I'm glad I took the leap and purchased the MW 225i. I have been an audiophile for over 45 years and I have own a variety of gear. I traded in a very good class D integrated amp(Bel Canto E1X) because I wanted to hear what a great class AB integrated would sound like in my system. My speakers are Eminent Technology 8bs, VPI Scout 1.1 w/Ortofon Cadenza Red Cart., MW 9.0 phono, Marantz 8006ND CD(used as transport only),
Auralic Altair G1 Streamer/DAC(excellent for it's price), and a rebuilt Pioneer TX 9100 tuner. The first thing I noticed with the 225i is that it had more dynamic range than any Class D amp I have owned. Also, with it being a hybrid, I heard a deeper and wider sound stage image. It took about 200 hours of so for the 225i to break in completely and it sound is more forward but never overly bright or harsh. I guess the tube input stage could be the reason for these characteristics, and maybe I'll play with tube rolling but don't feel the need to at this time. Another thing that I find nearly as important when choosing a piece of equipment, is the company and customer support for such equipment. Dan Wright, the owner and chief everything of MW design, is a great guy. I was in constant contact with him from purchase, arrival, and subsequent tweaking to get everything just right. My 225i came with installed phono stage(good for resale, I'm told!), and although I use the MW 9.0 for all my phono listening, the 225i's phono stage was very good. This is the most satisfying amp purchase I have ever made.
