[Ciggavelli]

Have you any experience with hearing the others in comparison to yours, or are you just itching blindly.

Just itching blindly

 

[MrCypruz]

I don't get any noise or audible hum.

With both the Utopia and Verité Closed (in Low Z and Low Gain settings) do get an audible transformer hum that reduces as the amp warms up to a point where it becomes faint but not dead quiet.

I’ve ruled out the potential presence of DC current in the circuit (most known cause for transformer hum and heat) because I’ve cleaned the line with an Emotiva CMX-2 power conditioner (it has DC offset) and an isolation transformer to which an Audioquest Niagara 1200 is connected. I’ve also ruled out the tubes - stock tubes, upgraded tubes - all of them (power, rectifier, driver) the hum is still there when the amp is cold and faint but still audible when it’s warmed up.

I’m not sure if the transformer is showing its age and would need to be tightened or replaced.

That hum between tracks is damn annoying during late night listening sessions.

No hum with the Susvara (even with High Z High Gain settings).

 

[pippen99]

My situation exactly. I have an audible hum with the Verite Open that lessens as the amp gets warmer. I have no hum with the LCD-4. I also have an audible constant hum from the amp. I spend 90% of my time on the LCD-4 so I am not particularly bothered. Addition of power regenerator was ineffective for the hum but helped SQ.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Hmm.. interesting. I always warm my amps up 30m-1hr before actually listening so maybe that's why I haven't noticed any hum. Will try again with Utopia's and VCs today or tomorrow.

 

[pippen99]

I usually warm mine approximately 15 minutes. Mine hums all the time to some extent.

 

[MrCypruz]

Will try again with Utopia's and VCs today or tomorrow.

Please do so and report back. Thanks in advance.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

WA33 is very high power at up to 10W per chancel. It is so powerful that it can drive loudspeakers through the dual 3-pin XLR output.

When using highly efficient headphones, some noise can be heard. Imagine fitting a Mustang 5.0 V8 engine in a Mazda Miata (Monster Miata). It is expected that the V8 will make more sounds than the default V4 engine but the performance is out of this world.

We recommend using the LO level setting for highly efficient headphones to reduce the output level of the WA33.

 

[GPD1]

Hi, Wanted to see if anyone has used the pre-amp setting within WA33 ? I currently own a naim pre-amp 282 ( running to a naim amp 300) and wanted to see if i could ditch the 282 to help fund the purchase of the WA33. Im doing most of my listening via headphones but its nice to occasionally listen via speakers

 

[number1sixerfan]

Did my regular routine tonight (flip on and listened around an hour later after finishing my speaker session). Paying close attention, I can't detect any audible hum with the the Utopia or VCs at all. Literally dead silence between tracks and at the beginning and end of tracks. This is also during one of the quietest moments of the day. I'll try from a dead start tomorrow morning.

Edit - no hum this morning when using it immediately. I originally had some concern when originally researching the amp but am not encountering the issue. I'm using the WR2A3 Psvanes and 274B Sophia Mesh Plate.. haven't swapped in the stock tubes since and can't recall if there was a hum then or not.

 

[mat.1]

WA33 is very high power at up to 10W per chancel. It is so powerful that it can drive loudspeakers through the dual 3-pin XLR output.

When using highly efficient headphones, some noise can be heard. Imagine fitting a Mustang 5.0 V8 engine in a Mazda Miata (Monster Miata). It is expected that the V8 will make more sounds than the default V4 engine but the performance is out of this world.

We recommend using the LO level setting for highly efficient headphones to reduce the output level of the WA33.

When there is a special price for this amp ?

 

[GPD1]

WA33 is very high power at up to 10W per chancel. It is so powerful that it can drive loudspeakers through the dual 3-pin XLR output.

When using highly efficient headphones, some noise can be heard. Imagine fitting a Mustang 5.0 V8 engine in a Mazda Miata (Monster Miata). It is expected that the V8 will make more sounds than the default V4 engine but the performance is out of this world.

We recommend using the LO level setting for highly efficient headphones to reduce the output level of the WA33.

Just to be clear here . If some noise can be heard then wouldn't this affect the overall sound quality of the recording your listening to ? Or is the hum only audible in between tracks ? I'm guessing in pre-amp mode this hum goes away ?

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Just to be clear here . If some noise can be heard then wouldn't this affect the overall sound quality of the recording your listening to ? Or is the hum only audible in between tracks ? I'm guessing in pre-amp mode this hum goes away ?

The ideal headphone(s) pairing with WA33 are HiFiMan Susvara, ABYSS 1266 TC or Diana Phi, Audeze LCD4, and other power demanding headphones.

In preamp mode, when paired with a high-end power amplifier there is no audible noise.

We have a customer in California which I visited his home using WA33 Elite Edition as preamplifier almost exclusively. He told me WA33 exceeded the performance of other preamplifiers he's tried and some of them cost more than 33 Elite.

When there is a special price for this amp ?

Our products are priced at factory-direct to customers so it's not inflated to give discounts. We have FREE shipping worldwide and if shipped outside NY state, no U.S. sales tax.

 

[GPD1]

Thanks for the response . I feel more comfortable in regards to possibly buying after reading this review . https://www.cnet.com/news/crazy-expensive-amplifier-thrills-headphone-aficionados/
It gives the WA33 a huge wrap while also acknowledging the hum... "The WA33 Elite is a tube amplifier, so yes it has some tube noise/hiss lurking in the background, but it was only audible when I played quiet music or movies."

 

[Clive101]

For the avoidance of doubt the WA33 I had was dead quite as a pre and on headphones no hiss no hum just dead quite.

While I do not wish to be confrontational could it be the hiss the reviewer heard was from other parts in the system ?

There is a hum however if you put your ear close to the casing (be careful it gets hot, any temperature readings anyone !) which I guess is normal for transformers.

I am about to receive a WA33 Elite JPS I do not expect any hum or hiss coming through the headphones or preamp, if I do I will be very upset.

Perhaps a little hum if I put my ear very close to the casing that is all I will accept as owning a dead quite WA33 I expect similar.

@HiFiGuy528 Are there differences in manufacture or could it be the way the amps are treated historically or personal hearing?

 

[mat.1]

Whats the difference in sound in WR2A3 Psvane VS Psvane Acme 2a3 ?