WA11 Topaz Balanced Line In Connection to Dac or DAP

[Burakk]

I need you help guys. I have Woo Audio WA11 Topaz which has 4.4mm balanced line in as you know. I would like to use it as a amp only. How can I connect it to a dap or dac? Do I need balanced output on Dac or DAP. For instance, M11 Pro has 2.5 and 4.4 outputs and 3.5 SE line out. May I use 4.4 mm output of M11 Pro as a line out to WA11's 4.4 balanced input. I'm really open an another dac or dap (preferably) solution for my WA11 Topaz.

 

[SDBiotek]

Yes, you need to use a balanced output from your source to the WA11, never a single ended (3.5 mm) connection.

 

[Burakk]

Yes, you need to use a balanced output from your source to the WA11, never a single ended (3.5 mm) connection.

If I use regular balanced output of a dap, it uses amp of dap as well. In order to use pure dac of dap, I need balanced line out. Do you know any dap which has balanced line out ? Otherwise, I need to find a dac which has balanced line out.

 

[SDBiotek]

There's nothing wrong with using the balanced headphone output from your DAP. I am not aware of any DAPs that have a balanced line out. The balanced headphone output of your current DAP is probably very clean and should work well. I use the balanced headphone out of my Sony WM1A and Ibasso DX 220 with my WA11.

 

[9bphillips]

There's nothing wrong with using the balanced headphone output from your DAP. I am not aware of any DAPs that have a balanced line out. The balanced headphone output of your current DAP is probably very clean and should work well. I use the balanced headphone out of my Sony WM1A and Ibasso DX 220 with my WA11.

Doesn't the ibasso dx300 have a balanced line out?

 

[SDBiotek]

Doesn't the ibasso dx300 have a balanced line out?

Yes, the DX300 does have balanced line out in several different amp modules.

 

[9bphillips]

Yes, the DX300 does have balanced line out in several different amp modules.

I'm thinking about getting the wa11 to pair with my dx300 for headphones mainly but I am curious about how it will do with iem? Can you shed any light on that? I really want need it for iem's I wouldn't think because the dx300 drives them plenty but it would be nice to take advantage of the sound of the wa11. Also this will be my 1st time pairing a dac/amp with a dap so I was wondering are there other benefits with the pairing besides power?

 

[SDBiotek]

I'm thinking about getting the wa11 to pair with my dx300 for headphones mainly but I am curious about how it will do with iem? Can you shed any light on that? I really want need it for iem's I wouldn't think because the dx300 drives them plenty but it would be nice to take advantage of the sound of the wa11. Also this will be my 1st time pairing a dac/amp with a dap so I was wondering are there other benefits with the pairing besides power?

I wouldn't buy it for use with iems. The WA11 is meant for full size headphones. With it's high amount of gain and the volume pot range, it may be extremely difficult to find a usable volume with many iems (it could jump from imbalanced left/right low level to far too loud) with barely adjusting the volume knob. You'd be much better off getting different amp modules for the DX300 (which are individually much cheaper than the WA11).

 

[9bphillips]

I wouldn't buy it for use with iems. The WA11 is meant for full size headphones. With it's high amount of gain and the volume pot range, it may be extremely difficult to find a usable volume with many iems (it could jump from imbalanced left/right low level to far too loud) with barely adjusting the volume knob. You'd be much better off getting different amp modules for the DX300 (which are individually much cheaper than the WA11).

I was thinking of using it with dap and without dap for headphones mainly. I was just curious about iem's. Like I said I think the dx300 is all I really need for iem's.

 

[SDBiotek]

The WA11 is a bit on the warm side and to my ears is not as bright or ""sparkly" in the treble. However, I wouldn't characterize it as too mid forward or too dark. It isn't quite as lush as Woo tube amps, but it's definitely closer to that sound than a very cold or clinical sound. I don't have any especially hard to drive headphones, but the amp is plenty for HD800, Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 and Aeon, and ZMF headphones.

 

[9bphillips]

The WA11 is a bit on the warm side and to my ears is not as bright or ""sparkly" in the treble. However, I wouldn't characterize it as too mid forward or too dark. It isn't quite as lush as Woo tube amps, but it's definitely closer to that sound than a very cold or clinical sound. I don't have any especially hard to drive headphones, but the amp is plenty for HD800, Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 and Aeon, and ZMF headphones.

I would be using lcd x