So what's the actual deal with the special cable needing extra grounding or whatever? Is that really needed for the WA11? If not, then this is a problem. When we have issues with our Woo products, it's frustrating enough to try and explain what is going on after having done all the obvious self-diagnosis that we can. We don't need to be sent on a wild goose chase about cables that work with every other device we have. Each time, in my case and OP's, we were told there was something wrong with our, otherwise perfect, cables - and we had to indulge them and rule them out before anything else was considered. It just wastes time. If your product requires such unique cable designs, then maybe reconsider the design of the products. Just my two cents.
Also, I want to stress that Mike is a perfectly nice guy to deal with. I even love all his other content. He's enthusiastic about all the products I've talked to him about. He's knowledgeable about them as well. I just think it's time to stop blaming cables so much! The Woo Audio WA8 is one of my favorite pieces of hifi equipment I've ever owned...I never heard the Utopias sound better. But, it sucked that I had to send my unit in like 3 times for the same issue and each time I was told to try a different cable. I even bought a super high end cable that was completely unnecessary, and sent it in to them for inspection just to rule it out as the likely cause. For no reason. It was the unit's power supply the whole time.
And, let's stop pretending that the Woo gear isn't top notch and sounds sublime. This is a rather minor customer service issue that they can correct overnight. This forum is a good place for this kind of feedback and for manufacturers to hear honestly from their customers.
I see you are a very very nice person by calling someone 'knowledgeable' and 'perfectly nice guy to deal with' when he BSed you so much, you had to send in an item for repair
3 times?! And he keeps using the same kind of BS excuse over and over again for a broad range of issues. Sounds like you wasted so much time, energy, and ALOT of unnecessary $$$, frustrated trying to make it work, but the real issue is Woo's product. And
you are the one who finally found the true cause of the issue.
OMG, you are nice on your feedback about Mike, but you also gave the story which sounds like a nightmare dealing with him and Woo.
I feel bad for you just running around wasting time and money, believed whatever Mike told you was the issue.
Sir(I assume), your positivity, patience and $$$ earned my respect. 
Thanks for your thoughts, I would mostly agree with your feedback about Mike until less than 2 weeks ago. He does sound like a nice guy until you have anything that might cost them money. Then he will start endlessly blaming the cables, going into technical details and tell you their theories that won't help the case(but you can't say anything else since you can't effectively disprove them). Then putting the customer who is having a problem with their device on a self-diagnose, not realizing why the customer contacted them in the first place.
In my case, he even lied to me about the free services/repair once I get it back to them.
I know I'm not the first person who had said experience with Mike. In fact, a friend of mine who just had some obvious problem with stuff bought from Woo a week ago. He came to me and told me that Mike pissed him off by shoving some weird technical theory, finding excuses, doesn't believe my friend is having a real issue with the item, overall no help but wasting his time and pissed him off. Then still told my friend to do more self-diagnose. Luckily my friend has the option of contacting the manufacturer, and he did. While Mike is still blaming some weird software stuff, my friend got the RA and has shipped the item for repair.
The experience my friend told me has a very similar pattern to my case,
coincidence? I don't believe so.
Your story tells me that you dealt with a case even worse than mine, and Woo not only lacks in morality, customer service, product quality, but also technology(as they didn't even find the true issue)
Bottom line: If the design/quality of a product isn't there, and the aftersale is trash(at the best). Then combined with the price, it makes a very expensive piece of trash that will cost you a lot more unnecessary money, time, frustration, and get you pissed in the process.
The product/service which you spent all this money, which you should have been enjoying in the first place.
