[pigmode]

As soon as my headphone system is complete, my plan is to initiate the start of a speaker system. The WA5 is about 3rd or 4th on the list, and who knows, it may very well become my main hp amps as well. As far as tube costs, the current prices for DH-SET NOS tubes are for me beyond my limit.
 
For my last 2A5/45 SET amp, I had 3 pairs of NOS RCA 45, and 5-6 NOS RCA 2A3s (Cunninghams, Globes) which I paid about $3000+. With todays current production high quality 300B tubes, that would probably translate to perhaps 3-4 pair.

 

[Silent One]

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Sometimes it seems to me that the Mac is better for music.  I have never had a Mac, but I get the impression you get more choices and they are of high quality.

I too, had the same impression. Though, I was content to push the 'Windows' car down the Av until a better ride came along. Or at least until the wheels came off. I had already grown tired of the Windows architecture and how the machine processes/plays audio and video, overall design and how it operates. A new Mac wasn't even in the budget when I ordered my Woo. Awaiting delivery on the amp is what finally pushed me - I wanted a clean break and took it! Ain't looked back since.
 
Periodically, I'll venture over to Windows World via Boot Camp when I want to hear 192/24 kHz files. Macs are limited to 96/24 on their Digital-Out. It's up to third-parties to overcome this. My DAC (like many) has limited Mac support - it's mainly written for Windows and gets the full 192 kHz resolution there. Since I had the DAC before the Mac... oh well. Next DAC purchase though...
 
I am pleased with the audio options for OS X (and the way Unix works). I get very good playback on the Windows side. But getting those results to me are still hokey and annoying.

 

[Silent One]

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New Year's Eve~
 
Earlier in the day I purchased Pure Music v1.7 for music playback on the Mac/Woo combo. Loaded my playlist with lots and lots of vintage Karen Mok. She was deliciously fun even before the upgrade. And now? Mmmm...

 
Karen Mok? You're Chinese or you just like some Chinese ladys' songs.

 
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Sometimes it seems to me that the Mac is better for music.  I have never had a Mac, but I get the impression you get more choices and they are of high quality.

I did heard a lot nice impression about Mac and Weiss D/A combo or others with firewire input, too. And also some say the Mac with Amarra sound very great even in a Mini Version.

"Karen Mok?" Without a doubt, so very sexy! Admission Alert: Great singer? Fair. Great dancer?? Fair. So what's her appeal (besides good looks)? She has the Three E's - Emotes, Engaging & Entertaining. And have since acquired a taste for her vocally. "You're Chinese or you just like some Chinese ladies' songs?" PM sent...

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

I have a very faint hum coming from my WA6SE.  Not audbile when even the quietest tracks are playing, but I can hear it when I pause a track, or when nothing is playing.  Very faint, but there.
 
All of my gear (amp, dac and CD player) is plugged into a Monster Power conditioner, which is then plugged into the wall outlet.  I've checked each piece of gear, and have narrowed it down to the amp.  
 
I've managed to eliminate the hum entirely by using a 3 prong to 2 prong ground lift adapter;  I plug it into the end of the AC cord on the WA6SE, and then plug the adapter into the Monster Power conditioner.  Now everything is dead silent.
 
The question is, is this safe?  The power conditioner is plugged into the wall with the proper 3 prong plug, and everything seems to be running fine.  I'm wondering if there is a better/safer/proper way to eliminate the ground loop hum I'm getting.  As I said above, it is almost unnoticeable, but I find myself listening for it even when it's not audible.

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

I have a very faint hum coming from my WA6SE.  Not audbile when even the quietest tracks are playing, but I can hear it when I pause a track, or when nothing is playing.  Very faint, but there.
 
All of my gear (amp, dac and CD player) is plugged into a Monster Power conditioner, which is then plugged into the wall outlet.  I've checked each piece of gear, and have narrowed it down to the amp.  
 
I've managed to eliminate the hum entirely by using a 3 prong to 2 prong ground lift adapter;  I plug it into the end of the AC cord on the WA6SE, and then plug the adapter into the Monster Power conditioner.  Now everything is dead silent.
 
The question is, is this safe?  The power conditioner is plugged into the wall with the proper 3 prong plug, and everything seems to be running fine.  I'm wondering if there is a better/safer/proper way to eliminate the ground loop hum I'm getting.  As I said above, it is almost unnoticeable, but I find myself listening for it even when it's not audible.

If you remove the Monster power conditioner from the equation, do you still get a hum?  Is it a steady hum, or does it cycle?
 

 

[SpudHarris]

Does the SQ suffer using a Squeezebox?
 
At present I connect my imod directly to the rear of my WA6 but will be getting a WA22 soon and am contemplating the following options.... All my tunes are on my PC upstairs and this is where I sync my imod rip tunes etc. I also have a netbook (no music on it yet) which I use to surf whilst chilling etc of an evening.
 
Should I?
 
Stream from my PC via Squeezebox > DACmagic > WA22?
OR
Put tunes on my netbook and via USB > DACmagic > WA22?
 
I guess the easiest would be to keep using the imod and slickest would be the Squeezebox option with my existing PC collection but I'm concerned about any loss of SQ. Any advice greatly appreciated as usual

 

[Icenine2]

Xcalibur mentioned that the tubes shipped with his WA6 were junk and not to slight Jack.  I would believe tubes sold with the amps keep the costs down and let 90% of us just go ahead and buy what we discuss ad infinitum here: roll tubes.  Even if Jack sold these w/EML's and Shu's as stock there would be a great contingent who wouldn't like them.  I do think the stock tubes with my WA22 were just fine although not as cool looking to me as the EML and Shu's I have now.
 
About 5LE and my real reason not to buy one: my impatience wouldn't let me buy one without the "parts upgrade".  I say it would have taken up room but I'm sure that could have been worked out.  Tubes expensive: yes but living with the stock tubes and waiting to buy the new ones wouldn't have been all that long.  Tops a year. Impatience is what got me.  I did email Jack when I was driving myself nuts with my decision and he told me the stock 5LE would still outperform the 22 and the upgrade wasn't a trump over the stock.  So the real cost was $600 more but all I could see was parts upgrade+tube upgrade=2 x cost of a WA22.
 
Karen Mok?  I don't know who she is but the best singer who danced I ever saw was, get this, Joan Baez!?!?  I saw her with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder.  She comes out in this red jumpsuit and starts to dance and..................it was incredible.  You sort of cringe at first thinking this is going to be some "star embarrassment moment but turns into Napoleon Dynamite instead!

 

[WindyCityCy]

I have an iMod, Squeezebox Touch, and Laptop that I have done extensive listening from through a couple of DACs (PS Audio DL3 Cullen 4 mods and W4S DAC2) into a WA22 with 2 sets of headphones (HD800, D7000 - both balanced) .  In my opinion the best sound results were as follows.
 
6) iMod through DL3
5) iMod through DAC2
4) Laptop playing Foobar through DL3
3) Touch through DL3
1) Touch through DAC2 - tie
1) Laptop through DAC2 - tie
 
There may be a slight difference between 1 and 2 but they are close enough to call it a tie and the sound quality is amazing to my ears.  I prefer to use the Touch as I love the interface and occasionally listen to Pandora, etc.  The Touch maxes out at 24/96 which is fine for every album I own except 1 and it is very easy to down-convert that album to 24/96 with dBpoweramp.

 
Quote:

Does the SQ suffer using a Squeezebox?
 
At present I connect my imod directly to the rear of my WA6 but will be getting a WA22 soon and am contemplating the following options.... All my tunes are on my PC upstairs and this is where I sync my imod rip tunes etc. I also have a netbook (no music on it yet) which I use to surf whilst chilling etc of an evening.
 
Should I?
 
Stream from my PC via Squeezebox > DACmagic > WA22?
OR
Put tunes on my netbook and via USB > DACmagic > WA22?
 
I guess the easiest would be to keep using the imod and slickest would be the Squeezebox option with my existing PC collection but I'm concerned about any loss of SQ. Any advice greatly appreciated as usual

 

[SpudHarris]

Thanks WindyCityCy
 
I am on the brink of ordering the Duet + DACmagic but pinching £460 from my WA22 fund has scuppered my plans slightly.

 

[WindyCityCy]

Quote:

Thanks WindyCityCy
 
I am on the brink of ordering the Duet + DACmagic but pinching £460 from my WA22 fund has scuppered my plans slightly.

Squeezebox Duet can't play 24/96 files if you are interested in HDTracks, etc.  I would recommend the Touch if you go the Squeezebox route.  I have 2 Touches and 2 SB3s and the Touch UI and fidelity is much better.  Unless you have a lead on a modified Duet which may be better (I have only read about the modded Squeezeboxes).
 

 

[jc9394]

Thanks WindyCityCy


 


I am on the brink of ordering the Duet + DACmagic but pinching £460 from my WA22 fund has scuppered my plans slightly.

 


For some reason, I never like Dacmagic with WA6 but did not get a chance to try it with WA22.

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

Quote:

If you remove the Monster power conditioner from the equation, do you still get a hum?  Is it a steady hum, or does it cycle?
 

Thanks for the suggestion, but no, it's still there no matter what.  I've disconnected all sources, taken the power conditioner out, etc.  Even if I just plug the Woo straight into the wall with nothing else connected except headphones, there is still a very faint hum.
 
It is steady and continuous.  No cycling.  It is there no matter what position the volume control is in.  And actually, now that I've checked it out and listened carefully, adding the 3 to 2 pin adapter does not eliminate it.  It's still there.  I've tried changing power tubes, and rectifiers, but it's always the same.  I think it's probably normal.  
 
I did have an extremely loud hum a few months ago, and it was caused by me, using 6FD7 tubes briefly, and my amp was not new enough (February 2010) to have been able to handle those tubes.  I sent it in for repair, and to have the modifications done so it could use those tubes.  When I got it back, it had been repaired, but the loud hum was still there, so I had to send it in again.  Jack Woo said they had checked it after they did the repair and mods, and that it was fine before they shipped it back to me.  
 
After sending it in the 2nd time, it came back working fine, like it is now, but I have noticed this very faint hum for quite awhile, so it may have always been there.  Or, changing some of the parts inside to allow the amp to accept the 6FD7 type tubes may have introduced this hum; I don't know.  Actually, I didn't even like the 6FD7 sound, and haven't used those tubes since.  
 
As I said, this hum is very faint, and if I'm not listening for it, either between tracks, or when the music is paused, I can't hear it at all, so it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the amp.  It still sounds great to me.  I just thought there might be a way to eliminate it completely, but now I don't think so.  I'd appreciate any suggestions anyone might have, though.
 

 

[flaming_june]

Quote:

As soon as my headphone system is complete, my plan is to initiate the start of a speaker system. The WA5 is about 3rd or 4th on the list, and who knows, it may very well become my main hp amps as well. As far as tube costs, the current prices for DH-SET NOS tubes are for me beyond my limit.
 
For my last 2A5/45 SET amp, I had 3 pairs of NOS RCA 45, and 5-6 NOS RCA 2A3s (Cunninghams, Globes) which I paid about $3000+. With todays current production high quality 300B tubes, that would probably translate to perhaps 3-4 pair.

It'd be interested to see how WA5 holds up as a speaker amp.

 

[wind016]

You should give a listen to Tanya Chua and Olivia Ong if you haven't had the chance. They are by far some of the best vocals and most talented in Asia.
 
Quote:

Karen Mok?" Without a doubt, so very sexy! Admission Alert: Great singer? Fair. Great dancer?? Fair. So what's her appeal (besides good looks)? She has the Three E's - Emotes, Engaging & Entertaining. And have since acquired a taste for her vocally. "You're Chinese or you just like some Chinese ladies' songs?" PM sent...

 

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

Quote:

If you remove the Monster power conditioner from the equation, do you still get a hum?  Is it a steady hum, or does it cycle?
 

Thanks for the suggestion, but no, it's still there no matter what.  I've disconnected all sources, taken the power conditioner out, etc.  Even if I just plug the Woo straight into the wall with nothing else connected except headphones, there is still a very faint hum.
 
It is steady and continuous.  No cycling.  It is there no matter what position the volume control is in.  And actually, now that I've checked it out and listened carefully, adding the 3 to 2 pin adapter does not eliminate it.  It's still there.  I've tried changing power tubes, and rectifiers, but it's always the same.  I think it's probably normal.  
 
I did have an extremely loud hum a few months ago, and it was caused by me, using 6FD7 tubes briefly, and my amp was not new enough (February 2010) to have been able to handle those tubes.  I sent it in for repair, and to have the modifications done so it could use those tubes.  When I got it back, it had been repaired, but the loud hum was still there, so I had to send it in again.  Jack Woo said they had checked it after they did the repair and mods, and that it was fine before they shipped it back to me.  
 
After sending it in the 2nd time, it came back working fine, like it is now, but I have noticed this very faint hum for quite awhile, so it may have always been there.  Or, changing some of the parts inside to allow the amp to accept the 6FD7 type tubes may have introduced this hum; I don't know.  Actually, I didn't even like the 6FD7 sound, and haven't used those tubes since.  
 
As I said, this hum is very faint, and if I'm not listening for it, either between tracks, or when the music is paused, I can't hear it at all, so it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the amp.  It still sounds great to me.  I just thought there might be a way to eliminate it completely, but now I don't think so.  I'd appreciate any suggestions anyone might have, though.
 

That the hum goes away when you lift the ground tells me that it's not your equipment.  The last time I had one of these problems, I started swapping interconnects and then the problem went away.  I got a few pair of the Cardas braided interconnects and my hum went away.  For me there was some mismatch between gear and the braided interconnects solved the problem.
 
It may be worth the time working on to solve because you tend to hear more with headphone amps.  You may want to try the cheapest interconnects possible from Radio Shack just to see if a change-up in interconnects help.