[oldwine]

wow... what a nice amp!!!
 
i wish i have chance to have audition to it!!

 

[Silent One]

Congrats! There is something very moving about a Woo dressed in black. For me, two things are certain regarding my future: my next Woo will be a WA 5 LE and most definitely black! I recently received my first Woo ever on 9 July 2010 - a black WA 6 SE w/Sophia Princess.
 
Here on 9 August and 322 hours logged, I absolutely adore its sounds; looks. Prior to this I had never heard or seen a Woo in person. I went by the wonderful contributions shared by fellow head-fiers and was sold. Enjoy!
 
--
Mac mini > Play v3.1 > AIFF > E-MU 0404|USB > WA 6 SE > Denon AH-D5000

 

[fdhfdy]

As an owner of wa2 I can vouch for its sound. wa5 should be better!. The only reason I didn't get wa5 is due to its weight. Actually I like heavy staff just the shipping cost is too high. Also woo's customer service topped many of others.

 

[Currawong]

Totally envious.  One of my dreams is to own one of the top-end tube amps. I did for a while own the Audiovalve RKV Mark II, but ultimately the design didn't fit in with the rest of my system or headphone choices.

 

[volume]

I believe more in single-ended equipment,just because its a lot more hassle for a balanced rig, getting everything balanced and making sure they all compliment.
The refinement of the balanced also is debatable,if it is convincing enough for someone to take that way.
 
I sometimes visit the Woo Audio website and drool over this WA5LE,being an ultimate single ended amp.
 
I used to wonder who would pay so much on a single ended amp , when the money was usually utilised by balanced amps.

 

[vo328]

Wow... congrats on a great choice! I know when time comes for my next desktop amp, the first place I'll look is in the Woo Audio stable. I've had the chance to speak with Jack a couple of times in person and spent hours listening to his products. I find them to hit the sweet spot for me when it comes to bang for the buck in full-size amps.

 

[musicman59]

I asked Jack what other type of tubes can be use in the WA5-LE as rectifier tubes. Here is the list he sent me:
 
[size=11pt]Many can be used. Here are some of them:[/size]
 
[size=9pt]5AR4/GZ34
5AS4
5R4/WGA/WGB
5R4/GA/GB/GY/GYA/GYB
5U4G/U52
5U4GA/5U4GB
GZ32/5V4/5V4G/5V4GA/CV593/CV729
GZ33/CV5745/53KU/CV378 /U54
GZ37/CV378
CV575
CV1377
274B[/size]
 
[size=9pt]Does anybody have a similar list forhte driver tubes?[/size]

 

[krmathis]

Congratulations!

Really beautiful amplifier indeed.

 

[Torero]

Now I have a WA6 maxxed and i am thinking about to buy a WA5. I would like to know if the WA5LE is very dynamic and musical in other words very enjoyable to listen.
 
Regards.
 
Any opinion??

 

[stang]

Must...resist...temptation!

 

[Caesar2010]

Musicman,
 
Congrats on your purchase.   My impressions at Canjam were very similar to yours - your new amp is as good as it gets. How would you compare the sound of the WA5LE to the Manley 300B?  to the Zana Deux?
 
Quote:

 

 
After a little bit Jack Wu approached me and we started talking about what I was looking for in my sound and my current equipment. During the conversation he directed me to listen to the WA5-LE. I was not really convinced since it was a single ended amplifier and all my headphones are balanced. Jack insisted that I should at least take a quick listen so I did and WOW! I have never had heard the T1 sounding so good. Their sound was very dynamic, clean, and natural. I was blown away.
 
After leaving the Woo Audio room I went to the TTVJ room. There I listened to the $10,000 APEX Pinnacle and the $5,500 Manley Neo-Classic 330B using my same T1 headphones. IMO the WA5-LE sounded better. During the 2 days I was finding myself constantly back in the Woo Audio room listening to the WA5-LE.
 
....  I can not say that I have listened to every amplifier available but some of the top end I have listened to are: RP010B MkII, Apache, APEX Pinnacle, Manley Neo-Classic 300B, Zana Deux, Phonitor, WA22, WES, Raptor, RPX-33 and Cary SLI 80. IMO the WA5-LE sound tops all of them....

 

[musicman59]

 
Quote:

Now I have a WA6 maxxed and i am thinking about to buy a WA5. I would like to know if the WA5LE is very dynamic and musical in other words very enjoyable to listen.
 
Regards.
 
Any opinion??

Here is the list of amplifiers I have own:
CIAudio VHP1/VAC-1
Stello HPA-100
GS-1
Rudistor RP-7 Lite (hybrid)
Rudistor RPX-33 MkII
RSA Apache
 
Here are the other ones i currently one:
Rudistor RP010B MkII
Violectric V200
 
Here hte the ones I just have listened to:
Phonitor
RSA Raptor
Zana Deux
APEX Pinnacle
Manley 300B
Woo WA22
Woo GES
 
IMO out of all of them the WA5-LE is the best that's why I ordred it. It does an incredible job with all the headphones in my collection. It is the most realistinc, natural, musical and dynamic sound based on my taste that I have heard.
 

 

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

Musicman,
 
Congrats on your purchase.   My impressions at Canjam were very similar to yours - your new amp is as good as it gets. How would you compare the sound of the WA5LE to the Manley 300B?  to the Zana Deux?
 

IMO the Manley was not as dynamic and clean sound as the WA5-LE. To be honest I was a little disappointed with it. I don;'t know if I was expcecting too much but IMO hands down the WA5-LE sounds better with the right tubes.
The Zana Duex that I listened to belongs to a frined that really like the "tube"sound so to my taste it was a little bit in the dark side (very mellow) and not as dynamic due to the tubes he has in it.
I don't know if the specs confrims this but my impression is that the WA5-LE has more power and control the drivers better. 

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

...The Zana Duex that I listened to belongs to a frined that really like the "tube"sound so to my taste it was a little bit in the dark side (very mellow) and not as dynamic due to the tubes he has in it. I don't know if the specs confrims this but my impression is that the WA5-LE has more power and control the drivers better. 

And I believe the Zana Deux uses only 1 driver--6SL7 and 2 half-wave rectifiers, and two humongous Soviet power tubes.
 

 

[Caesar2010]

Musicman,
 
It's always a challenge comparing gear in different systems.  Do you remember what the source was for the Manley when you heard it?   I agree with you about the sonic signature of the Woo. 
 
I recently heard the Manley with a very expensive Esoteric CD player, and it was sublime.  The sound was pretty dynamic and 3-dimensional (although not as dynamic as the Woo).
 
At its price, which is nearly half of the Manley, the Woo is really hard to beat.  It's just so damn big!
 
Quote:

IMO the Manley was not as dynamic and clean sound as the WA5-LE. To be honest I was a little disappointed with it. I don;'t know if I was expcecting too much but IMO hands down the WA5-LE sounds better with the right tubes.
The Zana Duex that I listened to belongs to a frined that really like the "tube"sound so to my taste it was a little bit in the dark side (very mellow) and not as dynamic due to the tubes he has in it.
I don't know if the specs confrims this but my impression is that the WA5-LE has more power and control the drivers better.