[KESM]

I’ve heard some low level noises intermittently/rare occasion. It’s nothing that would give me pause over the sound quality from the amp. Meaning...I’ve never heard any noises during playback from the amp that are distracting. There is a pop...when powering the unit on/off..as noted by many users. This is a quiet amp in my experience.

The most conservative approach would be to reach out to Woo Audio &/or return the unit while under warranty. They can confirm if something abnormal is going on with your unit. If it is they’ll be eager to fix it. I’ve contacted their office before...with minor questions regarding the accessory replacement tubes that I ordered. I’ve received excellent customer service from Woo Audio (Mike Liang).

 

[Lathlaer]

Yeah, I just dropped the unit for RMA, we'll see what will come out of this. I hope everything will be alright because I really, really liked it. The pop when turning on/off is normal and expected and that slight static happened only recently. Will update once the shop contacts me with relevant info. Unfortunately my contact with Woo Audio is a bit tough since I live in Europe, but I did get a mail from Mike regarding other matter (unfortunately they don't plan on offering replacement power tubes in their shop as that was my question).

 

[KESM]

I’m certain Woo Audio will determine root cause. I forgot to mention one or two very important things previously stated to some degree by other owners. The input cable that’s used to feed signal into the amp can possibly introduce signal noise if it’s not shielded properly. I’ve experienced this...& have determined that I can not use some of my input cables with this amp. But it’s not the amp...it’s likely the cable sensitivity to RF noises. I found it easily remedied by switching to a cable whereby no noises are heard; or you can move to another location to avoid localized interference (less than ideal solution). You’ll easily know if it’s the source input cable...slowly increase volume when NO music’s playing...the amp should be dead silent.

I’ve also experienced some noises during initial ‘cold’ start up; these subside quickly once the unit gets warmed up. I’ve also unplugged a cable & plugged it back in...& for whatever reason...no further noises were heard. Again...these instances are rare...non-typical occurrences.

I should note...when I say noises...I mean noises generated from the cable signal feed (not the amp). That is...when NO music’s being played back...with the volume turned up...the WA8 is dead silent in my experience.

Fun fact: I routinely listen for ‘noises’ when music’s NOT being played back on my amp. This behavior extends to any amp that I own (Krell, naim).

I have it in office today...as always...sublime sound quality. Currently listening to Dr. Dre’s 2001 instrumental version.

 

[ahossam]

Any comparison between hugo 2 vs WA8 ?

 

[Cognacbrown]

I wrote a comparison review of the 2 a couple of years ago. Of the 2, I much prefer the sig of the WA8. More balanced and meatier sound. I was surprised the detail retrieval on the WA8 was quite good and couldn’t tell at that time the difference with H2. I was pairing mainly the LCDi4 then. I wish the WA8 has balanced topology but then neither is the H2.

 

[Cognacbrown]

Has anyone played with alternative tubes available for the WA8? I’m still using stock

 

[eaglejo]

Any comparison between hugo 2 vs WA8 ?

I owned both simultaneously for an extended period. I prefer the WA8 in a pretty meaningful way and sold the CH2. I love the immediacy and dimensionality of tubes. I also think the WA8 sounds great without any usb decrapifier in front of it. At home I also feed it with my Yggy and it scales up. Also sounds great feeding the main rig as a dac/preamp into an expensive 2-channel rig. A reviewer (Tone Audio?) performed the same exercise. My experience echos his. I've owned a bunch of gear and this is probably the one piece I'd keep over all others when you factor in transportability, versatility, and sound quality.

 

[ahossam]

Thanks for the answers. I am looking for transpotable DAC/AMP for using with ZMF Verite and my choice is between Hugo2 or WA8.

 

[Lathlaer]

Just thought I'd post an update - I got my unit back from testing and apparently there is nothing wrong with it. If there was a problem, it must've been somewhere else. I don't know whether changing the USB port made a difference or not but I plugged it to my PC and I can't recreate it again anyway so I'm back to being happy and enjoying my music

 

[KESM]

Has anyone played with alternative tubes available for the WA8? I’m still using stock

I have...so far the Mullard tube is my fave...but all of the tubes sound wonderful with this amp. I think the other tubes just offer slightly different nuances to the SQ. The descriptions on the website are relatively accurate. You really can’t go wrong with any of the other tube offerings.

 

[Cognacbrown]

I have...so far the Mullard tube is my fave...but all of the tubes sound wonderful with this amp. I think the other tubes just offer slightly different nuances to the SQ. The descriptions on the website are relatively accurate. You really can’t go wrong with any of the other tube offerings.

Thanks @KESM. By the way, I just checked the website. They seem to sell the tubes individually. I recall there are 3 tubes in the WA8. Do I need 3 (identical?) tubes to replace? Thanks

 

[Lathlaer]

Thanks @KESM. By the way, I just checked the website. They seem to sell the tubes individually. I recall there are 3 tubes in the WA8. Do I need 3 (identical?) tubes to replace? Thanks

Bad news on this front. Replacement tubes from the shop are only for the driver tubes. The power tubes are reserved for customers with service needs (that is what Michael Liang told me when I inquired about possible replacements for power tubes "just in case").

 

[KESM]

Thanks @KESM. By the way, I just checked the website. They seem to sell the tubes individually. I recall there are 3 tubes in the WA8. Do I need 3 (identical?) tubes to replace? Thanks

No...you’ll only replace the (1) tube on the far right (driver tube). The other (2) tubes remain in place.

The installation tube kit will include the needed tools to DIY. There’s an instructional video on how to do this on the Woo Audio site (& YT).

Feel free to reach out to Mike@WooAudio if you have any questions regarding the kit or ordering. They are VERY open to any customer questions or concerns.

 

[Cognacbrown]

Bad news on this front. Replacement tubes from the shop are only for the driver tubes. The power tubes are reserved for customers with service needs (that is what Michael Liang told me when I inquired about possible replacements for power tubes "just in case").

Thanks! So it’s just the driver tube to change then. Less costly

 

[Cognacbrown]

Received the Mullard upgrade tube couple of days ago. Still burning in the upgraded setup intermittently. Anyone can share what’s the sound signature changes I should be expecting?