FAQ
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1: What is the sales and discount policy?
Factory direct pricing with the savings passed straight to you. We do not inflate the prices of our products to offer a perceived discount.
All sales are final on specially priced and custom-build products.
Promotions: Active coupon codes may be used on normally priced Woo Audio branded products over $999, sale items are excluded from additional discounts.
Products from ABYSS, Audeze, Austrian Audio, beyerdynamic, Focal, HiFiMan, Dan Clark Audio (formerly MrSpeakers), Sennheiser, Sony, Grado, STAX, MYSPHERE, Klipsch, Kimber Kable, Nordost, Takatsuki, KR Audio, Sophia Electric, JPS Labs, and other non-Woo Audio branded products are excluded from sales and promotions.
Pricing Errors: Woo Audio reserves the right to cancel any orders containing pricing errors, with no further obligations to you, even after your receipt of an order confirmation or shipping notice.
Price Adjustments: If item(s) in your order goes on sale before your order is delivered, email us at info@wooaudio.com for possible price adjustment (some exclusions apply).
Military Discount: In appreciation for the service of our active U.S. military personnels, we offer FREE shipping with no minimum order limit to APO/FPO mailing addresses. Email us at info@wooaudio.com for a custom discount code.
2: What is the warranty?
Every Woo Audio amplifier purchased (new) after January 1st 2021 on our website or from our authorized dealers is covered by a Three (3) years limited warranty against manufacturing defects. Woo Audio amplifiers sold as blemish, demo, open-box, or refurbished is covered by a One (1) year limited warranty against manufacturing defects.
In the first year, the remaining limited warranty is transferable by the original purchaser (transfer form).
Woo Audio branded accessories are covered by either a 90 days limited warranty or a one (1) year limited warranty against manufacturing defects. Vacuum tubes supplied with Woo Audio amplifiers are considered “consumable” wear and tear items and covered for 30 days against defects. Warranty covers the cost of inspection, repair, parts, labor, and return shipping to the customer.
Shipping cost to us for an inspection / service is not covered. You are responsible for return shipping charges for all non-warranty repair and “no problem found” evaluations.
Third party products warranty provided by the product manufacturer. Vacuum tubes warranty is 30 days against defects unless specified.
Limited Warranty does not apply to products that are not Woo Audio-branded, even if packaged or sold with Woo Audio products.
3: Do you ship outside the U.S.?
Yes, we ship worldwide.
Free shipping via FedEx Ground or USPS on orders over $99 within the U.S. and international orders over $999* (exclusions apply).
*Free international shipping excludes some countries and products from: ABYSS, Audeze, beyerdynamic, Focal, HiFiMan, MrSpeakers, Sennheiser, Sony, Grado, STAX, MYSPHERE, Klipsch, Kimber Kable, Nordost, Takatsuki, KR Audio, Sophia Electric, JPS Labs, and other non Woo Audio branded products.
Direct signature is required on orders above $100. Customs fees, taxes, VAT is not included and is collected at the time of delivery. We do not deliver to P.O. box addresses on orders above $100.
4: What is the exchange and return policy?
Exchanges and returns must be requested and approved within 20 calendar days upon order delivery. Item(s) for return must be received within 7 calendar days of approval. Promotional items must accompany the return/exchange or the item(s) or it will be deducted from the credit/refund at the full retail price. Customer is responsible for the shipping costs on the return item(s). Shipping cost is not refundable. Original shipping cost on FREE ship items will be deducted from the refund.
Approved returns must be returned in original box and packing material with all original accessories. Return/exchange are subject to a 15% restocking fee on headphones, cables, vacuum tubes, accessories, and all non Woo Audio branded products. A 10% restocking fee on Woo Audio branded product returns.
All PayPal returns and order cancelations have a 3.5% restocking fee due to PayPal's new policy of not refunding retailers the 3.5% PayPal transaction fee [learn more].
Special orders, orders with upgraded parts, custom features / components, open-box items, and specially priced / discounted item(s) cannot be return. If item is defective, an exchange for same make and model only.
Confirmed defective products are not subject to restocking fee. Confirmed defective products can be exchanged for the same item or another product (one-time). Cost difference is adjusted accordingly by Woo Audio. A credit or a refund will be applied if the replacement item cost less than the item for exchange. Customer is responsible for paying the difference if the replacement item cost more than the item for exchange. Customer pays shipping on exchanges.
5: What shipping methods do you offer?
FedEx Ground, USPS for small items and APO/FPO/DPO addresses. FedEx International Economy for Alaska, Hawaii, and outside the U.S. Additional fees may apply on other shipping methods or additional handling is requested.
We will secure your order in the best possible way to avoid damage in transit.
6: Where do I register my Woo Audio product for warranty?
Your original purchase receipt is required for warranty service/claim. In the first year, the remaining limited warranty is transferable by the original purchaser (transfer form).
7: Where are Woo Audio products made and serviced?
Our products are designed, assembled, serviced and shipped from our own facility in Long Island City, New York U.S.A.
Out-of-warranty Inspection, repair and service fee:
WA2, WA3, WA6, WA6-SE, WA7, WA8 eclipse, WA11 topaz, WA22, WA23 LUNA, ES8, WEE, WTP-1, WDS-1:
$120 inspection fee + any necessary repairs + return shipping
WA5 / WA5-LE, WA33, WA234MONO, WES, 3ES:
$220 inspection fee + any necessary repairs + return shipping.
Products in for service are held for up to 30 calendar days. If the owner does not respond to us by email, phone, text or pay for the inspection / repairs within this timeframe, the item(s) are deemed ABANDONED and ownership may be transferred.
8: Is there any unit available for immediate delivery?
Our products are mostly BTO (build-to-order). Average lead time is 1 to 2 weeks once your order is in our system. However, this is not guranteed.
9: How do you ensure the highest quality for my order?
Our products are handcrafted with high precision. We test and tune each amp with professional equipment. Each unit must pass hours of stress testing against several different output devices and "burn-in" before packaging.
10: What payment method do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards, Pay, PayPal, bank wire transfer, USPS Money Order, bank cashier's/official check, and personal check (allow 5–7 business day for processing). If you'd like to send a personal check, it is more convenience and simpler to send an eCheck by PayPal to www.paypal.me/wooaudio.
All PayPal returns and order cancelations have a 3.5% restocking fee due to PayPal's new policy of not refunding retailers the 3.5% PayPal transaction fee [learn more].
11: Can you expedite my order?
The production queue is in the order of purchase date; therefore, the earlier you place an order the sooner you will receive it. We will try our best to accommodate every customer. A handling fee may be applied on rush orders.
12: Do I need to adjust voltage bias?
No, our tube amplifiers are self-biasing.
13: How to modify my amplifier?
We do not recommend to make any modifications to our products. Doing so would void the warranty and potentially damage to the amplifier.
14: How long do tubes take to warm up?
Most vacuum tubes reaches operating temperature within a minute; however, you will notice the amp sound better after approx. 20 minutes of playtime.
15: How long do vacuum tubes last?
No reputable tubes seller can guarantee the life of a vacuum tube. Typically, tubes in our products may run 5000 - 9000 hours depending on where they are used. Drive tubes (the smaller tubes) are generally last up to 9000 hours, and power output tubes (the larger tubes) about 5000 hours. They do not usually completely fail after this time, but gradually deteriorate as the cathode begins to lose its coating and cannot emit electronics at the maximum rate. The sound usually becomes less focused and 2D like lacking high frequencies response.
16: How long does it take to break-in tubes?
We recommend to use the amplifier as normal for approx. 150-200 hrs. to break-in the tubes and your ears.
17: What are indirect and direct heating tubes?
Inside an indirect heating tube, the filament is used to heat a separate electrode called the cathode, and to use the cathode as the source of electron flow in the tube rather than the filament itself. This minimized the introduction of hum when the filament was energized with alternating current. In such tubes, the filament is called a heater to distinguish it as an inactive element.
On the other hand, direct heating tube is to use the filament as the source of electron flow. For example, 6080, 6922, and 5AR4 are indirect heating tubes while 300B and 5U4G are directs.
18: What tubes should I buy what are the compatible tubes I can use?
The tubes we sell are hand selected to be the best ones available. We test every tube to ensure they meet our strict standards before they are offered to our customers and are backed by a minimum of 30-day limited warranty. You can buy from us with confidence.
See our tubes compatible chart here (link). Email us whenever in doubt. In general, you are looking for tubes with the same model number. However, there are many different models number can be substitute directly.
Some tubes have two different types of numbers on them. For instance, a 12AU7A that also has ECC82 printed on the tube. The ECC82 is the European numbering system and the 12AU7A is the US system. There are quite a few tubes that have both numbers printed on them, but many will only have one or the other number. They are the same tubes, no matter what numbering system is used.
6922=E88CC=6DJ8, 6080=6AS7, 12AU7=ECC82, 12AX7=ECC83, 5AR4=GZ34
Note: Compatible does not mean we recommend. Our selection of upgrade tubes are listed within the products page.
19: Why is a tube glowing blue?
It could mean that the tube is defective as air gets trapped inside the glass, but a small amount air would not cause noticeable degrade in sonic. You can hardly find a tube that is completely vacuumed.
20: Can I leave the amp ON permanently?
Never leave your amplifier powered ON and unattended due to various reasons such as power outage/surge, overheating or tube failure which can cause damage to the amplifier. We recommend turning OFF the amplifier when not actively in use for more than 30 minutes.
21: How to install a vacuum tube in the socket?
Hold the body or the base of the tube securely with your fingers and then align the tube pins to the socket. Nudge (do not twist) the tube slowly but firmly until the base of the tube reaches the socket or the tube cannot goes in any further.
22: What to do when my amplifier developed a light hum/noise?
Noises can come from many different places. e.g. power source, audio cables, environmental EMI. To test, please try the following.
- disconnect all cables from the amplifier.
- install ALL stock tubes.
- move amplifier to another area of the house. e.g. living room, kitchen countertop, office, etc. (This is important to isolate the amplifier from other components).
- keep cell phones, WiFi routers, powered hard drives and other high EMI devices away from the amplifier.
- connect AC power cord directly to a wall outlet (no conditioners or power strips).
- connect headphones to the amplifier and set volume to 11 o’clock position.
- listen through headphone. Do you still hear the hum?
If you still hear the hum, try a ground-lift adapter (for testing ONLY). If the hum goes away using the adapter, you have a ground-loop issue in the house. You can use a device called HUM-X.
23: Can I change headphones when the amp is on?
It is safe as long as the volume knob is at the lowest setting, zero (counterclockwise). We recommend to pause/stop the music as well.
24: Do you make custom amplifiers?
We can customize on some models, depending on the complexity of the modifications. Please let us know your ideas and we will look into it.
25: Can I change the amp voltage for AC220?
Yes, most Woo Audio products have a AC110V and AC220V voltage selector built-in. Please refer to the owner's manual of the product. There is no modification required.
Make certain the voltage setting is correct for your region before switching on the amp. AC220V setting is usable for AC220V to AC240V 50/60Hz.