The Woo Audio 2

[avsBuddy]

Decided against Black Cap upgrade - seems to me W2 already has high quality caps in place. Black Gates I think made sense when they were commonly available, heck my Rotel RCD991AE has them all over. But seem BG now are just like NOS tubes - expensive because they are rare. Now I just need to decide whether I need DACT attenuator and Teflon sockets.
 
By the way - since WA2 is transformer-less - what is in the 3 aluminum blocks? I looked at the inside pictures of the WA2 and don't see any leads going there... ?

 

[herroyuihk]

In this morning, I bid another a few Tungsol 5998s in eBay.
I found they are all  "TOP GETTER"  type 5998
However, I realize most WE 421a are  "CLEAR TOP and BOTTOM GETTER"  type, and I hardly found this type of 5998
So I don't think you can get the exactly same sound of we421a from Tungsol 5998 (struture are not totally the same)
According to this reason, If I can't get real good sound from this morning's bid, I will go to try WE421a later.
PS: only tube I get good sound is tungsol 7236 from tubeworld.com.....However, it sold out now.
Quote:

Like hodgjy said, only Tung Sol made the 5998.  No need to pay $TEXAS for the WE421.

 

[Skylab]

I have some top getter 5998's.  I don't detect that they sound any different from the bottom getter ones.

 

[avsBuddy]

What tube do 5998, 7236 and WE 421a replace on WA2? I'm a vacuum noobie and totally lost as to how one figures what other tube type can be used as a replacement for the stock.

 

[Skylab]

They can all be used in place of the power tube,the 6AS7G.

 

[avsBuddy]

Quote:

They can all be used in place of the power tube,the 6AS7G.

Yes, I realize that, but how do you figure it out - is there a chart that shows all compatible tube? Looking from an outside world it seems strange that multiple nomenclatures can be substituted for each other.
 

 

[Skylab]

The only way to "figure it out" is by doing things like reading head-fi, although I will caution you that where tube substitution is concerned, you should only use tubes that the actual manufacturer of the amp says are OK to use.  In this case, Woo has sold the 5998 and the 7236 tubes as "upgrades" to the 6AS7G in its amps, so those are OK.

 

[avsBuddy]

I think Woo should list all types of tubes that are compatible for each amp. This would go a long way into helping people like me who only saw tubes when they were still walking on all four. By the way, do Woo Audio supplies manual with their amps? One thing I noticed is that Woo doesn't use what seems more common tubes like KT88 and EL...

 

[musicman59]

Quote:

I think Woo should list all types of tubes that are compatible for each amp. This would go a long way into helping people like me who only saw tubes when they were still walking on all four. By the way, do Woo Audio supplies manual with their amps? One thing I noticed is that Woo doesn't use what seems more common tubes like KT88 and EL...

I talked to Jack about that a few weeks ago.  He said he was working on putting the lists together.

 

[Rizlaw]

Just got my fully maxed out WA2 (including 7236 and 7308 tubes from Jack) yesterday. From the 2009 photos posted in this thread, it looks like Jack has reversed the position of the volume and input selector controls:



EDIT 12/6/2010:

Just got an email from Jack Monday morning confirming that the WA2 chassis has been changed and the Woo website stock photos need to be updated.

For those that might be interested in the latest Woo wiring of the WA2's I offer, with apologies for the poor quality photo, the inside view:



Thanks, HeadFan12 and Clayton SF.

 

[HeatFan12]

^^^
Yep, mine are the other way around.  Congrats on your purchase......

 

[Clayton SF]

Congratulations, Rizlaw. Your fun has just begun and just in time for the Holidays, too. Great timing!

 

[Henerenry]

Quote:

By the way - since WA2 is transformer-less - what is in the 3 aluminum blocks? I looked at the inside pictures of the WA2 and don't see any leads going there... ?

If I had to guess it would be power transfomer in the middle, and chokes on either side.
 

 

[Rizlaw]

If I had to guess it would be power transfomer in the middle, and chokes on either side.
 

AVSBuddy, regarding your observation:

pictures of the WA2 and don't see any leads going there... ?

Like Henerenry said: choke - transformer - choke. But, if you look more closely at the pictures, you will notice two small angled oval cut outs in the chassis. Into those cut outs you will see wires from the left and right channel EZ80 Rectifier tube sockets leading up into the choke/transformer area. I hope that clarifies things for you.

 

[avsBuddy]

Now that you explained it, I see the leads to transformer and chocks. That makes sense - mystery solved. Is it me or did Jack cleaned up the internal layout of the WA2. Kind of looks empty, needs to have more tasty stuff emm, stuffed in there. Thanks guys.