[398698]

saw a review b/w the wa2 and wa6-se. for the 560s (listening to bass and electronic), suggestions on choosing between the wa6-se or the wa7 fireflies? thanks.

 

[Justin_Time]

  Getting ready to put in an order for my WA5.. any advice on if the upgraded part is worth the money?
I'm thinking of not spending 1/3 the total amp cost for upgrade and put that money into tubes instead.

That was the mistake I made.
 
It turns out I could upgrade the tubes any time I wanted to but the parts  could be upgraded at that price only at the beginning while Woo is building the amp for you.
 
If you want the very best sound, yes the part upgrade is worth it.  However, to upgrade the parts later is probably not possible--Woo does not like/want to do it--or so expensive as to not be worth the money.  So you have to make the decision to upgrade the parts or not now and carefully as it is pretty much irreversible.
 
Cheers.

 

[AppleheadMay]

 

Thanks! I'll be quite happy if the WA5 can compete with these other amps. Before you've posted I have read your comparison of these amps in driving the HE-6, which is insightful. What would you say might be the WA5's flaws or areas needing improvement? Am I right to say, comparing the WA5 and GSX, the WA5 has more impact but less soundstage, and less smoth transients (ie translating into less detail)? Which has a more lush or smooth midrange? What do you mean by an impressive "focus" with the WA5? Also what tubes are you using?



Sorry for the deluge of questions but I haven't found a person on this forum who is still active and who has lived with the WA5 long enough with other amps to give impressions. Of course I do appreciate that we have different ears, different tubes and cables, but one's opinion is a nice starting point to get to the next stop in the journey

 


I had planned on comparing these amps paired with the HE-6. Here is a rough draft:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The GS-X Mark2 produced a smooth and well-articulated sound with silky transients and plenty of inner details with nary a trace of sibilance, hardness or glare. The feathery light and silky smooth transients of the GS-X Mk2 must be heard to be believed. The focus and imaging is very natural (neither forward nor recessed) and the soundstage was the largest I ever heard from the HD800 and HE-6 endowing the sound with the presence, air and layers of live music. The bass was tight and solid with tremendous impact. The greatest strength of the GS-X Mk2 is its ability to perform well with all kinds of headphones and all kinds of music.

With the Bakoon HA-21, the HE-6 sounded remarkably free as well of the hardness and glare often heard with other amps. There was plenty of bass with the HE-6 for Jazz and classical music, but I wished for a tad more impact here with rock music—this was a real surprise for a solid-state design; perhaps a bigger power supply is needed here but that may be quibbling. Where the Bakoon truly excelled was in the warm but also vividly detailed midrange. This is an uncanny sound quality that I have not heard from any other amps. If you like to hear warm vocals with vivid and rich details and smooth transients (guitars, violins…), this amp is ideal for you. The excellent way the Bakoon rendered female voices in particular is entrancing.

The Woo WA5 delivered a smooth midrange with outstanding presence thanks to a forward imaging and very tight focus. This sound was remarkably free of the hardness or glare usually associated with the HE-6. The bass, at once tight and weighty, a rare combination, was delivered with an authority that will rock your socks off. This was truly a match made in heaven for rock. Jazz- and Chamber-Music lovers will have much to like about the HE-6/Woo WA5 pairing as well. (upgraded parts + $1500 for Upgraded Royal Princess 300B tube and Princess 274B rectifier Tubes)

With the EAR HP-4, the HE-6 also produced a musical sound free of hardness and glare. The focus of the HE-6, typically a little fuzzy, became pin-point sharp here; the center image was also pushed a little forward to give a greater presence to vocals, similar to the beautiful results with the Woo WA5. In general, there was also increased air around the instruments and enlarged soundstage to improve the 3-D illusion. Surprisingly for tube design, while the bass was well controlled (read tight), very dynamic and perfect for classical music, it was not ideal for rock where a bid less control and perhaps more weight (mid-bass bloom) is desirable. Overall, the sound was detailed and dynamic, but also so open and relaxed that I frequently forgot to focus on it and was simply enjoyed the music. That’s the ultimate compliment I can give for an audio gear.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That's about as far as I got.

Cheers!

 
 
Justin_Time, sorry for bothering you with this another time but you are the only one I know of who has 3 of the 4 amps I'm intersted in as well as the TH-900.
As the TH-900 is about the opposite of the HE-6 when it concerns amping, your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
So my question is: which of these amps would you recommend for the TH-900?
 
To give you some info about my preferences:
I only like closed, dynamic, low impedance phones. (TH-900, D/LA7000, ATH woodies).
I prefer a my sound to the euphonic side of neutral rather than than the analytical side but I do appreciate a black background.
I'm looking for a top amp for this kind of phones and I've narrowed the choices down to four: GS-X MKII, WA5 LE, Bakoon HDA-5210mk3 and Luxman P-700u.
I did own a few top amps a couple of years ago and used them with D7000, two different LA7000, L3000, W3000 and a few others.
These amps were ATH-HA5000ANV, EAR HP4, ZDSE, P-1u, SQ-N100 and Yammy HA-02. The ZDSE was the one that I liked best.
For the moment, the only Head-Fi worth mentioning I have is the TH-900 and HP-A8. Everything is in my profile.
 
I'd love to have your opinion.  

 

[Justin_Time]

 
 
Justin_Time, sorry for bothering you with this another time but you are the only one I know of who has 3 of the 4 amps I'm intersted in as well as the TH-900.
As the TH-900 is about the opposite of the HE-6 when it concerns amping, your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
So my question is: which of these amps would you recommend for the TH-900?
 
To give you some info about my preferences:
I only like closed, dynamic, low impedance phones. (TH-900, D/LA7000, ATH woodies).
I prefer a my sound to the euphonic side of neutral rather than than the analytical side but I do appreciate a black background.
I'm looking for a top amp for this kind of phones and I've narrowed the choices down to four: GS-X MKII, WA5 LE, Bakoon HDA-5210mk3 and Luxman P-700u.
I did own a few top amps a couple of years ago and used them with D7000, two different LA7000, L3000, W3000 and a few others.
These amps were ATH-HA5000ANV, EAR HP4, ZDSE, P-1u, SQ-N100 and Yammy HA-02. The ZDSE was the one that I liked best.
For the moment, the only Head-Fi worth mentioning I have is the TH-900 and HP-A8. Everything is in my profile.
 
I'd love to have your opinion.  

 


Something happened to my previous reply!!! It is gone!

So here is a summary:

Any of the these amps will do fine with your headphones--I have the TH-900 (stock and mod.) and the LA-7000 as well. They get along fine with any of these amps.

I would rule out the Woo WA5-LE ($3,000 + $1200 upgraded parts + $1500 upgraded Tubes) . The sound is slightly leaner than with the lush tube sound that you like and you do not need the gonzo bass with your cans--they have plenty already.

The safest tube route for your taste is the EAR HP-4. It has the classic tube sound with lush midrange, good details, presence and air, and a large sound-stage. But at the new price ($5,900), I think the new Apex Teton ($5,000) is a much better buy with a better sound to boot. Call Todd at TTVJ Audio for his opinion. He sells both.

The Bakoon will give you the warm sound of tube with vivid details but without the analytical sound of SS. Battery operated, it has a dead quiet background. It would go great with your current cans. But if you want an HE-6 in the future, it may not have the power supply to deliver great bass at high levels--I listen to the HE-6 at moderate levels so the Bakoon works fine for me.

The HeadAmp GS-X is the safest SS choice for now and for the future. It has a feathery smooth and delicate sound (not sterile), tremendous bass and very quiet background. It can play anything. But you will not have the warm midrange of tubes. And you'll have to wait for the next batch of amps to be made. Call HeadAmp to find out how long you have to wait.

As you see, there is no clear winner. It is a matter of preference, convinence and price.

 

[musicman59]

 

   
 
Justin_Time, sorry for bothering you with this another time but you are the only one I know of who has 3 of the 4 amps I'm intersted in as well as the TH-900.
As the TH-900 is about the opposite of the HE-6 when it concerns amping, your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
So my question is: which of these amps would you recommend for the TH-900?
 
To give you some info about my preferences:
I only like closed, dynamic, low impedance phones. (TH-900, D/LA7000, ATH woodies).
I prefer a my sound to the euphonic side of neutral rather than than the analytical side but I do appreciate a black background.
I'm looking for a top amp for this kind of phones and I've narrowed the choices down to four: GS-X MKII, WA5 LE, Bakoon HDA-5210mk3 and Luxman P-700u.
I did own a few top amps a couple of years ago and used them with D7000, two different LA7000, L3000, W3000 and a few others.
These amps were ATH-HA5000ANV, EAR HP4, ZDSE, P-1u, SQ-N100 and Yammy HA-02. The ZDSE was the one that I liked best.
For the moment, the only Head-Fi worth mentioning I have is the TH-900 and HP-A8. Everything is in my profile.
 
I'd love to have your opinion.  

 


Something happened to my previous reply!!! It is gone!

So here is a summary:

Any of the these amps will do fine with your headphones--I have the TH-900 (stock and mod.) and the LA-7000 as well. They get along fine with any of these amps.

I would rule out the Woo WA5-LE ($3,000 + $1200 upgraded parts + $1500 upgraded Tubes) . The sound is slightly leaner than with the lush tube sound that you like and you do not need the gonzo bass with your cans--they have plenty already.

The safest tube route for your taste is the EAR HP-4. It has the classic tube sound with lush midrange, good details, presence and air, and a large sound-stage. But at the new price ($5,900), I think the new Apex Teton ($5,000) is a much better buy with a better sound to boot. Call Todd at TTVJ Audio for his opinion. He sells both.

The Bakoon will give you the warm sound of tube with vivid details but without the analytical sound of SS. Battery operated, it has a dead quiet background. It would go great with your current cans. But if you want an HE-6 in the future, it may not have the power supply to deliver great bass at high levels--I listen to the HE-6 at moderate levels so the Bakoon works fine for me.

The HeadAmp GS-X is the safest SS choice for now and for the future. It has a feathery smooth and delicate sound (not sterile), tremendous bass and very quiet background. It can play anything. But you will not have the warm midrange of tubes. And you'll have to wait for the next batch of amps to be made. Call HeadAmp to find out how long you have to wait.

As you see, there is no clear winner. It is a matter of preference, convinence and price.

For a SS i would add to the list the McIntosh MHA100. I personally like it better than the GS-X MkII  and can also drive any dynamic and electromagnetic headphones.

 

[Justin_Time]

For a SS i would add to the list the McIntosh MHA100. I personally like it better than the GS-X MkII  and can also drive any dynamic and electromagnetic headphones.

 


Thanks for the additional recommendation.

BTW, there is no power limitation with the HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 driving dynamic or planar headphones (except perhaps the power ogre AKG K1000).

It drove the HE-6 to ear-splitting levels!

One question about the MHA100: is there a headphone plug and do you use it or do you have to build a resistor array across the speaker binding posts and use a headphone-plug adaptor?

Cheers!

 

[AppleheadMay]

Musicman, thanks for the recommendation as well but I'm going for a separate amp. Somehow it just fits my path to a great system better.
A Dac is something that I need to be able to replace easily, technology is evolving too fast in that area. 
 
Justin_Time, sorry to hear your original post is gone but your elaborate summary gave me all the info I need though and really helped me in making my decision.
I decided the best idea for me is to not go the tube way and take the straight-forward, best bet GS-X.
I have the HP-A8 as a Dac at the moment which is far from analytical or sharp and may upgrade it later this year with another Dac to tailor the midrange even more to my preference, if necessary.
Also, some of the phones I'm still after (AT) are far from neutral and would probably be better served with a GS-X than an amp that emphasizes the midrange even more.
 
As you see, for me it's all about tailoring a system that fits my ears.
Planar and electrostatic phones have been ruled out for me.
Same with open dynamics, except for the HD-650 which I will buy again to try with the balanced output of the GS-X, with a silver cable.
The K1000 was something else though, I have very fond memories of that one out of the speaker outputs of the SQ-N100!
I'd love to buy that one again if they weren't so old, drivers do wear out with age.
And I absolutely love the Denon/Fostex and AT wooden phones.
 
Again, thanks for all the help I got from the people in this thread and the GS-X thread!

 

[musicman59]

I am not using its DAC since I have a Bricasti M1 with the latest upgrades. I bought it just to be used a an amplifier. I love my pair of MC601 in my main speakers system and the MHA100 has the same sound signature so it was just the right amplifier for me.

 

[TonyNewman]

Question for my fellow Woo-ites.
 
I have been waiting to try the Shuguang Treasure CV-181s (6SN7 equivalents) in my WA6. The treasures arrived today - the problem is that they are very fat for a 6SN7 tube and the WA6 does not have great spacing in its socket layout.
 
I had to change out my fat SP 274B for my thinner EML 274B rectifier to provide enough space to fit them in. Even with the rectifier change, the glass bodies of the 6SN7s are pressed firmly up against the EML 274B tube. All tubes (and 6DE7 -> 6SN7 adapters) are firmly seated - so all the connections are good.
 
I'm expecting the same situation when I get my Sophia Electric 6SN7s - they are also a fat tube 6SN7.
 
Is this bad? Can I expect to shorten the life of my tubes by having them touching like this, or am I concerned about nothing? If it was a problem I could look for a NOS rectifier with straight sides, but I don't want to do that unless necessary as I am very happy with my SP and EML 274Bs - both very good sounding tubes.
 
 BTW - the CV-181 treasures sound OK right out of the box - a little dry and brittle as you might expect with zero burn in, but not bad at all. Looking forward to hearing these babies after 50+ hours.
 
EDIT - I think I might be worried about nothing. The tubes are warm to the touch - not so hot you have to remove your hand or get burned - and the glass is tough and thick on the EML and the treasures. Also, they operate at very similar temperatures based on my touch. I can't see this causing a thermal stress problem in the glass - but would appreciate any input from folks that know more about tubes than I do (and that would be just about everybody on this forum).

 

[Dubstep Girl]

  Question for my fellow Woo-ites.
 
I have been waiting to try the Shuguang Treasure CV-181s (6SN7 equivalents) in my WA6. The treasures arrived today - the problem is that they are very fat for a 6SN7 tube and the WA6 does not have great spacing in its socket layout.
 
I had to change out my fat SP 274B for my thinner EML 274B rectifier to provide enough space to fit them in. Even with the rectifier change, the glass bodies of the 6SN7s are pressed firmly up against the EML 274B tube. All tubes (and 6DE7 -> 6SN7 adapters) are firmly seated - so all the connections are good.
 
I'm expecting the same situation when I get my Sophia Electric 6SN7s - they are also a fat tube 6SN7.
 
Is this bad? Can I expect to shorten the life of my tubes by having them touching like this, or am I concerned about nothing? If it was a problem I could look for a NOS rectifier with straight sides, but I don't want to do that unless necessary as I am very happy with my SP and EML 274Bs - both very good sounding tubes.
 
 BTW - the CV-181 treasures sound OK right out of the box - a little dry and brittle as you might expect with zero burn in, but not bad at all. Looking forward to hearing these babies after 50+ hours.
 
EDIT - I think I might be worried about nothing. The tubes are warm to the touch - not so hot you have to remove your hand or get burned - and the glass is tough and thick on the EML and the treasures. Also, they operate at very similar temperatures based on my touch. I can't see this causing a thermal stress problem in the glass - but would appreciate any input from folks that know more about tubes than I do (and that would be just about everybody on this forum).

 
 
you'll be fine with Sophia 6SN7.... at least this picture seems to show its ok...
 
the tubes touching shouldn't be an issue, though certain areas of the tube might be a little warmer, like small hot spots, but i don't see any real problem, also the woos always seem rather cool, both amp and tube temperatures..
 
 
 

 

[joseph69]

Ive noticed latley that upon power up my on WA6 or my 5692 tube(s) after about 15-20 seconds make a clicking/popping sound, then it stops. I havn't changed the tube(s) yet too rule them out. Has anyone experienced this with relation to a bad tube(s) before?

 

[bonesnv]

Ive noticed latley that upon power up my on WA6 or my 5692 tube(s) after about 15-20 seconds make a clicking/popping sound, then it stops. I havn't changed the tube(s) yet too rule them out. Has anyone experienced this with relation to a bad tube(s) before?

 
Should not be an issue (per Jack), mine do it during warm-up and it stops after 5 or so minutes, but I usually wait about 15 minutes before listening to music.  Jack actually has a note about this in the FAQ page on their website.
 
Someone more knowledgeable can probably provide more insight as to why or if Jack is incorrect.

 

[joseph69]

   
Should not be an issue (per Jack), mine do it during warm-up and it stops after 5 or so minutes, but I usually wait about 15 minutes before listening to music.  Jack actually has a note about this in the FAQ page on their website.
 
Someone more knowledgeable can probably provide more insight as to why or if Jack is incorrect.

Thank for the info.
My first WA6 never did this. Besides, the clicking/popping only goes on for 15-20 seconds, and then stops, and everything is fine and there are no issues. Thanks again, I'll check out the FAQ page.

 

[TonyNewman]

   
 
you'll be fine with Sophia 6SN7.... at least this picture seems to show its ok...
 
the tubes touching shouldn't be an issue, though certain areas of the tube might be a little warmer, like small hot spots, but i don't see any real problem, also the woos always seem rather cool, both amp and tube temperatures..
 
 
 

 
Thank you so much for posting the picture - that really helps

 
The Shuguang Treasures are fat and tall - I think that is what creates the space problem. The widest part of the driver tubes are just below the level of the widest part of the rectifier.

 

[bbophead]

 

Ive noticed latley that upon power up my on WA6 or my 5692 tube(s) after about 15-20 seconds make a clicking/popping sound, then it stops. I havn't changed the tube(s) yet too rule them out. Has anyone experienced this with relation to a bad tube(s) before?

 
Should not be an issue (per Jack), mine do it during warm-up and it stops after 5 or so minutes, but I usually wait about 15 minutes before listening to music.  Jack actually has a note about this in the FAQ page on their website.
 
Someone more knowledgeable can probably provide more insight as to why or if Jack is incorrect.

I follow the rule of tubes.  Let them settle down before listening.  Five minutes to thirty minutes.  As everything warms up, better sound results.