ModWright KWI-200 in the house!

JJinID

JJinID

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Apr 7, 2013
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283
Location
Scenic Idaho
Thanks to Dan and Kristin at ModWright, I have a KWI-200 integrated amp with both DAC and phono modules installed to demo and listen to for a few days in my system. I will also be setting it up for my dad to listen to in his system (he currently has McIntosh MC402/C46/MVP-881BR and a Clearaudio Performance TT with PMC OB1i speakers). I will be sure to post my impressions, both as an integrated and as the amp section used with the LS100 tube preamplifier.
 
Congrats! I hear lots of good things about the entire Modwright line. It will be interesting how it fares against the Mc gear. I'm guessing they will be two different sounds.
 
Very nice! I have read nothing but great things about Dan's integrated and almost picked one up.
 
Sean said:
Jeff, any initial thoughts?
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Hi Sean - it's still settling in, however immediately there are definitely some noticeable differences from my current system. The KWI-200 is very well balanced, perhaps a tick to the slightly warm side of things. Excellent dynamics and frequency extension. Very solid image placement across the soundstage, with a nice foundation in the bass. Definitely more solid state sounding vs. the LS100, as you would expect. The DAC module is fantastic, albeit more bright than my MW Oppo 105. Still haven't tested out the phono module yet. It's a brand new unit and I've noticed the sound go from darker to brighter over the course of the day. More break in and listening to come tomorrow!

I will say that in many ways it's the best sound I've heard from my system and speakers. If I were starting over from scratch, there is no doubt that the KWI-200 would deserve serious consideration to be at the heart of my system as it is an incredible value, especially as a one box solution with the optional modules. Simple, easy to use, and sounds terrific!
 
Glad to hear it, Jeff! Dan's gear has always intrigued me and I like his approach. I look forward to more of your thoughts as the unit breaks in. I wonder if the DAC will lose a bit of that edge as time goes by. I think his Elyse tube DAC is due out in early 2014, so he seems to be firing on all cylinders.

JJinID said:
Hi Sean - it's still settling in, however immediately there are definitely some noticeable differences from my current system. The KWI-200 is very well balanced, perhaps a tick to the slightly warm side of things. Excellent dynamics and frequency extension. Very solid image placement across the soundstage, with a nice foundation in the bass. Definitely more solid state sounding vs. the LS100, as you would expect. The DAC module is fantastic, albeit more bright than my MW Oppo 105. Still haven't tested out the phono module yet. It's a brand new unit and I've noticed the sound go from darker to brighter over the course of the day. More break in and listening to come tomorrow!

I will say that in many ways it's the best sound I've heard from my system and speakers. If I were starting over from scratch, there is no doubt that the KWI-200 would deserve serious consideration to be at the heart of my system as it is an incredible value, especially as a one box solution with the optional modules. Simple, easy to use, and sounds terrific!
Click to expand...
 
I'm happy to report that the KWI-200 is settling in very nicely. The sound from the analog inputs has opened up considerably, while the DAC module has smoothed out a lot! I'll write up more later on my comparison with my existing system, but for now it's time to pack it up and get it over to my dad's.

As an aside, and just for grins, I decided to plug in my MW solid state modified Oppo BDP-83 to see how it sounded with the KWI-200 via 2-channel analog ins. I have to say that I was blown away on how good it sounds! I've been so busy listening to my tube modified 105 that I'd forgotten how good my older 83 is. Not quite as detailed or as big of a soundstage as the 105, but darn it if it isn't really close - and just about a perfect pairing with the KWI-200! In fact, it is hard to pick a winner between it and the internal DAC module - it's that close! The internal DAC is perhaps a bit more linear and extended, but the 83 beats it in the midrange and tonality. I could be very happy with a good pair of speakers, the KWI-200, my SB Touch, and the MW 83 that I have. More to come...
 
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