[ted_b]

Well, Srajan just published the follow-on to the review of the Modwright LS 3.5 he gushed over.  That is, he now reviews the dual mono or  LS/PS or 36.5+ (it still doesn't have a name, does it Dan!    ) 2 box solution.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/modwright4/365+.html 

Spoiler alert:  he kinda really likes it...a lot.  like...an awful lot.  Like...."the ModWright LS/PS 36.5 now dethrones the Cabernet Dual from Oz to reset the ceiling of what I think a premium valve preamp should be and do........For a nutshell justification -- in your household perhaps and about the ModWright LS/PS 36.5 -- explain that it does exactly what a premium active valve preamp should: act as a dynamic, timbral and holography expander on the signal; offer ultra-fine volume gradations; and do so without any noise of its own, no reduction in speed or cladding the signal in fuzz or euphonic dross that'll imprint itself on everything. Plus, there's remote and polarity......With this duo, it means statement effort for all but the financially completely liberated."

Home run, with at least eight men on base...a double grand slam.   

Congrats again Dan.  And to think...I knew him when he was just an ordinary guy.    

Now gotta go back and listen to my Dual mono, er, 2 -box, er 36.5+ (Srajan says it's not quite double the 36.5 in terms of value, but almost...so call it the LS 68... a good year for music).

[rydenfan]

Congrats Dan!! 

I guess now I really need to add the dual mono power supply 

[rpf]

Congratulations yet again, Dan. 


I don't want to hear the PS36.5. I don't, I don't, I don't. 

[Srajan Ebaen]

You do, you do, you do 

Actually, it'll depend on your system. The old saw about it only being as good as the weakest link. That must be addressed first.

But if everything is nicely balanced according to your funds; nothing sticks out as being overshadowed in quality by other components; then I have found that the apparently "redundant" component of preamp can make a really big difference. The amp/speaker interface is married at the hip. Once that's locked in because it works for your room, don't mess with it.

Sources these days, at whatever given price point is sensible for you, no longer make the big difference they used to. The range of differences between various $3,000 machines is not very big, at least in my experience. Make that price anything you want, compare what's there and I think you'll find that the differences between those machines become smaller still.

The question then becomes, for a given amount of upgrade money you can invest in your system, where will it make the most difference? That's always hard to predict but if the amp/speaker thing is under control, I'd say the preamp over the source. In this case, not the preamp per se but that mondo power supply. It's a real injection of color and drive and scale... a bit like improving your amplifier in fact.

Or put it differently. If the active preamp, functionally and for those of us living with one source, is essentially superfluous and just an added complexity (especially if your source has variable outputs), then it gives the designer a good reason to prove that no, his preamplifier isn't just an invisible switch and attenuator but actually improves the signal passing through it. The question to ask is, does it really improve as in, benign signal conditioning (more robust current, more drive, better impedance matching), or does it color it to overlay a footprint that makes every CD or LP carry the same recognizable signature? If you don't detect that kind of coloration but things sound fuller, more dynamic, with more intense colors, more swing... then the active preamp has proven that it's still useful and superior over a passive preamp (in that particular application). Suddenly the superfluous component whose only job is to switch sources and manipulate the volume (and the latter nearly exclusively below unity gain) becomes far more vital than suspected and improving it has an unexpectedly large impact on the overall system performance.

[Dracule1]

That was a nice review.  Since ModWright has moved up to the big boys with the new preamp/PS combo, I'd like to see this preamp pitted against similarly priced units like the Atmo-Sphere MP-1 mk. III, Audioresearch Ref 3, SMc Audio VRE-1...

[Srajan Ebaen]

Such comparisons are always interesting... and always impossible to do, comprehensively, by any one writer. Frederic Beudot on staff is on the books for Steve McCormack's latest but alas, he doesn't have a ModWright -:)

[AB]

Great review and I agree with the concept that a preamp can add positively to the signal chain.
When I first put the LS36.5+ in my system I was amazed at how much it improved an already pretty good sounding rig.
I'll repeat what I wrote then - I didn't know a preamp could make such a profound difference.

The LS36.5+ opened up the dynamic range of music by a large degree. The quiet bits became much more solid and legible(?) while the louder bits became more dynamic. Everything, from the quiet to the loud, from the lows to the highs all benefited from a very obvious improvement in leading edge transient dynamics.

I've managed to compare it to the First Sound Presence Deluxe MII, Modwrights SWLP 9.0, and a BAT VK51SE.
To my ears, in my system (TMEIMS) the 36.5+ was an improvement on all of these.

At the moment I have Mullard 5AR4's in the PSU. For the most part they are great but I can see how some may not like them. Depending on the source I use I have found them to add some edginess to the highs. The 5U4GB's that Dan recommended are a bit smoother on top but add some warmth to the midrange that I don't like 100%. I could live with both but I am leaning to the 5U4GB.

[ted_b]

Which 5U4GB's are those, that Dan recommended?  I have the stock RCA 5U4GB's in there now.  Thanks,
Ted

[modwright]

Thanks Ted and thank you Srajan for such a great review.  I had the pleasure of enjoying dinner with Jacob George of Rethm, Liudas of LessLoss and Srajan, in Munich and I can say that Srajan is a true gentleman.  It might surprise some to hear that we discussed world social issues and many other topics completely unrelated to audio....okay, so we ALSO discussed audio .

The review is very good and I believe that it is accurate in describing the units strengths and value.  I am very pleased with this product and will not apologize for its price ($8995 retail).  I feel that it performs well beyond its price-point and the unit was NOT priced at 'what the market will stand', but rather based on our costs to manufacture.

As Srajan mentioned, a SS amp IS to follow, likely late summer at this rate, and we are designing it to be the ideal mate for the 36.5 as well as an exceptional amp for ANY system with ANY associated electronics.

Again thanks to Ted for mentioning this, to Srajan for the excellent writing and review and to all of you for supporting MWI (ModWright Instruments).

Take care,

Dan W.
President, ModWright Instruments Inc.
360.247.6688
modwright@yahoo.com

[Big Red Machine]

Which 5U4GB's are those, that Dan recommended?  I have the stock RCA 5U4GB's in there now.  Thanks,
Ted

Let me know what you come up with.

[ted_b]

He likes Tung Sol 5U4GB's (for the warmth fans) and Philips metal base 5AR4's (for the detail fans).  I think....Dan, did I get that right?

[AB]

Dan recommended the Tung Sols. The ones I have are from the early 50's.

They are warmer with a little more diffuse imaging than the Mullards.

This is with 6H30 DR tubes in the pre.

[modwright]

The Philips metal base 5AR4's provide tremendous bass and detail.  I prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the 5U4GB's.

Dan W.

[James Romeyn]

That was a nice review.  Since ModWright has moved up to the big boys with the new preamp/PS combo, I'd like to see this preamp pitted against similarly priced units like the Atmo-Sphere MP-1 mk. III...

I previoously owned a ModWright LS 9.0 SE & very much like the $17k VTL 7.5 Mk I & $15k Krell EVO.  My current preamp http://ampzilla2000.com/ambrosia.html recently received a glowing review by Dick Olsher http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0308/ampzilla_ambrosia.htm  Olsher favors costly & esoteric tubes. 

The nearby Atma-Sphere dealer previously offered to loan his demo.  If anyone near north Utah has the LS/PS 36.5 (not the standard 36.5 heard at CES '07) it would be great fun to A-B vs. the Ambrosia &/or Atma-Sphere.  I can host anytime.   

James Bongiorno designed the 50 lb. Ambrosia & it's custom toroidal transformer (said to be a primary source of its performance); voicing by Bascom King, custom tube designer/builder & reveiwer/technical writer for Audio Magazine.     .5 dB level steps, remote balance & unique remote bass/treble controls w/ four turnover poles which, as unbelivable as it sounds, appear to be completely transparent in use.

 
   

[Dracule1]

ro7939,

That would be very informative. aa  I'm sure the 36.5+ would do very well against these preamps.  I'm not interested in which one is "superior" since that's a very subjective notion.  I'm more interested in the differences that would suit my taste.

[Big Red Machine]

The Philips metal base 5AR4's provide tremendous bass and detail.  I prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the 5U4GB's.

Dan W.

Help jog my memory, which tubes came with the stock preamp?

[rpf]

The Philips metal base 5AR4's provide tremendous bass and detail.  I prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the 5U4GB's.

Dan W.

Help jog my memory, which tubes came with the stock preamp?

Sovteks.

[rydenfan]

The Philips metal base 5AR4's provide tremendous bass and detail.  I prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the 5U4GB's.

Dan W.

Help jog my memory, which tubes came with the stock preamp?

The one box 36.5 comes with a 5AR4 Rectifier and 6H30 Signal Tubes, the two box ( or dual mono power supply) removes the 5AR4 from the 36.5 and comes with 2 5U4GB's. But you can always swap out accordingly.

[Imperial]

I can remember some time back Dan the man voiced thoughts on use of external psu's and that stuff.
Then... it started to move in the tube rectifier direction... and now we see the culmination of all that effort.

Congrats Dan! Great work!

Also, Srajan, us consumers do appreciate your efforts in your field of expertise in the field of sonic approval and
telling it like it really is.
I think it pushes the makers of audio gear that little bit extra in their efforts to be the best they can be to know
that once their product has taken the trip to that small Island of yours, reality sets in.
And what is told, is indeed the story unfolding!
At least in my book, that is equally as important as a designer being able to make a good product!

Imperial

[Big Red Machine]

The Philips metal base 5AR4's provide tremendous bass and detail.  I prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the 5U4GB's.

Dan W.

Help jog my memory, which tubes came with the stock preamp?

The one box 36.5 comes with a 5AR4 Rectifier and 6H30 Signal Tubes, the two box ( or dual mono power supply) removes the 5AR4 from the 36.5 and comes with 2 5U4GB's. But you can always swap out accordingly.

I'd like to try some of these tubes but it appears some of those recommended go for $600 a pair!  If anubody has a line on some and a supplier to work with please let me know for the preamp only.  This pre and my Pass are real keepers.  Maybe someday I'll add the power supply.