[magiccabbage]

   
 
+1 heh heh.
 
theres also a guy selling bugle boys, orange globes, and CCa on another thread.

thanks but for me these tube sales are at the wrong time as i have to buy a good camera and 2 lenses soon - they will end up costing me as much as a WA22 at the very least. 

 

[billerb1]

Am going to be ordering a WA2 to pair with my T1's later this week.  Can't make up my mind on whether to go with the stepped attenuator.  I understand it is supposed to benefit the audio of the WA2 but I had a stepped attenuator on a Yulong amp a few years ago and it drove me a little nuts with too many occasions where the volume I wanted was 'between' steps.  Are the increments on the Woo attenuator small enough where that doesn't seem to be an issue...and can anyone speak to the audio benefits of attenuator  vs no attenuator.
Really appreciate any input.

 

[Chesterfield]

Thanks guys.  This amp will also be used everyday as a preamp for my amp/speakers.

Therefore, I believe I would want the best driver tubes.

What is the consensus on the Amperax 7308 Woo offers as an upgrade?

I might just add it to my order if it makes a huge difference.  Since I understand that tubes need about 150+ hours to break in, it would make sense to start with good tubes.

Or am I doing it wrong?

Buy driver grade Amperex 7308s from Upscale Audio instead. They're about $200 cheaper. Woo's power tubes are reasonably priced though.

 

[Rizlaw]

  Am going to be ordering a WA2 to pair with my T1's later this week.  Can't make up my mind on whether to go with the stepped attenuator.  I understand it is supposed to benefit the audio of the WA2 but I had a stepped attenuator on a Yulong amp a few years ago and it drove me a little nuts with too many occasions where the volume I wanted was 'between' steps.  Are the increments on the Woo attenuator small enough where that doesn't seem to be an issue...and can anyone speak to the audio benefits of attenuator  vs no attenuator.
Really appreciate any input.

When I ordered my fully loaded WA2 from Jack Woo, I thought the DACT stepped attenuator had 2db steps. However, when I called to confirm that with Jack some time ago, he said "No" the attenuator has 1db steps (a total of 23 click stops on mine). I've never really had a problem with adjusting the sound to the most pleasing level. Good stepped attenuators are supposed to be more accurate and transparent, but I imagine an ALPS blue attenuator is probably nearly as good.
 
You might want to look at these threads on attenuator comparisons:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/213420/dact-stepped-attenuator-vs-alps-blue-velvet-my-observations
http://www.head-fi.org/t/281333/stepped-attenuator-or-volume-potentiometer

 

[Dubstep Girl]

I hated stepped on wa22, wouldnt want it on wa2. Too annoying especially with high impedance headphones.

 

[jamesng45678]

How does the dacmini from centrance compared with the WA2 in both the sound produced and the amplifiers. I am new here and I am deciding which one to get?

 

[billerb1]

Thanks DG and Rizlaw.  Any other impressions regarding stepped attenuators I'd appreciate.  I was waiting to talk to Jack but didn't hear back from him today.  I'm not even sure if it is available on the WA2 as an option anymore.

 

[ardilla]

I hated stepped on wa22, wouldnt want it on wa2. Too annoying especially with high impedance headphones.

 
With sensitive cans the stepped on the WA22 can be to steppy. With the WA2 I've never had a problem with that. 

 

[Rizlaw]

  Thanks DG and Rizlaw.  Any other impressions regarding stepped attenuators I'd appreciate.  I was waiting to talk to Jack but didn't hear back from him today.  I'm not even sure if it is available on the WA2 as an option anymore.

When I looked at Jack's website yesterday, I no longer saw the stepped attenuator as an option, nor the Black Gate Caps or Teflon tube sockets. I imagine that the DACT stepped attenuator and teflon sockets can still be special ordered, but not the Black Gate's (I believe they have been out of business for quite some time). My WA2 has all 3 options plus upgraded tubes and I have no trouble adjusting the volume level where I need it to be for any headphone I own.

 

[billerb1]

  When I looked at Jack's website yesterday, I no longer saw the stepped attenuator as an option, nor the Black Gate Caps or Teflon tube sockets. I imagine that the DACT stepped attenuator and teflon sockets can still be special ordered, but not the Black Gate's (I believe they have been out of business for quite some time). My WA2 has all 3 options plus upgraded tubes and I have no trouble adjusting the volume level where I need it to be for any headphone I own.

Yeah I talked with him today and he led me to believe that he could do it if I really had to have it.  I didn't persue it.  If he would have strongly recommended it I might have thought about it but I'd already pretty much decided to go stock. Am already sitting pretty for upgrade tubes.  Thanks for your info though...appreciate it.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  When I looked at Jack's website yesterday, I no longer saw the stepped attenuator as an option, nor the Black Gate Caps or Teflon tube sockets. I imagine that the DACT stepped attenuator and teflon sockets can still be special ordered, but not the Black Gate's (I believe they have been out of business for quite some time). My WA2 has all 3 options plus upgraded tubes and I have no trouble adjusting the volume level where I need it to be for any headphone I own.

 
i think they all come with teflon sockets, don't they?
 
the black gates are not available as far as i know but the stepped should definitely be available if you email jack about it.

 

[Rizlaw]

   
i think they all come with teflon sockets, don't they?
 
. . . .

Dubstep Girl,
 
Teflon sockets were a $150.00 option when I purchased my WA2 back in late 2010. Back then the base price of the WA2 was $1050, now it's $1190.00, so it's possible, but not likely that teflon sockets are standard. Jack's specs, on the current WA2, apart from mentioning teflon/silver plate wiring as standard, don't mention Teflon sockets as standard equipment.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  Dubstep Girl,
 
Teflon sockets were a $150.00 option when I purchased my WA2 back in late 2010. Back then the base price of the WA2 was $1050, now it's $1190.00, so it's possible, but not likely that teflon sockets are standard. Jack's specs, on the current WA2, apart from mentioning teflon/silver plate wiring as standard, don't mention Teflon sockets as standard equipment.

 
the sockets look like they're made of teflon.
 
interestingly though, the wa5/wa5-le offers the upgrade for teflon, but the pictures shows it looks exactly the same as the standard sockets. unless the standards are made of some plastic material or something. 
 
but it looks just like the teflon tube adapters. http://www.head-fi.org/t/548267/new-product-universal-teflon-tube-adapter
and thats what the sockets are like on all the woo amps i've owned.

 

[Rizlaw]

Dubstep Girl, I haven't seen a current production WA2 lately, so I'm just guessing here, but it could be that there are "grades" of teflon sockets and Jack decided to use a good "stock" teflon socket and not charge for a pricey "upgrade" TOL teflon tube socket. Sort of like the stock tubes he ships with the WA2. On the other hand, as I said before, if he is using Teflon sockets, I would think that he would note it in the written specs as an additonal feature. Perhaps a new 2013/14 owner of a WA2 could enlighten us.
 
P.S. The Woo Audio link you included in your post is dated April, 2011 for Teflon Tube Adapters. That's about 6 months before I received my WA2 with, amongst other upgrades, 6 Teflon Sockets ($150). I'm not sure the "adapters" are the same thing as the Teflon sockets I have. My sockets are flush to the aluminium case work and don't have the bronze colored rings with the tube type(es) engraved (as seen in the photos).

 

[Dubstep Girl]

The sockets on my tubes wheres the same material as those adapters with the gold rings.

I linked to show u that the sockets on woo amps are identical to the adapters, so they must be teflon