Woo Audio WA6 SEFrom real comments

Name: Woo Audio WA6 SE
Rating: 3.2 (16 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 16 mentions across 9 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment57%

PROS 57%

CONS 43%

Rank based on 16 mentions across 9 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want a tube amp that leans closer to solid-state transparency than classic 'tubey' warmth
You enjoy tube-rolling to shape the sound (driver/rectifier swaps change character noticeably)
You're driving power-hungry planars like the LCD-2 and want strong control and separation

What users love

Relatively transparent, less 'tubey' signature0 mentions

Widely praised

Flexible sound via tube rolling0 mentions

Widely praised

Strong power and control0 mentions

Strongly positive

Pleasant vocal and midrange presentation0 mentions

Widely praised

Well regarded by the community/maker reputation0 mentions

Generally positive

Skip this if...

You're not willing to wait 7-8+ weeks with little communication from Woo Audio
You want a consistently voiced amp out of the box rather than one dependent on tube choice
You're comparing V2 units and have read reports of inconsistent build/performance versus V1

What users complain about

Long, unpredictable lead times0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Sound heavily dependent on tube choice0 mentions

Generally negative

Inconsistent unit quality (V1 vs V2)0 mentions

Strongly criticized

Component wear with extended use0 mentions

Generally negative

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Woo Audio WA6 SE

Flexible sound via tube rollingRelatively transparent, less 'tubey' signatureStrong power and controlLong, unpredictable lead timesSound heavily dependent on tube choiceComponent wear with extended use

Woo Audio WA6 SE

Flexible sound via tube rolling

Relatively transparent, less 'tubey' signature

Strong power and control

Long, unpredictable lead times

Sound heavily dependent on tube choice

Component wear with extended use

Pedal friendly
1. Roland JC-22arrow_upward9
2. Orange OR15arrow_upward8
3. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward5
Versatile tone
1. Orange OR15arrow_upward10
2. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward8
Lightweight
1. Roland Blues Cube Artistarrow_upward8
2. TC Electronic BH250arrow_upward3
3. Orange OR15arrow_upward2
Great cleans
1. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward6
2. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_upward5
Build quality
1. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_upward6
2. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward4
Expensive
1. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_downward2
2. Friedman BE-100 Deluxearrow_downward3
3. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_downward5

Overall Impression

The WA6-SE is often called Woo's least 'tubey' amp, sitting closer to solid-state neutrality. Multiple owners note the WA6-SE lacks the pronounced tube coloration of amps like the WA2, being described as relatively transparent and neutral with a tendency to highlight mids and extend bass. Compared to a Grace Design m903, it was called less bright, and vocals were singled out as sounding great. Overall it was seen as powerful, controlled and well-separated when paired with power-hungry headphones.

Sound character is highly dependent on tube rolling. Owners experimented with different driver and rectifier tubes, finding the GE 6EW7 combo more detailed and transparent than the 6DR7, which sounded darker. Another owner reported extremely fast, controlled sound from LCD-2 headphones using GE 6DE7 driver tubes with the stock rectifier. This suggests the amp's voicing is flexible but requires experimentation and additional tube purchases to dial in a preferred sound.

Ordering experience involves long, uncertain wait times. Several buyers reported Woo Audio quoting 3-4 week lead times that stretched to 7-8 weeks with no proactive updates, requiring the buyer to follow up themselves. This was attributed to Woo being a small company that can max out capacity. Buyers were told it was 'worth the wait,' but the lack of communication during the delay was a recurring frustration worth planning for before ordering.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

graphic_eqRelatively transparent, less 'tubey' signature

3 mentions

Widely praised

Owners describe the WA6-SE as sounding closer to solid-state, with more transparency than typical tube amps and less warmth than expected. This is seen as a plus for listeners who normally avoid tube coloration.

@Headphoneaddict

Part 1: No, I think that Grace Design m903 and D7000 is brighter than WA6-SE and D7k, so I prefer the latter. Choice of tubes has a lot of saying through (I have more now than when making the video). When I say that this is the least \"tubey\" amp in their lineup, I mean that it sounds more like a solid state amp (since I lack experience with tube amps, this is more a consensus I've seen on head-fi than my own opinion to be honest).

smart_display

September 13, 2012

@willmatiq

Do you find this amp to be too warm with your D7k's? Only asking because you say in the review that this amp isn't very \"tubey,\" ( usually avoid tube amps with the Denons). I've been considering adding a tube amp to complement my solid state Yulong D-100 II for my open phones. Btw, I had a chance to meet Jack Woo at a head-fi meet earlier this year, and he is an absolute sweetheart of a guy. He was very happy to talk to everyone, and was carefree in letting anyone demo his flagship gear.

smart_display

September 13, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

Pt1: Holy sh*t, that's a lot of difficult questions. Keep in mind that I'm new to tubes, so I haven't heard a lot. 1) I would say that with the right cans this is pretty transparent, however not as transparent as other tube amps like WA2 which is known to be much more tubey than this. This is probably Woo's least tube sounding amp. Further more it's sound signature relies significantly on which tubes you use. I have only tried three driver tubes as of yet,

smart_display

September 2, 2012

tuneFlexible sound via tube rolling

3 mentions

Widely praised

Swapping driver and rectifier tubes (GE 6DE7, 6EW7, 6DR7) noticeably changes detail, transparency and warmth, letting owners tune the sound to their headphones and preferences.

@Headphoneaddict

Part 2: With the stock rectifier tube and GE 6EW7 driver tubes the D7k sounds better (detail, transparency, refined) than if I use GE 6DR7 tubes (which in turn is my current favorite for LCD-2). With that combo I'd call D7000 darker. Remember that I'm talking about small differences here, but the devil is in the details. :)\n\nI said the WA22 is more tubey in the video, but I meant the WA2. I want a WA2, and maybe upgrade my WA6SE to a WA22 in the future to get fully balanced + preamp for stereo.

smart_display

September 13, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

My LCD-2 rev. 1 sound extremely fast and controlled with the stock rectifier and a pair of GE 6DE7 tubes with skinny bottles. I hear that some people prefer upgrading their WA6-SE with a stepped attenuator instead of the stock potentiometer. (The volume knob will have clicks instead of being continuous). This is said to help you avoid channel imbalances at lower volumes, but I don't have that problem with my WA6-SE, so... Just wanted to let you know.

smart_display

September 10, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

smart_display

September 2, 2012

boltStrong power and control

2 mentions

Strongly positive

The amp is noted for having a lot of power, giving great control and separation, and driving planar headphones like the LCD-2 with speed and precision.

@Headphoneaddict

smart_display

September 10, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

Pt2: and only the stock rectifier, so I'm not the right person to respond to what tubes are best for you. 2) I would say that it is neutral, but with a tendency to highlight mids and bass, which by the way is very extended. Vocals also sound great. All this is relatively compared to my neutral Grace Design m903. It has a lot of power and hence has great control and separation. I'm not getting rid of it any time soon. 3) I listen to a wide variety of music.

smart_display

September 2, 2012

micPleasant vocal and midrange presentation

1 mentions

Widely praised

Users note a neutral tuning with a tendency to highlight mids and extended bass, and specifically praise vocal reproduction as sounding great.

@Headphoneaddict

smart_display

September 2, 2012

thumb_upWell regarded by the community/maker reputation

1 mentions

Generally positive

A commenter met Jack Woo at a meet and described him as friendly and generous with demoing gear, adding positive sentiment around the brand.

@willmatiq

smart_display

September 13, 2012

scheduleLong, unpredictable lead times

2 mentions

Frequently criticized

Multiple buyers report quoted 3-4 week lead times stretching to 7-8 weeks, with little to no proactive communication from Woo during the wait.

@Headphoneaddict

I'll explain the setup with four monitors in my next headphone gear tour :)\n\nYes, Woo said it would take 3-4 weeks, but it shipped after 7 weeks and shipping took a week, so I got it 8 weeks after placing the order and paying. There were no updates during lead time, so I had to contact Woo for updates. They are a small company, and I believe they have maxed out their capacity, at least when I ordered.

smart_display

October 24, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

You're welcome. I will make more reviews of this with different types of tubes in the future. Congratulations on the purchase! :D The lead time was what? 3-4 weeks? When I ordered mine Woo said 3-4 weeks, but I ended up waiting for 7 weeks before it was shipped. It's well worth the wait though. What kind of headphones will you use with it? I got mine with the stock tubes, but have started buying some NOS tubes on eBay recently. Still waiting for some of them. (I'm new to tubes).

smart_display

September 10, 2012

swap_horizSound heavily dependent on tube choice

2 mentions

Generally negative

Because the amp's character shifts significantly with different tubes, achieving a preferred sound requires additional purchases and experimentation rather than a fixed out-of-box voicing.

@Headphoneaddict

smart_display

September 13, 2012

@Headphoneaddict

smart_display

September 2, 2012

warningInconsistent unit quality (V1 vs V2)

1 mentions

Strongly criticized

One V2 owner felt their unit performed below expectations, comparing it unfavorably to amps costing far less, and suggested V1 units may be better regarded.

@kurt120032002

searching the internet I tend to believe V1 is better then V2. I have WA-6SE V2, and it's not even average. Average would be middle of the road in 1500 Euro amps, this is below 600 Euro amps. Thing is I see a few threads about how good v1 is and other V2 owners say that v2 average at best. If I was wondering to try some other tubes but I risk sinking another 1500 Euros for nothing. I thin I will just go for another amp with more tube options to pick from.

smart_display

October 22, 2022

battery_alertComponent wear with extended use

1 mentions

Generally negative

Running the tube amp for more than 8 hours at a time is said to shorten the lifespan of tubes, capacitors and transformers.

@angrygoldfish

It's not just for safety or common sense that you shouldn't use a tube amplifier for more than 8 hours. It will decrease the lifespan of the tubes, capacitors & probably the transformers.

smart_display

May 12, 2014

Woo Audio WA6 SEchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

thumb_up_off_altBuy this if...

What users lovefavorite_border

thumb_down_off_altSkip this if...

What users complain aboutheart_broken

Compare in seconds

Who wins on what

Pedal friendly

Versatile tone

Lightweight

Great cleans

Build quality

Expensive

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

Woo Audio WA6 SEFrom real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression