Woo Audio WA7 (call it a story...)

[brazil-nut]

Hello all,

My name is Raymond and I am an Audioholic...

The latest vice I have been hooked on for a little while is headphones and the headphone experience enhancing amplifiers with or without the catalyst DAC.

Having used a variety of combinations givinig me different highs, I think I reached the top of my budget and the absolute high possible with that...

Right now I upped the ante going from Schiit (Modi DAC with 1st a Magni, 2nd a Vali, 3rd an Asgard and 4th the Valhalla) to a Woo Audio WA7...

Even though the Schiit was good, the WA7 takes my office listening experience to a new high.

The WA7 is being fed from the PC via USB, playing the rather low rez Spotify.

With the Schiit there was some hiss, little hum and I accepted that it was not a clean high. I was happy, they drove the HE-400's and AKG K550's to my satisfaction, at least so I thought.

Then I had a little taste of the WA7 and I was hooked.. Heroin is cookie dough compared with the high the WA7 gives me on the nice but modest headphones I use in my office.

I am in my third week of using the WA7 and unlike the Schiit the high is getting better every time I use it. Right now it feels like it has loosened up and settled in completely and I hear different little details, more space around the instruments, the bass is way more tight (you can almost feel the fingers pluck the bass snares), voices are more realistic... overall it gives my ears a better high. Last, but not least, at full volume without any music playing it is DEAD quiet, like falling into the depths of space after a wonderful high of music playing.

Last last and definitely not least.... the WA7 is sexy as hell with the transparent glass top showing the glowing tubes...

If I didn't need the flexibility of balanced inputs and outputs I think the WA7 can dethrone the Bryston BHA-1 I use at home. The Bryston gives me a great high on all levels, but doesn't sound as 'fun' as the WA7 and the Bryston needs better cans to make it sound at its best.

I guess I need to take the WA7 home and connect it to better hardware, stream some higher rez stuff and try better cans (Audio Technica W1000X and AKG K702 65th Anniversary)...

Bryston be warned!

I know this Audioholism is a strong addiction and it is hard to not want to pursue higher highs, but I think with all your help I can stay off the bank account crushing goodies out there and stay happy with the high that Woo Audio gives me...

Thank you for listening.

[George Prentice]

Yeh, Woo's the man. I went through about five major iterations of my work office system to finally get to an Ayre QB-9 DAC and a fully upgraded (except the $10K silver winding) WA6SE, and Audeze LCD2 headphones. Many iterations of amps and DACs. Finally magic. Lots of time, effort and cost. No on knows my little (big) headphone rig is worth about $7K. But it sure sounds like it.

[djwhog]

Yep I love my WOO headphone amp with upgraded tubes, is silky smooth, quite power for anything

Woo Audio WA-6SE with Sophia Princess & matched pair of 6GL7/6EM tubes

PS congrats on the gear!

[HiFiGuy528]

My first piece of Woo Audio gear was the WA7 was well. I now have the WA6 too! That little WA6 amp is crazy good when paired with the $299 MrSpeakers Mad Dog headphones and Sennheiser HD600/650.

[brazil-nut]

Ok, we are 9 days further and the WA7 is really loosening up and sounding better every day.
This week I added a pair of Shure SE535's to the line up and downloaded some 24/96 and 24/192 FLACs of Smashing Pumpkins and Lenny Kravitz.
BIG MISTAKE!
How the hell can I go back to Spotify after that?
The DAC inside the WA7 is better than I thought, the detail is simply stunning.
It helps that it is a tube amp, even though it is real detailed (I heard things I have never heard before in songs I have heard 100's of times since the 90's) it still sounds natural...

If you are looking for a DAC/Headphone amp combo and your budget is about $900, put the WA7 on the top of your list.

I have heard many great systems, but that little black cube with its glass top is a top contender.

[HiFiGuy528]

are you going to add the WA7tp (tube power supply) to the WA7?

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by brazil-nut

........ If you are looking for a DAC/Headphone amp combo and your budget is about $900, put the WA7 on the top of your list.

In that price range I couldn't agree more. If you have an ipad you can also run a direct digital feed from the ipad to the WA7 using the camera connection kit. I ran my WA7 like this for several months as a very nice little stand-alone system streaming from my NAS through the ipad. The only downside is the ipad limits you to 48k so no high res. now I'm running it like you, with a wireworld usb cable from my imac using SE 535s and AKG550s. Very nice combo.

[brazil-nut]

That is a 'sexy' combo with that power supply!!
I wanna!
How much is the power supply?

[brazil-nut]

I just added the WA7tp and it is GORGEOUS!
sweet duo!
And it sounds good too.. soundstage seems wider and bass has a little more tight.
it can be just me, but I hear a little more detail too.

Is the improvement worth the extra investment? No, the WA7 by itself is great already.
Are the looks worth the extra investment? HELL YES!

[HiFiGuy528]

what tubes are you using?

*I work for Woo Audio.