Some impressions here on the WA8 and also WA8 vs C9, for those interested.
1. The
build of the WA8 is impressive. It's weighty, but a satisfying weight, and not overly cumbersome. Build quality is very good - the volume knob especially hits the spot. It is smooth but precise, with no channel imbalance whatsoever. Battery life, not ideal but workable.
2. For a tube amp, the WA8 has a
totally pitch black background. I don't have any especially sensitive IEMs, but on my IE900 I can't hear any noise/fizz/waterfall whatsoever even turned up to 10. Nice.
3. Onto
sound. The first thing that surprised me is how good the internal DAC is. To be honest, I was expecting only to use the WA8 as an amp, anticipating the older ESS chip would be a bit of a throwaway. But I was totally wrong: it's well implemented, pairs beautifully with the amp stage, and easily acts as an all-in-one DAC/AMP combo without compromise.
4. That said, I did a lot of experimenting with different sources on the WA8 and here's what I found:
line out from N6ii on A02/E02 at first didn't sound compelling. Only the TT2 and WA8 had a good synergy. But then I tried the
pre-out on the A02 module and found it totally transformed this pairing. Whereas LO had a slightly diffused quality, on the PO with the WA8, it sounded tighter, with better dynamics, and more defined imaging/layering. It's easy enough to do a direct A/B comparison between the internal DAC and the A02 DAC here, because it just involves plugging into the LO on the WA8 while keeping the USB cable attached to another source and running the same track in unison. It's clear to me from this test that the A02 has a superior DAC to the WA8 when employed in PO mode. The WA8 is not necessarily a step-down when used on its own, but the A02 pairing offers a far more resolving presentation without taking away the tube tonality.
5. Next surprise: the WA8 is not as soft/mellow as I anticipated. This is a welcome surprise. I was expecting a mid-forward tuning with rolled off highs, and a rather flabby low end. In fact, the presentation is fairly balanced. Yes, there's an elevation in the bass, but it's neither flabby nor bloated: it's actually quite
tasteful. The same is true of the highs; they're certainly smoother than on a SS amp, but there's still a good sense of air and sparkle without anything remotely fatiguing.
6. More specifics: the strengths of WA8 are dynamics and a sense of space. Don't be confused by the size, this is a
big sounding amp. I don't feel I'm listening to a (trans)portable amp with the WA8 - rather, I feel I'm listening to a desktop tube amp that's been shrunk. True, the WA8 is not a technical powerhouse in the way that Hugo 2 or TT2 is, but it offers a more satisfying and dare I say
addictive presentation.
7. In terms of
power output, here too don't be confused by numbers: anything up to 300ohms can be driven with an abundance of headroom. HD800s/ZMF VC - piece of cake. Out of curiosity, I even tried my Beyerdynamic DT990 600ohm - and somehow, they were driven tremendously well (even on classical music). I don't quite understand how the figures work, but the proof is in the listening, and in my own listening with a 600ohm pair of headphones, I seldom have to go beyond 7/10...I should also say, the DT990 pairs very well with the WA8 in terms of tonality.
8. Some headphone pairings:
(i).
HD800s: everything I expected: a more fulsome timbre, with a rich and resonant bass, beautifully textured mids, and a smooth top end. None of the HD800's remarkable technical merits are softened - if anything they sound larger and more defined than before - but it's now presented with a more engaging timbre. Tracks that call for bass are now reproduced with far more gusto than on a SS set-up. Likewise, genres that previously sounded a bit flat on the HD800s now sound well-rounded and engaging. No, I won't be listening to Megadeth on this set-up, but genres like EDM and soundtracks involving well extended sub-bass (Hans Zimmer etc.) now sound convincing and weighty on the HD800s.
(ii).
Kennerton Rognir Planar: desert island combo. I have no complaints. Punchy, dynamic, huge sounding, technically and musically mesmerizing. Everything on this pairing from the harshest black metal to Steely Dan sounds outstanding.
(iii).
ZMF VC: This was an interesting pairing. At first, I thought the VC sounded rather congested with a slightly boxy mid section. That was on the veritie pads. After switching to BE2 pads, things opened up a lot and the tonality of the tubes seem to offer a more resonant and less dry pairing with the VC. I have a bit of an ambivalent relationship to the VC - I find on some genres (prog, jazz, fusion, soundtracks), they sound remarkable with a timbre that is unique, natural, and - forgive me - "organic." On other genres (metal esp), especially technically demanding ones, they sound lacklustre. On the WA8, I find the pairing works exceptionally well - it doesn't have the technical precision of the TT2, but it offers a more pleasing timbre instead.
(iv).
Other headphones: all the other headphones I tried on the WA8 sounded good, especially Meze Liric, but also the Audio-Technica WP900. I have to mention this latter in pairing in particular because it really sounded excellent. The slightly recessed mids on the WP900 gained more definition, while the somewhat fatiguing top end gained some smootheness. Very satisfying pairing, especially for rock/metal.
9. Finally a comparison with
Cayin C9. C9 is much faster, has a very impactful and highly energetic timbre. It has excellent control and a great sense of resolve. More resolving, but also more fatiguing - potentially. The WA8 is more laid back in comparison, but not lazy or sluggish. On a technical front, WA8 isn't as precise or defined as C9. Imaging on C9 with E02 is truly staggering. But WA8 has a larger stage, and arguably a more "musical" presentation. They're both outstanding amps and compliment each other very well.
In summary, oddly I feel the WA8 is a bit of a sleeper gem. It's been out since 2016 but easily competes in today's market, especially when paired with the A02 module in PO mode. Colour me impressed!
