[jc9394]

 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Awesome
 

 

[atomicbob]

Knee deep snow! Wow! Time to stay inside and enjoy your music. I don't have such an excuse but I intend to spend a large block of time listening to mine through a newly acquired Beyer T90 on a WA3+ with my favorite 6AS7G now that I've minimized to in-audible a pesky residual mains hum.

 

[longbowbbs]

It is all just a good reason to stay in on a wintery weekend and listen to some nice warm tubes!
 
 

 

[jc9394]

I have to drag out my WA22 and give it a nice long listen.

 

[bowtung]

Quote:

I have that exact combination! WA2 modified with a pre-out switch and extra set of pre-outs to run the subwoofer. The current run has the switch as stock; the "new" one I had last week was what Jack called "high-gain." It's unclear if that was just for the one he gave me, or if that is a new "feature." Regardless, I would try before buying as I found the increased gain to be too much and decided to get my old amp back with the switch repaired rather than have Woo correct the (different) switch problem on the new amp.

Sound wise, I find the M1DAC-WA2 combination to be very good! With the 2399s I got from Ultrainferno, the sound is the best I have ever had at home. I was using a Sunfire amp and liked it a lot. I recently got a Proceed Amp 2 that does everything the Sunfire did and has better bass. The bass extends lower, is just as well defined and the background is blacker. I am using ADAM Compact MK3 speakers. The "new" WA2 didn't allow me to run the sub and power amp simultaneously (a long story of its own) so I listened a lot with just the ADAMs. Since reverting to my old WA2, I've been very pleased but haven't been able to really evaluate the system as the system drive on my music player machine died. I just got another drive yesterday but won't have time to reimage until tonight/tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to being able to listen to the whole system with high-res files once all is working as it should.


The editor mangled the quote - I tried to fix it, but...

Thanks for the reply! I should have my wa2 delivered very soon.  So, I imagine Jack prob does small revisions to his amps internally every so often, not sure (does anyone know???).... When i get mines, I don't have a old one to compare to, so I don't think I can tell the difference if he has made change or not, haha. I have read a lot of posts and topics on wa2 headphones pairing on head-fi, some reviews have it saying He-500 is a perfect match, and then I read some that says it's not. Some posts also say Audeze lcd--2 in not optimal. HD800 and t1 would also be great according to what I have read. My local headphone shop doesn't sell woo audios so I can't really check out the matching. I was just about to buy the he-500, and hten hesitated.

 

[reeltime]

Well, what the heck-- it's late on a Saturday night, I figure it's a good time to tell a story.
 
I'm sitting in my home office spinning some extremely vintage vinyl.  Currently the sounds blasting out my HD800s is the Stones "Let it Bleed".  This is a true original London blue-label pressing.  Heavy & thick, the way they used to make great records.  This particular record is in M- condition, though the cover isn't what it used to be.  Of course who cares when the upper left corner  has Keith Richard's autograph.  I managed to get two of my early Stones albums signed by him back in the early 90's when he was playing with the Winos.  He was doing a concert for the TV station I worked at-- WTTW in Chicago.  Anyway-- I asked and he obliged-- I think it makes the record sound much sweeter.
 
I'm in mid-turntable replacement.  Last weekend I finally started unpacking my vinyl collection after a long long hiatus (think: years).  The first two records I played on the old Sony sounded positively horrible.  I've never listened to the TT on my HD800s, I'm driving them with a Woo Audio WA5LE-- and perhaps the cartridge is just shot-- or sitting in a box in the garage did really bad things, I'm not certain.  But when something isn't working just right-- that usually means I'm going to spend a lot of money in short order.  
 
The phono stage isn't the best-- It's a Rotel RQ970.  It needs an upgrade, but it will do for now.  But the turntable and cartridge have got to go.  I started my research and through a head-fier I struck a deal for a VPI Scout.  It will be here Monday, but I needed the cartridge, too.  I went through a bunch of recommended components lists Stereophile, etc., and the cartridge that kept bubbling to the top was the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood.  Clearaudio has a killer phono stage that will likely be a great match for it, but that will have to wait.  
 
The cartridge arrived Friday.  I hooked it up to the Sony, and set the tracking force with the scale I purchased with the cartridge.  I don't have a good anti-skate gauge, but If you drop the needle on a record, you can see if there's a lot of force on the needle toward the center-- I just backed it off until the needle didn't bend when dropped in the groove.  Seems to be a good adjustment.  I eyeballed the alignment as best I could-- that gauge was still in the mail somewhere and played a few sides for fun.  Sounded pretty good, though the bass was a little thin.  
 
Today the alignment gauge arrived.  My eyeball job wasn't so good, imagine that?  I straightened it out and viola!  The bass suddenly extended way way down in the spectrum.  Anyone who says the HD800 can't do great bass is sorely mistaken.  With the right amplifier, the bass extends to the depths of the range.  Most people underpower it-- then complain the bottom end is light.  
 
I've got over a thousand lp's.  Not all are in great shape, but I really was quite the collector back in the day.  I even purchased every Mobile Fidelity album I could get my hands on when they announced they were stopping record production back in the day-- bought them retail and shelved a bunch of Beatles albums, still sealed, for a retirement fund.  A few are worth $500 and up.  Not a bad ROI.
 
So I'm re-discovering my vinyl, and it's quite fun.  The MoFi records are simply stunning-- and I don't have the VPI Scout in the mix yet.  Should be quite an awakening come Monday night.  Meanwhile, Mick, Keef and the boys are telling me it's time to flip to side 2.  Alright boys, it's the least I can do...

 

[_nomad]

Took some photos of my WA2 before I sold it last week. Still regret it.. But it wasn't a good match with my new LCD-2s and I needed the cash for upgrades.. Anyway, just thought I'd share

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Well, what the heck-- it's late on a Saturday night, I figure it's a good time to tell a story.
 
I'm sitting in my home office spinning some extremely vintage vinyl.  Currently the sounds blasting out my HD800s is the Stones "Let it Bleed".  This is a true original London blue-label pressing.  Heavy & thick, the way they used to make great records.  This particular record is in M- condition, though the cover isn't what it used to be.  Of course who cares when the upper left corner  has Keith Richard's autograph.  I managed to get two of my early Stones albums signed by him back in the early 90's when he was playing with the Winos.  He was doing a concert for the TV station I worked at-- WTTW in Chicago.  Anyway-- I asked and he obliged-- I think it makes the record sound much sweeter.
 
I'm in mid-turntable replacement.  Last weekend I finally started unpacking my vinyl collection after a long long hiatus (think: years).  The first two records I played on the old Sony sounded positively horrible.  I've never listened to the TT on my HD800s, I'm driving them with a Woo Audio WA5LE-- and perhaps the cartridge is just shot-- or sitting in a box in the garage did really bad things, I'm not certain.  But when something isn't working just right-- that usually means I'm going to spend a lot of money in short order.  
 
The phono stage isn't the best-- It's a Rotel RQ970.  It needs an upgrade, but it will do for now.  But the turntable and cartridge have got to go.  I started my research and through a head-fier I struck a deal for a VPI Scout.  It will be here Monday, but I needed the cartridge, too.  I went through a bunch of recommended components lists Stereophile, etc., and the cartridge that kept bubbling to the top was the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood.  Clearaudio has a killer phono stage that will likely be a great match for it, but that will have to wait.  
 
The cartridge arrived Friday.  I hooked it up to the Sony, and set the tracking force with the scale I purchased with the cartridge.  I don't have a good anti-skate gauge, but If you drop the needle on a record, you can see if there's a lot of force on the needle toward the center-- I just backed it off until the needle didn't bend when dropped in the groove.  Seems to be a good adjustment.  I eyeballed the alignment as best I could-- that gauge was still in the mail somewhere and played a few sides for fun.  Sounded pretty good, though the bass was a little thin.  
 
Today the alignment gauge arrived.  My eyeball job wasn't so good, imagine that?  I straightened it out and viola!  The bass suddenly extended way way down in the spectrum.  Anyone who says the HD800 can't do great bass is sorely mistaken.  With the right amplifier, the bass extends to the depths of the range.  Most people underpower it-- then complain the bottom end is light.  
 
I've got over a thousand lp's.  Not all are in great shape, but I really was quite the collector back in the day.  I even purchased every Mobile Fidelity album I could get my hands on when they announced they were stopping record production back in the day-- bought them retail and shelved a bunch of Beatles albums, still sealed, for a retirement fund.  A few are worth $500 and up.  Not a bad ROI.
 
So I'm re-discovering my vinyl, and it's quite fun.  The MoFi records are simply stunning-- and I don't have the VPI Scout in the mix yet.  Should be quite an awakening come Monday night.  Meanwhile, Mick, Keef and the boys are telling me it's time to flip to side 2.  Alright boys, it's the least I can do...

 

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

Took some photos of my WA2 before I sold it last week. Still regret it.. But it wasn't a good match with my new LCD-2s and I needed the cash for upgrades.. Anyway, just thought I'd share

 

 
very nice pics, even better than the ones jack has on website.
 
i agree, the WA2 isn't good for the LCD-2, can't get very loud at all without distorting

 

[redcat2]

Quote:

 
Eventually got my Princess and it sounds good;bit uneven at times....after only roughly 10 hours quite normal,me thinks!

Yes that new child needs some burn in time, come back in 50 hours and let use no what you think, great tubes smooth sound.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Yes that new child needs some burn in time, come back in 50 hours and let use no what you think, great tubes smooth sound.

 
I just looked upside down at silversurfer616's address and learned we are not neighbors. If we were, he'd be in luck. When listening to a Woo, I can put 96 hours on a tube in 48 hours...no sweat! 

 

[I right I]

I just joined headfi for a thread like this. I ordered a Woo WA6 which should arrive tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to sleep! I already ordered an early 50s Mullard GZ34 rectifier tube and NOS 6GL7s drive tubes. I will be driving Sennheisers (HD598s and HD800s). I'm glad to be in good company!

 

[Silent One]

Sweet Home Chicago...congrats to our new fellow Woozie!

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

Sweet Home Chicago...congrats to our new fellow Woozie!

 
 
+1
 

 
nice choice of tubes too!