[Onkyo]

Roam, quite some energy in your post.

1. Caps WILL get near 85 degrees. Guess what, when your cap is rated 85 deg C, and you are using it in a tube amp how long do you think it will last comparing to a 105 deg capacitor?

2. It wouldn't be "nicer", it would be adequate. The less contacts there are, the better it is.

4. If they are soldered, what is the point to glue them? Ever took logic in university?

5. Look around more carefully, I did not circled every glue drop on the picture.

6. There will be a mismatch as you pointed out. This is a fact.

I guess you own a 336i. Good for you, enjoy it.

 

[Solan]

Sounds to me like a choice between Woo Audio 6 and DIY ...

BTW: Any opinions on how these fare with Grado 325i or the like?

 

[Onkyo]

Solan, if you have the necessary skill, then definitely DIY.
Woo did not get very far from DV.

 

[Solan]

How much is there to save on a DIY? Or is it the quality assurance? I have some skill putting together electronics, and where it is lacking, I have friends. I tend to be extremely accurate in following instructions.

So next: Some DIY set, or blueprint and parts bought from somewhere?

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Solan, if you have the necessary skill, then definitely DIY. Woo did not get very far from DV.

Have you opened a Woo Amp and really looked? Meaning had one in your possession? Woo amps (at least the current ones) are very well built.

And it's funny that the overwhelming majority of Darkvoice owners on this board don't have problems.

I wonder what your motivation for posting here is.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgonino /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interesting you mention Drarthurwells. According to someone I spoke with at Pacific Valve, he is actually the man behind Cattylink, which may have influenced his review just a little bit. FYI Cattylink sells the Bada along with a lot other amps from china.

No doubt "the Doc" is biased towards the Bada PH-12... as well as Cattylink.

But makes no difference... he still raives about how great it sounds with the K701s and more recently the HD600s. Though... once again... he specifically notes the synergies of this set up with the Rega CDPs.

If I were "up to the risk of the mosfets"... I'd have tried one a long time ago with my Senns - I'd have bought your's "in a heartbeat." But... those reports have "scared me off."

Don't know what's happened to "ole Doc"... he used to provide a "lot of entertainment."

 

[jgonino]

I agree that the K701 sounds spectacular with the Bada PH-12. Actually, the people at Pacific valve also said they have not had any returns on the ones they sell.

 

[dcstep]

I'm driving my 701s with a stock WA6 with a Holland GZ34 rectifier. This is a heavenly combination. The amp also sounds great with my Audio Technica W5000s and Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pros. I can't give you a comparison to your other candidates. If you call Jack Wu and talk to him about what you want, I think you'll be comforted with his knowledge.

The source is very important as the 701s require about 1/3d more gain than my UEs or ATs. My phono pre-amp and modded Pioneer Elite AV-58DV both give me plenty of gain for the 701s. OTOH, my Oppo 981HD was on the low end with certain SACDs, requiring that I run near full volume (the Woo is linear up to its volume peg). If you're concerned about that, ask Jack about your sources. He can add more gain, but most don't need it.

Dave

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgonino /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree that the K701 sounds spectacular with the Bada PH-12. Actually, the people at Pacific valve also said they have not had any returns on the ones they sell.

I know... they told me the same thing months ago. They say... as long as you are careful not to roll the tubes too quickly... then there is no problem. And... I guess they'd stand behind it and repair it if there were a problem (don't know). Much better than buying one from Cattylink - "half way around the World." But... I'm still "gun shy."

In fact... I'm not sure, I'd even buy another Darkvoice for that reason. They're great amps, and there are virtually no reports of reliability issues with them. But... if... you ever have an issue... it's too costly to return it for repairs - no matter whether they honor the warranty, or not. If you do consider one... you have to factor in the potential repair cost - which will be $80 to $160 at a minimum - though, I suppose the probability is very low.

I guess... if I were considering a new amp... I'd make sure I had a good "local" warranty, from a vendor that would stand behind it... without any difficulties - certainly Jack Woo will (or is that Wu, I think - can't recall)... and their amps are "the gold standard."

 

[jgonino]

That is a really good point. Having a company in the US to fix the Bada makes it a better deal to me.

 

[Skylab]

Pacific Valve are very helpful folks, too. I bought a Ming-Da amp from them and it was a very pleasant experience.

WooAudio also offers excellent customer service, and is here in the USA, with amps made in the USA. I really enjoy my WooAudio 3.

 

[GZeus]

Having service in the US is definitely a plus the OP should consider.

 

[Roam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1. Caps WILL get near 85 degrees. Guess what, when your cap is rated 85 deg C, and you are using it in a tube amp how long do you think it will last comparing to a 105 deg capacitor?

You really enjoy digging yourself a hole don't you? How is a capacitor with fairly little ripple voltage & current going to get hot when it's nowhere near anything which produces heat? Hint. It doesn't. In fact the capacitors won't get any warmer than around 40-45°C depending on the room temperature. I've measured it, you haven't, and you're full of it. At that temperature, 85°C capacitors are good for around 50,000 hours. That's a bit under 6 years of 24/7 use.

Quote:

4. If they are soldered, what is the point to glue them? Ever took logic in university?

So the small wires don't jiggle around during shipping & handling, which can cause the wires to break just behind the joint. The shrinkwrap and glue acts as a strain relief and reinforcement for the joint.

Quote:

5. Look around more carefully, I did not circled every glue drop on the picture.

There are no glue spots on or near any resistors, tube sockets, or other such parts which get hot. None.

Quote:

6. There will be a mismatch as you pointed out. This is a fact.

A mismatch which is inconsequential unless one has the misfortune of getting a truly craparse tube, and a tube that bad shouldn't be used for audio anyway.

Quote:

I guess you own a 336i. Good for you, enjoy it.

I do not, but thanks for making yet another unfounded assumption. Maybe you'll learn to read other people's profiles one day.

 

[dcstep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gradofan2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess... if I were considering a new amp... I'd make sure I had a good "local" warranty, from a vendor that would stand behind it... without any difficulties - certainly Jack Woo will (or is that Wu, I think - can't recall)... and their amps are "the gold standard."

It's "Wu". The company is "Woo" just to make things interestings I suspect.

Dave

 

[jantze]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1. Caps WILL get near 85 degrees. Guess what, when your cap is rated 85 deg C, and you are using it in a tube amp how long do you think it will last comparing to a 105 deg capacitor?

Woo Audio WA6 uses 85°C (2 x 330uF 200V & 4 x 220uF 16V) and 105°C (2 x 100uF 200V) caps, so are Woo Audio amps bad too?

I just modified my WA6 and all my new caps (black gates & v-cap) are 85°C, so is my upgraded WA6 going to last a short time?

Stock:

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