Alwayswantmore,
Could you say more about how the differences in the F1's sound and the sound of the RWA? What were the strengths/weaknesses of each, and what kind of music are you listening to?
I purchased an F1 and the RWA Sig at same time, then ran them side-by-side for break-in and evaluation. I ended up paying a 10% restocking fee to return the F1, so you know I felt pretty strongly about the RWA.
My favorite for listening critical listening:
- Take 5 by Dave Clark
- Female vocals, ranging from older Diana Krall / Girl in the next room / live in Paris
- A compilation of studio outtakes not available commercially - ranging from Frank Sinatra (mono) to Peggy Lee & Paul McCartney
- Eric Clapton Unplugged
- Various lesser know artists, with a bias toward female vocals
I rock out to 60' - 70s' ranging from Blood Sweat & Tears to AC/DC Back in Black
Some fusion / progressive Jazz
Some very simple duets and quartets like Ella Fitzgerald Joe Pass type music
I own a lot of classical, I attend the local symphony a few times a year, but honestly only listen to classical in background mode (sorry)
Equipment: The line stage I had at the time was my Wadia 830 CDP with P upgrade, running direct in balanced mode. Wadia has low impedance outs, over sampling and plenty of gain. They recommend you bypass any form of preamp or line stage. I was using Transparent balanced cables and an $800 balanced Xover from Vandersteen with the Vandersteen 2W sub and Max Hemps.
Translation: If you have a tube preamp, your results may be different.
What I found: The F1 had a slight edge for fine detail and sense of air / space. RWA had better tone and timbre. The vocals and acoustic instruments had much more flesh with RWA. In a nutshell, Red Wine was more engaging. So from a technical standpoint I admired the F1, but for plain old listening enjoyment, RWA had a big advantage to my ear.
Naturally both were quiet, but Red Wine is black as night. Red Wine has outstanding macro dynamics, and excellent bass (powerful, yet very tuneful).
I now have the RWA Isabella vacuum-tube pre + NOS Dac, and the Wadia is long gone. The addition of the Isabella (plus moving from Deep Hemps to Omega Super 5s + Deep Hemp), brings my system to a whole new level. I'm in an acoustically treated room, listening near-field -- and the sound is uncanny!
Good luck.