[audioadvocate]

Thank you for the WA22 photo. I suspect and hope that Woo Audio stayed with the high quality DACT CT2 balanced attenuators. I'm curious to know what's different with gen. 2. I see high-quality components and a very simple and neat layout. I wonder if a few of those electrolytics are within the signal path. I'm seeing some 47μF and larger polar caps and some Dale 500Ω chassis-mounted wirewounds and some Dayton resistors with some tight tolerances. I see what appear to be 2- Neutrik female 3-pin and one 4-pin chassis mounted connectors. I expected greater complexity and an epoxy-encased PC board. Just kidding. From my limited experience, Class A done simply is easier to do simply when you use very high-quality components. But it's never good to see how the sausage is made. What matters clearly is the sound, and the sound on the WA22 and the WA22 2nd Gen is just damn good. Again...thank you!

 

[Stereolab42]

Woo amps are always a work-of-art internally. They look so organized and uncluttered it almost makes you think it must be easy to make good tube amps.

 

[audioadvocate]

After browsing the forum for CD-transports, I don't see much. So please don't mind me asking in this amp section. I am having lots of USB dropouts with my laptop and despite tweaking the way the processor polls the USB ports and the Wi-Fi card, Dell created my laptop with too much dependency of software controls and not enough hardware controls. I'd use my main PC more but it's less convenient from my listening position. So the USB dropouts continue. I have a significant CD collection dating back three and a half decades and have been thinking about a CD transport. Has anyone had experience with the Woo WTP-1? It only does Redbook CDs but that's most of my collection. With Tidal and all of the software that can play FLAC directly, etc, being popular, I expected the CD-transports to come down in price, but apparently not yet.

 

[tejanolibre]

Is your WA22 dead quite? I noticed some noise when I plug in my cans, the noise is the same even when I adjust the volume.
Thanks.

Howdy,

It seems to depend on the tubes that I am using at that moment but the slight noise is overcome with the volume I think.

Example: TS 5998s , TS 6F8Gs , TS Rectifier with Double getters. Noisy! Too much POWER ?

TS5998s , TS 6F8Gs , The "Mighty" 596 : NO NOISE. Or Sophia Princess 274b. No noise.

When using all Tung Sol NOS tubes there was an unkindly low level noise.

But I don't know anything !

Having trouble setting up my Matrix X Pro DAC and JRiver 24 !

I apologize for my lack of knowledge !

Happy Listening ,

Ramiro

Stranded in Audiophile HELL !

Buenos Aires,
Argentina

 

[Autostart]

Hello,
Good afternoon. I recently took to a short break from head-fi to get into something a bit more active and healthy (mountain biking), but couldn't stay away for too long as I purchased a WA5 to help feed the curiosity of the 300b tube. I am thrilled with the amp and no matter the tubes the WA5 sounds amazing. Of course better tubes = better sound, but I have yet to find a " bad tube " with this amp like I was able to do with my WA22 or WA2.

I have a bunch of tubes that I would like to experiment with but not sure the compatibility. Does anyone know if it's possible to roll in some 2C51, 6H3NE, WE396 variants (with adapters - of course), and/or 6922? I am sure the 6SN7 sound better although I remember back in my Schiit MJ2 tube rolling days when all the craze was the TS2C51. I ordered a pair of Tung Sol 2C51 and adapters and never received so much bang for the buck as far as tube rolling is concerned. So, now I am wondering if those same TS2C51 will roll into the WA5?

 

[nathanoakes]

Sup guys, I'm looking to get some advice, since I can't find any conclusive information elsewhere.

I have a WA6SE with a Sophia 274b and a pair of 6DN7 drivers. I do my listening through the Sennheiser HD800.
I'm noticing a lot of hum that:

• Is faintly present when the volume is at 0
• Gets louder until the volume is at 8 o'clock.
• Stays at the same volume until the volume is at 4 o'clock
• Has some background hiss to it
• Gets louder when I touch the plastic around the tubes (less so when I touch the glass or tube adapters
• Is semi-audible from the power supply side of the SE.
• Is completely even on both channels.

So far I have tried the following:

• Removed everything from electrical outlets (except the washing machine, which was running)
• Removed audio source cables and kept them out for all tests
• Tried plugging power into another socket
• Tried the headphones in the lower impedance port

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and how I can get rid of it?
The tube adapters are some cheaper ones I found on eBay, since $80 for two is a little steep direct from woo.

 

[elira]

Sup guys, I'm looking to get some advice, since I can't find any conclusive information elsewhere.

I have a WA6SE with a Sophia 274b and a pair of 6DN7 drivers. I do my listening through the Sennheiser HD800.
I'm noticing a lot of hum that:

• Is faintly present when the volume is at 0
• Gets louder until the volume is at 8 o'clock.
• Stays at the same volume until the volume is at 4 o'clock
• Has some background hiss to it
• Gets louder when I touch the plastic around the tubes (less so when I touch the glass or tube adapters
• Is semi-audible from the power supply side of the SE.
• Is completely even on both channels.

So far I have tried the following:

• Removed everything from electrical outlets (except the washing machine, which was running)
• Removed audio source cables and kept them out for all tests
• Tried plugging power into another socket
• Tried the headphones in the lower impedance port

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening and how I can get rid of it?
The tube adapters are some cheaper ones I found on eBay, since $80 for two is a little steep direct from woo.

Probably bad tubes, have you tried with other tubes?

 

[nathanoakes]

Probably bad tubes, have you tried with other tubes?

Well this is my second pair of 6DN7s which had the same problem, leading me to believe it's the tubes.
Hum is pretty much non-existent with my 6EW7s

 

[elira]

Well this is my second pair of 6DN7s which had the same problem, leading me to believe it's the tubes.
Hum is pretty much non-existent with my 6EW7s

Probably the adapter, do you have tubes that have worked with your adapter?

 

[nathanoakes]

Probably the adapter, do you have tubes that have worked with your adapter?

Yes, sorry, I meant to say "leading me to believe it's the adapters".

The two pairs of 6DN7 are the only tubes I've had that need the adapter, so no :/ I can't find any cheaper ones anywhere either.

 

[davehg]

Hello,
Good afternoon. I recently took to a short break from head-fi to get into something a bit more active and healthy (mountain biking), but couldn't stay away for too long as I purchased a WA5 to help feed the curiosity of the 300b tube. I am thrilled with the amp and no matter the tubes the WA5 sounds amazing. Of course better tubes = better sound, but I have yet to find a " bad tube " with this amp like I was able to do with my WA22 or WA2.

Agree here. My WA22 is pretty finicky but the WA5 just sings. I used the Genelex Gold Lion 300b and the Sophias. Sounds magnificent. I’ve not felt a need to spend the money on TAKs, better spent on funding my eMTB (Specialized Levo Comp) and getting back into better shape.

 

[Jefedemuchanina]

Hey can anybody reccomened some good tubes for a wa3 i found some telefunken black diamonds that interest me they are for hd 600’s so id like them to have a punchy bass and good soundstage. Also is it worth changing the power tube if so whats good for that im willing to spend about $150 total for all 3

 

[Krutsch]

Hey can anybody reccomened some good tubes for a wa3 i found some telefunken black diamonds that interest me they are for hd 600’s so id like them to have a punchy bass and good soundstage. Also is it worth changing the power tube if so whats good for that im willing to spend about $150 total for all 3

Start reading from here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/woo-audio-amp-owner-unite.428570/page-2676#post-14056035

...and then ask questions. This post above is about power tubes. I have advice on drivers for the WA3, as well, but that's a longer discussion.

However, to cut to the chase on the low-cost end for the drivers, I strongly recommend these:
https://store.t-funk.com/p/e88cc-tk-6922-vacuum-tube/vacuum-tubes?pp=25

They sound fantastic, have great clarity and imaging ... almost holographic compared to many of my other driver tubes. New they are about $50 US each, as I recall.

...if you want to spend more money, my other favorites are Siemens CCa (NOS), Siemens E288CC (NOS - mine are re-branded as Philips) or Telefunken E188CC (NOS); all are WAY more expensive, but can be found on eBay. I have more tubes (see my profile), but these are the ones I rotate between.

 

[Jefedemuchanina]

Start reading from here:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/woo-audio-amp-owner-unite.428570/page-2676#post-14056035

...and then ask questions. This post above is about power tubes. I have advice on drivers for the WA3, as well, but that's a longer discussion.

However, to cut to the chase on the low-cost end for the drivers, I strongly recommend these:
https://store.t-funk.com/p/e88cc-tk-6922-vacuum-tube/vacuum-tubes?pp=25

They sound fantastic, have great clarity and imaging ... almost holographic compared to many of my other driver tubes. New they are about $50 US each, as I recall.

...if you want to spend more money, my other favorites are Siemens CCa (NOS), Siemens E288CC (NOS - mine are re-branded as Philips) or Telefunken E188CC (NOS); all are WAY more expensive, but can be found on eBay. I have more tubes (see my profile), but these are the ones I rotate between.

Okay thanks $150 is about what im gonna spend on tubes for this im saving the rest i actually splurged and got a felik
espressivo mark 2 and wanna focus on putting some tubes into that still love how the woo sounds i did see those more expensive telefunkens how do those sound? Once money settles i might invest in some of those

 

[Badas]

Something has occurred to me. Kinda clicked.

With all the tube rolling I have done. The tubes I like the most actually makes my whole amp warmer.
Is there a connection with tube amps running warmer and better sound? Or is it just a coincidence?

Some members say the best sound is after running an hour or so. Is that because the whole amp has warmed up?