[redrich2000]

Let me see if posing this more generally kicks off more discussion. I have a set of low impedance phones that are on the bright end of the spectrum, with which I'd like to pair a nice warm tube amp. I am attracted to the Woo amps because they have a great reputation and aethetically seem way ahead of the competition. However the conundrum is that Jack Woo and everyone else recommend the more solid state sounding WA6 for low impedance phones, not the 'tubier' WA3.
 
I understand that this has something to do with the OTL v transformer coupled design of the two amps, but don't really understand the details.
 
My questions are:
 
1. Are there other tube amps that can drive low impedance phones and have the tube magic? Or is this a general issue with low impedance phones and tube amps?
 
2. Would adding an impedance adapter solve the problem of using the WA3 with low impedance phones? APS I presume can make a 1/4" to 1/4" impedance adapter to any resistance.

 

[FallenAngel]

Low impedance headphones are not necessarily bright.
Woo amps do look good.
1) Tube magic?
2) Likely, as OTLs generally don't drive low impedance loads very well, though you will be changing the frequency response of the headphones.

 

[nikongod]

Impedance adapters do solve the issues asscociated with using OTL amps with low impedance headphones IME. I have done this with great success on a SinglePower extreme I owned. The impedance adapters are also refered to as output transformers and the 6 comes with them in 1 sexxy package. 
 
Adding resistors between an OTL amp and a low impedance headphone is a band-aid. You fix one problem and create another. Fix it right. 
 
On that note, the 6 does not sound like an SS amp. Its tighter and cleaner than the 3, particularly driving low impedance headphones but its not an SS amp with gobs of gbloal feedback by any measure of the word. Thank goodness.

 

[redrich2000]

Quote:

Adding resistors between an OTL amp and a low impedance headphone is a band-aid. You fix one problem and create another. Fix it right. 
 
On that note, the 6 does not sound like an SS amp. Its tighter and cleaner than the 3, particularly driving low impedance headphones but its not an SS amp with gobs of gbloal feedback by any measure of the word. Thank goodness.

 
I agree on the impedance adapter but I couldn't think of other options.
I'm also interested in your opinion of the WA6, I did suspect the claims it sounds SS were relative. Anyone else have thoughts on that?
 
My precise problem is whether to get new tubes for my stock X-Can V3 or sell it and go for the WA6. Anyone heard both of those? Would the WA6 be considerably warmer than the hybrid X-Can?
 
And on the phones... I am specifically talking about the Sony MDR-SA5000 which are considered bright. I personally think they are very neutral but that these boards are predominently populated by bassheads, but each to their own...