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Headphone Heights

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

68.8.172.230

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!

Follow Ups:

Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic. - Travis 18:19:23 08/05/16 (3)
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

Edits: 08/05/16
- RE: Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic. - MLGrado 19:00:33 09/16/16 (1)
  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. - Travis 19:10:15 09/16/16 (0)
    Jeez, I agree.
    
    I must have replied to the wrong post.
    
    "If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
- RE: Interesting, but it would be nice to stay on topic. - Triode_Kingdom 12:37:51 08/06/16 (0)
  If you don't like tubes, you don't like audio.
  
  --------------------------
  Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
When you first saw the characters WA6 - Michael Samra 04:01:18 08/05/16 (4)
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

Edits: 08/05/16
- RE: When you first saw the characters WA6 - Triode_Kingdom 10:22:15 08/05/16 (3)
  Beautiful amps Michael! Wish I'd bought a pair before prices went sky high.
  
  --------------------------
  Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
  - RE: When you first saw the characters WA6 - Michael Samra 15:45:23 08/05/16 (2)
    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
    
    Edits: 08/05/16
    - RE: When you first saw the characters WA6 - Triode_Kingdom 15:03:42 08/06/16 (1)
      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?
      
      --------------------------
      Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
      - RE: When you first saw the characters WA6 - Michael Samra 04:58:27 08/08/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: When you first saw the characters WA6 posted by Triode_Kingdom on August 06, 2016 at 15:03:42
        
        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
Update 2: Received the Sophia Mesh Plate..... - Cougar 11:48:17 07/28/16 (0)
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.
It uses a dual pseudo power . .. - John PA 17:28:35 07/26/16 (21)
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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
- A what? - Frihed89 09:11:16 07/27/16 (13)
  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?
  - A pseudo-dual . . . - John PA 12:12:01 07/28/16 (12)
    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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
    - RE: A pseudo-dual . . . - Triode_Kingdom 21:10:03 07/28/16 (11)
      Are you referring only to pre/driver supplies? Resistance degrades dynamics and regulation. It's not usually practical for output stages.
      
      --------------------------
      Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
      - No degradation in dynamics. . - John PA 22:11:52 07/28/16 (10)
        
        In Reply to: RE: A pseudo-dual . . . posted by Triode_Kingdom on July 28, 2016 at 21:10:03
        
        or anything else with the right RCRCR network. Just an excellent improvement in sound, which is why Jack adopted it.
        
        iBasso DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
        
        Jack who? (nt) - Triode_Kingdom 10:10:30 07/30/16 (9)
        
        In Reply to: RE: No degradation in dynamics. . posted by John PA on July 28, 2016 at 22:11:52
        
        nada aqui
        
        --------------------------
        Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
        
        RE: Jack who? (nt) - Travis 11:56:40 07/30/16 (8)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Jack who? (nt) posted by Triode_Kingdom on July 30, 2016 at 10:10:30
        
        Jack Woo, owner of Woo Audio.
        
        "If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
        
        RE: Woo Who - genungo 07:43:33 08/05/16 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Jack who? (nt) posted by Travis on July 30, 2016 at 11:56:40
        
        Hilarious!
        
        LOL - Triode_Kingdom 07:45:23 08/05/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Woo Who posted by genungo on August 05, 2016 at 07:43:33
        
        Woo's on first?
        
        --------------------------
        Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
        
        RE: LOL - Travis 08:21:35 08/05/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: LOL posted by Triode_Kingdom on August 05, 2016 at 07:45:23
        
        In Brooklyn, like Grado.
        
        "If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
        
        OK, but sounds like hype to me (nt) - Triode_Kingdom 10:21:24 08/01/16 (4)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Jack who? (nt) posted by Travis on July 30, 2016 at 11:56:40
        
        nada aqui
        
        --------------------------
        Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
        
        You are certainly free to hear whatever sounds you care to. nt - Travis 10:33:55 08/01/16 (3)
        
        In Reply to: RE: OK, but sounds like hype to me (nt) posted by Triode_Kingdom on August 01, 2016 at 10:21:24
        
        .
        
        "If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
        
        You missed the point... - Triode_Kingdom 22:38:03 08/01/16 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: You are certainly free to hear whatever sounds you care to. nt posted by Travis on August 01, 2016 at 10:33:55
        
        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.
        
        --------------------------
        Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
        
        RE: You missed the point... - Travis 07:29:43 08/02/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: You missed the point... posted by Triode_Kingdom on August 01, 2016 at 22:38:03
        
        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. . - John PA 17:51:41 08/02/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: You missed the point... posted by Travis on August 02, 2016 at 07:29:43
        
        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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
        
        Edits: 08/02/16
- RE: It uses a dual pseudo power . .. - Cougar 17:53:35 07/26/16 (6)
  John PA, You designed that power supply?
  - Yes, it was. . . - John PA 23:33:05 07/26/16 (5)
    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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
    - Are those your pic of the mod inside over at... - Cougar 11:57:13 07/27/16 (3)
      head-fi? Lots of work done on that unit.
      - Most likely. . - John PA 12:14:09 07/28/16 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Are those your pic of the mod inside over at... posted by Cougar on July 27, 2016 at 11:57:13
        
        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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
        
        Yup, That was the one I saw! - Cougar 14:36:43 07/28/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Most likely. . posted by John PA on July 28, 2016 at 12:14:09
        
        you barely fit all that into it! :)
        
        I can just imagine how it sounds too! Nice work!
        
        It was a tight fit. .. - John PA 17:44:56 07/28/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Yup, That was the one I saw! posted by Cougar on July 28, 2016 at 14:36:43
        
        and everything was bipolar Black Gates or the high voltage ones for the plate and I used 3 per side for the plate.
        
        iBasso DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
    - Sweet! - Cougar 07:21:02 07/27/16 (0)
      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.
      
      Edits: 07/27/16
Update: I put the JJ GZ34 in.... - Cougar 18:26:25 07/25/16 (1)
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.

Edits: 07/25/16
- RE: Update: I put the JJ GZ34 in.... - Travis 07:00:29 07/26/16 (0)
  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
RE: I just received my Woo Audio WA6 headphone amp..... - Travis 15:16:02 07/25/16 (7)
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. - Cougar 16:03:23 07/25/16 (6)
  Nt.
  - RE: Here's a pic of mine. - Travis 16:13:37 07/25/16 (5)
    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
    - Very high quality build on the Woo Audio WA6. - Cougar 16:29:51 07/25/16 (0)
      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.
    - To me the Sophia . . - John PA 16:29:46 07/25/16 (3)
      mesh plate rectifier was the nicest. The GZ34 metal base was also good but the top for me, the Sophia mesh plate.
      
      iBasso DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
      - RE: To me the Sophia . . - Cougar 16:31:59 07/25/16 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: To me the Sophia . . posted by John PA on July 25, 2016 at 16:29:46
        
        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.
        
        Should sound very nice. . . - John PA 20:40:42 07/25/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: To me the Sophia . . posted by Cougar on July 25, 2016 at 16:31:59
        
        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 DX100,DX50 DX90. Chord Hugo. HiFiman 901s balanced. RSA Intruder, The Lightning. Fostex TH900 balanced, HE1000, HE-6, 560, 500, JH13 Pro balanced. Lyr2, Audeze. Balanced mostly with Whiplash cables. Photo gallery: www.pbase.com/jamato8
        
        Just pulled the trigger on the Sophia Mesh Plate.... - Cougar 09:05:43 07/26/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Should sound very nice. . . posted by John PA on July 25, 2016 at 20:40:42
        
        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.

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