[reeltime]

   
Wait, you mean the WA33 will have speaker taps like the WA5? 

Yes.

 

[pervysage]

 
Yes.

 
Very interesting! I had asked someone directly at Woo a while back while the "WA22-SE" prototype was still in the works about driving speakers and it was strictly planned to be a headphone amp at the time.
 
Thanks for the info!

 

[Oskari]

It will ship with regular RCA 2A3 drivers, Sovtek 6C45 drivers, and a Psvane 5U4G or equivalent. Sorry guys no holy grail tubes included.

What's a regular RCA 2A3? NOS RCA?

 

[matthewhypolite]

Anyone ever use the speaker terminals from the WA5 + WEE Electrostatic Converter to use some stax headphones?
 
http://www.wooaudio.com/products/wee.html
 
Thinking bout trying a sr009 but wouldnt want to invest in an entirely new amp just for that one headphone, so wondering how viable a solution that wee converter is.

 

[Clayton SF]

I have had my WA22 since 2009 and have never thought of upgrading anything except the tubes every now and then. I feel that the moment that I start to dwell on internal upgrades for my WA22, then that will be the moment when I remove myself from enjoying music at all. Of course I also have Glenn 300B monoblocks.
 
Enjoy the music!

 

[kyle1010]

What's a regular RCA 2A3? NOS RCA?

Honestly I have no idea, probably not NOS ones, most likely a current production model.

Oh and I'm gonna say this about the hot rod WA33/Abyss Phi combo with unobtanium dac Woo had at CanJam..to my ears it sounded better than the Sennheiser HE-1 system. Easily stole best in show. Better dynamics and better soundstaging than HE-1, but an equal amount of detail. It was insanity what they've pulled off with that combo. No idea what that dac was but they definitely made their point. The bar has been raised.

 

[longbowbbs]

 

What's a regular RCA 2A3? NOS RCA?

Honestly I have no idea, probably not NOS ones, most likely a current production model.

Oh and I'm gonna say this about the hot rod WA33/Abyss Phi combo with unobtanium dac Woo had at CanJam..to my ears it sounded better than the Sennheiser HE-1 system. Easily stole best in show. Better dynamics and better soundstaging than HE-1, but an equal amount of detail. It was insanity what they've pulled off with that combo. No idea what that dac was but they definitely made their point. The bar has been raised.

ESS Labs DS2....North of $25k

 

[kyle1010]

ESS Labs DS2....North of $25k

Yup. That thing was absolutely no joke.

 

[phase0]

You're getting close to HE-1 territory at those prices. I see almost universal glowing praise for the WA33. Looking forward to hearing it later this year. TBH I have so much $ sunk in my WA5 now I can't see myself switching to WA33 and taking the hit. I'm wondering how a WA5 w/ KR HP tubes would sound next to the WA33...

 

[matthewhypolite]

Honestly I have no idea, probably not NOS ones, most likely a current production model.

Oh and I'm gonna say this about the hot rod WA33/Abyss Phi combo with unobtanium dac Woo had at CanJam..to my ears it sounded better than the Sennheiser HE-1 system. Easily stole best in show. Better dynamics and better soundstaging than HE-1, but an equal amount of detail. It was insanity what they've pulled off with that combo. No idea what that dac was but they definitely made their point. The bar has been raised.

Better than he1 ? Wow. Makes me wanna get a w33

 

[reeltime]

to my ears it sounded better than the Sennheiser HE-1 system. Easily stole best in show. Better dynamics and better soundstaging than HE-1, but an equal amount of detail. It was insanity what they've pulled off with that combo.

 
I wouldn't say the WA33 was better than the HE-1. But it sure made me start adding up gear to see what it would take to change my WA5LE v2 with upgraded caps and Takatsuki 300Bs into a WA33. 
 
The HE-1, to my ears, had better bass and a more coherent midrange than the WA33, and the highs were what I've come to expect in an electrostatic. I've never heard anything like it before and when the Elvis song came on (Sennheiser picked the audition tracks) I teared up and got goosebumps. It was an emotional impact I didn't expect, and nothing the WA33 could replicate. 
 
I brought my HE-1000 v2 to audition with the WA33. I preferred it (and the Focal Utopia) to the Abyss. Not a knock on the Phi at all, they are sensational. The pairing with the HE-1000 was particularly remarkable, and better than my WA5LE by an uncomfortable margin. The WA33 really took the HE-1000 into unchartered territory sonically. 
 
Jack and Co. really knocked it out of the park with the WA33. It deserves an asking price north of the WA5.

 

[drbobbybones]

   
Wait, you mean the WA33 will have speaker taps like the WA5? 

I asked Jack Wu about this at the show.  He said that this would have to be custom ordered, but the amp will put about 9 or 10 watts out.  Plenty for some efficient speakers in a small room.  
 
And I agree with what others have said about the WA33--this is hands down the best tube amplifier I have ever heard.  So much soundstage, power, control, and detail.  Gotta get one.

 

[kyle1010]

I wouldn't say the WA33 was better than the HE-1. But it sure made me start adding up gear to see what it would take to change my WA5LE v2 with upgraded caps and Takatsuki 300Bs into a WA33. 

The HE-1, to my ears, had better bass and a more coherent midrange than the WA33, and the highs were what I've come to expect in an electrostatic. I've never heard anything like it before and when the Elvis song came on (Sennheiser picked the audition tracks) I teared up and got goosebumps. It was an emotional impact I didn't expect, and nothing the WA33 could replicate. 

I brought my HE-1000 v2 to audition with the WA33. I preferred it (and the Focal Utopia) to the Abyss. Not a knock on the Phi at all, they are sensational. The pairing with the HE-1000 was particularly remarkable, and better than my WA5LE by an uncomfortable margin. The WA33 really took the HE-1000 into unchartered territory sonically. 

Jack and Co. really knocked it out of the park with the WA33. It deserves an asking price north of the WA5.

We probably just have different sound signature preferences. HE-1 was incredible for sure, but I was disappointed when I heard the slightest amount of grain in Norah Jones's voice. The soundstage wasn't as wide as WA33/Abyss Phi but some people prefer that more intimate sound. Bass was flat but insanely clean. That Elvis song was quite amazing though I'll admit. However the stat drivers in HE-1 couldn't touch the new Abyss Phi and WA33 in dynamics, but that's really not what it's designed to do. The Woo system was equally detailed to my ears but I heard zero grain in the vocals. The live rock albums sounded dead on exactly how they should with appropriate weight to the kick drums and a wide, realistic, razor sharp imaged soundstage. I couldn't stop smiling with that system. The HE-1 was just super impressive to me. But yeah, if you're a stat guy HE-1 is king, if you're into dynamic planar sound WA33/Abyss Phi was untouchable.

 

[Oskari]

Honestly I have no idea, probably not NOS ones, most likely a current production model.

:confused_face_2: RCA's long gone.

 

[Xecuter]

The wa33 is very intriguing. Considering it comes with nearly 3k worth of tubes it is very fairly priced IMO.
 
I'd like to know which transformer they have gone with.