[jazzgene]

I wonder what the quality of the Lithium battery may be. How many charge cycles? Will I need to replace the battery every year like many laptops? And I am guessing, I would need to ship it back to Woo?

 

[gr8soundz]

Just read a post from CanJam SoCal saying that the WA8's tubes are not user replaceable:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/802161/canjam-socal-2016-impressions-thread-march-19-20-2016/75#post_12436389
 
Is this true?
 
If so, means no tube rolling and (worse) shipping back to Woo for new tubes (and probably battery too) when needed. How much will that cost?
 

 

[SDBiotek]

I wouldn't worry about needing to replace the tubes,since they will last a long time. If you're that worried about the battery, well, that is an issue with lots of portable devices. Maybe the ALO CDM would be better for you, if only because the batteries can be replaced by the user.

 

[raypin]

mmm......yeah, I hope that there's a workaround. User replaceable tubes and battery is included in my wish list whenever I consider a amp (or amp/dac). Tube-rolling would be a nice touch.

 

[SDBiotek]

Hopefully we'll know more soon directly from Woo regarding the tubes. Let's not jump to conclusions based on one user's comments from a show.
 
From the WA8 product page: "User replaceable vacuum tubes kit available for purchase." I didn't find any listed yet, but since Woo isn't even directly shipping the amp yet, it's not surprising.
 
With any portable/transportable electronic devices these days that minimize visible external signs of screws, user access to the internals will be limited. That is part of the price of making the outside look nice too.

 

[gr8soundz]

Note: I'm not doubting Woo Audio's engineering skills. Tube amps are all they do and I'm sure they considered all this stuff during the long design and testing phases.
 
Woo's site shows 5000 to 9000 hours of tube life (not sure if submini life is different). So they may need replacement (especially if any damage occurs) more often than the battery. Not being able to roll them even in those instances is a negative. The vented glass "door" around the tubes appears (key word) to be removable. Why design the case that way if its not user serviceable?
 
Only mentioned the battery since the WA8 runs off of it even when plugged in. The short battery life (<4hrs) could mean more frequent full cycles which will shorten it's life. Also, heat from the tubes and running non-stop Class A could add to that.
 
Again, I have no doubt Woo thought of these questions long before any of us, but, at the WA8's current price, some of us need to know how they addressed these concerns.
 
I may FINALLY be able to get an amp like this in a few weeks but it will be a one shot deal for me. Gotta make the best choice for me but options are adding up and sound quality (while king) is not the only factor. Just read about ALO's Continental V5 which may be the dac-less CDM some were asking for (doesn't appear to be dual tube though).

 

[SDBiotek]

Those are good points, and we're talking major bucks here, particularly for something transportable. It's a good thing that users with particular needs have quite a few options these days. Time will tell regarding how the battery and tubes hold up over a few years. Woo's site does mention that replacement tube kits will be available, though, so we shouldn't need to worry about tube replacement.

 

[gr8soundz]

Right, don't know how I missed that on the Woo page. Corrected my post above.
 
Guess I got caught up in post from someone at the SoCal show who said otherwise. He's there in person afterall.
 

 

[jamato8]

  Right, don't know how I missed that on the Woo page. Corrected my post above.
 
Guess I got caught up in post from someone at the SoCal show who said otherwise. He's there in person afterall.
 

If the amp is plugged into an AC charging circuit, even if running from the battery, the battery isn't cycling so unless you charge and discharge all the time, the battery should last a long time. Also 8 thousand hours of tube life is a long time. The tubes aren't hard to replace. And yes, there is no reason you tube roll but these are limited on the number manufactures with most likely one or two manufactures of this tube. I have some of the tubes as I was going to make a miniature at one time but they were made to hold up well. 

 

[jazzgene]

Heard back from Jack. High quality cells are used. Good for 500 full charge/discharge cycles. Must send back to Woo for battery replacement. I am going to get one.

 

[SDBiotek]

Heard back from Jack. High quality cells are used. Good for 500 full charge/discharge cycles. Must send back to Woo for battery replacement. I am going to get one.

Thanks for following up on that, very kind of you!

 

[zackzack]

Battery powered amplifier. Why can't it come sooner? It's great that Woo Audio is paving the way for this. I hope, seriously hope, that Woo would bring this concept to their larger amplifier.

 

[jamato8]

  Battery powered amplifier. Why can't it come sooner? It's great that Woo Audio is paving the way for this. I hope, seriously hope, that Woo would bring this concept to their larger amplifier.

That would require a pretty large battery and a little different technology. 

 

[Stereolab42]

 
That would require a pretty large battery and a little different technology. 

 
Trying to imagine walking on a bus with a WA5 strapped to my back powered by a 30-pound battery. Nope, can't imagine it.

 

[SDBiotek]

Aww, just use some imagination. Surely you could find a cart or even rolling luggage that would fit everything.