I love the concept and would buy one for sure even though I already have way too much Woo gear according to my wife. My only hesitation is the non-replaceable tubes which I suppose should be a non-factor. I just tend to keep my stuff for a long time, I have vintage Mac tube gear from the 70's for example. I use Campagnolo components on my bicycles versus Shimano because you can buy parts and they are rebuildable whereas Shimano when they break or wear out you toss them and buy new. I know the projected tube life of the WA8 tubes is 5,000 hours, these tubes are probably the same. It's just my nature to buy stuff that can be repaired and I'm slightly surprised that's not the case with this Mini. If I knew I could return it to Woo in 3 or 4 years for tube replacement and that the cost would be a couple hundred bucks it would still make the difference of buying versus not buying. But regardless I'm still a huge Woo fan boy...
I love the concept and would buy one for sure even though I already have way too much Woo gear according to my wife. My only hesitation is the non-replaceable tubes which I suppose should be a non-factor. I just tend to keep my stuff for a long time, I have vintage Mac tube gear from the 70's for example. I use Campagnolo components on my bicycles versus Shimano because you can buy parts and they are rebuildable whereas Shimano when they break or wear out you toss them and buy new. I know the projected tube life of the WA8 tubes is 5,000 hours, these tubes are probably the same. It's just my nature to buy stuff that can be repaired and I'm slightly surprised that's not the case with this Mini. If I knew I could return it to Woo in 3 or 4 years for tube replacement and that the cost would be a couple hundred bucks it would still make the difference of buying versus not buying. But regardless I'm still a huge Woo fan boy...
+1 I totally agree, it's also a considerable investment for some so wanting to keep it for more than 3 years is natural and replacing the tubes should be made possible unless apart from the tubes other components will burn up and need replacing so it would no longer be economically or logistically viable, but I have found no clarification of this in the Woo website. It's also an ethical issue related to defending the environment from unnecessary waste, it might be a drop in the ocean but it's a mind frame change that needs to be adopted, both by us as consumers and by all producers, so if I knew the tubes could be replaced when necessary then I would buy one straight away, but not as things stand.
I just got it this evening and noticed that the resolution is significantly superior to that of the Hugo 2! This is totally unexpected. It is still too early to draw conclusion but sounds very good. Pairing it with the Focal Stellia eliminates any excess mid-bass bloating, resulting in a highly enjoyable and pleasing sound. This is an initial report in the early stages; I still need to test it with different headphones and compare its performance to my other DACs. One aspect I'm not fond of is its excessive power—it's challenging to tolerate volume 6 out of 100 when using it with my Stellia headphones! Pairing it with IE900, I can only listen to it at 2 out of 100!
I just got it this evening and noticed that the resolution is significantly superior to that of the Hugo 2! This is totally unexpected. It is still too early to draw conclusion but sounds very good. Pairing it with the Focal Stellia eliminates any excess mid-bass bloating, resulting in a highly enjoyable and pleasing sound. This is an initial report in the early stages; I still need to test it with different headphones and compare its performance to my other DACs. One aspect I'm not fond of is its excessive power—it's challenging to tolerate volume 6 out of 100 when using it with my Stellia headphones! Pairing it with IE900, I can only listen to it at 2 out of 100!
Thank you for this initial impression which is most welcome as I’m thinking of purchasing it but have no possibility to audition. However if its musicality is of an exceptional level I may be convinced to jump the gun, to dethrone the Hugo2 resolution king is an outstanding achievement for such a small amplifier! I’m a bit perplexed about the seemingly excessive power, maybe you can better regulate it from your source? As soon as you’ve had time to burn in the mini tube amplifier further impressions and a comparison with the WA8 would be most appreciated!
Thank you for this initial impression which is most welcome as I’m thinking of purchasing it but have no possibility to audition and am a bit wary of the non-replaceable tubes and thus its limited lifetime.
However if its musicality is of an exceptional level I may be convinced to jump the gun, to dethrone the Hugo2 resolution king is an outstanding achievement for such a small amplifier! I’m a bit perplexed about the seemingly excessive power, maybe you can better regulate it from your source? As soon as you’ve had time to burn in the mini tube amplifier further impressions and a comparison with the WA8 would be most appreciated!
I believe the tubes might be interchangeable. There are screws located around the casing that you might need to remove. In order to replace the tubes, you may need to carefully detach them by desoldering, and then solder the new tubes into place. I have not tried though.
This arrived today. It's a nice match with fairly sensitive, full-sized headphones. I'll try and shoot a review soon, once I've released a couple of other reviews.
Something must be wrong with your Hugo 2 or set-up if you feel that, because it most definitely is not (and can't even physically be more resolving). Might be worth trouble-shooting that separately.
This arrived today. It's a nice match with fairly sensitive, full-sized headphones. I'll try and shoot a review soon, once I've released a couple of other reviews.
Something must be wrong with your Hugo 2 or set-up if you feel that, because it most definitely is not (and can't even physically be more resolving). Might be worth trouble-shooting that separately.
I believe the tubes might be interchangeable. There are screws located around the casing that you might need to remove. In order to replace the tubes, you may need to carefully detach them by desoldering, and then solder the new tubes into place. I have not tried though.
Yes I've noticed the screws which suggests that it isn't one piece all soldered together and can be opened for interventions. It isn't something that I would feel competent to do myself and of course it would also depend on whether Woo Audio would sell the tubes spring-loaded component which as they say on their web page "are intricately mounted"on the spring-loaded suspension system. However I contacted Mike at Woo Audio and he reassured me they would fix after their generous 3 year guarantee period expires.
Yes I've noticed the screws which suggests that it isn't one piece all soldered together and can be opened for interventions. It isn't something that I would feel competent to do myself and of course it would also depend on whether Woo Audio would sell the tubes spring-loaded component which as they say on their web page "are intricately mounted"on the spring-loaded suspension system. I shall contact Mike at Woo Audio who has always been very responsive and enquire whether they would fix it for a fee after their generous 3 year guarantee period expires.
The answer will depend on how many sell and if it is economical for Woo to replace tubes. Right now a replacement tube set for the WA8 is over $300. The labor is done by the end user. To send back the unit for new tubes could cost >50% of a new dongle with the price of tubes and the labor. Doubtful anyone will pay that.
I hope they offer some kind of refurbishment service so that this won't be garbage in a few years.
The answer will depend on how many sell and if it is economical for Woo to replace tubes. Right now a replacement tube set for the WA8 is over $300. The labor is done by the end user. To send back the unit for new tubes could cost >50% of a new dongle with the price of tubes and the labor. Doubtful anyone will pay that.
I hope they offer some kind of refurbishment service so that this won't be garbage in a few years.
It'll never be garbage as after the 3 year warranty Mike at WA has just assured me they would service it after its expiry so no worries we can go ahead and order with peace of mind.
That's good to know. I'm less concerned with the cost than the option to have the service done assuming it doesn't cost more than a new one... Even if it's half the cost of new. No doubt these are built like a tank so far better than tossing in a dumpster.
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