KWA 100 Tour Fan Mail and Feedback!

ltr317 · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 04:37 am »

Quote from: mjosef on 19 Oct 2010, 04:31 am

The amp leaves tomorrow Paul...you missed out, well maybe not, I saw Modwright amps in numerous pics at RMAF.

I didn't miss out hearing ModWright amps at RM like I said, but will miss out hearing one in your system.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 04:57 am »

Can you hold it till this Saturdays Rave ?

mjosef · « **Reply #22 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 05:04 am »

Request has been made.

modwright · « **Reply #23 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 03:59 am »

Thanks for posting your impressions and for the kind words.

I am glad to be able to provide the unit for many of you to personall audition.

I am taking note of who wants to be on the LS 100 tour list and I will be sure to include all those who have asked.

Sincerely,

Dan W.

mjosef · « **Reply #24 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 04:04 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 19 Oct 2010, 04:57 am

Can you hold it till this Saturdays Rave ?

Request has been granted. We will be auditioning this amp at this Saturday's NYAR event.
Thanks to Kristin and Modwright for this opportunity.

jriggy · « **Reply #25 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 01:55 pm »

Congrats on the 6Moons award and the reviews that are coming in here! Im so glad to see my impresions solidified by others. I have not had alot of expirience with alot of other gear yet, so its nice to see maybe I DO know what I am hearing! Noobs can know good sound too ya know!

Can hardly wait till next week for my amp and player to arrive together!

BTW Dan, might as well put me down for the LS 100 tour!

Jason

mjosef · « **Reply #26 on:** 28 Oct 2010, 04:40 am »

I spent a good 12-13 days with the Modwright KWA100 SE, and enjoyed every minute of it.
When I first swapped the KWA100SE in my system to drive the bass drivers my bi-amped VMPS RM1 , the bass notes sounded over-damped and not too defined...I decided to use my backup speaker which uses the same drivers for the mid range and up, the VMPS 626R, this would allow an easier assessment of the the amp, since it will be handling the whole frequency. Plus it would save time not having to mess with adjusting the damping mass on the RM1 passive bass radiator.

And for the next week I played a variety of music through the system with the Modwright handling all duties without breaking a sweat. Twice I switched it out for other amps (CJ Sonographe SA250 & Adcom 5400) to hear what will be lost. In both instances the shift in sound was easily notable, loss of resolution, midrange fluidity & bass resolution. The Sonographe had a much darker. polite sound, whereas the Adcom sounded pretty rough and unrefined in comparison to the Modwright, urgh...time to sell the Adcom which I use for bass duties only.

Twice I left the KWA100 on overnight and every time I swear the sound was even sweeter and more fluid after being on continuously for 24hours. On initial power up after being off for several hours, I found it needed at least an hour to hit its stride.
I took the amp over to a fellow audiophile to hear it in his system, against his ASPEN SORAYA (100W x2) . As good as the KWA100 sounded, the SORAYA edged it out across the board with sweeter midrange, more details in highs and deeper bass, the SORAYA just sounded more fluid in its delivery.
So back home it went and back into the system, and there it was making sweet music once again.
I had the opportunity to take it along to one of our monthly RAVE(NYaudioRave) to demo in the host system against his DAC Cherry+. I thought it fared well in the hour or so it was in play. I heard more texture and body in the music played vs the Cherry+...the Cherry I thought had a faster delivery and maybe better control of the bass. That was a toss up, no clear winner for me.

I enjoyed my time with the KWA100 SE, it's one of the finest SS amp I ever heard in my system. The cosmetics are top notch, however the flashing light show wears on you, and yeap, I turned it off after the first 3 times.

.
Thanks to the people at Modwright for making the demo tour possible. Great product at a competitive price.

Modwright KWA100 SE in the system:
Cambridge Audio 540C cd player
EE DAC
CAT SL1 preamp
VMPS 626R speakers

ltr317 · « **Reply #27 on:** 28 Oct 2010, 05:32 am »

I was at Martin's place one day last week because I wanted to hear the Modwright amp in a real world environment after liking what I heard of Modwright equipment in several rooms at this year's Rocky Mountain show. With Martin's CAT tube preamp and VMPS speakers, I found the sound involving, playing my RM test cds. I didn't hear hyper-real in your face sonics, but rather a smooth and relaxing sound with very good detail, but which didn't call attention to itself. The details were in the organic flow of the music. Like I did in my show coverage, I give it two thumbs up in Martin's system.

Paul

groovybassist · « **Reply #28 on:** 5 Dec 2010, 07:32 pm »

I've had the KWA100SE tour amp for all of one day so far, but will have more to say in the next day or so.

A quick preview: Wow...

modwright · « **Reply #29 on:** 7 Dec 2010, 08:05 pm »

Thanks guys!

CES is just around the corner and I am going to post our demo sale offer right now!

We have a couple of LS 100's and KWA 100SE's there and they will be priced fairly.

Also a couple of Sony 5400's! The RMAF demos went FAST and we supplied eight rooms!!! We are only supplying two rooms at CES.

Thanks,

Dan

roor · « **Reply #30 on:** 7 Dec 2010, 10:17 pm »

Dan,

Please put me on the tour list for the KWA 100. I've got a pair of Lou's show Ulysses from RMAF and he strongly urges me to try your amps.

I'm in NH.

Thanks in advance,

Greg

Audioclyde · « **Reply #31 on:** 8 Dec 2010, 11:09 pm »

Dan, if the amp will still be on tour after CES ( and I have the LS100), I'd love to get in on the amp tour!

Thanks,

Randy (Tulsa)

groovybassist · « **Reply #32 on:** 9 Dec 2010, 03:22 am »

For the last five days, I’ve had the opportunity to try out the KWA100SE tour amp in my system. My thoughts are below – enjoy!

System:

Naim CD5X/Flatcap 2X
Wyred4Sound STI-500 Integrated Amp (used as preamp)
Modwright KWA100SE
Harbeth Compact 7ES-3
Audio Art cabling

Admittedly, using the STI-500 as the preamp for the KWA100SE is a bit of an odd-couple pairing and is unlikely to be what you’d find in the real world. While Wyred’s preamp sections are well regarded, the STI-500’s preamp section just isn’t in the same league as the KWA100SE and probably throttled down the performance of the KWA100SE by an order of magnitude (or maybe two). Be that as it may, even in this setup, the KWA100SE had no problem shining through and giving a clear indication of what it can do. This isn’t a jab at the STI-500 – overall, it’s a great performer – it’s simply recognition that a $500 or so preamp section (my guess) may not be the best pairing for a $4000 amp.

Sound:

-The first thing you’ll notice is the clarity of the presentation. Not forced detail or anything like that – just a clearer window on the performance. It was dramatic and obvious when switching back and forth the between the KWA100/STI-500 pairing and STI-500 used as an integrated.

-Subtle inflections by the musician, subtle textural cues and the body of instruments all came readily through. This increased the emotional connection with the performance and helped unravel elements in complex performances (I’ve never heard Raising Sand – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – make so much sense and reveal such nuance).

-A very low noise floor uncovered subtle background sounds and small details, and rendered them beautifully – separation of background singers as distinct voices, hall ambiance, long note decays, tone of different cymbals, etc. were all terrific.

-Dynamics, bass power and thrust, and “jump factor” were all terrific as well, even at low volume. You didn’t have to turn the volume up to get emotionally connected with the music, but the connection was even stronger when a piece was played at the right volume.

-Occasionally, I found female vocals could be a little crisp/dry and the upper register of piano could be a bit tinkly. Either the amp hit its’ stride (or I did) after a couple of hours, as the presentation warmed up a bit, but I was never able to completely ameliorate this minor nit. It’s important to note, this may be an artifact of my system, setup, cabling, etc. rather than an inherent characteristic of the amp.

Other Observations:

-Build quality is great – very solid, well machined parts - clearly not your garden variety amp. I liked the two-part spiked footers, which eliminated the need to think about other types of isolation/de-coupling.

-I’m not a huge fan of the flashing LEDs (I turned off the ones I could), but understand the benefit of having an indicator showing the amp is warming up. A more subdued LED would be more to my liking.

-I found the amp sensitive to static electricity discharge, which hasn’t been a problem with the other amps I’ve had at this house (Naim and Wyred4Sound). Even when I discharged by touching a metal upright on my rack, if I touched the amp, I got an audible pop through the speakers. It may be an issue with my system, house wiring, etc., but it hasn’t happened before, so I wanted to note it.

Conclusion:

All-in-all a fantastic amp! Kudos to Dan and his team for creating a product that can show its’ potential, even in less-than-ideal circumstances. I’m certain I only scratched the surface of what this amp can do and can only imagine what it would sound like strapped to an LS100 preamp. If I was interested in giving up my (early) retirement and/or my marriage, I would snatch up that pairing in a heartbeat. Thanks Dan for giving me the opportunity to hear this in my home – it’s a much different experience than any show or dealer showroom.

On to the next lucky recipient in the next day or so…

-Mike

modwright · « **Reply #33 on:** 9 Dec 2010, 06:54 pm »

Thanks Mike, I appreciate your fair and thorough assessment of your experience with our amp.

I am glad that once you connected it to a circuit without so many other appliances also drawing current from it, that the power issues were resolved. I have never experienced this before and the input stage regulation is such that this should not occur.

It is possible that the mains voltage was drawn down significantly below 120V due to what was connected to the circuit. I once measured 107V at RMAF on a loaded circuit and this caused issues with phono, but that was all.

Take care, a LS 100 will be on tour soon. We are simply busy filling orders right now!

Sincerely,

Dan W.

jriggy · « **Reply #34 on:** 9 Dec 2010, 08:17 pm »

FWIW, I very much enjoy the "light show" It only lasts 45 seconds while warming up. I see nothing obtrusive about something that quietly last less than a min. Also enjoy the inner 'glow' of the amp IMRE (in my rack environment)

Cain wait to hear it with the LS 100.

groovybassist · « **Reply #35 on:** 9 Dec 2010, 09:04 pm »

I can see folks digging the light show. I tend to like a more subdued look (i.e. Naim and stuff like that) and prefer my equipment in black - still plenty of caress factor, but it disappears when I'm not caressing it! Am I talking about gear or my wife???

JerryH · « **Reply #36 on:** 17 Dec 2010, 01:33 am »

I've had the KWA100SE a week now. I have to say it's the finest amp I've ever had the pleasure to audition in my home.

It’s running into Vandersteen 3 Sigs. My preamp is the Modwright SWLP. The amps I have now are the Channel Islands D200’s. I went with those over a previous McCormack DNA1 that was revised to the top Gold A level. What was appealing about the D200’s was they were so much better at revealing the subtle details in the music. I was missing a lot before and I’d compare it to having a sheet draped over the speakers. What I lost was some depth, or actually perceived depth because low level nuances were somewhat buried. I think the Vandys need an amp that errs slightly on the analytical side. They are a shade dark.

So I’ve been seriously enthralled. Listening first to some Music Matters Blue Note 45’s, the textures are such a joy! The tensions of the drum skins, the hammer on the piano just sound so very right. The acoustic bass that I always listen for are articulate and defined. For me, that says a lot given that Blue Note usually buried the bass in the mix. The Channel Islands are also good in that way, but are clinical compared to the KWA. Everything seems more 3 dimensional too, with ambience extending further out from the instruments. The Blue Notes are the perfect example again. The Music Matters mix, at least through the D200’s, are all hard panned left and right for most of the instruments. With the KWA, the piano and drums are still hard right, but the ambient soundfield is as it should be extending out and beyond, while the sax and horns, being more closely miked and isolated, are where they should be in a more pinpoint defined location.

Then I went to a couple SACD’s. Nickle Creek is one I like to pull out. That recording sounds good on any setup. The KWA really brought the ‘being there’ feeling in spades. That really sums up where this amp is affecting me, even though it’s an over worked cliché. I can’t just nonchalantly put on background music like this. I’m immediately drawn in. I stop typing or surfing the net, and just come front and center and immerse in it. It’s more like an event. I know.. more hyperbole. It really is my impression. I can get pretty emotionally involved with music.

I threw on some more complex SACD's, mostly classical. David Chesky's Area 31 can be somewhat dense with a lot going on. The amp was able to navigate perfectly, allowing me to hear the parts separated in space and not feel congested. I tend to take classical in small doses because of feeling a bit drained. But with this amp, and maybe because of that air around all the instruments, it doesn't feel like I'm getting bombarded with a wall of sound. Another mark of a great amp for me.

Another of my reference recordings is Duke Ellington's Blues In Orbit on Columbia 6-eye stereo. The recording is full of subtle touches that have previously been hinted at. With this amp, I was able to distinguish very low level detail and micro dynamics.

I have been pulling out so much music I know very well but really discovering things I hadn't heard before. Kind Of Blue, Exile On Main Street, Coltrane, Elliott Smith.. didn't matter. This amp is flat out so musical. For me, it strikes an ideal balance. Tube vs SS? Whatever.. to my ears it just sounds right. That elusive 'being there'is much closer.

Criticism? The led's inside the case throw an image up the side of my wall kinda like that Batman light. It does look kool but it throws light on my projection screen. Fortunately, there's a toggle switch on the back to turn it off. I'd only use it to impress my friends.The front blue led and Morwright logo does look really good though and you can turn off all the led's if you want.

I'm sure better speakers would bring out the best of the KWA100SE. It most defenantly brings out the best of my Vandy's. I signed on to the tour because I love the persuit of music reproduction. I really had no intention of buying because I was satisfied with what I have. I absolutely have to have this amp. It's a gem for sure. Sold the amps I had and am buying this as soon as available!

modwright · « **Reply #37 on:** 19 Dec 2010, 09:54 pm »

First of all, while Jerry may be too humble to say so, he is also a musician himself and I appreciate his feedback based on this!

Jerry WAS the end of the initial tour, but the tour has been extended. I intend to include a LS 100 with the amp in tandem, possibly, depending on who wants to here both. Obviously there is a bit more shipping expense in forwarding on two pieces of equipment rather than one, so people will be asked if they want to audition the two piece together or just the LS 100 or KWA 100SE separately.

I thank all of you who have already and those that continue to express interest in the tour. It is a great way to allow a number of people to audition our products. Please support our dealers and contact your nearest dealer if interested in purchasing.

Thank you,

Dan Wright
President, ModWright Instruments Inc.
www.modwright.com

morganc · « **Reply #38 on:** 31 Dec 2010, 04:07 am »

Hi Dan,
I am in San Francisco and would be very much interested in hearing the KWA 100 with the pre-amp LS. I will shoot you a pm.
Cheers,
Morgan

modwright · « **Reply #39 on:** 4 Jan 2011, 03:18 am »

No problem! The amp will continue on tour, along with LS 100. There will be a brief delay as we are busy with CES, the holidays just passed and we are SLAMMED with orders!

Thanks,

Dan