[gr8soundz]

  Any word yet guys on whether this supports DSD?
 
Would like to see some numbers on expected battery life too

 
In the video Jude said he got DSD over DoP working with a few apps.
 
Specs say up to 4 hours battery life so probably less than 4 hours. It's full tube AND full Class A (not a tube/ss hybrid and not Class A/B) so it'll eat power. Hope it doesn't get insanely hot.
 
Battery makes it more transportable and probably has cleaner output than AC power.
 

 

[gr8soundz]

Found another pic of the WA8 leather case here:
http://www.tcvblog.com/#!An-evening-with-Jack-Woo/cjds/55e9231c0cf29a3653c09a41
 

 
Blogger also stated:
".....after trying the WA8, the WA7 fell short of my expectations, and really isn’t the way I would go now if I were to purchase a tube amplifier (GET THE WA8 GUYS!)."
 
Keep in mind the WA8 was still a prototype at the time (6 months ago) but it seems the battery and third tube (among other things) may make a bigger difference than expected.
 

 

[freitz]

  Found another pic of the WA8 leather case here:
http://www.tcvblog.com/#!An-evening-with-Jack-Woo/cjds/55e9231c0cf29a3653c09a41
 

 
Blogger also stated:
".....after trying the WA8, the WA7 fell short of my expectations, and really isn’t the way I would go now if I were to purchase a tube amplifier (GET THE WA8 GUYS!)."
 
Keep in mind the WA8 was still a prototype at the time (6 months ago) but it seems the battery and third tube (among other things) may make a bigger difference than expected.
 

Has anyone tested against the Wa7 Gen 2 model? It seems Woo would be smart enough to not sacrifice its own product line.

 

[avitron142]

Just listened to the WA8 at the NYC event today; it's good. It's really, really good. I'm usually not a fan of battery-powered dac/amps, but this... is really a desktop rig. Or at least to my ears it was.
 
Also handled the HD800, HE1000, Edition X and all others I've tried with it to perfection. It's not every day that you see something that's pretty much summit-fi with all headphones, no bias.

 

[Herueyes]

Just listened to the WA8 at the NYC event today; it's good. It's really, really good. I'm usually not a fan of battery-powered dac/amps, but this... is really a desktop rig. Or at least to my ears it was.

Also handled the HD800, HE1000, Edition X and all others I've tried with it to perfection. It's not every day that you see something that's pretty much summit-fi with all headphones, no bias.

I second the above... Jack knows what he's doing... & avitron knows what he's saying...




Nice seeing you again avitron142

Peace...

P.S. Jack had a big grin on his face when I questioned him about DSD via DoP...

 

[eugenius]

Bonus head-fi cred for the first guy who wears this amp in his man-purse with a LCD-XC.

 

[jkross22]

$1800 is a lot of cheddar.  I listened to Woo audio tube amplifies last year with a pair of Stax headphones (don't recall which ones), and it was fantastic.  
 
That said, I can't hide my disappointment about the direction of ever increasing costs for these types of products.  I'm sure this is a fantastic sorta portable headphone amp, but it's stratospheric price will forever keep me away.  We're in a renaissance period for portable hi-fi and I am grateful for companies like Woo taking risks and pushing boundaries for what is available, and I recognize that there needs to be a rational risk/reward formula for them to make money.  That said, I'm happy for those who can afford these types of products and enjoy them, and hopefully sell them on at a nice discount for those who can't afford them, but at the same time, I hope that companies recognize that price points that exceed nice home amplifiers simply don't make sense to a large portion of the audio enthusiast/audiophile community.  

 

[gr8soundz]

For many amps (and some headphones) I agree that rising costs are prohibitive.
 
But, unlike other equipment that uses standard parts yet are still overpriced, Woo had to develop new methods of miniaturization just for their portable. Such development and new manufacturing methods are not cheap.
 
I too may be unable to get one due to it's price but at least the WA8 brings new tech to the table to maintain full tube and full class A operation in a small chassis. Otherwise, there's no shortage of other, hybrid devices available.

 

[LouisArmstrong]

Mojo vs WA8 vs AK380 review please! (Don't give me the AK380 ain't a DAC yadayada speech, everyone brings a mobile phone anyways so there is no difference at all in terms of number of bricks).
 
Cheers,
Lou

 

[sonickarma]

  Mojo vs WA8 vs AK380 review please! (Don't give me the AK380 ain't a DAC yadayada speech, everyone brings a mobile phone anyways so there is no difference at all in terms of number of bricks).
 
Cheers,
Lou

Don't forget CDM!

 

[gr8soundz]

  Don't forget CDM!

+1
 

 

[Greggo]

Getting ready to sell off my headphone gear and go from 12 cans down to one, keeping just the EL-8, and saying goodbye to my Gustard X12/H10...
 
Then pulling the trigger on this and an HD800S, but could use some guidance:
 
1) Safe to assume that the great feedback on this amp paired with the higher end Audeze cans would translate well to the EL-8? For my ears the EL-8 is fantastic with a slightly warm amp that takes the highs down just a bit without sacrificing strong bass and good mids.
 
2) I have loved my HD700 but the HD800S just sounds perfect to me, and though I don't expect planar like bass from this combination, can anyone offer up some feedback on how bass and percussion comes across on WA8 and HD800S? Especially for pop music in general?
 
3) Biggest concern: I leave my Gustard stack powered on up to a week or two without turning it off, and when it does get powered down it is usually for only 6-12 hours and then it us on again for 200 plus hours at times... I use it not just for serious listening, but for general headphone/computer sessions with youtube/movies/etc... How would this translate to responsible use of something like the WA8? Would you cycle it on and off a few times a day or leave it on for a day or longer? Any concerns about the battery flaking out if it is always connected to a wall outlet, or is that a big no no and the battery charger is unplugged often? I would also be a bit concerned about constant cycling of the battery if this was my main rig, any thoughts?
 
I am looking for a minimalist desktop rig that I can relocate around my house once in a while or take on a trip maybe once a year, so I am not drawn to the portable aspect as much as I am drawn to high performance, small form factor and great pairing with the two headphones I think I can ride into the sunset with. I don't care about balanced verses SE either, or about tube rolling as I am used to SS stuff and leaving things alone, I just want a warm, 3D engaging sound I can listen to for hours on end without fatigue, and I love the industrial aesthetics of this DAC/Amp combo. Do I sound like the right use case for this, any thoughts on my plan overall would be appreciated.

 

[reeltime]

mmm....I m thinking along the lines of a leather case with room for both the WA8 and a DAP with a shoulder strap.....similar to what another tube amp manufacturer has done.

There is a stunning leather option available from Woo.  Jack didn't specify cost.  It's an accessory.

 

[gr8soundz]

There is a stunning leather option available from Woo.  Jack didn't specify cost.  It's an accessory.

 
I'm not at the SoCal show (unfortunately) but I did post some web pics of that case some days ago:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/801369/woo-audio-wa8-review-head-fi-tv/75#post_12424484
 

 

[mikoss]

There is a stunning leather option available from Woo.  Jack didn't specify cost.  It's an accessory.

Oh man that sounds totally sweet. Does it have room for any other accessories? It would be cool if it had a compartment for things like custom IEMs, adapters, or even just lipstick too.