[HiFiGuy528]

WA8 feature two tubes or three tubes operations.  Three tubes for more difficult to drive headphones.  No optical input.  Only USB B and analog input.

 

[soundify]

WA8 feature two tubes or three tubes operations.  Three tubes for more difficult to drive headphones.  No optical input.  Only USB B and analog input.

Since it accepts analog, can I assume that it works in conjunction with chord Hugo with hugo being the dac and wa8 as amp?

Ohh and will it partner well with LCD-X?

 

[abvolt]

Any news on a release date yet ?

 

[IceClass]

Very exciting. Subscribed.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Since it accepts analog, can I assume that it works in conjunction with chord Hugo with hugo being the dac and wa8 as amp?

Ohh and will it partner well with LCD-X?

yes, you can use any external DAC of your choosing.  However, we have paid a lot of attention to the internal DAC so you may not have the desire to hug an external DAC.  
 
WA8's goal is to the performance of our desktop amplifier in a transportable form factor.  Drives LCDx and T1 with ease so far.

 
Quote:

  Any news on a release date yet ?

 
Summer.  Follow us on social media for the latest.  (y)

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

The T1 sounded amazing.  And now there's a "next level" prototype.  Very excited to hear more...

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Prototype #2 will be at SoCal CanJam and Montreal Audio show this weekend.  We can't wait to show it to you.  
 

 

[rschoi75]

Nice! That's on my short list of products to check out.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  Prototype #2 will be at SoCal CanJam and Montreal Audio show this weekend.  We can't wait to show it to you.  
 

 
 
What a beauty.  Anything you can share with us?

 

[Amojo]

Prototype #2 will be at SoCal CanJam and Montreal Audio show this weekend.  We can't wait to show it to you.  

Very nice please make available in the UK

 

[TienV1125]

can't wait

 

[LionTamer]

I tried this out at the Montreal Audio Show...it is fantastic.  Very similar sounding to the WA6SE that I use - and to test that out, I listened at the show through LCD3's to both the 6SE and the 8 using my iPhone as a source. I can confirm that the WA8 powered the LCD3 absolutely flawlessly.  It weighs and heats up a bit too much to carry in a pocket, but its purpose is more to be a transportable than to be a portable.  Still...with the battery, nothing stops you from using it on the train in your lap.
 
Really, I'm a big fan of the Woo amps - they all sound so good, regardless of price.  I'm not sure that I have enough of a use case for a WA8 when most of my focused headphone listening gets done at home, and my WA6se is perfect for my needs already - but it is certainly a potential one-amp-fits-all solution, where you can use a high-end home DAC if you have one and use the WA8 as an amp only for desktop use, while using it in portable form to be one of the finest portable amps around.
 
Very impressive stuff.

 

[abvolt]

just curious if any pricing is set ?

 

[LionTamer]

Jack said that nothing is set in stone at this point, but he's thinking ~$1,500.  He also said that the sonic benchmark for the amp is the WA6 - which I can confirm is an accurate comparison.
 
Also, I asked if the screws holding down the window would be flush in the final version, since those are the types of things that can lead to damage - whether it's scratching some surrounding gear, or getting hooked by stuff and causing the amp itself to possibly take some damage.  He said that they're looking into that for the final version.  Also - no balanced support on this one due to lack of space.  But he did find the space to put a full-sized volume control, which is nice and confidence-inducing.

 

[maricius]

I'm very curious to how the amp section will perform compared to the ALO Continental Dual Mono. ALO and Vinnie claims that the ALO CDM is significantly better than the discontinued "The Pan Am." I'm assuming it's now closer or on the level of the Woo WA7. The WA8's amp section should at least be as capable and as great sounding as the WA7's. Competition is getting stiffer.