[smart]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find the threads discussing about pairing Woo Audio's stock WA3+ with HD-800 if this is a good pair. So far, I couldn't locate any.

My initial thought is that if WA3+ can properly drive HD600 or HD650, and make these can shine ... it should be also good for HD-800.

Anyone using WA3 or WA3+ with HD-800 (or HD-600/650 can give me your thought? I know that there are WA6, WA6SE, and WA22 or those upper line of products out there, but my budget is pretty limit here, too.

I'm currently using my HD-800 with Earmax SE, and I sometimes feel that the little boy Earmax can't properly make the cans shine especially in ters of power. Since Earmax SE and WA3+ use 6922 tubes, I think it's a good idea to share the tubes, as I have 2 more pairs of NOS 6922 tubes with me.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

 

[edisonwu]

You may want to spend more for the headphone. I doubt WA3 could be better than EMP SE in driving HD800.

 

[musicmind]

I auditioned an HD800 on loan to me with my WA6 and it sounded very good to me.
If you can stretch your budget slightly to get a WA6 with PDPS, I think you will have a very versatile and good value for money amp. Also, my WA6 has no noticable hum even with my SA6 IEM, so you might enjoy amping your IEM's with this amp too.
I havent heard the WA3, but from the impressions I have read, the WA6 PDPS fares better with a greater range of headphones and is well worth the extra ~170 dollars.

The output tubes for the WA6 are fairly inexpensive (eg. 6de7, 6ew7, 6fd7) and there are many rectifiers such as a GZ34, GZ30, 5u4g or 5R4gy which give a very good sound without having to get the Sophia Electric 274B.

 

[smart]

Thank you for both of your thoughts. I'm thinking about stretching my budget a little bit, too. Hmm.. my wallet is crying out loud now!

 

[xenithon]

I'm going to have to play devil's advocate

- if you can stretch your budget to a WA2 (or perhaps find one on the second hand market) it is a marvelous pairing with the HD800, and you can use your NOS 6922's in the WA2's preamp section

 

[jamato8]

If going with one of the smaller Woo amps then the 6 and only with the PDPS, without the dual power supply upgrade the amp doesn't reach the same musical level. Then the Sophia 274B rectifier.

 

[smart]

I'm afraid WA2 is far out of my reach

, and the platform is a bit too big to move around (I don't have my amp site in one place).

It seems like my choice, as my budget permits, will be WA6PDPS. Upgrading to Sophia Princess will be in the future, I hope.

Thanks for your suggestions again, guys.

 

[smart]

'cause I won't use the pre-amp feature in WA3. So if it has to be one out of the two WA3 and WA3+ ... I'd go for WA3+.

BTW, my order was processed for WA6 + PDPS.

 

[musicmind]

Congrats on your "smart" purchase

Be sure to check through the threads with lots of tuberolling information on which tubes you should try.
I had great results with my Philips GZ34 and Raytheon/RCA fatbottle 6ew7 with the HD800. The GZ30 and 5r4gy are also good rectifiers to try if you dont want to get the 274B yet.

Hope you enjoy your amp

 

[smart]

Tube rolling will be next to be explored! Thanks again for your suggestion.

 

[donunus]

bumping this thread. I haven't read many comparisons of the wa3 vs wa6 with the hd800s either and i am curious to know since based on my experience with high impedance cans and OTLs, the hd800s should sound better out of the WA3 than the 6.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

bumping this thread. I haven't read many comparisons of the wa3 vs wa6 with the hd800s either and i am curious to know since based on my experience with high impedance cans and OTLs, the hd800s should sound better out of the WA3 than the 6.

 
depends on the tubes with WA3, also the WA6 might have a little more volume.
 
of course the WA2 will beat both 

 

[donunus]

that becomes more complicated now with the WA2. We would have to add the WA6SE to the equation

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Quote:

that becomes more complicated now with the WA2. We would have to add the WA6SE to the equation

 
no, WA2 is better with HD 800. some people might prefer WA6-SE, but the WA6-SE isn't very open with tube rolling (limited with power tubes, tons of rectifiers though). at first, the WA6-SE might be better with sophia than a WA2, but the WA2 will scale better with top tubes (GEC or Tung Sol power tubes + siemens or amperex drivers) and becomes better at the end, imo. 
 
both are pretty good but i think theres more of a synergy with the WA2.

 

[donunus]

gotcha there. Thanks for that. Back to the wa3 talk, what tubes would make them sound as neutral as possible while maintaining a liquid sound without any hint of a mechanical sound to it.