Modwright Instruments KWH 225i integrated amplifier

It’s always interesting to try different speakers with any amp so I wrestled a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 802s into place. There’s an enthusiastic quote from an 802 owner on the Modwright website and it instantly became clear why this is the case; the sound they produce was nothing short of vivid in its transparency and three dimensionality. What’s more, a number of pieces created a soundstage that was so real and deep that it felt as if you could walk into it. The solid-state power amplifier serves to amplify the beguiling qualities of those two triode valves and produces results that are electrifying in their immediacy and atmosphere. The recording needs to be good to achieve this of course, but plenty of the tracks I tried did the trick including the distinctly lo-fi eponymous debut from Tortoise, the track ‘Night Air’ having a reach out and touch it presence that encouraged level and extended listening. In fact all the better sounding tunes encouraged me to push the volume, the 802 is a little reluctant in the midrange and this amp balances this perfectly so the end result is very pleasing.

Dan Wright has done a fine job of marrying the qualities of valve and solid state electronics in the KWH 225i which is a well built and musically compelling amplifier that will charm many listeners, especially those with revealing loudspeakers.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: Hybrid, 2-channel integrated amplifier.
• Analogue inputs: Three single-ended line-level inputs (via RCA jacks), one balanced input (via XLR connectors), one home cinema bypass input (via RCA jacks)
• Digital inputs: N/A
• Analogue outputs: Pre outputs (via RCA jacks), loudspeaker terminals on 5-way binding posts
• Supported sample rates: N/A
• Input impedance: 20kOhms
• Output impedance (preamp): N/A
• Headphone Loads: N/A
• Power Output: 225Wpc @ 8 Ohms, 400Wpc @ 4 Ohms
• Bandwidth: 20Hz–100kHz
• Distortion: Not specified
• Signal to Noise Ratio: Not specified
• Dimensions (H×W×D): 165 × 432 × 432mm
• Weight: 29kg
• Price: £8,500

Manufacturer: Modwright Instruments

URL: modwright.com

UK Distributor: Elite Audio

Tel: 0800 4647274

URL: eliteaudiouk.com

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