I've had my (used) SWL 9.0 SE Signature for just about a month and thought it's time to report my experiences. Simply stated, synergy is everything! When first hooked up (Maggie 20.1 biamped with Moscode 300 and Forte Mdl 3) I thought my ears were going to bleed. Harsh and unlistenable. Soundstage was wide but shallow. Vocals were weird.
Rather than give up, over several nights I added the tweeter resistor to tame the high end, turned the LF controls up slightly on the LP-1 crossover, tilted the speakers outward just a bit, and left the preamp on for days at a time. 30 days at a time, for that matter.
Within days everything settled in and got better and better. Solid, thundering bass. Clarity I'd never dreamed of, details and depth on RB CDs I never knew was there, all on music I knew very well. Listening to Phantom of the Opera tonight and hearing dozens of instruments and voices that are all new to me. Vocal nuances I'd never realized could come from digital. Soundstage has grown wide, deep and layered. Hall acoustics are tremendous!
As a bonus, while struggling with whether to buy the unit, the folks at Modwright happily answered my questions about compatibility with my other components and the unit itself. This one's a keeper, and when my vintage amps finally release the magic blue smoke, MW will be where I look first.
THANKS, Dan and crew!