[ufospls2]

Spent the last day and a half listening to the WA8 on its own. I think I agree that it is better on its own than WA8+Mojo. It is also simpler and less hassle. I will continue to go back and forth before making my final decision. I could be wrong but I think the Tubes are taking the usual harsh, bright edge off the Sabre dac, and leaving you with a very detailed...but warm sound. I could be wrong of course. Also interesting to note that using the WA8 with a mac, the keyboard volume control can be used to control it. I don't think I would recommend using the keyboard control, but if you need a mute button quickly for a conversation or something, it is handy. 
 
Two tube mode + Noble 3's = 

 
Internal Dac = 

 

 

[boomtube]

  Spent the last day and a half listening to the WA8 on its own. I think I agree that it is better on its own than WA8+Mojo. It is also simpler and less hassle. I will continue to go back and forth before making my final decision. I could be wrong but I think the Tubes are taking the usual harsh, bright edge off the Sabre dac, and leaving you with a very detailed...but warm sound. I could be wrong of course. Also interesting to note that using the WA8 with a mac, the keyboard volume control can be used to control it. I don't think I would recommend using the keyboard control, but if you need a mute button quickly for a conversation or something, it is handy. 
 
Two tube mode + Noble 3's = 

 
Internal Dac = 

 

Might I ask what DAP you're using? When you did use it with the Mojo, what were your impressions?...they don't compliment each other well?

 

[ufospls2]

  Might I ask what DAP you're using? When you did use it with the Mojo, what were your impressions?...they don't compliment each other well?

Not using a DAP like A&K or something. Just using my macbook pro. The Mojo and WA8 compliment each other just fine, and sound great. I just think that it *might* sound better using the unit as a whole, including the built in dac. Having been built together with the intention of them both complimenting each other, I suppose it makes sense. 

 

[Digital-Deviant]

No doubt, I've tried my Mojo and WA7 together and it was pretty boss. However it wasn't enough of a quantum leap to be my default - I'm a one box man!

 

[raypin]

  Spent the last day and a half listening to the WA8 on its own. I think I agree that it is better on its own than WA8+Mojo. It is also simpler and less hassle. I will continue to go back and forth before making my final decision. I could be wrong but I think the Tubes are taking the usual harsh, bright edge off the Sabre dac, and leaving you with a very detailed...but warm sound. I could be wrong of course. Also interesting to note that using the WA8 with a mac, the keyboard volume control can be used to control it. I don't think I would recommend using the keyboard control, but if you need a mute button quickly for a conversation or something, it is handy. 
 
Two tube mode + Noble 3's = 

 
Internal Dac = 

 

 
mmmm.....no, you are not wrong. WA8 on its own is great. Pair it with a transport like the AK 70 (with its USB Digital out feature) and you have a very, very good transportable set-up for in-ears and headphones alike. Someone in the AK 70 thread has already confirmed compatibility of the two devices. I'm getting the AK 70 for my Eclipse.

 

[DoktorMabuse]

Using the Fiio X7 with the W8eclipse here and quite impressed through my Audeze LCD-X's.  The W8's ability to warm up everything is really extraordinary.
My other set-up has my MacPro through Roon out to the W8 and LCD-X and it too is spectacular.
OI have Audeze EL-8C's at the office which I will bring home this weekend to test.
Could not be happy with my W8.

 

[SDBiotek]

I just recently picked up the EL-8C.Still getting used to it, but the WA-8 seems to do a nice job rounding out the bass on the EL-8C when using the 3-tube mode.

 

[WayTooCrazy]

   
mmmm.....no, you are not wrong. WA8 on its own is great. Pair it with a transport like the AK 70 (with its USB Digital out feature) and you have a very, very good transportable set-up for in-ears and headphones alike. Someone in the AK 70 thread has already confirmed compatibility of the two devices. I'm getting the AK 70 for my Eclipse.

If you are going digital into the WA8 anyway, wouldn't a phone suffice as a transport just as well as a dedicated DAP?

 

[raypin]

 
If you are going digital into the WA8 anyway, wouldn't a phone suffice as a transport just as well as a dedicated DAP?

Mmmm....yes, that's a viable option as well but my Lumia 1520 is exclusively for communications purpose. Also, Tidal.com and the WA8  does not support Windows mobile, hence my requirement for digital out and/or tidal.com support.

 

[Jimmy6]

I did, and I found it worked well with certain tracks (genres with fast attack : EDM, Post-punk revival), but not with slower paced songs.

The SQ is not worth the trouble to connect too many devices at once.

Were you able to use the WA8 as amp only with the Hugo? Impressions?

 

[ufospls2]

Did a little review of my experience with the WA8 so far.
 
 
 
PROS: Great sound. Great transportable solution. Tube sound, without being too “tubey” Option to use internal DAC, or analog in with a DAC of your choice.

CONS: Price! Lack of power for the most demanding headphones, fine for most peoples needs. Short Battery Life.

Hey Guys. I have had a week now with my WA8, and have been enjoying it thoroughly. It is the only thing I have been listening to so I think I have a pretty good idea of how it sounds now. I’ll try to keep this as objective as possible, but hey, I spent 2 grand on a fancy dac/amp, so I’m a bit of an “audiophile” potato. With that being said I’ve listened to lots of high end gear over the years, and this is an impressive bit of kit. It is “transportable” not “portable,” so you won’t be using this how you might use a chord mojo, on the go. Think more, take it with you on a trip and use it in the hotel room, rather than on the plane on the way to your destination. Make sense, sort of? Cool. On with the review.

Headphones Used: Audeze LCD-4, Abyss AB-1266, Sennheiser HD800S, Noble Audio 3, Grado SR80. Apologies that more headphones were not used, but these are all I have tried with it so far.

Music Used: Mostly electronic and metal, with some film scores thrown in for good measure.

I’ve copied some technical specs from head-fi below for those of you who like that sort of thing.

[color=rgb(34, 34, 34)] • All-tube design (not hybrid) • Class-A, Single-ended Triode transformer-coupled • Tubes 6S31B x2, 6021 x1 • Selectable two- or three-tube operation • In-house Nickel core, OCC Single Crystal Copper output transformer • Frequency response: 20Hz – 30kHz, -3dB • Max headphone output 350mW • ESS SABRE Reference DAC (ES9018K2M) • XMOS xCORE-AUDIO asynchronous USB compatible with Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices • Hi-res music playback up to 24-bit/384kHz • USB (Type-B) digital input, and 1/8" (3.5mm) analog input • 1/4” (6.3mm) and 1/8” (3.5mm) headphone outputs (8-600 Ohms) • Up to 4 hours of battery playtime, 3400mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery • Five LED battery indicators • CNC-milled aluminum enclosure, available in anodized black, space gray, and gold • Dimension 6.69" (L) x 3.6" (W) x 1.69" (D) / 170mm (L) x 92mm (W) x 43mm (D) • Weight (amp) 2.4lbs / 1.09kg [/color]

Ok. So. With the technical stuff out of the way. Lets get to the more important stuff. Living with it day to day.

Build Quality: It is built like a tank. I am pretty stoked with how “high end” it feels, but for over 2 grand it had better feel “high end.” It is a substantial 1.1kg, which might turn some people off, but keep in mind this is a “transportable” amp, not a “portable” amp. I don’t get the feeling that it is flimsy and will fall apart in a month or two. I’m hoping this means that this is a piece of equipment I will own for a long time to come.

Battery Life: Although it isn’t really a “portable” solution, it does have a battery, which supposedly lasts for up to 4 hours according to the specs. Real world? 3.5 hours. You can use the WA8 whilst the battery is charging, which is a great feature as 3.5 hours isn’t that long. I don’t know how many charge cycles the battery will run for, but it is replaceable if sent to Woo Audio, so I’m not too worried about that. It supplies clean power, and there is no humming or other noise that I can detect.

The Tubes: Tube life is supposedly 5000 hours (I think) and they are also supposedly user replaceable. Tube rolling is a possibility in the future with kits from Woo Audio I believe, but currently I think they are just trying to get the WA8’s out into peoples hands.

Power: Enough for nearly every headphone, minus the Abyss and possibly the HE6, but I haven’t heard it with the HE6 so I don’t know for sure. The LCD-4 starts to struggle at high volumes and loses a bit control in the low end, and starts to distort a bit. Most other headphones out there should be just fine. Apparently the new Focal Utopia and Elear are amazing paired with the WA8, but I haven’t heard them yet. The HD800S does really, really well out of the WA8. IEMS, at least the Nobles I tried, did very well out of the WA8, especially in 2 tube mode, which I will mention later.

Sound Quality: This is where it really matters. How does the WA8 sound? Bloody. Fantastic. Warm, but not too warm. You can tell you are listening to a tube amp, but not in an overbearing way. I think the combination of the sometimes bright but very detailed sabre DAC works really well. Almost as if the tubes are knocking off any harsh edge to the sound, leaving you with this beautiful warm detailed sound. Mentioning the DAC, I think it is better used as a full unit, rather than using an external DAC. I tried it extensively with my Chord Mojo using the line in, and have come to the decision that it is better to just use it as a one box solution. It just sounds fuller, and more spacious. The Bass is super, but not exaggerated. The mids are of course warm, and ( I think) due to the DAC+tubes combo, the treble is wonderfully detailed but not harsh. The amp is full Class A, whether this affects the sound or not I don’t know, most say it does. It does get HOT though. You are able to switch between using two tubes and three tubes with a little switch on top of the amp. Two tube mode sounds a bit leaner, and outputs less power. Perfect for IEMS. There is absolutely no noise what so ever. Three tube mode is more suitable for full size headphones, and a bit warmer and fuller. The background is pitch black. I’m a big fan of the fact it is an all tube amp, not hybrid. I have always wanted to own a tube amp, and now I do. It just happens to be one I can take with me on my travels, a great bonus.

In conclusion. Woo Audio was going for desktop performance in a battery operated, all tube, class a, transportable amp. I think they have achieved this. It has its drawbacks, and costs a pretty penny, but I’m very happy with it. If you can save up the coin, and want a transportable solution, tube or not, you could do far worse than the WA8. If you want a tube amp in general, desktop or otherwise, you could still do far worse than the WA8, it sounds that good. If only it had a little bit more power……Considering my tiny Geek Out V2 can output 1000mw, it would be nice if the WA8 could do something similar. All in all, it is a great piece of gear, and I look forward to what Woo might do with it in the future as the technology advances. More Battery Life? More Power? Optical in? Who knows, but it is exciting to think about. If they can make it SOUND better? I’d be impressed to say the least, this little thing is hard to beat, especially in its class, and price range. Thanks for reading, any questions, just let me know

 

[boomtube]

  Did a little review of my experience with the WA8 so far.
 
 
 
PROS: Great sound. Great transportable solution. Tube sound, without being too “tubey” Option to use internal DAC, or analog in with a DAC of your choice.

CONS: Price! Lack of power for the most demanding headphones, fine for most peoples needs. Short Battery Life.

Hey Guys. I have had a week now with my WA8, and have been enjoying it thoroughly. It is the only thing I have been listening to so I think I have a pretty good idea of how it sounds now. I’ll try to keep this as objective as possible, but hey, I spent 2 grand on a fancy dac/amp, so I’m a bit of an “audiophile” potato. With that being said I’ve listened to lots of high end gear over the years, and this is an impressive bit of kit. It is “transportable” not “portable,” so you won’t be using this how you might use a chord mojo, on the go. Think more, take it with you on a trip and use it in the hotel room, rather than on the plane on the way to your destination. Make sense, sort of? Cool. On with the review.

Headphones Used: Audeze LCD-4, Abyss AB-1266, Sennheiser HD800S, Noble Audio 3, Grado SR80. Apologies that more headphones were not used, but these are all I have tried with it so far.

Music Used: Mostly electronic and metal, with some film scores thrown in for good measure.

I’ve copied some technical specs from head-fi below for those of you who like that sort of thing.

[color=rgb(34, 34, 34)] • All-tube design (not hybrid) • Class-A, Single-ended Triode transformer-coupled • Tubes 6S31B x2, 6021 x1 • Selectable two- or three-tube operation • In-house Nickel core, OCC Single Crystal Copper output transformer • Frequency response: 20Hz – 30kHz, -3dB • Max headphone output 350mW • ESS SABRE Reference DAC (ES9018K2M) • XMOS xCORE-AUDIO asynchronous USB compatible with Mac, PC, Android and iOS devices • Hi-res music playback up to 24-bit/384kHz • USB (Type-B) digital input, and 1/8" (3.5mm) analog input • 1/4” (6.3mm) and 1/8” (3.5mm) headphone outputs (8-600 Ohms) • Up to 4 hours of battery playtime, 3400mAh rechargeable Lithium-ion battery • Five LED battery indicators • CNC-milled aluminum enclosure, available in anodized black, space gray, and gold • Dimension 6.69" (L) x 3.6" (W) x 1.69" (D) / 170mm (L) x 92mm (W) x 43mm (D) • Weight (amp) 2.4lbs / 1.09kg [/color]

Ok. So. With the technical stuff out of the way. Lets get to the more important stuff. Living with it day to day.

Build Quality: It is built like a tank. I am pretty stoked with how “high end” it feels, but for over 2 grand it had better feel “high end.” It is a substantial 1.1kg, which might turn some people off, but keep in mind this is a “transportable” amp, not a “portable” amp. I don’t get the feeling that it is flimsy and will fall apart in a month or two. I’m hoping this means that this is a piece of equipment I will own for a long time to come.

Battery Life: Although it isn’t really a “portable” solution, it does have a battery, which supposedly lasts for up to 4 hours according to the specs. Real world? 3.5 hours. You can use the WA8 whilst the battery is charging, which is a great feature as 3.5 hours isn’t that long. I don’t know how many charge cycles the battery will run for, but it is replaceable if sent to Woo Audio, so I’m not too worried about that. It supplies clean power, and there is no humming or other noise that I can detect.

The Tubes: Tube life is supposedly 5000 hours (I think) and they are also supposedly user replaceable. Tube rolling is a possibility in the future with kits from Woo Audio I believe, but currently I think they are just trying to get the WA8’s out into peoples hands.

Power: Enough for nearly every headphone, minus the Abyss and possibly the HE6, but I haven’t heard it with the HE6 so I don’t know for sure. The LCD-4 starts to struggle at high volumes and loses a bit control in the low end, and starts to distort a bit. Most other headphones out there should be just fine. Apparently the new Focal Utopia and Elear are amazing paired with the WA8, but I haven’t heard them yet. The HD800S does really, really well out of the WA8. IEMS, at least the Nobles I tried, did very well out of the WA8, especially in 2 tube mode, which I will mention later.

Sound Quality: This is where it really matters. How does the WA8 sound? Bloody. Fantastic. Warm, but not too warm. You can tell you are listening to a tube amp, but not in an overbearing way. I think the combination of the sometimes bright but very detailed sabre DAC works really well. Almost as if the tubes are knocking off any harsh edge to the sound, leaving you with this beautiful warm detailed sound. Mentioning the DAC, I think it is better used as a full unit, rather than using an external DAC. I tried it extensively with my Chord Mojo using the line in, and have come to the decision that it is better to just use it as a one box solution. It just sounds fuller, and more spacious. The Bass is super, but not exaggerated. The mids are of course warm, and ( I think) due to the DAC+tubes combo, the treble is wonderfully detailed but not harsh. The amp is full Class A, whether this affects the sound or not I don’t know, most say it does. It does get HOT though. You are able to switch between using two tubes and three tubes with a little switch on top of the amp. Two tube mode sounds a bit leaner, and outputs less power. Perfect for IEMS. There is absolutely no noise what so ever. Three tube mode is more suitable for full size headphones, and a bit warmer and fuller. The background is pitch black. I’m a big fan of the fact it is an all tube amp, not hybrid. I have always wanted to own a tube amp, and now I do. It just happens to be one I can take with me on my travels, a great bonus.

In conclusion. Woo Audio was going for desktop performance in a battery operated, all tube, class a, transportable amp. I think they have achieved this. It has its drawbacks, and costs a pretty penny, but I’m very happy with it. If you can save up the coin, and want a transportable solution, tube or not, you could do far worse than the WA8. If you want a tube amp in general, desktop or otherwise, you could still do far worse than the WA8, it sounds that good. If only it had a little bit more power……Considering my tiny Geek Out V2 can output 1000mw, it would be nice if the WA8 could do something similar. All in all, it is a great piece of gear, and I look forward to what Woo might do with it in the future as the technology advances. More Battery Life? More Power? Optical in? Who knows, but it is exciting to think about. If they can make it SOUND better? I’d be impressed to say the least, this little thing is hard to beat, especially in its class, and price range. Thanks for reading, any questions, just let me know

I'm so torn right now about the WA8 vs CDM...

. I wish there was someplace nearby I could test drive each with my DAP's and IEM's.

 

[ufospls2]

Does anyone have extensive listening experience with the HD800S and the WA8? I sadly sold my HD800 (original version) before purchasing the WA8. It seems like the WA8 and HD800S would be a great pairing, as I have heard both, but not together yet. 

 

[raypin]

Mmm....it is a great pairing. Play Star Wars to hear what I mean. As I am typing this, I am testing the Onkyo DP-X1 line out to WA8 and HD800S (Heimdall 2 cable) playing, what else, Star Wars album via Tidal.com. Glorious!

 

[ufospls2]

  Mmm....it is a great pairing. Play Star Wars to hear what I mean. As I am typing this, I am testing the Onkyo DP-X1 line out to WA8 and HD800S (Heimdall 2 cable) playing, what else, Star Wars album via Tidal.com. Glorious!

Just gotta sell some stuff via craigslist and hopefully I'll have enough cash to buy a pair. The Focal Utopia is too expensive, but the 800S might just be possible.