[modwright]

Hi guys, the KWA 150 power amp is, as some of you know, our newest product and first amplifier to be born from the ModWright stables...  The design is pure solid-state, featuring the brilliant and proprietary Solid State Music Stage_TM by Alan Kimmel.

The amp was designed with the intent of satisfying both SS and tube amp lovers.  The goal was to provide the power, control, extension, detail and bass extension of good SS designs, combined with the 3-D soundstaging, natural midrange and 'live' and natural sound of music that tubes produce so well.

We found that the key to the overall sonic character of the amp was in the input stage.  Alan's design here is brilliant and I believe that it DOES provide the strengths of both SS and tube designs.  Combined with a high-quality tube-preamp, I feel that the amp provides an incredible, natural and 'live' presentation of any musical event.

I will follow with basic technical specs and then share the first feedback and testimonials from our customers:

Power Ratings:

> 150W into 6 ohms (stereo).
225W into 4 ohms (stereo).
450W into 8 ohms (bridged mono).
650W into 4 ohms (bridged mono).

Bandwidth: 10Hz - 220Khz

Class A/B design with first watts in pure Class A with VERY smooth transition to Class A/B operation.

Design topology:

Mosfet input and BJT output.
Fully balanced/differential.
RCA and XLR inputs, transformer coupled to fully differential input stage,
> 200,000uf total power supply capacitance.
Use of MWI custom capacitors for critical power supply bypasses.
Fully direct-coupled design throughout.
Zero global negative feedback.
TSP_TM - Total Silent Protection circuitry:DC input protection, output short-circuit protection and speaker protection, all achieved completely outside of the signal path!
High/Low Bias settings.  Best sonics in High Bias.  Coolest operation in Low Bias.

This design has been several years in the works and made its first appearance at RMAF 2008.

 It also debuted at CES 2009 as bridged monos, driving the FANTASTIC www.audiomachina.com 'Maestros'.

We are now in production and are working hard to fill pre-orders accounting for over 2/3 of the first production run.  We are shipping to domestic dealers and Distributors all over the world.  A unit is current in the hands of a reviewer in HK, another reviewer in Australia and we are shipping to Poland, Greece, Singapore, New Zealand, France and others.  Reviews are in the works with Dagogo, 6Moons.com and Positive Feedback On-line, just in the U.S.  The KWA 150 will be featured on the cover of HiFi Review HK next month I believe.

Some of you are patiently waiting for amps from your dealer/distributor and I apologize for the wait, but each unit is carefully built, tested and evaluated by hand, in the U.S.A.  This is by far the most complex and rewarding product that we have designed or produced to date.

Following is some of the first feedback/testimonials that we have received from our customers:

I have never ever heard the level of inner detail, resolution, speed and dynamic impact that this amp is delivering before in my system. At low volumes the sound is so full, so detailed that there is no reason to even crank it up. Simply amazing! - I. Osuagwu, USA, 2.01.09

While I am not a reviewer, I am lucky enough to be one of the first owners of a ModWright Instruments KWA 150.  My KWA 150 is being used in stereo mode and driving the mid and ribbon tweeter portions of a pair of Magnepan 3.6/R’s.  A pair of Bryston 7B SST’s are driving the bass panels.  Pre-amplification is performed by Dan’s SWL9.0SE 'Signature Edition', and my source is a Denon DVD-5900 with tube PS 9.0 modified by Dan several years ago.  Five of the 5.1 channels (not the .1) were modified in this universal player, so it is quite unique.  A Marchand 2-way electronic crossover separates the frequencies at 280Hz for HP and LP using 24dB slopes.  A Velodyne DD-12 (soon to be replaced by a DD-15 in a few days) takes care of sub duties below 40Hz.  Power conditioning by Running Springs Audio.

The amplifier’s construction, fit and finish are second to none.  The light blue glows emanating from the MW logo power button and top plate add an elegant touch to the overall appearance.

Good clean power is what this amplifier is all about.  Just as another reviewer stated, the resolution and detail of this amplifier is incredible.  I hear every subtle finger / lip movement and breath.  Dynamics and transients are mind blowing.  Everything has such natural timbre, and instruments are reproduced with perfect attack and decay.  Even with the most complex passages, the KWA 150 has the ability to keep each and every instrument separate while exhibiting perfect control. Every instrument and voice has a well-defined point of origin and excellent dispersion giving a sense of a natural openness and airiness as if the performer or instrument was right there in front of you.  The eerie quietness of this amp allows for the details of any selection to be clearly heard.

In my system, the Maggie 3.6/R’s now have limitless borders, as soundstage depth is clearly apparent, and instruments extend way beyond the edges of the speakers.  The incredible thing is that the KWA 150 does this with a sense of ease and is able to put out more without strain if needed.  While low level volume with this amp is stunning, increasing the volume gives you an even greater sense of “being there.”  My wife stated, “It sounds like we’re at the performance.”  I have never experienced this with other amps that I’ve owned.

As Dan has stated, this amp gives you the qualities of a tube amp but with SS slam.  I completely agree.  I am now left breathless and stunned with the music produced from my system and constantly look forward to another toe tapping session.  This amp is definitely one of the components that I would hold onto if I had to sell everything else and start fresh in building a new system.  If every Maggie planar and electrostatic speaker owner could hear this amp, then they will definitely enjoy their speakers all the more. 

Bravo and Congrats.   My hats off to both Alan and Dan for producing this work of art and releasing a product with such excellent quality that performs at this high level.  It’s even more incredible to offer this amp at its price point, as I would happily pay much more for it. K. Moy - 2.08.09

I am a dyed-in-the-wool tube guy. I bought the KWA-150 as a backup amp that could break in some speakers and for use in a second system I am putting together. Based on the reviews, I figured it would be a good-sounding piece of gear, but never capable of replacing my tube amps. I was completely wrong. This is a lot more than a good amp- it is a great amp. The midrange is excellent, it has firm control of the bass, and the microdynamics are amazing. Whatever it lacks in "tubey-ness", which is not much, it more than makes up for with its other virtues. I may never become a fan of solid state gear, but I am a strong believer in the KWA-150.  J.  Blackburn - 2.19.2010

I want to thank all of you who support ModWright Instruments and our effort to produce the highest quality AND highest value Audio Equipment for the ultimate enjoyment of music.

Sincerely,

Dan W.

[modwright]

New Customer Feedback added to initial post above!

Dan W.

[Jfunky7]

Hi there,

I have tested the Modwright KWA 150 stereo power amp here in Melbourne, Australia for just over 30 hours and have the following observations to post:

Firstly, I completely agree with the feedback posted on the KWA 150 and everything that Modwright has stated about this amp.  I was skeptical at first and thought that the KWA 150 amp was just going to be another amp, but I was wrong...

The Modwright KWA150 stereo power amp took me by surprise straight out of the box.  After a brief burn in period, the amp was very impressive to say the least (in my $50,000 HiFi set up).  A tube-like warm, but crystal clear and detailed sound eminates from the KWA150 ...with as perfect as you can get timing and muscial decay.  This is a very organic, musical and involving/engaging amp with excellent soundstaging and natural deep bass.  The sound is non fatiguing and has a naturalness about it.  The background noise is almost non-existant - the amp is dead quiet - but can run a little hot in the high-bias setting.

I have to say that this is the best stereo power amp that I have heard-to-date (Krell, Levinson, Gryphon, Bryston, Electrocompaniet, Audia Flight, Musica, Jeff Rowland, EAD + many more).

All the best,
Jfunky7

[Marco Prozzo]

Here's a few more pics I just did for Dan.  I'm also considering the amp for my own system and will be happy to lend some listening impressions to this thread once I've had more time with the amp.  It currently only has around 36 hours of burn-in and I am temporarily without my Transporter so I'll hold off on detailed impressions.  I will say that this amp is VERY impressive on many levels.  I am comparing it in my system to a longtime owned pair of 300B SET amps which I've always seemed to come back to as my own personal preference over the years - completely different animal altogether, yet there are some crossover qualities and I would have expected to find differences would be greater and more dramatic.  I listened to the KWA for a few hours before pulling it out to photograph and soon after, dropping off my TP.  For me, in my system, the quality that immediately jumped out was best described already by I. Osuagwu who alluded to a sense of "inner detail" and clarity.  This is well-stated and my experience is very similar...there is nuance revealed in both voice and instrument that was not there before.  An audiophile friend happened to be visiting on the day I had it hooked up and commented that he felt there was a sense of warmth to the KWA that he would have though was tube amplification.  He actually did not know what amp I was playing when he made that comment as I asked that he listen blindly to what I was playing for him.  Anyway, I'll post more impressions when I get my front end back and when I've had more time with the amp.  This is definitely a unique amp to be seriously reckoned with by the heavy hitters.  Even straight out of the box brand spankin' new it does a whole lot of things right.  The term from Dan's mission statement, "Truth", kept coming to mind.  Disclaimers apply - I do Dan's photography and graphic design.  Take from that what you will....I don't think I let it color my opinions but others may feel differently. 

So here are a few new pics for the thread:

[modwright]

Hi guys, just an update:

We have sold 47 out of the first run of 50 amps.  We are better than 1/2 way through filling backorders.

We have increased our staff by three since the amp project started and are starting to roll with greater efficiency.

Srajan should receive his amp for review any day and I have another review or two lined up with other prominent e-zines.  I am excited to hear what Srajan has to say.

I have been asked if the spike feet come stock with the unit and the answer is YES.

Thanks guys - I have been exceptionally busy and not able to post as often as I would like.

Our website is being further revised to allow me to keep content fresh and edit at will.  I am also activating the 'ModBlog' (ModWright Blog) on our site soon where I will share information on a regular basis.

Thank you again for all of your support.  Good things yet ahead!

Dan W.

[Marco Prozzo]

A perk of doing the photography for Dan is being able to listen at length to everything that comes through for photography (well, sometimes they do have to go right back out again).  In this case I had the great privilege of doing an extended evaluation in my system of the photo sample of the KWA150 you see pictured in my previous post.  It is a bone-stock version of the amp.  I've known about this amp for a long time coming as Dan has kept me posted on his progress on it from the start.  I was intrigued, simply because it was Dan who was telling me I will need to take a listen to this (I've been very impressed with just about everything he's done and learned that his opinions of his own work are quite candid and accurate, at least in my own experience).  I was dumbfounded as to why he'd choose a solid state design since he's established a reputation from his outstanding tube output stage mods on digital front ends, as well as his great tube preamps.   I've been addicted to tubes for about 8 or 9 years now, with strong leanings towards SET.  So I didn't have high hopes that this amp was going to wow me.  SS just hasn't been my bag, though I've heard some I enjoy and even owned a few over the years.  I just keep coming back to my trusty Quicksilver 300B SET amps, which have given me six years of pleasure as my go-to reference for most of the music I enjoy.  So this is where I was coming from when I put the KWA into my system, which already was headed up brilliantly by Modwright components that I had chosen for their performance and synergy (Transporter (hyper-bybee-super-dupered out), and a one-box LS36.5 pre.  My speakers are Coincident Super Eclipse III's. Wires are modest by most standards: Harmonic Tech mostly with a pair of Poiemas going from TP to pre.  Two dedicated 20amp duplex outlets power the system with an AudioMagic unit on the digital components to keep that noise out of the circuit.  It is in a modestly sized room listening in nearfield (the room is the weakest link in my chain IMO, but I'm working on it).   

Because it is such an unusual comparison, I thought I'd write this review as a direct comparison between my SET amps, and what I'd come to expect from that sound which I am intimately familiar with after six years.  So, what follows is a rather scattered review of my experience comparing the KWA 150 to my Quicksilver 300B SET amps.  (I am limited to a 1000 character post and I seem to have gone a bit over so this will have to be in more than one post here).

[Marco Prozzo]

First let me say, visually, in case it doesn't come off in the photos, the KWA has a very powerful visual presence. It is large, very clean in design, and has a rather austere look to it. Fit and finish are first rate from top to bottom, corner to corner, much like the 36.5 preamp, with a great attention to detail in the machining and fit. The inside is just as meticulous in layout. It weighs as much as you'd guess by looking at it, which is to say it's heavy. I am glad the cooling fins are concealed on the inside making it much easier to handle than if they were on the exterior.  It is bound to get comments from visitors. The illuminated logo on the front of it is actually the power switch, which is a very cool feature! 

There is a very immediate and difficult to describe difference that pops out in swapping over from my SET's to the KWA.  It is an apples-to-oranges difference; not necessarily black and white, bad and good... but quite different.  What jumped out immediately from putting in the KWA is a revelation of nuance and detail.  When I think back on the Class D amps I had (Bel Canto Ref 1000's) in the same system, which I've described as "hyper-detailed", it is not the same...it is not just detail for the sake of detail (the Bel Canto's, in this system, had more "cold" presentation of detail)...with the KWA it's more natural sounding detail with impact and nuance enhanced by a very natural attack and decay.  If anything I'd say it had a sense of warmth to it, but not enough that I'd call it "tube-like" necessarily, but certainly it gives a nod in that direction.  Perhaps it's the sheer potency that keeps me from the "tubelike" adjectives, but that midrange is certainly quite lovely.  The KWA has an immediacy that is quite different than the immediacy of the SETs.  With the KWA the immediacy is a very forward and impactfull.  It is an immediacy that really grabs your attention....there is flow and nuance (that word keeps coming to mind...I think because it is not cold and clinical) to the detail that I think was missing in the Bel Canto amps.  It moves forward with what seems like a quicker more engaging pace than my SET amps which seem slower in comparison. The KWA renders detail that  rises and falls and flows quite naturally, even when the demands would look like a Wile E. Coyote landscape - when I hear that kind of detail I have a way of bracing myself to prepare for the harshness, but in this case the harshness never comes.  It breathes effortlessly yet forcefully. 

The immediacy of the SET amps is more laid back and a bit more illusive to describe.  It does not have the same forward driving energy, but does have a very natural, palpable feeling of presence.  It is almost ghostly in this quality.  When a vocalist sings you get the spooky feeling that they are there just back behind the speakers. The same details that the KWA brought out are somewhat obscured by a softness or rounding off of the edges with the SET.  I want to call it a blur, but it really does not seem to lose that much detail to use such a "negative"  adjective.  The presence remains very realistic and pleasing...albeit a more relaxed, even gentle presence.  The soundstage the SET renders is remarkable, and always has impressed me in its rendition of depth and space.  The KWA also has great soundstaging abilities, but is more sharply defined, and does not render depth as good as the SET's do, but definitely gives it a better picture than any SS I've heard in my system. 

I listen to a lot of vocal and acoustic music so I lean toward that in making judgements of components.  With the voice it is pretty easy to tell the two amps apart.  The SET puts the vocalist spookily in your room, as I mentioned.  I don't know if this is about "Truth" though....it is more about illusion....I'd add that it is a very pleasing illusion.  I am quite sure that the actual presentation would be called "colored".  The KWA brings out all kinds of nuance to vocals (details which are otherwise lost to the SET...or perhaps just not nearly as pronounced), which seem much more sharply defined, and in that way perhaps more truthful, but at the same time they loose that spooky illusion of being there. With the KWA you get a strong sense of the performance coming from a dead black background - with the SET this is not the case.  There is not noise there, but there always seems to be some sense of a "glowing space" for lack of a better way to describe it.   This might make it seem like there is always a field of noise with the SETs but there is not.  Perhaps it has something to do with how the the amp handles leading edges and decay(?).  In a short statement I'd say the KWA is more truthful (both amps are honest, engaging, and musical but the KWA is more about the "whole truth"......it is a more accurate truth. The SET amp is more an embellishment of the truth...a romanticist view of the truth).  Antony (and the Johnsons), in his stark and striking adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, "The Lake",  sounds like he's in the room with the SET's.  With the KWA I can hear the vibrato of his voice in such remarkable detail yet with the expectations of the SET 'illusion' it somehow comes off a bit, and I DO mean just a bit, separate from reality...amplified rather than present. Without the direct comparison I don't think this would occur to me, and in ensuing weeks where I made no direct comparisons I found myself completely engaged and drawn into the music as well as the illusion of presence.  At the same time the details rendered by the KWA can be hair-raising and certainly lend themselves to "presence" in that way.   I don't think you can have both qualities together in one amplifier topology, at least I haven't heard it myself.  Both sounds, both amps, are very engaging...difficult to get up and walk away from, so in some way they are both conveying something very essential and vital about the music playing through them.  The KWA has MUCH better top end sparkle and extension...there is no contest there....it's wonderful in that regard and reminds me of what I'm missing from the SET sound (though its absence has never been apparent except in making such comparisons).  In the bass department the KWA has it hands down as well, but the Quickies do a damn good job here too (having heard other 300B SET's not doing nearly as good).  Bass has some serious impact, and is tight and controled with the KWA's.   I was missing this distinction at first, but in playing more bass-heavy cuts back and forth  it does become apparent how much more controlled the KWA is. 

[Marco Prozzo]

Here are my notes are from a few favorite cuts that I listen to frequently, and do reveal some bias and enchantment with the SET sound.  I should note that these comparisons were made very early on in having the KWA, where it was not broken in but for a couple perhaps a hundred hours of play - having had it now for some weeks since I can tell you that through perhaps 50-100 more hours of play it has changed to some degree as I've listened to the same cuts and hear them differently.  For now I'll just give you my early notes as they reflect the comparison directly. 

Diana Krall, Temptation, Girl in the Other Room

SET Stand up bass is a bit on the soft side.  Drum hits are distinct and show speed, as does tambourine.  Drum set seems large.  Guitar is pretty central.  Piano is subtle.  Drums sound very real.  Vocals are natural and immediate, but have a softer edge.  Piano goes pretty low and natural, but seems not to really go as deep as it could. 

KWA - Damn that bass is nice here.  Very distinct plucking.  Vocals are a bit steely here..noticing sibilance more than I did with SET (listen again).   Second listen coming off a hot amp (before amp went straight from low bias, this improved)

Rickie Lee Jones, Bye Bye Blackbird, Pop Pop

SET Vocals sound a bit distant, but natural.  Standup bass is nice but bass notes just a bit loose.  Sax is outstanding and in the distance behind the vocals.  Drumset is distant and quiet. 

KWA Vocals are a bit more immediate, but just a bit less natural.  Sax is also outstanding.  Bass is fine with more nuance to the plucking.  Drumset sounds a bit more forward, yet still distant, but more real in this case than SET

Anouar Brahem, Le Pas Du Chat Noir,

SET - Beautiful piano almost seems to glow.  Oud is more forward.  Plucks are not as distinct as they could be but very pleasing.  Accordian also very lovely and seems to breath naturally.  SET energy is further back...just behind the rack.  Piano really glows. 

KWA - Piano does not have as much glow, but key strikes are more pronounced and distinct.  Oud seems more recessed than SET.  Accordian, like vocals (breathing) seems to cue to a more amplified sound.  Overall energy more forward.  Separation is nice, but not nearly as good as SET...depth differences are not as pronounced.

Over the Rhine, Trouble, Trumpet Child

SET - Vocals very forward and more defined than others.  Guitar plucks distinct.  Piano distant.  As layering gets more intense it gets more muddy in some ways.  Highs of her voice are rolled off.  Deep bass here is very challenging and at one point it does distort.  Voice immediate and forward.  Bass a bit on the softer side overall in the challenging passages...not tight and well defined.  This is a very challenging cut as bass goes pretty low.

KWA - Plucks of guitar more detailed and sharp than SET (already detailed there).  Vocals also carry more detail but seem a bit amplified.  Piano is more off to right.  Bass seems to have a bit more energy, but also seems to distort a bit.  Does not get as muddied in dense passages - vocal separation is retained more.  Vocal nuances more pronounced.  Shimmer of cymbals at end of cut stand out with more shimmer.


I can say that in the hours of play since these notes were taken, some of the minor harshness I was hearing is starting to loose its edges and be more natural.  Bass has tightened up significantly, and I'm quite sure those differences would be more pronounced.

One very important aspect of comparing these amps has been listening outside of the sweet spot.  Though the sweet spot is where I spend about half my listening time, there's a whole other aspect of listening outside of that 2 square feet of space on the middle of the couch.  Here is where the KWA really shines in comparison.  The SET magic is mostly gone once you leave the sweet spot.  Though there is a semblance of how the music sounds, there is no more of that holographic magic, and with distance the energy and palpability of the performances is largely lost.  From a distance, from another room, the SET sounds like a stereo playing in another room...the energy does not seem to carry as well.  The KWA is delivering up some aspect of the truth in such a way that it carries from room to room, and unlike the SET, there can still remain a sense of a piano playing somewhere in the house when listening from a distance or from downstairs...it remains engaging, more so than SET certainly.  Perhaps it is just the current with which the added power is moving the drivers.  I don't really understand this as I'd think the soundwaves would be similar and travel in similar ways, but the KWA simply sounds more real from afar.  I'd be curious to know what drives this because I've observed it before with other SS amps...they seem to energize the space in a different way. 

The KWA amp definitely sounds better when it has been on standby (low bias) than when turned on from dead cold (it tends to sound a bit harsh in the high end in the instance of the latter).  SET's require a minimum of 1 hour warmup to sound good and 3 hours to sound best.

The music is very involving with the KWA...you cannot look away kind of feeling.  When music gets dense the KWA does much better at keeping things separated and not muddied as the SET sometimes sounds with that type of music.  The plain is much flatter overall with the KWA though...less enveloping...stays behind the speakers (but more forward than the SET stage), but it will certainly be more listenable on a cut by Radiohead, or a dense, dynamic symphonic passage.  In this way the KWA opens some new worlds in terms of listening to music I might avoid with SET.  The KWA maintains separation, even in the most demanding of passages - it does not get congested.

Trying to come up with a broad metaphor for listening to the two amps I have these final thoughts:  The SET amp is about an all-enveloping illusion of presence.  It is warm and comfortable and reaches out its arms to embrace you in a euphonic glow of music.  The KWA amp is about nuance of detail, and accuracy... the word TRUTH comes to mind over and over.  It does not reach out with warm arms, but it does draw you in to a magnetic presentation of powerful effortless details spread wide across a plain behind the speakers.  While the SET's remind me of sitting around a fire basking in some comforting warmth, the KWA brings more to mind watching performers against a dead black background where you are privy to every sound, every nuance of the performance, every change and shift and interaction.  The SET is intoxicating, while the KWA is magnetic.  As I said, both are difficult and get up and walk away from in their own way, and that is my acid test of a component / system.  I have not heard as many SS amps that can pull that off for me personally, but the KWA most certainly does it for me.  So much so, in fact,  that I've decided to buy one, and that is perhaps the greatest compliment I can give it!  Ultimately I wish I could have both amps for their strengths, but I just can't afford it and the SET's have already sold to a close friend to help me afford the KWA.  Ultimately the KWA's are simply more versatile and have the promise of long-term enjoyment on many levels. The SET's have always been more of a one-trick pony...I just happen to love that one trick, but it's time to enjoy others!  As far as the KWA; Dan has another winner on his hands. 

I wrote this in a rough form about two weeks ago and have been enjoying the KWA ever since.  It's just getting better with break-in and I have no regrets in my decision to replace my reference standard with a new and different amp.  I certainly highly recommend seeking one out for a listen.

[Marco Prozzo]

A bit about me:

This is perhaps my first comprehensive 'review' of a product, though I do try to contribute regularly on audio forums when I do have time, and have enjoyed the community for many years. I am compelled, at this point, to say thank you to Dan because I've been so taken with Dan's work over the years and his products have given me great pleasure,  as well as to spread the word to others who may also enjoy the value of what he's offering.  I've been hooked on this stuff since the mid 80's, and have loved music my entire life.  In over 25 years I've owned a whole lot of various components, and have had exposure to even more through various friends and shows.  I don't really see a point in listing them all, or trying to make comparisons from memory since those memories are within other systems and in other spaces. Just a smattering of some of the amps I've owned or listened to at length in various systems  over the years as a general reflection of where I'm coming from: Quicksilver (5 pairs of monoblocks of various topologies),  Pass Aleph 5, Bedini 25/25, Bel Canto Ref 1000's, Mesa Baron, Wright 3.5, Wright Mono 10, Odyssey Stratos Dual Mono, Ayre V5Xe, Levinson ML-3, VTL 450, ....there are probably a few others I'm forgetting.  Again, no point in comparing any unless I did it side by side in the same system IMHO.  I am strongly in the subjectivist camp and do not feel there is much in the way of an "objective" viewpoint to offer in this hobby, beyond perhaps the first paragraph physically describing the component. 

Disclaimers may be obvious here in this forum:  Dan is my client in that I do his photography and graphic design.  I have been a fan, and have owned his products for some years before that association started.  Make of that what you will.  My system, and listening to music are very important to me and I sure would not compromise it for a client.  I use Dan's gear because it just sounds great to me, and it especially works well all together as a system (I assume because that's how it was designed). Having got to know the man behind it over the years is also a strong assurance that this is someone who's committed to his customers, his product and to building a business that's here to stay.   

[Philistine]

Marco, thanks for taking the time to put together a detailed and well thought out review of the KWA 150.  Your description amplifies (pun intended) the qualities I value in a power amp, and it's a strong testimony when you enjoy it enough to buy one for your own system.  I'm looking forward to hooking one up to my Salk HT3's, this has the potential to be an interesting combination.
Phil

[Marco Prozzo]

Marco, thanks for taking the time to put together a detailed and well thought out review of the KWA 150.  Your description amplifies (pun intended) the qualities I value in a power amp, and it's a strong testimony when you enjoy it enough to buy one for your own system.  I'm looking forward to hooking one up to my Salk HT3's, this has the potential to be an interesting combination.
Phil

Thanks, Phil.  I realize I'm not a reviewer by any means and searching for the words to describe what I'm hearing/experiencing, or at least do them a bit of justice, was a real challenge and gave me a whole new respect for those who do it well. I'm happy to be able to contribute back to a community that has provided valuable insight to me as well as camaraderie in a hobby that is otherwise rather lonely at times.  I'm also glad to be able to thank Dan publicly for all the enjoyment he's provided to me through his products over the years. 

I've shared this with Dan, and I don't think he'd mind me saying so, but I completely expected NOT to like the amp since I've not been very taken with very many SS components.  I went into the audition with that prejudice thinking I'd be sending it back to him in short order. So it threw me for a loop when I first heard it, and especially after I'd lived with it in my system and it started to break in.  Giving up my SET references, the amps I've been living with an enjoying for six years now, should give anyone a clue of how much I like his amp...it was not a decision I took very lightly as the Quickies are great amps as well...as I said though, entirely different animals.

I hope you'll share your impressions here as well.  I look forward to hearing what you and others think. I don't believe there are any universal solutions in this hobby, but the KWA150 sure does a whole lot of things right for me.

[rydenfan]

amazing review, Marco  Based off of your description it certainly seems to be an amazing amp.

[Marco Prozzo]

amazing review, Marco  Based off of your description it certainly seems to be an amazing amp.

Thanks, David.  I'm glad you liked the review.  I always feel at a loss to actually describe what I am hearing and wonder if any of it is coming across, so I'm glad at least someone is getting it on some level. I wish I had a bigger vocabulary and a greater mastery of using it. Yes, I do think it's a pretty special amp.  I've never been one to believe that there is just one answer, one right way to do things, but, as I said, this amp does a whole lot of things right for me (my system, my room, my music, my ears).  I look forward to hearing what others think.  Having heard it now in three systems (CES, Amboy, and my own), I can say it's paired off great with several different speakers I've heard it with as well. Nothing beats hearing it in a system and room that you are intimately familiar with, with the music you enjoy though, and that was the clincher for me.  In reflecting on this, all the systems I've heard it in have been all-Modwright, which is a testament to how well Dan's gear goes together.  I'll be curious to hear how the amp pairs off with other combinations.  I'm confident it will shine there as well. 

[modwright]

First of all, thank you Marco for the review.

Srajan will be receiving his amp soon and I expect a review to follow in 6Moons at somepoint thereafter.

I am discussing with Bob Levi, the option of reviewing the amp for Positive Feedback Online.

To date, 49 out of the first 50 units in the first production run, are spoken for.  Included in this number is our beta testers.  The price will increase to $5995 after the first production run is sold out.  The intro retail price is $5295.

Thanks guys!

Dan W.

[vinyl_lady]

Marco,

I really enjoyed reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to share your listening experience and impressions of the amp. Lou Hinkley is arranging for Dan to send a demo my way this week. I can't wait to hook it into my system and listen to it through my Daedalus DA-1.1's. I will be happy to share my thoughts and impressions with everyone.

Laura

[Marco Prozzo]

Marco,

I really enjoyed reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to share your listening experience and impressions of the amp. Lou Hinkley is arranging for Dan to send a demo my way this week. I can't wait to hook it into my system and listen to it through my Daedalus DA-1.1's. I will be happy to share my thoughts and impressions with everyone.

Laura

You bet, Laura.  I look forward to hearing your own impressions.  Having heard Dan's amp with Lou's DA-RMa's I have little doubt that you are in for a treat with their bigger brothers.

Hey, how did you get the little CD Icon in your sig file, or rather your 'frequent rotation' file?  I'm just getting used to this interface.  Enjoying "Milddle Cyclone" myself, and at the same time, in the same vein, was introduced to Regina Spektor who I'm hooked on now..... but currently listening to Arvo Part's new disc, In Principio - just gorgeous!.

First of all, thank you Marco for the review.

Srajan will be receiving his amp soon and I expect a review to follow in 6Moons at somepoint thereafter.

I am discussing with Bob Levi, the option of reviewing the amp for Positive Feedback Online.

To date, 49 out of the first 50 units in the first production run, are spoken for.  Included in this number is our beta testers.  The price will increase to $5995 after the first production run is sold out.  The intro retail price is $5295.

Thanks guys!

Dan W.

My pleasure, Dan.  It comes as no surprise at all that you went through that first order so fast, not only given my own experience at home, but from the sound at your CES room, and overhearing others reactions to that system! I bet you go through that second batch pretty fast as well. As noted in the comparison, I did feel the sound was changing as time passed, most obviously in the bottom end where deeper bass and better control is now evident. All very nice, of course. I'll post further should things develop in ways that are obvious. My hat's off to Srajan and Mr. Levi, having gained a whole new respect for the art of critical and comparative listening, and to finding the words to eloquently convey the experience.  I am not worthy. As far as the KWA, if you hadn't guessed by now, I'm really enjoying it!  Thank you! 

[ted_b]

Marco,
Nice review.  Very well done.  I can't wait to hear the amps (I want to hear monoblocks  ).

The disc icon is there anytime you fill in the "Now Playing" section under the reply text box.

[Marco Prozzo]

Marco,
Nice review.  Very well done.  I can't wait to hear the amps (I want to hear monoblocks  ).

The disc icon is there anytime you fill in the "Now Playing" section under the reply text box.

Jeez, if it were any bigger it would have bit me! Thanks, Ted.

[vinyl_lady]

[/quote]
Hey, how did you get the little CD Icon in your sig file, or rather your 'frequent rotation' file? 
[/quote]

Marco,

I see Ted answered the question with the smae answer I would have given--appears automatically.
Thanks again for the review and the really cool pics of the KWA 150.

Laura

[restock]

Hi everyone,

I have had the pleasure to listen to the new KWA in Marco’s system and compare it directly to the Quicksilver 300b SET amps. I should mention that this was a true blind listening session as I did not know what I was listening too. I should also add that the amp was still breaking in at the time. Finally my impressions were put together completely separate from Marco's and I had not read his review before putting my thoughts into words.

Here are some comments on the short "blind" listening session at Marco’s place:

Without knowing that I was listening to the KWA, I honestly guessed I was listening to a tube amp. Not because of tube like coloration, but because the KWA got some things right that I usually associate only with the very best tube amps - it captured the tone and texture of instruments with a rare realism.  The resonances, the feel, and nuances of drums are accurate preserved just like the richness and falsetto of Antony's voice on 'The Lake'. The KWA immediately reminded me of the Shindo amps I have heard so far which truly excel in capturing instruments as well. The KWA is very well balanced and neutral; if at all I would describe it as slightly on the warm side (which to me is also just an expression of the very natural reproduction of instruments).

The KWA not only seems to preserve the correct overtones and nuances of each instrument, it keeps the phase and timing relations intact. It does not cut short decays as some solid state amps do, instead decays are extended and just right. Separation between instruments is excellent with a very wide soundstage. It captures the ambiance of the hall very well.

In contrast, the Quicksilver almost appeared a little as "matter of fact" - detailed but not quite as rich in texture and color as well as slightly leaner. The Quicksilver seemed almost a tad faster, displaying the eerie dynamic breathing only SET amps are capable of (I find that there is something special about the micro dynamics reproduced by SET amps, which to me always appears as slightly faster). In fact, this latter quality was really the only hint at tubes when listening to the Quicksilver and the only area where I preferred the Quicksilver. On the other hand, macro-dynamics seemed pretty even between the two amps. Soundstage was comparable, slightly narrower but slightly deeper with the SET compared to the KWA, with the SET instruments were bigger bu also slightly blurred. The KWA was more controlled, more organized, i.e. more separation between instruments, tonally as well as spatially.

This are only some short impressions I could gather of the two amps as I only had a short hour to listen to the new KWA. It would be really interesting to compare the amps now that the Modwright is broken in; I would expect macrodynamics, bass extension, detail, openness, and control to still improve over time.

Finally I really have to thank Marco who was a great host – I only had half a day left in Seattle (after a conference) and Marco took me around town, taking me to Vivace for coffee and getting me to enjoy the city. Many thanks!

With best wishes,

Rene