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I just received my Woo Audio WA6 headphone amp.....

68.8.172.230
Posted on July 25, 2016 at 11:17:12
Cougar
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Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
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 and it sound nice right out of the box with 20 min warm up. I know this will change but I'm really liking what I'm hearing so far. I got the Black WA6.

I did buy some extra Rectifier tubes Mullard and JJ's GZ34's to roll. I hear the Sophia's are really nice but I will first let this break in before doing any tube rolling. The WA6 came with WestingHouse 6DR7 driver tubes and Shuguang stock rectifier tube.

So far, the sound is balanced from top to bottom. The mids is where I can here some nice things like voices, horns, and strings. So others were right on in this regards.

So far I have heard nothing to indicate the WA6 is struggling to push my Fostex T50RP headphones. Actually, these sound like a great match so far.

Now that I have been letting it breaking in while writing this, I can hear the soundstage starting to open up.

I will post back after 20-30 hours of break in.

Cheers!

 

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RE: I just received my Woo Audio WA6 headphone amp....., posted on July 25, 2016 at 15:16:02
Travis
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Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Congrats!

I've been enjoying my silver for about four years. It's such a nice piece.

I like the Sophia very much, also the United 596 (needs that spacey looking adaptor). The RCA 5R4GY brown base was OK, not all that much better than the stock. Favorite triodes are the RCA 6FD7.













"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

Here's a pic of mine., posted on July 25, 2016 at 16:03:23
Cougar
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Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001




Nt.

 

RE: Here's a pic of mine., posted on July 25, 2016 at 16:13:37
Travis
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Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Excellent pic! Thanks.

Black is harder to photograph than the silver.

Good job.

Don't you love the way this thing is built?

This is quality.




"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

To me the Sophia . . , posted on July 25, 2016 at 16:29:46
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 mesh plate rectifier was the nicest. The GZ34 metal base was also good but the top for me, the Sophia mesh plate.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

Very high quality build on the Woo Audio WA6., posted on July 25, 2016 at 16:29:51
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 I was surprised at how heavy it was too. I read they wind their own output transformers too!

I'm very happy with this purchase. Now that it's been on for 3 hours it's sounding way better and the soundstage is getting wider.

Thank You for the props on the pic. I tried to get a better shot but that is the best I could do for the lighting I had.

 

RE: To me the Sophia . . , posted on July 25, 2016 at 16:31:59
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 I will have to order the Sophia Mesh tomorrow then and try it out. I want to get the adapters to be able to run 6SN7's in this too. Should sound really nice.

 

Update: I put the JJ GZ34 in...., posted on July 25, 2016 at 18:26:25
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 It added a touch of sweetness to the sound and is more refined sounding at first than the Shuguang. I will let it break in a few hours and then do some more listening. There is also more depth to the soundstage with this JJ GZ34 rectifier tube.

This JJ rectifier also doesn't as forward as the Shuguang.

Tomorrow I will order the Sophia Mesh plate.

 

Should sound very nice. . . , posted on July 25, 2016 at 20:40:42
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 There are some nice 6SN7's for not too much.

Too bad it doesn't run 12 volts. Lots of 12SN7 tubes at a fraction of the cost of the 6SN7 and quieter.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

RE: Update: I put the JJ GZ34 in...., posted on July 26, 2016 at 07:00:29
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Yeah, the Shuggie is pretty much the bottom of the barrel in rectifiers for the WA6. Not that it's bad, just most everything else is better.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

Just pulled the trigger on the Sophia Mesh Plate...., posted on July 26, 2016 at 09:05:43
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 Rectifier and the 6SN7 matched tubes an adapters from Woo Audio.

So I should be all set now, unless the tweak bug hits me again and I my take a peek inside to see what I could do to raise the level in sonics even more. :) I will just enjoy it for now in stock form.

 

It uses a dual pseudo power . .., posted on July 26, 2016 at 17:28:35
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 supply that I did. The name was also one I gave them. Before that it was a single supply to both tubes and the sound was flatter and less dynamic.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

RE: It uses a dual pseudo power . .., posted on July 26, 2016 at 17:53:35
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
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 John PA, You designed that power supply?

 

Yes, it was. . . , posted on July 26, 2016 at 23:33:05
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 what I did with a 6 a number of years ago and then told Jack about and the improvements in sound. They also incorporated it in another amp using the same name.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

Sweet!, posted on July 27, 2016 at 07:21:02
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 Great Job! The power supply is a huge part to any design and to the sound of the unit.

Even though I have only little less than 20 hours on my WA6 since the change of the Rectifier tube to the JJ GZ34, I'm hearing things I never head with my Fostex T50RP headphones. I'm hearing very good separation in instruments and in tone of each. What I mean is I hear a nice clean keyboard and when the guitar player solo's that has a slightly dirty sound, you can actually hear that dirty sound stand out from the rest of the other instruments. Snare drums have a nice texture to them. Plus, cymbals have a nice natural decay now. Horns and vocals sound real.

I can only imagine what this WA6 will sound like when it has 50, 80, and 100 hours on it. Also when the Sophia Mesh plate is put in with the 6SN7 tubes.

I'm really happy I bought this WA6 headphone amp.

 

A what?, posted on July 27, 2016 at 09:11:16
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 A very few tube (non-mono) power amps have dual supplies (one for each channel), although in some cases each PS only is dual in B+.

What is a dual pseudo PS?

 

Are those your pic of the mod inside over at..., posted on July 27, 2016 at 11:57:13
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 head-fi? Lots of work done on that unit.

 

Update 2: Received the Sophia Mesh Plate....., posted on July 28, 2016 at 11:48:17
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 and the 6SN7 tubes with tube adapters. They are installed and breaking in now. That Sophia Mesh plate rectifier looks nice all lit up!

Let see what the sound is like after 20-30 hours.

 

A pseudo-dual . . . , posted on July 28, 2016 at 12:12:01
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 PS. One main power supply but divided in such a way with resistors and caps that each channel has a reserve as if it were dual PS. No sag from one side using due to more draw due to music passages. Better dynamics and imaging, among other things. I have built dual supplies just to compare, and achieved the same results as a dual supply using this method. The extra resistors and caps also drop the ripple to a lower level.






iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

Most likely. . , posted on July 28, 2016 at 12:14:09
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 I did a maxed out 6 with the Goldpoint, all Blackgate caps, the best resistors etc. I had a guy come over and asked me to modify his years ago and then compared it to amps cost 2 to 3 times as much and preferred my modified 6 to some highly acclaimed amps. He was happy.






iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

Yup, That was the one I saw!, posted on July 28, 2016 at 14:36:43
Cougar
Audiophile

Posts: 4589
Location: SoCal
Joined: June 25, 2001
 you barely fit all that into it! :)

I can just imagine how it sounds too! Nice work!

 

It was a tight fit. .. , posted on July 28, 2016 at 17:44:56
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 and everything was bipolar Black Gates or the high voltage ones for the plate and I used 3 per side for the plate.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

RE: A pseudo-dual . . . , posted on July 28, 2016 at 21:10:03
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 Are you referring only to pre/driver supplies? Resistance degrades dynamics and regulation. It's not usually practical for output stages.


 

No degradation in dynamics. . , posted on July 28, 2016 at 22:11:52
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 or anything else with the right RCRCR network. Just an excellent improvement in sound, which is why Jack adopted it.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

Jack who? (nt), posted on July 30, 2016 at 10:10:30
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
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 nada aqui

 

RE: Jack who? (nt), posted on July 30, 2016 at 11:56:40
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Jack Woo, owner of Woo Audio.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

OK, but sounds like hype to me (nt), posted on August 1, 2016 at 10:21:24
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 nada aqui

 

You are certainly free to hear whatever sounds you care to. nt, posted on August 1, 2016 at 10:33:55
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
.




"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

You missed the point..., posted on August 1, 2016 at 22:38:03
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 It's not about what I hear, it's about the laws of physics. Series resistance degrades PS regulation and dynamic response. It'll take more than a statement that it "sounds good" to invalidate that.


 

RE: You missed the point..., posted on August 2, 2016 at 07:29:43
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 You, too.

"OK, but sounds like hype to me"


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

Doesn't matter if you believe it or think. . , posted on August 2, 2016 at 17:51:41
John PA
Audiophile

Posts: 4019
Location: The lower 48.
Joined: August 27, 2000
 it is hype. It works, Woo Audio uses it because and only because it works and that is what matters, it works.

In response to TK.


iBasso DX300MAX Ti. Focal Utopia and Stellia. iBasso SR2. Mr. Speakers, Ether II, Voce stats. Manley, Absolute headphone amp. LTA MZ3, Z10e electrostatic amp. Many other headphones, amps, cables etc.

 

When you first saw the characters WA6, posted on August 5, 2016 at 04:01:18
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
I thought you were talking about a pair of these Heathkit W6A amps.Late night posting makes me hallucinate I guess lol.


"
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

RE: Woo Who, posted on August 5, 2016 at 07:43:33
genungo
 Hilarious!

 

LOL, posted on August 5, 2016 at 07:45:23
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 Woo's on first?

 

RE: LOL, posted on August 5, 2016 at 08:21:35
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 In Brooklyn, like Grado.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

RE: When you first saw the characters WA6, posted on August 5, 2016 at 10:22:15
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 Beautiful amps Michael! Wish I'd bought a pair before prices went sky high.

 

RE: When you first saw the characters WA6, posted on August 5, 2016 at 15:45:23
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 Yes they are.I'm redoing mine with an all film cap power supply,except for the doubler of course.I wonder if there would be any advantage to using a film cap doubler?.I usually the 820uf Panasonic lytics in the doubler but thought about 200uf films.These aren't mine but I have the same pair as this.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic., posted on August 5, 2016 at 18:19:23
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Perhaps the tube asylum would be a better place for discussing these ancient amps.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

RE: Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic., posted on August 6, 2016 at 12:37:51
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
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 If you don't like tubes, you don't like audio.

 

RE: When you first saw the characters WA6, posted on August 6, 2016 at 15:03:42
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 Is there a reason to go so much larger than the factory values? I'd be more interested in reducing ESR, especially for the second pair of caps. How do the films compare to modern 200uf aluminum electrolytics for ESR?

 

RE: When you first saw the characters WA6, posted on August 8, 2016 at 04:58:27
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 In the doublers if using the lytics,we always go about 3 times the original..The Citation 2 and the Mac Mc240 used 250 or 300uf in the doubler and we put Panasonic 820ufs in.That keep the first stage very stable and ripple very low..Now with film caps,we can get away with the original values very easily being these are mono amps..Just where do we find 300uf at 250v film caps?
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

RE: Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic., posted on September 16, 2016 at 19:00:33
MLGrado
Audiophile

Posts: 90
Location: TN
Joined: March 5, 2015
 Are your f-ing serious? What an asshat.

If the headphone forum is the wrong place to discuss a headphone amp? Damn.
Andrew

 

RE: Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic., posted on September 16, 2016 at 19:10:15
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Jeez, I agree.

I must have replied to the wrong post.




"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

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