Up for your consideration is the fabulous WYRED 4 SOUND, STP-SE MK. 2, preamp with STAGE 1 AND STAGE 2 factory upgrades. This example is just over a year old, purchased 4-3-14 from Sound Components in Coral Gables, Florida. MSRP on this extremely rare on the second hand market item is $3750.00, offered to its lucky new owner for just
$3100.00! As an "audioholic", I am multiple times daily swerving the net on the various audio for sale sites and have never seen one of these with the STAGE 2 upgrade offered for sale. In absolutely pristine "as new" condition, includes everything that came in the factory sealed box.
see the excerpt below from the manufacturers website...
W4S STP-SE UPGRADES (STP-SE UPGRADE)
Send in your STP to have all of the critical components upgraded and get performance you need to hear to believe!
For many years, the STP-SE has been our best selling preamp. Despite the extraordinary design of the stock unit, we have found yet another reason to fall in love again. We've always wondered how we would top this preamp and the answer is finally here with the Stage 1 and 2 upgrades. Introducing the factory direct upgrade path for the best preamp on the market! If you thought the STP was transparent and open sounding before, wait until you experience what the Stage 2 has to offer.
As the basis for the 'must haves', the Stage 1 upgrades will offer the most critical changes to be appreciated in any system. Like any audio product, it all begins with the power supply and why not start with the most critical current limitation -the fuse! Opting for the smoothest overall character, we employ the Furutech Rhodium plated fuse to control the necessary current feeding the upgraded Schottkey diodes. To further improve the preamps triple ripple reduction circuit, we are also adding premium decoupling inductors for an increased signal to noise ratio in addition to enhancing channel separation.
So now we have the foundation for a great start to the power supply, but we can't stop there! It's time to include our W4S discrete regulators which you can also find inside our DAC-2 DSDse. Proving to be more than 100 times quieter than the stock regulators, the upgraded circuit will help lower the background noise even further...and yes, it is possible! Now we have a preamp with the perfect power supply and it is time to focus on the signal path. This is where we are finally able to use our custom made naked Z-Foil resistors in 24 critical locations.
The stage 2 upgrade takes a larger leap into another level of perfection. Already benefitting from the advancements listed in the stage 1 upgrade, we have decided to expand the perfection. Our attention was first directed to the resistor ladder volume control which is a feature that sets this treasure apart from the competition. Determined to optimize transparency and space, we replace 48 of the most frequently used resistors with our custom Z-Foil’s where the accuracy becomes increasingly evident. Naturally, we can’t resist from proceeding with the exchange of the 16 high frequency signal filtering caps to further enhance the tube-like nature of this distinguished pre-amp. With refinements down to the last detail, we install a Furutech rhodium plated IEC inlet to compliment the upgraded fuse and maximizes the connection to your upgraded power cable. Now that the internal circuits are for the better input to output, we save the final touch for improving the visual experience. A green OLED display aids legibility with low light or long distance situations to help keep you in tune with the current settings of the upgraded preamp!
The STP-SE is an outstanding product that has an incredible foundation and great value in the stock configuration, this upgrade path elevates the STP to a new level. For those interested in hearing what strategic upgrades we have developed for this fantastic product, this is the proper course for you!
Includes:
EVERYTHING THAT CAME IN THE FACTORY SEALED BOX
