[cddc]

@CAJames can chime in with regard to the sound of this tube. I read some comments ranging from good to okay, I guess it's just a different flavor. One possible problem I read though, they can be noisy and might need DC heater, because of that I didn't go down that road, plus there are just too many predecessors to investigate.

For adapters you can always check with msxuling or deyan.

 

[CAJames]

So, long story short, yes need an adapter for 2x 37 or 76 to on 6SN7. You can get them on ebay but I had @Deyan make mine. There is a whole thread dedicated to the single triode versions of the 6SN7 and predecessors:

Link

I really like the sound, although it is true I had to go through a few to find 4 quiet, reasonably matched ones. I've come to prefer single triodes with adapters to 6SN7s in general and for the money the type 37 is my favorite. Spacious and detailed and just a little warm. Kind of a Mullard sound if you will.

 

[jonathan c]

New member of WA22 “ownerhood” ; [current member of WA3 + WA6 “ownerhoods”]

 

[HPAholic]

Has anyone tried a WE tube only setup on the WA22?
- WE 422A
- WE 421A
- WE 6SC7GT is a high mu triode - 70mu

 

[acguitar84]

New member of WA22 “ownerhood” ; [current member of WA3 + WA6 “ownerhoods”]

How do like the wa22 in comparison to the gsx mini? I love my mini - but I'm thinking of saving for a tube amp next, to have the best of both worlds so to speak. Also, I have the Utopia and from everything I've read, they really come alive with tube amps.

 

[jonathan c]

How do like the wa22 in comparison to the gsx mini? I love my mini - but I'm thinking of saving for a tube amp next, to have the best of both worlds so to speak. Also, I have the Utopia and from everything I've read, they really come alive with tube amps.

Both for me are keepers. The ambience, perspective, gestalt of the WA22 is 5-star. The GSX-mini is no slouch in any of these; it is lucid, very slightly warm, engaging. One element that I ‘notice’ between the WA22 and the GSX-mini (or between a good v/t and a good s/s amp) is that the space between instruments/singers is “inert” via the WA22 and “slightly charged” via the GSX-mini. To me, a different perspective - not a system wrecker. About the Utopias, or thereabouts, I can say that Focal Clear / WA22 is a musically coherent and enjoyable pairing. Last thought: with a stated impedance of 80 ohms, the Utopias might get a little bloated in bass with OTL tube amps.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

New member of WA22 “ownerhood” ; [current member of WA3 + WA6 “ownerhoods”]

very nice setup and collection of Woo amps. Thank YOU for the strong support.

 

[maro65]

Yeah I put that blue 274b in the drawer just as soon as I relocated my 596 tube(s). Nothing wrong with it with the Shuguangs, but the 596 is still my favorite rectifier.

Kron Audio KR274B is also very good

 

[jonathan c]

very nice setup and collection of Woo amps. Thank YOU for the strong support.

You are welcome. PS, please reintroduce the WA3 so that others might experience it.

 

[Onik]

Anyone from uk selling WA2/WA22(Pre Amp edition) Please PM me with the price.

Thanks.

 

[Eduardo C]

Hi guys: I just received my new WA22. I bought it as an alternative to the PassLabs HPA-1.

The sound is great: full, sweet and very involving. The problem I am having is... the hum!

I hate the hum, it adds another layer of bother to my already bad tinnitus. I have tried all the usual recommendations like isolating the power supply, upgrading tubes (I bought the most expensive tubes Wooaudio has in stock). The hum is still there, loud and vivid. The only bearable headphones are the HE1000V2, all others are a no go.

After fifteen days trying I gave up. Now the WA22 is silent on the shelf and the HPA-1 is again in business.

 

[Eduardo C]

Just to clarify, I am not blaming WOOAUDIO, probably the info on the humming is somewhere there, buried in a review. Too bad I did not read it before.

 

[jonathan c]

Hi guys: I just received my new WA22. I bought it as an alternative to the PassLabs HPA-1.

The sound is great: full, sweet and very involving. The problem I am having is... the hum!

I hate the hum, it adds another layer of bother to my already bad tinnitus. I have tried all the usual recommendations like isolating the power supply, upgrading tubes (I bought the most expensive tubes Wooaudio has in stock). The hum is still there, loud and vivid. The only bearable headphones are the HE1000V2, all others are a no go.

After fifteen days trying I gave up. Now the WA22 is silent on the shelf and the HPA-1 is again in business.

Did you clean the tube pins...deoxit followed by isopropyl alcohol? Also, the choice of rectifier tube can affect / ameliorate / eliminate hum; also, make sure that the pin tips for the rectifier are solid (have no spaces).

 

[Laines]

Hi guys: I just received my new WA22. I bought it as an alternative to the PassLabs HPA-1.

The sound is great: full, sweet and very involving. The problem I am having is... the hum!

I hate the hum, it adds another layer of bother to my already bad tinnitus. I have tried all the usual recommendations like isolating the power supply, upgrading tubes (I bought the most expensive tubes Wooaudio has in stock). The hum is still there, loud and vivid. The only bearable headphones are the HE1000V2, all others are a no go.

After fifteen days trying I gave up. Now the WA22 is silent on the shelf and the HPA-1 is again in business.

I really feel you as I was exactly in the same situation (I actually also have tinnitus). I got the amp and depending on the headphone the humm was unbearably loud.
I purchased a second stock set form Woo directly with the result of even more humm. I purchased power conditioner changed the wall socket etc. nothing helped. Talking to support that on almost all headphones I have (8 out of 1) I need turn up the volume to unsafe levels to overcome the hum was considered "normal", as the headphones are high efficient (e.g. HD6XX & AEON2).

However I didn't gave up as I already knew that with a tube change the humm volume can be influenced, at least to the worst in my experience so far but eventually more quiet as well. I ordered A LOT....A LOT.... of tubes until I found pairs and combinations which brougth the hum down or even disappear on my favorite set of headphones.

 

[acguitar84]

Hi guys: I just received my new WA22. I bought it as an alternative to the PassLabs HPA-1.

The sound is great: full, sweet and very involving. The problem I am having is... the hum!

I hate the hum, it adds another layer of bother to my already bad tinnitus. I have tried all the usual recommendations like isolating the power supply, upgrading tubes (I bought the most expensive tubes Wooaudio has in stock). The hum is still there, loud and vivid. The only bearable headphones are the HE1000V2, all others are a no go.

After fifteen days trying I gave up. Now the WA22 is silent on the shelf and the HPA-1 is again in business.

There's a guy in the WA33 thread that had a humming problem (with the 15k elite model!) and woo audio fixed it, from what I could gather reading the posts. Might be worth checking into that. Something about an "out of spec" transformer.