This review has been a long time coming. It is derived from many months of ownership, experimentation with ancillary components and tube sets, and listening notes which I had to encourage myself to make (as it takes away from the time I can just sit back and enjoy).
Intro
First a little background on my amp history. I’ve progressed through a range of gear from ASL, PS Audio, Headamp, HeadRoom, and Woo Audio. I started with tubes, migrated toward solid state and eventually found myself with tubes again. I have fond memories of the ASL OTL Mk III – it was comforting and kind to my sensitive ears, very musical, albeit a little too euphonic in the long run. Its velvety magic was something I wanted to recapture.
The ASL was the first dance with tubes; the Woo WA6 came with my return from SS. Then came time to take a step up and I was conflicted as to which way to go. Given the joy derived from the WA6 – its sound, its build, its appearance, its quality look and feel – I wanted to stay within the Woo family and move up the ladder. The WA6SE had just been released and it was appealing; but at the same price as the WA2 made picking problematic. Side note – I am particularly indecisive.
Pick your poison
The WA6SE seemed more purpose-built (for ‘phones), used half the number of tubes and allowed for comparatively inexpensive tube rolling. The WA2 offered the flexibility/scalability of a preamp, more inputs, and to me was far more aesthetically pleasing (single chassis, symmetry, etc.). Choosing between the two was like asking a timepiece enthusiast “Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet“, or a chocolate connoisseur “Valrhona or La Maison du Chocolat” – there is no wrong or right, good or bad; simply what would better suit your preferences.
I decided to send Woo Audio an email for advice. Jack’s personal preference was the WA2, hinting that it provided greater dimensional perspective and imaging and a warmer, smoother presentation. The WA6SE was touted as the powerhouse – dynamic and more upfront. Being sensitive to anything bright, prone to fatigue, and my preference for a musical, warmer character tipped the scales toward the WA2.
Just about four weeks to the day after ordering, I received the electronic shipping notice that the amp was on its way. It left on a Tuesday from NY, and by Friday I had the box in hand all the way in sunny South Africa!
The eagle has landed
Let me admit here and now, that I have not enjoyed unpacking a component as much as I did the WA2. Perhaps it was the kid-in-a-candy-store state of mind I was in, but more so the careful and professional packing job of the WA2. The amp sat cosily in its purposely shaped protective mould, with clever cut-outs for the tubes. Setup was simple too; intuition would be enough to guide even a tube newcomer though the PDF manual received by email provided some useful data on the amp, its care and setup. Ten minutes, six tubes, a power cable and pair of interconnects later, the amp was up and running. A subtle red luminescence gathered through the valves, like blood flowing through their veins, brining them to life.
In the field
My musical tastes are broad. I am open to pretty much anything save for opera and heavy (read suicidal) blues. There are a few albums which I often drift to when analyzing a component or system. The how-does-it-sound part of this review thus comprises thoughts on how the WA2 fared with these. These are not meant to be descriptions of the music (like an album review); rather, what I touch on explicitly are those parts of the sound which I felt particularly noteworthy, relative to how I have heard the music on other equipment, and attributable in part to the WA2. In terms of ancillary equipment: I used my Marantz SA7001KI SACD player feeding the amp through Zu Audio Gede interconnects, with headphones including the HD650, SA5000, K701, DX1000, D2000 and IE7.
New age music is a perpetual favourite of mine. I have a soft spot for the Karl Jenkins composed Adiemus. First up was Adiemus I: Songs of Sanctuary. The title song is a testing track, given the numerous contrasts it contains. The bass note following the brief vocal intro is capture relatively deep in the mix so as not to overpower the delicate vocals. A common sin of some amps with the track is having this insufficiently controlled and present; sounding hidden – lean or even camouflaged. Usually amps which do that also present the choir in the chorus in a bright manner; the WA2 resolves the individual voices – composed and not in any way stringent.
The almost 5-minute build up on Tintinnabulum, with a mass of strings toward the climax, can kill the ears before the track even truly starts. The WA2 does not round or roll this off – the bite and some sharpness remains but not in an overcooked manner. As above, not stringent – I did not feel myself having to raise my cheeks (like you do when something is too loud and piercing). In the chorus of the track an eclectic mix of instruments accompany the chorale; in the backdrop are two orchestral drum hits in quick succession, repeated once with every round of the chorus. You may miss it if you have not heard it before, but once you know what to listen for it becomes a vital and solid foundation to the rhythm.
In Caelum Fero is surprisingly fast-paced; and highlights one of the Woo’s strengths: having both warmth and requisite speed. Some amps can remove too much edge and attack, sounding somewhat viscous, whilst others tend to drop off sustains and decays too quickly. Fortunately the WA2 does neither to a significant degree. Overall though, it tends toward warmer sound – that is to my preference; as I find it adds to the musicality and enjoyment.
Keeping with Adieumus, on the fourth album title The Eternal Knot, Conlla’s Well is a happy-go-lucky track. It is not forgiving though; the flute can be piercing as it is recorded quite hot. On the WA2 it is upfront but clean; what I think to be naturally so. Isle Of The Mystic Lake is quite a complex piece, though deceivingly so. The reason is that the vocal/instrument mix can sound congealed. This was a good test for the WA2’s soundstage capabilities. I do not think it is the most expansive soundstage I have heard; but neither was it congested. Instruments which needed spatial separation were so portrayed. At around 1:10 the choir takes centre stage, with shakers and cymbals in the backdrop to either side. Amps with larger presentations have these more distinct with more space (dare I say “air”) between them – I could differentiate them using the WA2 (not on top of each other) though their positions were not entirely in their own space. I think, however, that interplay may be a good thing. Too much separation can result in unnatural isolation.
Whilst the above talks to width; depth is something the WA2 does manage commendably well. I can describe this trait by saying that accompanying acoustic elements come across as exactly that – accompaniments. That is, audible enough to play their part, sounding neither like they are trying to take the lead, nor fusing into the surroundings. What the amp lacks in soundstage width it makes up for in layering and dimensionality – elements are not flattened but reside in varying planes.
Doing a complete 180, it was time for some pop-rock. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium (Disc 1 - Jupiter) gets my feet tapping each time it spins. Dani California has a 70’s synth-twang which as described in the paragraph above is well layered. It works surprisingly well with the grunge-like guitar distortion which, instead of just being a noise, had tune and texture. More importantly, it is kept in check without bleeding into the vocals which remain clean and unfazed.
She's Only 18 features drums with some thwack. The background solo guitar riff is addictive and placed to the rear right of the singer. Slow Cheetah features a similar riff but this time to the left and farther back. Both tracks have an addictive bass line which is well controlled; articulate and with fine speed. This emphasized another noteworthy trait of the WA2 – control of the lower frequencies. It has a particularly firm grip, and even with ‘phones like the HD650 and DX1000 it did not permit much overhang. The word I would use is engaging – bass notes are easy to follow, supporting the rest of the music.
Stacey Kent is relatively new to me. Breakfast on the Morning Tram was the album of choice and Ces petits riens talks directly to my mojo; there’s something about the jazzy tempo, smooth though slightly nasally vocals, and dynamic upbeat rhythm. The piano is vibrant as is the tuneful bass. This track I enjoy anytime, but particularly on the WA2 as it was both orderly/disciplined and a hell of a lot of fun. I am not sure how to describe Hard Hearted Hannah (the word “Southern” comes to mind) but it is an interesting juxtaposition to the softer tracks on this album. The contrast is portrayed well – her raspier, spruced-up vocals and the punchier piano notes in particular.
Having seen Katie Melua live, I was pleasantly surprised with her albums’ vibrancy and character. Throughout the album Pictures the music was lively; closely recreating the emotion of her somewhat deep, silky and sultry voice. The amp had warmth to keep my ears pleased and fatigue-free, without excess coloration to skew how the music should sound.
It's All In My Head is another showcase of deep bass control, especially right at the start of the track. Later on the soundstage opens up – again not as expansive as it can be, but I could quite easily hear the other instruments as they were brought into the mix. Different tonal characters of the tracks are discernable, such as the cheeky, sexy Dirty Dice which is distinctly different to the indie-pop sound of If The Lights Go Out and Spellbound and the laid back, bluesy character of What I Miss About You.
The final stop is classical. If there is one instrument that can make my hair stand on end, it is the violin. I have a long-standing love affair with it, and one of the recent discoveries I am grateful for is Julia Fischer. She plays with emotion and passion which has been known to elicit tears in grown men.
There are two tracks I want to touch on from her Russian Violin Concertos album. The first being Violin Concerto in D minor - I. Allegro con fermezza. It starts out relatively quiet and builds up progressively. The WA2 was requisitely agile, able to move with the music as it ebbs and flows, drawing you in and out. This is especially with her solo violin – the movement features slow, romantic violin which rises and recedes in volume and veracity. It is always, however, crystalline and harmonious. III. Allegro vivace is far quicker and snappier, but also happier. The violin is joined by charming flute and a deep cello with body and a beautifully warm resonance. This movement is full of dynamic contrasts which the WA2 handles with aplomb.
Off the field
I wanted to briefly touch on the amp from an ownership and use perspective. The WA2 proved easy-to-use and almost unfailingly reliable. The only hitch (and scare) I experienced was having the power LED suddenly light up when the amp was off – this occurred when removing tubes for rolling. A couple of emails to Jack had this attributed to charge being stored in the caps flowing upon having a tube yanked out the socket. Simple solution – once switched off, remove the power cable and leave for ten minutes allowing any surplus energy to discharge.
Noise floor is one of a (tube) amp’s acid tests. The WA2’s pitch black backdrop is admirable with all full-sized ‘phones I tried. High-sensitivity IEM’s did not fair as well – they exhibited a mild background hum, though only audible with no music playing.
Sockets on the rear panel are sufficiently spaced out for my cables – though I can foresee possible issues if you use overtly thick interconnects. The labelling is neat and tidy; the two silkscreened demarcations separating audio inputs and outputs are another one of those simple but noticeable touches.
A quick note on burn in: I must say that I did not perceive too much change, especially having used the stock tube complement for at least 200 hours before rolling. Two subtle changes though (which could be the amp settling, my ears settling to the amp, or placebo): mids became a little more fleshed out and full bodied; and high upper frequencies (think Sarah Brightman) settled / mellowed to a more natural timbre; becoming a little more refined and less spotlit.
Aesthetically the amp has a presence about it sitting atop the audio shelf in all its glory; looking particularly attractive basking in sunlight. The variations of textured silver and curved lines of the anodized aluminium truly capture the eye and the heart.
I am particularly drawn to the smaller details and design elements which together form the WA2. Worthy of mention are: the way the volume and input knobs, and power switch, have matte bodies but a shiny mirror-like surface; the elegantly shaped power transformer and choke covers with the grooved walls and stylish chamfer on top; the engraving at various places on the amp – power button, inputs 1 through 4, volume knob, headphone jack, each of the tube sockets, and the eponymous Woo Audio logo. These add up to make the amp look professional and certainly more “high-end” (for lack of a better word) than most other contenders, especially at the price point.
Summing up
As you can tell, I like this amp – a lot. It is, for the foreseeable future, a keeper. I have gone through a number of amps on my journey, each time trying to hone in on what it was I actually want and enjoy. The WA2 ticks more boxes than any other amp, and I thoroughly enjoy music played through it. It is not perfect – no amp is. I am sure it will also not suit everyone – each set of ears has their own preference.
The WA2 however is a very capable, flexible, dynamic amp. It does not splash excess colour on music, but does walk on the smoother and warmer side of the track and absolute neutrality. To my ears though, it certainly does the trick. It does so without being syrupy; has iron-fisted control of any headphone I throw at it, and most importantly – it communicates with me and my emotions.
Intro
First a little background on my amp history. I’ve progressed through a range of gear from ASL, PS Audio, Headamp, HeadRoom, and Woo Audio. I started with tubes, migrated toward solid state and eventually found myself with tubes again. I have fond memories of the ASL OTL Mk III – it was comforting and kind to my sensitive ears, very musical, albeit a little too euphonic in the long run. Its velvety magic was something I wanted to recapture.
The ASL was the first dance with tubes; the Woo WA6 came with my return from SS. Then came time to take a step up and I was conflicted as to which way to go. Given the joy derived from the WA6 – its sound, its build, its appearance, its quality look and feel – I wanted to stay within the Woo family and move up the ladder. The WA6SE had just been released and it was appealing; but at the same price as the WA2 made picking problematic. Side note – I am particularly indecisive.
Pick your poison
The WA6SE seemed more purpose-built (for ‘phones), used half the number of tubes and allowed for comparatively inexpensive tube rolling. The WA2 offered the flexibility/scalability of a preamp, more inputs, and to me was far more aesthetically pleasing (single chassis, symmetry, etc.). Choosing between the two was like asking a timepiece enthusiast “Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet“, or a chocolate connoisseur “Valrhona or La Maison du Chocolat” – there is no wrong or right, good or bad; simply what would better suit your preferences.
I decided to send Woo Audio an email for advice. Jack’s personal preference was the WA2, hinting that it provided greater dimensional perspective and imaging and a warmer, smoother presentation. The WA6SE was touted as the powerhouse – dynamic and more upfront. Being sensitive to anything bright, prone to fatigue, and my preference for a musical, warmer character tipped the scales toward the WA2.
Just about four weeks to the day after ordering, I received the electronic shipping notice that the amp was on its way. It left on a Tuesday from NY, and by Friday I had the box in hand all the way in sunny South Africa!
The eagle has landed
Let me admit here and now, that I have not enjoyed unpacking a component as much as I did the WA2. Perhaps it was the kid-in-a-candy-store state of mind I was in, but more so the careful and professional packing job of the WA2. The amp sat cosily in its purposely shaped protective mould, with clever cut-outs for the tubes. Setup was simple too; intuition would be enough to guide even a tube newcomer though the PDF manual received by email provided some useful data on the amp, its care and setup. Ten minutes, six tubes, a power cable and pair of interconnects later, the amp was up and running. A subtle red luminescence gathered through the valves, like blood flowing through their veins, brining them to life.
In the field
My musical tastes are broad. I am open to pretty much anything save for opera and heavy (read suicidal) blues. There are a few albums which I often drift to when analyzing a component or system. The how-does-it-sound part of this review thus comprises thoughts on how the WA2 fared with these. These are not meant to be descriptions of the music (like an album review); rather, what I touch on explicitly are those parts of the sound which I felt particularly noteworthy, relative to how I have heard the music on other equipment, and attributable in part to the WA2. In terms of ancillary equipment: I used my Marantz SA7001KI SACD player feeding the amp through Zu Audio Gede interconnects, with headphones including the HD650, SA5000, K701, DX1000, D2000 and IE7.
New age music is a perpetual favourite of mine. I have a soft spot for the Karl Jenkins composed Adiemus. First up was Adiemus I: Songs of Sanctuary. The title song is a testing track, given the numerous contrasts it contains. The bass note following the brief vocal intro is capture relatively deep in the mix so as not to overpower the delicate vocals. A common sin of some amps with the track is having this insufficiently controlled and present; sounding hidden – lean or even camouflaged. Usually amps which do that also present the choir in the chorus in a bright manner; the WA2 resolves the individual voices – composed and not in any way stringent.
The almost 5-minute build up on Tintinnabulum, with a mass of strings toward the climax, can kill the ears before the track even truly starts. The WA2 does not round or roll this off – the bite and some sharpness remains but not in an overcooked manner. As above, not stringent – I did not feel myself having to raise my cheeks (like you do when something is too loud and piercing). In the chorus of the track an eclectic mix of instruments accompany the chorale; in the backdrop are two orchestral drum hits in quick succession, repeated once with every round of the chorus. You may miss it if you have not heard it before, but once you know what to listen for it becomes a vital and solid foundation to the rhythm.
In Caelum Fero is surprisingly fast-paced; and highlights one of the Woo’s strengths: having both warmth and requisite speed. Some amps can remove too much edge and attack, sounding somewhat viscous, whilst others tend to drop off sustains and decays too quickly. Fortunately the WA2 does neither to a significant degree. Overall though, it tends toward warmer sound – that is to my preference; as I find it adds to the musicality and enjoyment.
Keeping with Adieumus, on the fourth album title The Eternal Knot, Conlla’s Well is a happy-go-lucky track. It is not forgiving though; the flute can be piercing as it is recorded quite hot. On the WA2 it is upfront but clean; what I think to be naturally so. Isle Of The Mystic Lake is quite a complex piece, though deceivingly so. The reason is that the vocal/instrument mix can sound congealed. This was a good test for the WA2’s soundstage capabilities. I do not think it is the most expansive soundstage I have heard; but neither was it congested. Instruments which needed spatial separation were so portrayed. At around 1:10 the choir takes centre stage, with shakers and cymbals in the backdrop to either side. Amps with larger presentations have these more distinct with more space (dare I say “air”) between them – I could differentiate them using the WA2 (not on top of each other) though their positions were not entirely in their own space. I think, however, that interplay may be a good thing. Too much separation can result in unnatural isolation.
Whilst the above talks to width; depth is something the WA2 does manage commendably well. I can describe this trait by saying that accompanying acoustic elements come across as exactly that – accompaniments. That is, audible enough to play their part, sounding neither like they are trying to take the lead, nor fusing into the surroundings. What the amp lacks in soundstage width it makes up for in layering and dimensionality – elements are not flattened but reside in varying planes.
Doing a complete 180, it was time for some pop-rock. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium (Disc 1 - Jupiter) gets my feet tapping each time it spins. Dani California has a 70’s synth-twang which as described in the paragraph above is well layered. It works surprisingly well with the grunge-like guitar distortion which, instead of just being a noise, had tune and texture. More importantly, it is kept in check without bleeding into the vocals which remain clean and unfazed.
She's Only 18 features drums with some thwack. The background solo guitar riff is addictive and placed to the rear right of the singer. Slow Cheetah features a similar riff but this time to the left and farther back. Both tracks have an addictive bass line which is well controlled; articulate and with fine speed. This emphasized another noteworthy trait of the WA2 – control of the lower frequencies. It has a particularly firm grip, and even with ‘phones like the HD650 and DX1000 it did not permit much overhang. The word I would use is engaging – bass notes are easy to follow, supporting the rest of the music.
Stacey Kent is relatively new to me. Breakfast on the Morning Tram was the album of choice and Ces petits riens talks directly to my mojo; there’s something about the jazzy tempo, smooth though slightly nasally vocals, and dynamic upbeat rhythm. The piano is vibrant as is the tuneful bass. This track I enjoy anytime, but particularly on the WA2 as it was both orderly/disciplined and a hell of a lot of fun. I am not sure how to describe Hard Hearted Hannah (the word “Southern” comes to mind) but it is an interesting juxtaposition to the softer tracks on this album. The contrast is portrayed well – her raspier, spruced-up vocals and the punchier piano notes in particular.
Having seen Katie Melua live, I was pleasantly surprised with her albums’ vibrancy and character. Throughout the album Pictures the music was lively; closely recreating the emotion of her somewhat deep, silky and sultry voice. The amp had warmth to keep my ears pleased and fatigue-free, without excess coloration to skew how the music should sound.
It's All In My Head is another showcase of deep bass control, especially right at the start of the track. Later on the soundstage opens up – again not as expansive as it can be, but I could quite easily hear the other instruments as they were brought into the mix. Different tonal characters of the tracks are discernable, such as the cheeky, sexy Dirty Dice which is distinctly different to the indie-pop sound of If The Lights Go Out and Spellbound and the laid back, bluesy character of What I Miss About You.
The final stop is classical. If there is one instrument that can make my hair stand on end, it is the violin. I have a long-standing love affair with it, and one of the recent discoveries I am grateful for is Julia Fischer. She plays with emotion and passion which has been known to elicit tears in grown men.
There are two tracks I want to touch on from her Russian Violin Concertos album. The first being Violin Concerto in D minor - I. Allegro con fermezza. It starts out relatively quiet and builds up progressively. The WA2 was requisitely agile, able to move with the music as it ebbs and flows, drawing you in and out. This is especially with her solo violin – the movement features slow, romantic violin which rises and recedes in volume and veracity. It is always, however, crystalline and harmonious. III. Allegro vivace is far quicker and snappier, but also happier. The violin is joined by charming flute and a deep cello with body and a beautifully warm resonance. This movement is full of dynamic contrasts which the WA2 handles with aplomb.
Off the field
I wanted to briefly touch on the amp from an ownership and use perspective. The WA2 proved easy-to-use and almost unfailingly reliable. The only hitch (and scare) I experienced was having the power LED suddenly light up when the amp was off – this occurred when removing tubes for rolling. A couple of emails to Jack had this attributed to charge being stored in the caps flowing upon having a tube yanked out the socket. Simple solution – once switched off, remove the power cable and leave for ten minutes allowing any surplus energy to discharge.
Noise floor is one of a (tube) amp’s acid tests. The WA2’s pitch black backdrop is admirable with all full-sized ‘phones I tried. High-sensitivity IEM’s did not fair as well – they exhibited a mild background hum, though only audible with no music playing.
Sockets on the rear panel are sufficiently spaced out for my cables – though I can foresee possible issues if you use overtly thick interconnects. The labelling is neat and tidy; the two silkscreened demarcations separating audio inputs and outputs are another one of those simple but noticeable touches.
A quick note on burn in: I must say that I did not perceive too much change, especially having used the stock tube complement for at least 200 hours before rolling. Two subtle changes though (which could be the amp settling, my ears settling to the amp, or placebo): mids became a little more fleshed out and full bodied; and high upper frequencies (think Sarah Brightman) settled / mellowed to a more natural timbre; becoming a little more refined and less spotlit.
Aesthetically the amp has a presence about it sitting atop the audio shelf in all its glory; looking particularly attractive basking in sunlight. The variations of textured silver and curved lines of the anodized aluminium truly capture the eye and the heart.
I am particularly drawn to the smaller details and design elements which together form the WA2. Worthy of mention are: the way the volume and input knobs, and power switch, have matte bodies but a shiny mirror-like surface; the elegantly shaped power transformer and choke covers with the grooved walls and stylish chamfer on top; the engraving at various places on the amp – power button, inputs 1 through 4, volume knob, headphone jack, each of the tube sockets, and the eponymous Woo Audio logo. These add up to make the amp look professional and certainly more “high-end” (for lack of a better word) than most other contenders, especially at the price point.
Summing up
As you can tell, I like this amp – a lot. It is, for the foreseeable future, a keeper. I have gone through a number of amps on my journey, each time trying to hone in on what it was I actually want and enjoy. The WA2 ticks more boxes than any other amp, and I thoroughly enjoy music played through it. It is not perfect – no amp is. I am sure it will also not suit everyone – each set of ears has their own preference.
The WA2 however is a very capable, flexible, dynamic amp. It does not splash excess colour on music, but does walk on the smoother and warmer side of the track and absolute neutrality. To my ears though, it certainly does the trick. It does so without being syrupy; has iron-fisted control of any headphone I throw at it, and most importantly – it communicates with me and my emotions.
