Woo Audio WA3 User manual

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 1
WOO AUDIO WA3
Stereo Headphone Amplifier
Single-Ended OTL, Class A Vacuum Tube Headphone & re Amplifier
Owner’s Manual
Please review this manual before operating your WOO AUDIO™ product.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 2
Important afety Information
CAUTION: These amplifiers are shipped without the vacuum
tubes installed. It is necessary to install the tubes first. The tubes
must be installed correctly or serious damage that is not covered
by the warranty will result.
Turn off immediately in the event of malfunction
Should you notice smoke or an unusual smell coming from the
equipments, turn it off immediately. Continued operation could
result in injury.
Do not disassemble
High voltage circuit. Touching the product’s internal parts could
result in injury. In the event of malfunction, the product should be
repaired only by a qualified technician.
Keep out of children
Failure to observe this precaution could result in injury
WARNING: Failure to follow these instructions could result in
fire, electric shock, or other injury or damage.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 3
Table of Contents
IMPORTANT AFETY INFORMATION 2
TABLE OF CONTENT 3
OVERVIEW 4
QUICK IN TALLATION 5
OPERATION 9
COMPATIBLE TUBE 11
FAQ - FREQUENTLY A KED QUE TION 12
WARRANTY AND ERVICE 13
REVIEW 14
PRODUCT PECIFICATION 15

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 4
Overview
Thank you for choosing a Woo Audio product. The WA3 is finely hand-crafted amplifier
that delivers uncompromised performance and superior listening experience.
oint-to- oint wiring
One 6AS7 / 6080 [ DF] power tube
Two 6922 / 6DJ8 [ DF] drive tubes
One RCA input
One pre-amplifier output
¼" stereo headphone jack
Full aluminum die-cast chassis, anodized finish
Whole aluminum volume knob and power switch button
80 watts specially made toroidal transformer
Gold-pin tube sockets
Gold-plate RCA
Alps potentiometer and power switch
Rubycon and WIMA capacitors
Dale and Vishay high precision resistors
Teflon wires

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 5
Quick Installation
What’s in the box?
① WA3 amplifier
② One matched pair of 6922/E88CC/6DJ8 driver tubes
③ One 6080 power tube
The actual tubes may look different.
Compatible tubes may be included instead of the ones illustrated above.
ower cord and interconnection cable are not included.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 6
Installing the power tubes:
Note: avoid oil or smudge on the tube glass; clean hands before installation.
1. Find the correct tube for the socket. There is a label below each tube socket that
indicates a standard tube for the amplifier. For example, a 6080 tube should
install on the “6080” labeling socket. You MUST use the compatible tube or
serious damage may occur to the amplifier. See Compatible Tube section for all
the approved direct substitute tubes.
2. Align the tube guide pin to the socket as below.
3. Hold the tube base firmly then squeeze it into the socket slowly. Be sure to apply
force perpendicular to the tube socket; never insert the tube at an angle. Apply
slight rocking motion for the tube, which is harder to insert; never apply circular
motion. Apply pressure from the top of the tube if needed.
Tube socket guide pin indicator
Guide pin shows on the
bottom of a tube.
Do no insert a tube at an angle
Insert a tube perpendicular to
the socket.
Hold base firmly.



©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 7
.
4. Check installation. The tube pins should be inserted fully into the tube socket
receptacles.
Installing driver and rectifier tubes:
electing AC voltage:
WARNING: failure to select the correct voltage will result in damage of the amp.


Switch to label “115” for
AC100 to 125V voltage.
Switch to label “230” for
AC210 to 240V voltage.
Insert the tube perpendicular
to the socket
Use both hands if needed
Bottom of the tube Align the tube to the socket

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 8
Installing the power cord:
lug the power cord into the AC inlet. See ① in the below diagram. The AC inlet socket is a
standard IEC type. You will need to obtain the correct type for your region.
Installing the source input:
lug the RCA interconnection cable into the RCA connectors; see ④ in the below diagram.
Back panel diagram:
① AC voltage selection switch
② AC inlet
③ RCA pre-amp output. This is an optional feature.
④ RCA input
U.S. European
U.K.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 9
Operation
DO NOT
oTurn on the amp before properly installing ALL tubes.
oUse tubes that are not approved by Woo Audio.
oTurn on the equipment without checking the correct AC voltage setting.
oRemove any tubes or the DC cord while the amp is operating
oTouch tubes (extremely hot) after warm-up.
oLeave the amps running unattended. To use the amps safely, please allow it to
cool down for every 8 hours of continuous play time.
DO
olace the amp away from any wireless or frequency-emitting devices such as
mobile phones, DAs and radios, to avoid noise interference.
oKeep away from water or excessive moisture.
oTurn off the amp if its sound is abnormal.
oAllow a minimum of 2 inches of air clearance for heat dissipation.
oAllow approximately 5 minutes of warm-up.
oAllow the tubes to cool down before replacing them.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 10
Turning the amplifier on:
1. Turn the volume knob to the lowest position.
2. Insert a headphone into phone jack ①.
3. ress the power switch ③ to a locking position. The LED will light.
4. Observe that all tubes light gradually.
5. Let the tubes warm up for at least 1 minute before turning up the volume.
Front panel diagram:
① Headphone output
② Volume control
③ ower switch
④ ower LED indicator
Break-in period:
It is recommended to allow the amplifier to operate 150+ hours so that peak performance can be
realized. An effective way to break-in the amp is to run the amp normally with music playing.
Please do not leave the amp running continuously.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 11
Compatible Tubes
Model Adapter Comment
Driver
6922 * No
6DJ8 No
6N1P No
7308 No
E188CC No
E88CC No
E288CC No
ECC88 No
CCa No
Power
6080 * No
421A No Greater power. Western Electric branded.
5998 No Greater power
6AS7 No
6H13C No
6N5P No
7236 No Greater power
2399 No
6520 No
* The most current chart can be found in this document:
http://tinyurl.com/4wbv5qn

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 12
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
There is abnormal sound right after turning on the amplifier.
This is normal from a cold start as the tubes are warming up to get into the proper
working state. The noise will disappear gradually.
Can I change headphone while the amplifier is on?
Yes, but you must first minimize the volume.
No sound is coming out of the headphone.
oCheck that all tubes are properly installed.
oCheck that the source is properly installed and is working fine.
oCheck that the source switch is on the correct position.
oCheck headphone connection.
There is noticeable noise coming from the headphone.
oRemove all sources from the amp to check if the noise disappears. If it does, the
noise is coming from the source.
olace the amp away from other electronic devices to check whether those were
causing the noise.
olace the amp in a different location to check if the noise is coming from the AC
line.
oRemove all tubes, clean tube pins, and then reinstall them again.
oReplace some or all tubes.
The sound is abnormal or distorted.
Replace tubes to see if they have deteriorated.
The LED and the tubes do not light.
Check if the fuse is burnt. See the following instruction on how to replace a fuse. The
fuse type is 2 or 3A, slo-blo.


Insert a small flat
screwdriver into
the fuse door
which located on
the AC inlet.
Release the fuse
door by pulling it
out.
The fuse holder is
released from the
AC inlet.
The fuse is held by
a clip .


©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 13
Warranty and ervice
Woo Audio warrants this product free from defects in materials and workmanship for 1
year from the original date of purchase. The tubes are warranted for 30 days unless
otherwise stated. In the event that your Woo Audio product requires servicing, please
contact us directly to get a return instruction. If the equipment needs to be shipped back,
please use the original packaging and include a copy of the sales purchase along with a
detailed explanation of the problem(s).
Send service inquiry to [email protected]
Any modification not authorized by WOO AUDIO will void this warranty.

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 14
Reviews
“For the enjoyment of music, the WA3 sits high in its class and is well constructed to
boot.” – shigzeo @touchmyapps.com
“Out of the bo this is a rewarding and enjoyable auditory e perience. The price belies
the value you are receiving. This amp is dimensional, tonally very musical, i.e.: as in
real music.” - jamato8@head-fi
“Probably one of the best audio buys I've ever made and I've always been a solid state
guy. This amp just makes magic with HD-650's.” - [e-mail]
The most notable difference seemed to be the soundstage, it is HUGE. I can easily tell
from what direction all the voices and instruments are coming from now. The vocals
(and entire midrange) have superb separation, and seem to carry more weight or
"authority". - 00 @head-fi

©2011 WOO AUDIO
tm
Inc. All rights reserved. www.wooaudio.com Rev 1.1. Januar , 2013. 15
Product pecification
Model: WA3
Headphones Impedance: 30-600 Ohms
Input Impedance: 100 Kilo-Ohms
Frequency Response: 8 Hz - 100 KHz, -3dB
ower Output: 110mW @32Ω
150mW @60Ω
270mW @120Ω
330mW @300Ω
260mW @600Ω (with 6080 tube)
Signal/Noise: 95 dB
THD: <= 0.08%
Voltage: AC 110/220 - 240V, 50/60 Hz, switchable
External Dimension, end to end
measurement, same for both units:
6" (H) x 5.5 (W) x 13" (D)
Weight: 10 pounds
Woo Audio is committed to continuously improve its products. We reserve
the right to improve the design without notice.