[Skylab]

Does anyone know if the RCA 6SN7GTB 6SN7 GTB will work in the WA22?

Why wouldn't they? it's a standard 6SN7...

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Why wouldn't they? it's a standard 6SN7...

 
I don't know that much about tubes, and even though the number is right, maybe something was wrong.  Just checking don't want to blow up my amp.
 

 

[Golden Monkey]

*sigh*...next WA3+ upgrade for me...DACT CT2 attenuator.  Jack says the chassis needs a little modification for it to work, but he offers them as upgrades on some of his other amps, and sees no reason not to use one in my amp.  Don't know though...that'll take my original $495 amp up to approx $950 with all that's been done to or replaced on it.  Still, I love it's minimalist design, clean point to point craftsmanship, and stupid-good bang for the buck...that buck is just getting to the point where I feel like I have the most tricked out Honda Civic on the block, when I could have just bought a Subaru STi, lol.

 

[realmassy]

 
Quote:

...I feel like I have the most tricked out Honda Civic on the block, when I could have just bought a Subaru STi, lol.

LOL
Are you sure you want to install the DACT?
How much will it cost? Maybe you could sell the WA3 and go for a WA2, I think you can reuse some of the great tubes you already have.
 
Or you can upgrade your cans to the T1 And in case I'd be really happy to know your impressions!
 
Also, what kind of improvement are you expecting with the DACT attenuator? Do you notice some kind of imbalance between channels?

 

[Golden Monkey]

I think the imbalance is actually in my hearing...I'm 40 next week, and I'm losing a bit of high freq hearing in my left.  I don't know, I guess it's time for a visit to the audiologist.
 
I want the DACT because I'm getting some scratchiness in my ALPS pot, and I'd like to have the some nice spinner rims on my Civic, lol.  Jack says it'll be $220 incl. return shipping.  Still on the fence about it.
 
I haven't looked into the T1's much since my return to this dumb hobby, but those and the LCD-2's are on my radar...I'm just trying NOT to go there yet.  I want a new portable rig, so I'm focussing on that research for now.

 

[realmassy]

I see.
I too have a slightly imbalance in my ears, maybe an amp with a double potentiometer could sort it out, but they're usually expensive.
 
According to Skylab the WA2 does a pretty good job with the LCD-2, so I'd be curious to listen to them through the WA3, which is still the same kind of amp (OTL) though it could not output the same amount of power.
 

 

[Alucrid]

So I'm shopping around for my first tube headphone amp right now and was wondering if someone with more experience could weigh in on a few questions I have. Right now it's between the WA3 and the WA6. The WA3 is currently what I'm looking at, mainly for the preamp option that it has, it would be nice to be able to run my speakers through it as well. The main headphones I'll be using with it are the HD 650s, which I've heard perform great together. The only thing that worries me is the fact that I was going to grab a pair of AH D5000s in the future to use when I need to stay quiet. Now their impedance is pretty low and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with them and the WA3 and whether I should look at the WA6 to pair with these headphones or simply look for another pair of closed cans with a higher impedance.

 

[hodgjy]

The Woo 6 does not have a preamp out, so of your two listed choices, only the Woo 3 will work as currently sold.  I'm sure Jack Wu can customize the 6 to have a pre-amp, but I'm sure that custom job would cost more than the the 3 pre-amp option.  The Woo 3 and the HD-650 is a good impedance match, so no worries there.

 

[avsBuddy]

I had the exact same dilemma when I was deciding on what Woo was right for me. I use Senn HD600 as my main cans, wanted Denon closed cup headphones for times when I don't want to disturb others and liked the preamp option. In the end there is no clear choice. I went with WA2. Jack told me that with the right power tubes, WA2 (and I assume WA3) will be able to drive low impedance cans like Denon with no issues. In my situation, synergy with Senn and pre-amp option won over not optimal performance of the Denon. In your situation, if listening to low impedance phones takes a priority, then scales would tip towards WA6. I believe WA6 could be modded by Jack to have pre-amp option, but from my conversations with him about doing so to WA22, I got a feeling that it will not perform as good as the preamp option on Woo OTL amps (WA3 and WA2).
 
As far as looking for high impedance closed cans, I can't find them. The closest I found are semi-closed Beyer DT880 (250Ohm and 600Ohm).
 
Let us know what you've decided. Good luck.

 

[Alucrid]

Originally I was thinking about the WA2 but eventually decided against it due to its price tag and that's what left me in this dilemma. I'm not sure if doing a modding a WA6 would be worth it, especially considering that the price would probably be up there with the WA2 so I might as well have got that instead. And yes, finding high impedance closed headphones has been a problem for me as well. I suppose then that right now it's between the WA2 for the Denons and preamp or the WA6 for  the Denons and a few dollars saved. I think I might try and see if I can't squeeze out some more cash somehow to afford the WA2, if not I might just leave my speakers hooked up to the TubeMagicD1 I currently have and get the WA6 purely for headphone usage. Thanks for the info/opinions all, I'll definitely be back when I finally figure out what I'm getting.

 

[Golden Monkey]

I had the Denon D2000 and the HD650 at the same time, both with the Woo 3 and a Little Dot MKV solid state amp, and the D2000 sounded better on the MKV while the HD650 sounded better on the Woo.  While both sounded great either way, the HD650 was far and above superior with tube amplification compared to how it sounded on the MKV, while the Denon was the opposite.  Not that the Denons AND the Senns didn't both sound fantastic on the solid state amp, I just found that the tube amp made the Denons sound too warm and lush, something they already have in spades anyway.  I also tried both Beyer DT880 versions on the Woo, and it was another great match.  The 600 ohm version sounded so controlled and detailed.  FWIW, they are less leaky than you'd think...nothing like the HD650's openness, but the Denons leak almost as much sound anyway.  If you wanted to stay with the Woo and HD650, and add DT880's as a "quiter" option, that would be a great pairing (trioing?).  I love the Denon sound, but think it just pairs better with other types of amps.  Hope that helps a bit.

 

[avsBuddy]

Quote:

Hope that helps a bit.

This actually helps a lot, sounds like Beyer DT880 600Ohm is in my future. Thanks!
 

 

[realmassy]

I can only second what Golden wrote: WA3 and HD650 is a fantastic match and reasonably priced. I'll soon get a DT880, 600ohm, to have something with different signature to use with different music.
 
It's now a couple of months I'm using the WA3, and I'm very very happy with it. I'm spending much more time listening to music, compared to rigs I had before.
Actually I can't get enough of trying new music

 

[realmassy]

Right now I'm listening to WA3 with Sylvanya 7236, bought from Jack Woo. One of my TungSol 5998 died two weeks ago, so I looked for a replacement. I know the Tungsol are supposed to be better than Sylvanya...but I do like what I'm hearing. They are different, bass is lighter, but stage is wider and goes well over the ears, and around them. Heighs are smoother and piano is just perfect, clean and precise. Really, I can't understand why all think this tube is not good :-O Listening now to Brahms's piano concerto no 1, played by Zimerman...amazing!

 

[hodgjy]

I think a lot of tube sound depends on its synergy with your headphones.  Plus, the only thing that matter is what you think sounds good!
 
Quote:

Right now I'm listening to WA3 with Sylvanya 7236, bought from Jack Woo. One of my TungSol 5998 died two weeks ago, so I looked for a replacement. I know the Tungsol are supposed to be better than Sylvanya...but I do like what I'm hearing. They are different, bass is lighter, but stage is wider and goes well over the ears, and around them. Heighs are smoother and piano is just perfect, clean and precise. Really, I can't understand why all think this tube is not good :-O Listening now to Brahms's piano concerto no 1, played by Zimerman...amazing!