[Cha Cha Cha]

Almost looks like a Portable WA7... Would i be right to asume it can drive IEMs like the WA7?

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Almost looks like a Portable WA7... Would i be right to asume it can drive IEMs like the WA7?

 
Yes, driving IEMs with an impedance as low as 8 Ohms (Sony XBA-4 & AKG K3003) is part of WA8's design.  

 

[The Fed]

Mike,

Are you guys exhibiting at THE Show in Newport Beach at the end of May?
I'd really like to get another fix, I mean listen to that WA8. It sounded amazing with my HD800's at CanJam.

I went to CanJam SoCal hinking I was buying a stereo 50... Then I heard your thermionic brick and I'm trapped in upgrade purgatory
Waiting for the WA8

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Yes we will be at Newport High-End show in room #446.  WA8 (prototype), WA234mono, WES, WA7, WA5-LE, and many many more.  

 

[The Fed]

WORD!
 
Thank you Mike. I will see you there!

 

[stevencg]

Anyone had a chance to compare the WA-8 vs ALO's upcoming CDM?

 

[rschoi75]

^ Your best bet is to look over the Canjam 2015 impressions. I do remember that a few people stated they listened to both. I didn't get to see the WA8 while I was there, so I hope to listen to it at the Newport show in a few days. 

 

[The Fed]

I didn't get chance to listen to both yesterday but did hear both at CanJam and would give my vote to the Woo.... Caveat being they were/ are still in prototype mode and impressions were in noisy environments with people breathing down your neck for their turn to hear it, so it is somewhat useless to make a judgement call based on all that... Also ALO's table was out in the pavillion where it was much noisier and the Woo table was in the hotel in a much quieter room.
 
Even so I think the Woo rig is the first true portable amp that can replace desktop amps and it runs on a true tube circuit... I am even more certain of that after this weekend. I've never heard the Analogy Squared TU-05 though so maybe its the 2nd. But I've owned 2 different Continentals and IMHO the The CDM strikes me more as a Continental Version 4 with a robust DAC built in. I know they've done a lot more improvements to it than that with power supply engineering and I appreciate the design choices they made to keep tube rolling options open and make battery replacement easy...And they will be first to market so they will make their money. But I am saving my money and waiting.
 
I just think the Woo has the edge on sound quality. It's a 100% tube circuit but does NOT suffer the typical losses tube based amps usually do... No one in their right mind can say it has a rolled off low end. It is lowrider approved.
 
I listened to the WA6SE, the WA8 (both with HD800) and the WA5 with the Hifiman HE1000 in the WOO room and while the HE1000/ WA5 combo (A $6500 rig mind you) was better... more texture, more air and space, more refined... It wasn't by much... And I think the WA8 is dead even with the WA6SE.... Considering the WA6SE is a Head-Fi standard bearer for mid range desktop, I think the WA8 is pretty damn special.

 

[maricius]

Is there already a retail price to the WA8?
 

  I didn't get chance to listen to both yesterday but did hear both at CanJam and would give my vote to the Woo.... Caveat being they were/ are still in prototype mode and impressions were in noisy environments with people breathing down your neck for their turn to hear it, so it is somewhat useless to make a judgement call based on all that... Also ALO's table was out in the pavillion where it was much noisier and the Woo table was in the hotel in a much quieter room.
 
Even so I think the Woo rig is the first true portable amp that can replace desktop amps and it runs on a true tube circuit... I am even more certain of that after this weekend. I've never heard the Analogy Squared TU-05 though so maybe its the 2nd. But I've owned 2 different Continentals and IMHO the The CDM strikes me more as a Continental Version 4 with a robust DAC built in. I know they've done a lot more improvements to it than that with power supply engineering and I appreciate the design choices they made to keep tube rolling options open and make battery replacement easy...And they will be first to market so they will make their money. But I am saving my money and waiting.
 
I just think the Woo has the edge on sound quality. It's a 100% tube circuit but does NOT suffer the typical losses tube based amps usually do... No one in their right mind can say it has a rolled off low end. It is lowrider approved.
 
I listened to the WA6SE, the WA8 (both with HD800) and the WA5 with the Hifiman HE1000 in the WOO room and while the HE1000/ WA5 combo (A $6500 rig mind you) was better... more texture, more air and space, more refined... It wasn't by much... And I think the WA8 is dead even with the WA6SE.... Considering the WA6SE is a Head-Fi standard bearer for mid range desktop, I think the WA8 is pretty damn special.

 
Also, did you compare both (WA8 and CDM) as DAC/amps or just as standalone amps? Lastly, would you say the WA8 had a similar signature as the WA6SE which is somewhat known for its solid state-like characteristics? What was its general sound signature? 

 

[The Fed]

I cannot be certain as my memory of the set ups fails me but believe both were being fed from source only iphones or tablets... so both were operating as Dac/ amps but cannot remember for certain.

As far as tone I think the WA8 is more dense... rich and weighty whereas the WA6 wasn't as punchy but seemed like it had a bit more top end air but wasn't really shining a brighter light. That could've been song/ album choice too cause I was listening to Daft Punk on the WA8 & WA5 but was listening to AC/DC and Guns and Roses on the WA6 so the nature of the music obviously drives the space. The WA5 was more illuminated and faster.... Very O P E N. A lot of that maybe the HE1000. I gather they are a very electrostatic sounding planar.

If the WA8 was anchored to the earth with a rich organic tone, the WA5 was a quicksilvery tone floating in space... The WA6 was maybe splitting the difference.
If any of that makes sense.

 

[maricius]

That makes a lot of sense thanks!!

 

[vlach]

That's it? No updates? Anyone?

 

[abhishekSPS]

i know its two different things but any comparisions between liquid carbon and wa8...because both were present at camjam but liquid carbon is really being raved on that camjam thread

 

[AnakChan]

That's it? No updates? Anyone?

With 3 tubes selected, a very full sound. Smooth as to be expected, euphonic (this is off my TH-900s). With 2 tubes selected, a more leaner sound...more suitable for sensitive headphones. Meanwhile with IEMs, couldn't detect any hiss - very low noise floor.

It's heavy. There's a decent amount of juice being supplied to it. Definitely solidly built.
 

 

 

 

 

 

[warrior1975]

Really is a beautiful amp...