reason for the WA7 is its honestly a absolute ridiculous price I can pick one up for. Wanted to add the WA7tp later in the year with it. If the price were retail then I was looking at the WA7, but I can't look the other way for this deal. Hence my worry about which would be better overall for my current collection on cans, and any future ones I buy. So if I went with the LD I'd need a sep DAC as my FiiO wouldn't suffice I'm assuming? But all things being equal let's say, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the Woo?

Cheers

 

[SeaWo|f]

Resale price of a product can tell you a lot..

 

[audios81]

Resale price of a product can tell you a lot..

Very, very true. Headphone world same as the regular "full size" hifi world.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Yeah I read that before about the LD hence my apprehension about it. The reason for the WA7 is its honestly a absolute ridiculous price I can pick one up for. Wanted to add the WA7tp later in the year with it. If the price were retail then I was looking at the WA7, but I can't look the other way for this deal. Hence my worry about which would be better overall for my current collection on cans, and any future ones I buy.

If you can get the WA7 cheap then I guess it's a good deal. My take on just getting the WA6 plus a Schiit Modi (even if you delay that, given you have the Q1 MkII anyway) was based on getting both at MSRP.

Although once you add the price of the separate tube power supply I can't be sure anymore if you might as well just get the WA6 as I haven't tried the WA7 running on that power unit. But if you're looking at an amp that will be there in the long run regardless of what headphones you throw at it, barring electrostats, the WA6 can definitely drive pretty much anything. Look at the comparison to the WA3 for example. It's $100 cheaper but despite being an OTL amp the WA6 has more power at 300ohms, let alone at lower impedance loads.

So if I went with the LD I'd need a sep DAC as my FiiO wouldn't suffice I'm assuming?

It'll work but given the lower price of the LD there's a chance there might be more tube noise as you'd have to crank it up higher to compensate for the 1.2V line output on the Q1 MkII.

But all things being equal let's say, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the Woo?

If you can get the WA7 cheaper, then yes. But once you factor in the cost of the WA7TP I'm not sure...the WA6 would still have more power, just no built in DAC, but even just the Q1 MkII for now (and if you don't get any noise before you hit 3:00 on the dial, no need to replace it really) could work out well enough.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I wouldn't choose either of those. If I were choosing a tube amp, it'd be the Bottlehead S.E.X. and I don't think I'd even consider anything else for the price. Bottlehead's circuit designs and build quality (if you follow the instructions well and know what you're doing) are just a step above most tube headphone amps.

Or if going solid state, I'd get a Dynalo from mjolnir-audio, which is proven to be one of the absolute best measuring headphone amp circuits out there.

 

[audios81]

If you can get the WA7 cheap then I guess it's a good deal. My take on just getting the WA6 plus a Schiit Modi (even if you delay that, given you have the Q1 MkII anyway) was based on getting both at MSRP.

Although once you add the price of the separate tube power supply I can't be sure anymore if you might as well just get the WA6 as I haven't tried the WA7 running on that power unit. But if you're looking at an amp that will be there in the long run regardless of what headphones you throw at it, barring electrostats, the WA6 can definitely drive pretty much anything. Look at the comparison to the WA3 for example. It's $100 cheaper but despite being an OTL amp the WA6 has more power at 300ohms, let alone at lower impedance loads.




It'll work but given the lower price of the LD there's a chance there might be more tube noise as you'd have to crank it up higher to compensate for the 1.2V line output on the Q1 MkII.




If you can get the WA7 cheaper, then yes. But once you factor in the cost of the WA7TP I'm not sure...the WA6 would still have more power, just no built in DAC, but even just the Q1 MkII for now (and if you don't get any noise before you hit 3:00 on the dial, no need to replace it really) could work out well enough.

I did actually forget to put its a WA7d, and its less than the WA7 retail. That was my dilemna. But it seems a lot more for the Woo. I've had other regular SS amps Krell, Mark Kevin's on, for speakers, but have ever been delving into higher end "portable/headphone" audio until recently, unless you count the old Sennys and AKG 501's from a million years ago lol.

 

[audios81]

I wouldn't choose either of those. If I were choosing a tube amp, it'd be the Bottlehead S.E.X. and I don't think I'd even consider anything else for the price. Bottlehead's circuit designs and build quality (if you follow the instructions well and know what you're doing) are just a step above most tube headphone amps.

Or if going solid state, I'd get a Dynalo from mjolnir-audio, which is proven to be one of the absolute best measuring headphone amp circuits out there.

While a great idea, and God knows I'd love to have the time to actually assemble and build an amp, life dictates at my age that "plug 'n' play" is the order of the day. But much appreciative of the suggestion, will keep it in mind if I ever have the time for a fun project!
Cheers

 

[Rhamnetin]

You can search for pre-built Bottlehead amps here on Head-Fi in the amps for sale section, and on similar sites like audiogon and even ebay.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I did actually forget to put its a WA7d, and its less than the WA7 retail. That was my dilemna. But it seems a lot more for the Woo. I've had other regular SS amps Krell, Mark Kevin's on, for speakers, but have ever been delving into higher end "portable/headphone" audio until recently, unless you count the old Sennys and AKG 501's from a million years ago lol.

I kind of got that from how you're not asking about using a DAC with it. And it's still $799. The WA6 is $699. Even if you get the WA7D cheap, if you're planning on upgrading it later for a better power supply, the WA7P is $749 by itself, in other words just the power supply costs more than the WA6, and AFAIK the WA6 would still have a lot more power, so if your concern is that whether the amp can drive whatever you throw at it barring electrostats, then the WA6 is it. Unless you deliberately want to use the amp as an equalizer.

 

[audios81]

I kind of got that from how you're not asking about using a DAC with it. And it's still $799. The WA6 is $699. Even if you get the WA7D cheap, if you're planning on upgrading it later for a better power supply, the WA7P is $749 by itself, in other words just the power supply costs more than the WA6, and AFAIK the WA6 would still have a lot more power, so if your concern is that whether the amp can drive whatever you throw at it barring electrostats, then the WA6 is it. Unless you deliberately want to use the amp as an equalizer.

Massive price difference here in Oz The WA7 is $999, whereas the WA7d is $1799. But I can grab a WA7d for under $1k hence leaning that direction, and actually in fact less than the WA6. But if the WA6 is worth, oh let's say $100 more overall then I'd be happy to go that direction.

 

[audios81]

Well bit the bullet and ended up getting the WA7d. Pretty amazing thus far, Picked up a power cable after, as I didn't pay enough attention as they don't come with one lol. and they had a AK70 for half off, well there goes the WA7tp for the moment. Will see how everything sounds, but so far, very impressed. It's added warmth, depth and some crispness. So now of course since this whole tube thing is new to me, tube rolling...….I have read everywhere that you can easily roll the tp's tubes, but for the WA7d? Cant find anywhere that tells me what you could try instead of the standard Sovtek 6C45 matched tubes; was hoping something along the lines of Mullard or Jan, something NOS perhaps, even still Soviet made, but something, and all I could find was the Electro-Harmonix 6C45PI, any suggestions? Will post some photos of the "fireflies" at night, cool factor aside, sound and build quality are pretty amazing. Although it does feel they ay be working a bit harder to drive PM vs dynamic headphones, but only time will tell. Thanks for the previous advice all, and now onto some rolling advice if anyone has any??

Cheers

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Cant find anywhere that tells me what you could try instead of the standard Sovtek 6C45 matched tubes; was hoping something along the lines of Mullard or Jan, something NOS perhaps, even still Soviet made, but something, and all I could find was the Electro-Harmonix 6C45PI, any suggestions?

It's not a widely used tube (even rarer for audio) so that's about all the options you have.

Although it does feel they ay be working a bit harder to drive PM vs dynamic headphones, but only time will tell. Thanks for the previous advice all, and now onto some rolling advice if anyone has any??

It's not the drivers, it's the driver specs. Either your planar headphones have considerably lower sensitivity than your drynamic driver headphones or the impedance is too low for the WA7. Or both, but more of the first.

Given the same sensitivity the only difference is how the response can affect your perception of it struggling, ie, if the very flat response of planars below 500hz makes you think it doesn't have the bass impact that the dynamic driver with an upper bass plateau does.