[Bonddam]

May I know if the following preloved are worth buying @ $1700?

1. WA22 first gen, with stock tubes and the following upgrades:
a. Westinghouse 7236 NOS 1963,
b. GE 6SN7GT NOS x2,
c. Sophia Princess Mesh Plate 274B rectifier
2. Senn HD800

All that for 1700? If so you would have bleach on the brain if you didn't. It's good to see if you end up liking the woo house sound and if upgrading to H800s is worth it.

 

[ltq3]

All that for 1700? If so you would have bleach on the brain if you didn't.

Yes 1700 after having my saliva dried up negotiating with the owner. Will go and test it out this weekend at his place.

Thanks!

 

[Bonddam]

And you get to test it win win. Plus tubes are plentiful for that amp. The Sophia is a good starting point for rectifier. You can go sane or crazy on tube rolling. The new version they upgraded the circuits for better sound. I bought a first gen WA2 and pretty happy with it. Sucks I can only use high impedance headphones but it got me to see Woo makes good otl amps. WA22 fully balanced can power all easy to drive headphones. I'd bring your DAC with you to test.

 

[ltq3]

And you get to test it win win. Plus tubes are plentiful for that amp. The Sophia is a good starting point for rectifier. You can go sane or crazy on tube rolling. The new version they upgraded the circuits for better sound. I bought a first gen WA2 and pretty happy with it. Sucks I can only use high impedance headphones but it got me to see Woo makes good otl amps. WA22 fully balanced can power all easy to drive headphones. I'd bring your DAC with you to test.

Is the difference in sound quality between the 2nd and 1st gen significant?

 

[Bonddam]

Never heard them. I've only heard WA33 standard WA33 Elite and WA2 with pre amp. Brand new amp is $2500 and you can get a lot for $1700. When you price out brand new for everything you're at $3900 just for the amp and headphone. The Sophie cost more then the stock, don't remember if it was $200 or more. If your other headphones are easy to drive then it's a good starting for high fi gear. I have many headphones ,amps and tubes. You can't get a gen 2 for that price. The guy who sold me the WA2 got rid of it just because he would be using the WA22 now that he got lower impedance cans. I have an amp for every flavor. OTL, SET, and Hybrid. So my joy is swapping out tubes and seeing what they do to my headphones. Unless you want to fork over $2500 for new WA22 gen 2 I'd go with the gen 1 used. Buying used is fun. You want to build up to buying new. I'm not sure how new you are to this but I've been into audio for from car to headphones for 24 years. I'd never buy my summit gear I have now used I'd want full protection of warranty. Anything above $3k I buy new.

 

[ucmgr]

Would definitely think that it's worth buying. Am I to understand that for $1700 you would be receiving the WA-22 gen1 with stock tubes plus the upgraded rectifier, power tubes and driver tubes? Depending on how much life is left in the tubes, the NOS drivers, NOS power tubes, and the Sophia Princess 274B are worth a few hundred dollars by themselves, It would save you from having to buy upgraded tubes immediately or in the near future and you would end up with a very nice amp to enjoy from the get go.

 

[ltq3]

Would definitely think that it's worth buying. Am I to understand that for $1700 you would be receiving the WA-22 gen1 with stock tubes plus the upgraded rectifier, power tubes and driver tubes? Depending on how much life is left in the tubes, the NOS drivers, NOS power tubes, and the Sophia Princess 274B are worth a few hundred dollars by themselves, It would save you from having to buy upgraded tubes immediately or in the near future and you would end up with a very nice amp to enjoy from the get go.

yes, that's exactly what the owner is offering but I have no idea how much life is left in the tubes...the owner said it was bought like 3 years ago and had been using it occasionally only.

 

[JLoud]

Sounds like they should have plenty of life left in them. Sounds like a pretty decent deal if everything is as advertised.

 

[thecrow]

I am quite chuffed I found this thread. I did a quick search: most of the recommendations for the Woo Audio WA2 seem to centre around the T1 and the HD800. Anyone tried them with the newer headphones like the Utopia, D8000, HE1000v2? A few years back, when I needed space for my 2 electrostatic amps, I had mothballed the WA2 and just remembered how it was so fluid and gorgeous. Hence, thinking of plugging them up now that I have a DI box and so am now able to have more amps fed from my desktop DAC or line out from DAPs. Thanks in advance for your kind suggestions.

from owning them, with the wa2:

hd800 is superb

zmf auteur is great

hekse gets a nice touch of tube softness. Not (probably ideal) but good. I leant towards non warm tubes for this (eg telefunken/siemens german v holland tubes)

utopia gets a little more bottom end. Not quite bloaty but though it’s ok with the wa2 it’s not a perfect match - ie ok for a different flavour but utopia is best served with a good ss amp

lcd2 like the utopia

empyrean and elear were both bloated down low


the wa2/hd800 or auteurs the sound is really silky and smooth. Very impressive.
the hd800 are SO much better suited here than ss amps imho (even with ss amps that i have had like taurus, v280 and niimbus us4)

but the wa22 gives you more versatility re headphone choices.

as what put to me, somewhat directly but correctly (imho) some years ago:
1) the hd800 needs tubes; and
2) go the wa2 if you want an amp for the hd800 pr the wa22 if you want other headphones too

i have ended up in my journey (thus far) with wa2 for hd800 and niimbus for everything else (have sold auteur)

my 2c (and a few $$ spent along the way)

 

[Onik]

Anyone from uk selling WA2/WA22(Pre Amp edition) Please PM me with the price.

Thanks.

 

[vlach]

from owning them, with the wa2:

hd800 is superb

zmf auteur is great

hekse gets a nice touch of tube softness. Not (probably ideal) but good. I leant towards non warm tubes for this (eg telefunken/siemens german v holland tubes)

utopia gets a little more bottom end. Not quite bloaty but though it’s ok with the wa2 it’s not a perfect match - ie ok for a different flavour but utopia is best served with a good ss amp

lcd2 like the utopia

empyrean and elear were both bloated down low


the wa2/hd800 or auteurs the sound is really silky and smooth. Very impressive.
the hd800 are SO much better suited here than ss amps imho (even with ss amps that i have had like taurus, v280 and niimbus us4)

but the wa22 gives you more versatility re headphone choices.

as what put to me, somewhat directly but correctly (imho) some years ago:
1) the hd800 needs tubes; and
2) go the wa2 if you want an amp for the hd800 pr the wa22 if you want other headphones too

i have ended up in my journey (thus far) with wa2 for hd800 and niimbus for everything else (have sold auteur)

my 2c (and a few $$ spent along the way)

The T1 deserves mention as well, it is 'glorious' with the WA2.

 

[thecrow]

The T1 deserves mention as well, it is 'glorious' with the WA2.

 

[jonathan c]

Does anyone have experience with and comments on Woo Audio WA2 compared to Woo Audio WA3 (both are OTL)? I have the WA3 and am contemplating the WA2. [The WA3 is used with Auteur, DT-1770, and HD-600 (mod).]

 

[Odin412]

Does anyone have experience with and comments on Woo Audio WA2 compared to Woo Audio WA3 (both are OTL)? I have the WA3 and am contemplating the WA2. [The WA3 is used with Auteur, DT-1770, and HD-600 (mod).]

I am a WA3 owner too and I've been curious about the WA2 as well. Hopefully others can share their experiences with both products.

 

[jonathan c]

I am a WA3 owner too and I've been curious about the WA2 as well. Hopefully others can share their experiences with both products.

One of the things that piques my curiosity with the WA2 is the use of rectifier tubes (2). How does this affect sound quality? Is the WA2 "two WA3s on one chassis" or something more?