[Draygonn]

What is the relationship between the tubes installed and the amp's ability to drive speakers? I understand that the power tubes power the headphones but what, other than the sound of the amp, do the other tubes do?

I'll give this a shot.


Rectifier - Turns A/C into D/C
Driver - Fed by the RCA inputs, sends waveform to the Power tube
Power - Amplifies the waveform given by the Driver tube and sends it to the headphones

The Driver tube is sometimes referred to as the Input tube. The Power tube is sometimes referred to as the Output tube.

 

[hodgjy]

Nice picture and explanations. I'll also add that the driver tubes do have voltage gain, but the power tube has considerably higher voltage gain. Both stages are necessary to achieve the voltage gain and voicing intended by the designer.

 

[ardilla]

Do you listen primarily to heavy metal? What bands?
 
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 Something to consider though I thought they weren't recommended for a heavy metal based diet.

 

[Efjay]

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I'll give this a shot.

 
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Nice picture and explanations. I'll also add that the driver tubes do have voltage gain, but the power tube has considerably higher voltage gain. Both stages are necessary to achieve the voltage gain and voicing intended by the designer.

Thanks for the explanations.
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Do you listen primarily to heavy metal? What bands?
 

I'm all over the metal spectrum though I am primarily a thrash and death metal fan. I do own quite a bit of black metal and grindcore. Not too much metal I don't enjoy and listen to other than a few of the power metal bands. I'm a hardcore fan as well though 1990 seems to mark the date past which I find much less to recommend. Been listening since I was 13 or so giving me nearly 27 years of enjoyment of the genre.
 
If I were to name my ten favorite bands, they might be, in no order: Slayer, Deathspell Omega, Overkill, Celtic Frost, Amorphis, Napalm Death, Anthrax, Mind Over Four, Acid Bath and Faith No More. That list could change daily. More modern bands I like are Blasphemophagher, Havok, Bosse-De-Nage...Lists of old and new bands could go on for a long time.
 
I do listen to non-metal but even that tends to be of the hard rock persuasion. No classical and only a smattering of jazz in my collection.

 

[ardilla]

I'll listen to your music with the HE-500 with the WA2 and come back to you ,)
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Thanks for the explanations.
I'm all over the metal spectrum though I am primarily a thrash and death metal fan. I do own quite a bit of black metal and grindcore. Not too much metal I don't enjoy and listen to other than a few of the power metal bands. I'm a hardcore fan as well though 1990 seems to mark the date past which I find much less to recommend. Been listening since I was 13 or so giving me nearly 27 years of enjoyment of the genre.
 
If I were to name my ten favorite bands, they might be, in no order: Slayer, Deathspell Omega, Overkill, Celtic Frost, Amorphis, Napalm Death, Anthrax, Mind Over Four, Acid Bath and Faith No More. That list could change daily. More modern bands I like are Blasphemophagher, Havok, Bosse-De-Nage...Lists of old and new bands could go on for a long time.
 
I do listen to non-metal but even that tends to be of the hard rock persuasion. No classical and only a smattering of jazz in my collection.

 

[Efjay]

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I'll listen to your music with the HE-500 with the WA2 and come back to you ,)

Cool.

 

[Rawrbington]

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I'll listen to your music with the HE-500 with the WA2 and come back to you ,)

gotta love head-fi!

 

[ardilla]

I emailed Woo about WA2 impedance again
 
Woo: It’s been awhile since we measured the WA2. There are a few revisions so we have to measure again. Please stay tuned.

 

[ardilla]

Woo WA2 and HE-500 mini-review
 
Well, now I'm listening to "Dearth" by Deathspell Omega through the HE-500 run by the Woo Audio WA2. I cannot really find anything wrong with this setup. I have been listening to other types of music also (classical, modern jazz, flamenco etc, same playlist as I used in the review I link to below).
 
I have the stepped attenuator with 24 steps. My practical listening levels with the HE-500 are step 7 -12 . From step 13 it gets too loud for me. With classical pieces or other stuff with low level recordings I might go up to step 14 or 15. If I take the phones off I can keep turning the volume knob - it gets louder for every step till it reaches step 24. If I hold the headphones away from my ears (like 10 cm) I can hear the even at close to full volum, I cannot hear any disortion. 
 
I have the WA22 lined up beside the WA2 and I switch back and forth. Whilst the WA22 is a bit more punchy and slightly better defined, I cannot really say it is a whole lot of a difference. I also switch back and forth with the Lavry DA11, which is a very nice dac/amp indeed. It has a bit more bass punch than the WA2, but the WA2 has nice fullness to it that has its own right, and offers the spacious and relaxed sound. Using the HD650, the differences between the WA2/WA22 feels quite parallell. The WA22 is the punchier and tighter, whilst the WA2 is a bit more relaxed and pleasant, so to say. For people who are interested, red more here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/615810/the-beauty-and-the-beast-woo-wa2-vs-wa22
 
I cannot really understand how people can really be saying that the WA2 is underpowering the HE-500. The WA22 delivers a rated 1.5W in 30 ohms or something, and if there were a whole lot I was missing out with the WA2 - it would show in a direct comparison. I used the 5998 tubes in the WA22 to be sure I got the best of it, whilst I used some RCA 6080's in the WA2 to make my little comparison more universal. 
 
The sound from the WA2/HE500 is nice and fast sounding, very spacious with great soundstage. The bass is well defined and generous and reaches deep. Highs are crisp and clear, mids are clear and delicate.  In comparison, the WA22 has a pretty similiar sound sig (i would call them clear-sounding), but the bass is slightly more punchy, and things are a bit more defined in a way - but not so that I necessarily prefer the WA22 way. They are a bit different, but often either presentation has its right. 
 
Come to think of it - this must be a pretty good way of investigating the issue of how much power the HE-500 needs, I mean - using two amps that are designed by the same man to have a similar sound signature, but with internal design and different power outputs. 
 
As a final comment, I can tell that I am now listening the Enslaved playing Raidho - and I actually prefer it on the WA2. Thus, my conclusion to this little mini test is I cannot see any reason not to get the HE-500 for the WA2. To my ears and memory, it is not really that different from the higly regarded T1 + WA2 combo - but do not shoot me, it's been a while since I had the T1. 

 

[Efjay]

Great write up. Even better that it specifically included music I listen to, on specific equipment I own. Thanks for the effort.

 

[WooAudio]

Regarding output impedance of the WA2, it is measured approximately 70 ohms with GE 6080 power tubes. There is a variation of 15% given different brands and models of the power tubes. On the other hand, the WA3 is about 180 ohms with GE 6080's.
 
Hope this is clear,
Jack

 

[Lazyboy_sg]

Hi Jack,
 
Would WA2 be able to drive Audeze LCD 3?

 

[ardilla]

Regarding output impedance of the WA2, it is measured approximately 70 ohms with GE 6080 power tubes. There is a variation of 15% given different brands and models of the power tubes. On the other hand, the WA3 is about 180 ohms with GE

Hope this is clear,
Jack

Will the output impedance vary with the headphone used, as mentioned a few posts ago?

 

[ardilla]

Hi Jack,

Would WA2 be able to drive Audeze LCD 3?

I'm not Jack, by YES, the LCD-3 works great with the WA2. Other users have reported the same. TheGrumpyOldMan e.g. wrote he really enjoyed the combo, I am with him on that one. It is one of my favorites, even if I presently have the WA22 as well. However, there are always better, more expensive and powerful stuff out there..

I'm repeating myself, but I'm getting a bit annoyed with all this talk about the WA2 "under-powering". It is all relative. LCD-3 works fine with the WA2. It can play way louder than your ears can bear without clipping or disorting or whatever, and it sounds gorgeous. Other amps offer a different sound. If I sell my WA2 I will miss the WA2+LCD-3 sound. I'll not go into details, as I have written in detail about my impressions before, HERE..

 

[webegrubbin]

What DAC do you guys recommend to use with the WA2?  I'll be using HD650's.