The Woo Audio TUBE mini is a new ultra-portable tube headphone amplifier and DAC that delivers impressive, powerful sound in half the size of an average smartphone. Now you can take your favorite over-ear headphones with you and enjoy the best sound quality anywhere.
History of creation
Can a small amplifier provide high-quality and powerful sound? This simple question haunted us and led to the creation of two of the smallest products we have ever offered, the WA8 Eclipse and WA11 Topaz. But the desire to become even smaller continues. In late 2019, we created a powerful solid state amplifier that you can carry in your pocket, but we felt it lacked our vacuum tube tradition. The eureka moment came when we placed the Eclipse and Topaz amps next to each other; We thought: “Is it possible to create a portable tube DAC/headphone amplifier based on these two products?” Excited by this opportunity, we focused our engineering efforts on realizing this idea.
Features of Woo Audio TUBE mini:
- Recommended for full-size and power-hungry headphones
- Audiophile DAC ESS SABER with resolution up to 24 bit/384 kHz PCM and up to DSD256 (11.2 MHz)
- Compatible with Apple, Android, Mac and Windows computers with USB or USB-C/Thunderbolt 3
- Two vacuum tubes (one per channel)
- Anodized aluminum chassis
- Designed and assembled in New York, USA
Technology The Woo Audio TUBE mini
is basedon traditional vacuum tubes combined with Woo Audio’s innovative Mighty-Drive technology. The result is the warm sound of vacuum tubes and ultra-high power MOSFET amplification for a sound that easily comes to life in over-ear headphones. TUBE mini seamlessly combines three technologies – a power management system for plug-and-play setup, a tube headphone amplifier and a high-resolution, lossless DAC – all in a small package.
Vacuum tubes are the center of attention. Each tube is designed to amplify one channel (so a pair is used for left/right stereo) combined with a high-power MOSFET in a balanced architecture we call Mighty-Drive. The result is a unique sound not found in either solid state or small tube amplifiers.
Vacuum tube technology has been used since the early 1900s in a wide range of applications – from audio and video equipment, medical imaging, to mission-critical military devices. The lamps are reliable and maintenance-free and can operate for many thousands of hours.
In audio components, tube microphony from external mechanical vibrations can be transmitted to tungsten heaters and thus become audible in the signal path. To reduce mechanical vibrations, the tubes in the Woo Audio TUBE mini are cleverly mounted on a spring suspension, similar to seismic damper systems used in seismic protection.
Signature sound
The built-in ESS SABER DAC is optimized for working with streaming music services and lossless playback of all Hi-Res formats. TUBE mini delivers our signature sound with an unparalleled listening experience, faithfully reproducing your favorite music as it was originally recorded.
Characteristics of Woo Audio TUBE mini:
- Supported sampling rates: 24bit/384kHz PCM and up to DSD256 (11.2MHz)
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 46 kHz (-3 dB)
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 100 dB
- Outputs: 4.4 mm balanced, 3.5 mm unbalanced
- Maximum output power: 1000 mW (8 ohms)
- Dimensions: 107mm x 35mm x 7mm
- Weight: 49 g
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