Woo Audio Amp Owner Unite

[jc9394]

 
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Check out MH WA22 for 1450
http://www.head-fi.org/t/607495/woo-audio-wa22-balanced-headphone-amplifier
MH, did you pick up the LF that went up for sale this morning? If I did not put in my camera purchase, that would be mine.

 
 
I picked up one of the LFs on sale today yes (mwilson's). I felt it would be the better matched amp for my favourite headphones (LCD-3s).  Should be here next week. In case anyone wants a great amp at a great price let me know.

 
 
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 Now he's selling... where was everybody (WA22 owners) when I needed them last summer?!

 
Funny, looks like we both share the same kind of luck.

Please let me know how they compare, I'm itching to get one too.

 

[Silent One]

 
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I picked up one of the LFs on sale today yes (mwilson's). I felt it would be the better matched amp for my favourite headphones (LCD-3s).  Should be here next week. In case anyone wants a great amp at a great price let me know.

 
 
 
Funny, looks like we both share the same kind of luck.

 

 I know. Last June, I set out with a bag full of money knowing there weren't any 22's for sale, so I threw out extra cash. And was told by a few members here to "Keep looking..." To be fair, my former Woo mates said so respectfully, but no Champagne!

 

[Draygonn]

I picked up one of the LFs on sale today yes (mwilson's). I felt it would be the better matched amp for my favourite headphones (LCD-3s).  Should be here next week. In case anyone wants a great amp at a great price let me know.

MH is leaving Wooville?!? Looks like the BHSE deliveries are flooding the market with delicious TOTL used gear.


In my own audio nirvana the WA2 has taken over the new rig. I love the results so much that I am declaring it my personal endgame and have deleted my head-fi bookmark for the happiness of my wallet.

 

[Silent One]

 
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MH is leaving Wooville?!? Looks like the BHSE deliveries are flooding the market with delicious TOTL used gear.

In my own audio nirvana the WA2 has taken over the new rig. I love the results so much that I am declaring it my personal endgame and have deleted my head-fi bookmark for the happiness of my wallet.
 

 
Deleting bookmarks, are we? 

 It won't work. The moment you need a tube, cable or accessories... you're doomed to repeat. Your Woo ensemble would definitely work for me. Great reading material on display.  

 

[Sid-Fi]

I like the setup on a nice small rack next a recliner. That looks like my VTI rack in my sig. Is it?
 
I wish I could hear a WA2 and HD 800 combo.
 
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MH is leaving Wooville?!? Looks like the BHSE deliveries are flooding the market with delicious TOTL used gear.

In my own audio nirvana the WA2 has taken over the new rig. I love the results so much that I am declaring it my personal endgame and have deleted my head-fi bookmark for the happiness of my wallet.

 
 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

 
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I like the setup on a nice small rack next a recliner. That looks like my VTI rack in my sig. Is it?
 
I wish I could hear a WA2 and HD 800 combo.
 
 
 

 
its quite lovely, better then the WA6-SE / HD 800 combo imo

 

[Dubstep Girl]

wow never thought i'd see the day MH sells his WA22 lol.
 
 

 

[Peshmerga]

 
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Actually neither has any effect at all.  The plate current requirements of the other tubes is what determines this.  The circuit as a whole requires a specific amount of rectified current for the other tubes and this generally does not change in a circuit that is self-biasing like the Woos are.  For example my own amp, as currently configured in its modified state, needs 178mA of current from the rectifier.  80 + 80 for the 5998s and 9+9 for each section of the 6SN7.  Some rectifiers can deliver more current than others.  A 5U4G maxes out at 225mA for example.  Most 274B tubes max out at 160mA or less so using one in my amp would result in either outright death of the tube from excessive inrush current or greatly reduced tube life from being run over its maximum limits.  Some tubes behave better when close to their limits than others too.  You also have to consider how the circuit starts up the tubes.  The 5U4G looks safe on paper for my amp, but it can't handle the initial inrush current during the first few seconds and the plates arc over.  A tube being used like that would probably not last a month.  The Woos are pretty easy on rectifiers in general, but due to some design choices it has been theorized that this may be the reason some of the EML rectifiers were failing early in them, amongst other things.
 
The reason Woo tells you almost any 5V rectifier is okay is because they bias their tubes very conservatively and thus don't require very much current from the rectifier.  Otherwise you normally could never put a 5Y3 in the same amp that is spec'd for a 5U4G as one has half the current ability of the other.  It is the differences in how each of those tubes behave under the load the circuit presents that produces their variations in sound. 
 
Keep in mind I'm no expert.  This is my understanding based on what I've learned from others.

 
Wow.  Lots of good info. Thanks.  Love knowing all the technical things that goes into a tube amp.
 
How would I know what my WA6's biased current amount is at?  Can I measure this with a digital multimeter, how so and where do I measure?  Or do I just read off the datasheets for my drive/power tubes and perhaps use some formula to figure it out?
 
I would ask in the old "Modify your Woo 6" thread, but most of the knowledgeable people in that thread have moved on, away from a Woo6, or stopped posting altogether.  Nearly a 4 year old thread.
 

 

[Silent One]

 
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A little while back I remember you guys talking about isolation. I just got this in the mail today from mapleshade (along with a Samson v2 with 4" shelves for my speaker setup). I love the ridiculousness of having such thick maple (and brass footers) so my next step is to get a rack for the WA22. I haven't had a chance to listen yet.
 

 
 
Just thought I'd slide a pix of my second Maple platform in after hours. So tight was desk space on top, only a half inch remains on either side of the desk.
 

 

 
 
Using my imagination, I can see the twin chassis WA5 (or 6 Special Edition... again) having a dedicated platform for both the power supply & amp. 

 I am planning.
 

 

[Icenine2]

J,
 
I used to have the WA22 and have owned the Liquid Fire since the first shipment the beginning of August.  You can read my impression in the LF thread.  It is really an incredible amp.
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Please let me know how they compare, I'm itching to get one too.

 
 

 

[jc9394]

 
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J,
 
I used to have the WA22 and have owned the Liquid Fire since the first shipment the beginning of August.  You can read my impression in the LF thread.  It is really an incredible amp.
 
 

 
thanks, searching now.

 

[musicman59]

And the ones from the second run are even better since there was a tweek or change in the power supply so the bass improved.

 

[Xcalibur255]

 
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Wow.  Lots of good info. Thanks.  Love knowing all the technical things that goes into a tube amp.
 
How would I know what my WA6's biased current amount is at?  Can I measure this with a digital multimeter, how so and where do I measure?  Or do I just read off the datasheets for my drive/power tubes and perhaps use some formula to figure it out?
 
I would ask in the old "Modify your Woo 6" thread, but most of the knowledgeable people in that thread have moved on, away from a Woo6, or stopped posting altogether.  Nearly a 4 year old thread.
 

 
I doubt Woo Audio would provide these particular numbers.  Since the 5Y3 is on the safe tube list I think it's safe to say the total current needs wouldn't be much over 100mA but I don't know the specific numbers.  For the WA6 in particular it is probably considerably lower than that even.  You could measure the numbers but it requires strong knowledge of the circuit design and knowing where the measure, and I myself don't know enough about it to offer any help on that front.  Given the high working voltages inside a tube amp I wouldn't attempt such a thing unless you are 100% confident of what you are doing otherwise it could be dangerous.  More than just knock you on your butt dangerous too.
 
Learning tube circuit design seems to be a sort of dark art these days.  You almost have to know somebody who has been around long enough to have worked in the industry when tubes were still commonplace such as in the 60's and 70's to really find the right expertise on the subject.  I'd love to learn more myself but the resources are so limited.

 

[jc9394]

 
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And the ones from the second run are even better since there was a tweek or change in the power supply so the bass improved.

 
what are the serial starts at on the second batch?

 

[Draygonn]

Deleting bookmarks, are we? :evil:  It won't work.

Other than getting banned it's my wallets only defense :wink_face:

I like the setup on a nice small rack next a recliner. That looks like my VTI rack in my sig. Is it?

Yes, its the VTI rack and Poang combo I'm using the two 7" shelves as a TV stand.