WooAudio WA8
I picked up a WA8 last week, to see if it could replace my Hugo 2, as I was starting to find my Hugo 2 a bit harsh with many of my albums. WA8 is a unit with a few strong characteristics. I am surprised that none of the reviews out there, have mentioned these aspects, and rather did the usual 'wonderful vacuum tube sound' dance. Anyways, moving on..
The first aspect about WA8's sound that gets your attention is the strong bass. The bass is slightly enhanced resulting in a warm and slightly-thick bass presentation. But thats the not the whole story about its bass. This thing can slam like a s-o-b. Its an impact that you only come across in desktop amplifiers. And I am not surprised because, despite WA8's transportable form, its amp section is actually a fully discrete design, running class-A. What that means is, you can expect some of the benefits you get from a desktop class amp. And for the same reason, the unit runs quite hot and you only get around 4 hours of battery, as class-A designs are simply power hungry and dissipate a lot of heat. Another sound aspect you can expect from a good discrete amp is an open and airy soundstage, and the WA8 does have a spacious and an airy stage with excellent height and depth. But the width of the stage is quite narrow. So what you get is a high-ceiling-hallway shaped stage, that feels very spacious, even if its not monstrous in size. The presentation as a whole is placed slightly forward than neutral which gives a very engaging sound. I typically prefer a neutral placement but its not a big deal.
While these characteristics mentioned in the above paragraph can be desired or disliked, depending on one's preference, there is one more characteristic where the WA8 fails objectively, regardless of preferences. And that is the lack of body and dynamics in the mid-range. It's a shame because, the tone of the mid-range is very natural and realistic. With a forward presentation, the mid-range instruments feel right there and yet, it lacks the tangibility due to the lack of body. And to make it worse, the mid-range also lacks macro and micro-dynamics and thus coming across as soft. And when I try to crank the volume up to perceive the mid-range, the bass starts to overwhelm the sound. And when I do some EQ by adding some dBs to the center-midrange, there is a slight improvement in body, but the midrange still remains soft and intangible. So there really is no solution to this problem. The reviews talk about the tubey mid-range in the device. While the influence of WA8's tubes can be sensed in its tone and smoothness, you really don't get the full-bodied notes that most other tube amps typically offer.
Once you get past this mid-range issue, there is a lot to be admired and enjoyed about the WA8's sound. For example, the device just nails the tone. With a touch of warmth from the bass, a linear treble and a neutral-warm mid-range, the tone I hear on the WA8 is perhaps the best I've heard from a portable device in the sub-$2000 category. And I think we have to thank the tubes for that, because the tubes seem to remove any kind of edginess or hardness in the upper-midrange and treble, while retaining most details. And so, the amp has a very forgiving sound. The resolution and transparency are not WA8's strengths. Not that it lacks in those areas. It does have above average transparency and resolution, but devices like Hugo 2 and other TOTL DAPs outperform the WA8 in those regards and sound more precise. What it lacks in resolution and transparency it makes it up with its tone, stage and bass impact. Overall WA8 is a device geared for musical enjoyment.
Vs Hugo 2:
In comparison to the Hugo 2, WA8's bass slams harder and is overall warmer than H2's bass. H2's bass may be quick and clean, but it lacks the bass dynamics that the WA8 has. H2's midrange is more present and solid, and it also gets the cake for mid-range dynamics. Every little micro-dynamics is so easily laid out on the H2, while these micro-dynamics are soft sounding and are not quite easily perceived on the WA8. H2's lower mid-range isn't as thick as the WA8, but the overall body of the mid-range is better on the H2, due to the solidity and density reinforced by its centre-midrange presence.
While the WA8 goes for a smoother upper-midrange and treble, H2 is overall brighter, sharper and very detailed in that frequency range, supplemented with a better treble extension. Whether H2 is forgiving or not, will depend on the track and the headphones. But regardless of the headphones, WA8 is going to have an organic tone and a forgiving nature. H2 literally nails the presentation with a equally proportioned stage and a neutral placement. WA8 does sound a bit more spacious and airy, but the placement is a touch more forward. H2 does have better width, but the WA8 has better height. And both the devices have a similar depth. While layering is also similar on both devices, H2 gets the win for separation, resolution and transparency. Over all H2 sounds analytical due to its hyper-detailed neutral sound, that focusses on precision, while the WA8 goes for a musical presentation.
Conclusion:
In the end, WA8 is a really good AIO solution with a simple design, and a transportable form factor. It is not going to be as portable as a Mojo, nor is it feature-rich like a Hugo 2. But it does have a tubey character to its sound and certain qualities to replace your desktop DAC and Amp stack, provided you can overlook the mid-range issue. But for the asking price of $1800, the mid-range issue is something I can't go easy about. So if you know you will be using it mostly at your desk, I'd recommend looking into a different DAC+Amp stack. But if you are a frequent traveller or want a device with a smooth sound, that you could carry to your office and back, and can make peace with a soft mid-range, I can wholeheartedly recommend the WA8.
