Woo's New Flagship WA33
Oct 30, 2021 at 10:29 AM Post #1,846 of 3,307
Before my full review of Wa33 Elite, as there hasn't been many comparisons with the SE - I am providing some early notes. I know I've been a bit abstract with the way I have discussed "emotion", but tried to explain the best I could.

- The Wa33 Elite's coolest trick is that it can be completely liquid, full and voluptuous while stilling being incredible vivid and transparent. Notes melt together. Euphony is off the charts good - but it's still quite accurate.
- As a result, I completely understand why it's been described by some as a "feels" machine. In terms of emotional experience, music is visceral whereas many other forms of art (e.g. movies) are cerebral. What I mean by this is when you hear music, you directly feel an emotion. When you watch a movie, your brain parses the story which leads to an emotional response. The Wa33 Elite takes me closer to the emotional essence of the performance. It's presentation pushes those emotional buttons longer and harder as a result.
- Both the Wa33 SE and the Wa33 Elite provide large soundstages with excellent imaging. That said, the Wa33 SE sounds more solid state to me, whereas the Elite sounds like a tube amp through and through, in a good way. The Wa33 SE is more analytical which can be a positive or negative based on your preferences and system. With the Wa33 SE, I found myself picking apart the performance a bit more, and didn't find this with the Wa33 Elite. The Elite rather, provides a more cohesive, holistic, presentation intent on conveying the emotional intent of the music.
- I've had problems with fatigue in the past with Dave/Mscaler. The Wa33 Elite is the smoothest thing I've ever listened to without even providing a hint of listening fatigue in combination with Dave/Mscaler. I could listen to it for 5 hours straight, (and did last night). Before I received the Elite, I was considering getting a new DAC. I'm no longer considering that.
- The Wa33 Elite provides the best mids for the Abyss I've ever heard. I consider the LCD4 the gold standard in mids - and the Elite makes the Abyss mids sound like the LCD4 but with all the other characteristics (bass, texture, detail, slam, staging, treble extension) - that the Abyss is known for.
- The Wa33 Elite is signficantly more vivid than the Wa33 SE. Tonal color is bold. This is why I feel like it does such a good job with the Susvara. In some setups, I feel like the Susvara can seem a little tame and bland in the mids. The Wa33 Elite makes the mids of the Susvara more exciting to me - and allows me to have much greater appreciation for that headphone as a whole.

Two examples which I think illustrate the points above:

Batik - The Old Man and The Sea

Abyss: Piano notes melt together, tone is vivid, big, thick, rich tonal shapes from bass and drums - taps in directly to the emotional center in my brain.




Hilary Hahn - Bach Concertos

Susvara: This is how violins should sound (or at least, how I most enjoy them). Not a hint of sharpness, but reach out and touch texture and tangibility. Timbre sounds spot on.



TLDR: The Wa33 SE is an amazing amp. It was my favorite amp until I picked up the Elite Edition earlier this week :) Whereas both amps get you closer to the music than almost anything else available, the Wa33 EE gets you closer to the emotional intent of the music - than I previously thought possible.
 
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Nov 3, 2021 at 4:22 PM Post #1,847 of 3,307
I can’t stop listening to the Wa33 Elite with my Abyss TC and my amp and tubes have burned in nicely for the last week.

Congrats to @WooAudio - this thing is a freaking triumph. Also to @Clive101 , @Ciggavelli and others for helping me decide to get one :)
 
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Nov 3, 2021 at 10:49 PM Post #1,848 of 3,307
I can’t stop listening to the Wa33 Elite with my Abyss TC and my amp and tubes have burned in nicely for the last week.

Congrats to @WooAudio - this thing is a freaking triumph. Also to @Clive101 , @Ciggavelli and others for helping me decide to get one :)
Awesome write up above and I’m running basically the exact setup other than the newer Western Electric 417A tube upgrade which I will definitely buy soon. I am demoing a JPS Labs Superconductor HP upgrade cable for Abyss 1266 TC from TheCableCompany this week along with the Diana Phi headphone which is like a small mini version of the 1266. Listen last night 5 hours and I’m on 4 hours tonight with the 1266 TC & Susvara’s. The detail and resolution is insane with these hp’s and my brain is on overload from Miles Davis Kind of Blue then to Tool Fear Inoculum then to Metallica live in SF I just can’t stop. If you get a chance try the Superconductor cable for the TC I’m sold on the cable. It took about 100 hours on my KR HP tubes with the 6C45Pi gold pins to opened up, and what you hearing now is a small portion on what to come.
 

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Nov 4, 2021 at 9:04 AM Post #1,849 of 3,307
Awesome write up above and I’m running basically the exact setup other than the newer Western Electric 417A tube upgrade which I will definitely buy soon. I am demoing a JPS Labs Superconductor HP upgrade cable for Abyss 1266 TC from TheCableCompany this week along with the Diana Phi headphone which is like a small mini version of the 1266. Listen last night 5 hours and I’m on 4 hours tonight with the 1266 TC & Susvara’s. The detail and resolution is insane with these hp’s and my brain is on overload from Miles Davis Kind of Blue then to Tool Fear Inoculum then to Metallica live in SF I just can’t stop. If you get a chance try the Superconductor cable for the TC I’m sold on the cable. It took about 100 hours on my KR HP tubes with the 6C45Pi gold pins to opened up, and what you hearing now is a small portion on what to come.

Beautiful setup. Is that stand for the Dave/MScaler a simple monitor stand? I think my wife has it for her computer monitor - but it looks super sleek the way you’ve used it.
 
Nov 4, 2021 at 10:05 PM Post #1,850 of 3,307
Got the WA33 back up and running. I bought 2 pairs of Sovtek 2A3 for backup and to use while I wait for BF to see who has KR for the deepest discount. I also bought a near NOS quad of WE 417a and am awaiting adapters to be shipped. I must admit the Sovtek's are not all that bad. Maybe a little light on the top end but even that might go away when I get some hours on them.
 
Nov 4, 2021 at 10:44 PM Post #1,852 of 3,307
I long ago sold off the stock tubes. After it took 7 months to get a warranty replacement out of EML(JACMusic) I wanted nothing more to do with EML tubes. I sold off both my 300B 2.5v and 2A3 Mesh quads and advertised for a used quad of KR HP 2A3 or whatever anybody had. I got no offers so now I am waiting on BF to order the KRs somewhere.
 
Nov 4, 2021 at 10:56 PM Post #1,853 of 3,307
I long ago sold off the stock tubes. After it took 7 months to get a warranty replacement out of EML(JACMusic) I wanted nothing more to do with EML tubes. I sold off both my 300B 2.5v and 2A3 Mesh quads and advertised for a used quad of KR HP 2A3 or whatever anybody had. I got no offers so now I am waiting on BF to order the KRs somewhere.
I remember the story about the EML 300B, but didn't know you sold off all your EML tubes afterwards as well as your stock tubes long ago.
 
Nov 4, 2021 at 11:05 PM Post #1,854 of 3,307
I prefer to do without for a time than chance going through all that again. Jac van de Walle can kiss my !@#$%^&*()_+.
 
Nov 5, 2021 at 7:49 AM Post #1,856 of 3,307
Unfortunately, bad experience can and will leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Yeah but the EML warranty fraud is a huge issue.

The sound quality is excellent, the Service however is Borderline criminal
 
Nov 5, 2021 at 8:21 AM Post #1,858 of 3,307
I've never had a bad experience with EML.
I once had a 2A3 go bad within +/- a month and George at TubesUSA was more than accommodating to send me a new matched pair.
That's thanks to TubesUSAs great customer service then.

Never heard about another EML warranty case that didn't go catastrophically.

Good to see that some didn't suffer tho
 
Nov 5, 2021 at 8:46 AM Post #1,859 of 3,307
I find the eml 300b 2.5v tubes very very good (when they work properly)..

Anyways, decided to give the we417a driver tubes a shot.. Will report back once I get them.
 
Nov 5, 2021 at 4:49 PM Post #1,860 of 3,307
Before my full review of Wa33 Elite, as there hasn't been many comparisons with the SE - I am providing some early notes. I know I've been a bit abstract with the way I have discussed "emotion", but tried to explain the best I could.

- The Wa33 Elite's coolest trick is that it can be completely liquid, full and voluptuous while stilling being incredible vivid and transparent. Notes melt together. Euphony is off the charts good - but it's still quite accurate.
- As a result, I completely understand why it's been described by some as a "feels" machine. In terms of emotional experience, music is visceral whereas many other forms of art (e.g. movies) are cerebral. What I mean by this is when you hear music, you directly feel an emotion. When you watch a movie, your brain parses the story which leads to an emotional response. The Wa33 Elite takes me closer to the emotional essence of the performance. It's presentation pushes those emotional buttons longer and harder as a result.
- Both the Wa33 SE and the Wa33 Elite provide large soundstages with excellent imaging. That said, the Wa33 SE sounds more solid state to me, whereas the Elite sounds like a tube amp through and through, in a good way. The Wa33 SE is more analytical which can be a positive or negative based on your preferences and system. With the Wa33 SE, I found myself picking apart the performance a bit more, and didn't find this with the Wa33 Elite. The Elite rather, provides a more cohesive, holistic, presentation intent on conveying the emotional intent of the music.
- I've had problems with fatigue in the past with Dave/Mscaler. The Wa33 Elite is the smoothest thing I've ever listened to without even providing a hint of listening fatigue in combination with Dave/Mscaler. I could listen to it for 5 hours straight, (and did last night). Before I received the Elite, I was considering getting a new DAC. I'm no longer considering that.
- The Wa33 Elite provides the best mids for the Abyss I've ever heard. I consider the LCD4 the gold standard in mids - and the Elite makes the Abyss mids sound like the LCD4 but with all the other characteristics (bass, texture, detail, slam, staging, treble extension) - that the Abyss is known for.
- The Wa33 Elite is signficantly more vivid than the Wa33 SE. Tonal color is bold. This is why I feel like it does such a good job with the Susvara. In some setups, I feel like the Susvara can seem a little tame and bland in the mids. The Wa33 Elite makes the mids of the Susvara more exciting to me - and allows me to have much greater appreciation for that headphone as a whole.

Two examples which I think illustrate the points above:

Batik - The Old Man and The Sea

Abyss: Piano notes melt together, tone is vivid, big, thick, rich tonal shapes from bass and drums - taps in directly to the emotional center in my brain.




Hilary Hahn - Bach Concertos

Susvara: This is how violins should sound (or at least, how I most enjoy them). Not a hint of sharpness, but reach out and touch texture and tangibility. Timbre sounds spot on.



TLDR: The Wa33 SE is an amazing amp. It was my favorite amp until I picked up the Elite Edition earlier this week :) Whereas both amps get you closer to the music than almost anything else available, the Wa33 EE gets you closer to the emotional intent of the music - than I previously thought possible.


Thank you for sharing your thoughts on WA33 EE. We are asked often the sound difference of SE vs EE and it is difficult for us to answer but your description is spot on. WA33 SE is a lot of performance for the money but EE takes the listening enjoyment to a more emotional level.
 

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