[TONEPUB]

Just got the Woo 5 from Woo Audio the other day.

This is a two chassis, SET with 300 B power and a massive power supply
that will power high impedance, low impedance phones as well as having
four inputs and a pair of speaker outputs too!

If you have either been itching for an SET or want the ULTIMATE
headphone amplifier, this is the one!

We will have an in-depth review in the June issue of TONE Audio
and if you live anywhere near San Jose, and can make it to the
head fi national meet, stop by and see it on display!

www.headfi.org

Jack Woo is a great guy and I have had excellent dealings with
him so far.  We liked his Woo 3+ and Woo 6 so much when he
told me he had a 300B SET, I was all over him to send me the
first one, which he kindly did!!

www.wooaudio.com

This has to be one of the best bargains in high end audio
today!! 

Tell him I sent you!

[lonewolfny42]

Looks pretty good.....have fun with the testing.... aa

[vinyl anachronist]

Wow...that's quite a headphone amp!

I have the Woo 3, which I use with Grado GS1000 headphones, and the sound is really smooth and expansive and detailed.  I'd love to hear the Grados with the Woo 5!

[Jon L]

Looks pretty good.....have fun with the testing.... aa

Any amp with the pre-installed 4-pin female XLR jack for AKG K1000 is 

The most important question is the price, though  aa

Could somebody look inside and tell us how the power amp -->headphone conversion is being done, with resistors or impedance-matching headphone transformers?

[JimJ]

 

Hot.

[TONEPUB]

The new woo is $3000....

Ill ask Jack how he does the impedance thing!

[cclingbobe]

I found Bob Majors review helpful in that he confirmed the treble spike and full bass which I had noticed and, so far as the spike is concerned, found increasingly unacceptable. The spike makes itself apparent to my ears through an edginess on solo voice and orchestral strings (to give two examples). It gives an edgy tinselly sound which is missing ( thank goodness) in comparisons including Sennheiser 650 (too bland) and Denon 2000 (my current favourites).

I am using good amplifiers from Headroom, Graham Slee, Earmax and Grado.

Yet the phones can sound great in some ways with impressive sound stage, detail and bass. I am not convinced by Bob (and Headroom) who cite the Fletcher Munson law and all that and  recommend listening at low volumes so that the peaks level out. This may well be true but couldn't they be level in the first place? Is there any combination that reduces the spike (apart from a graphic equaliser as Bob uses).

I am beginning to wonder whether mine might be faulty with an exaggerated spike.

I emailed Grado for their comment and received no response. Customer relations does  not appear to be  their strong point, I think.However they apparently passed the email to their UK distributor who offered to send the phones to Grado for £120 a ridiculous price and procedure.

Meanwhile back at the sound i wonder whether there is anything else `i can do to replicate the experience of those reviewers such as  Hi Fi Choice who say they are the greatest transducer on the planet.

I would love to learn of other listeners' views and approaches.

The phones do intrigue me.

Roger (aka cclingbobe)

[TONEPUB]

Not sure what this has to do with the woo....

I've noticed the Grado takes more time to break in than
some phones and also suspect part of it is the cable.

Recently heard the ALO cabled version as well as the
Stephan Audio Art and they both sound smoother.

[cryoparts]

 

Lee

Looks pretty good.....have fun with the testing.... aa