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Wyred 4 Sound experience with 804Ds

I purchased a W4S ST-500 a couple of months ago for my 804Ds. I found an immediate improvement on my NAD amp in terms of soundtsage depth and width, clarity and detail from lows to highs. What I have noticed though is that, music dependent, the sound's can be little cold and lean. With warmth in the recordings it's not an issue and the sound is fantastic. I don't use a tube pre.

I thought I'd mention this for the benefit of those considering a W4S amp, and potentially other Class D amps. I suspect that these amps work best with "full bodied" speakers, and there might also be a lot to be said for synergy with tube pre's. In my case I'm sniffing around a Mcintosh MC302 to bring some of the warmth I had with the NAD back. I can absolutely see why these W4S amps are so highly praised, but my experience suggests there might be room for some qualification/care when choosing them.

Any experience from other 804D owners also valued.
128x128ullodea
jdec
123 posts
 
Funny that Srajan Ebaen mentioned this in the review of the ST500:

"In my extensive amplifier comparisons the ST-500 was considerably warmer and denser than three different Mosfet amps from ModWright, FirstWatt and Nagra; two valve amps (one Yamamoto 300B SET, one Trafomatic EL84 push/pull); one Power Jfet (J2); and two other transistor amps (F5 and Burson PP 160)."
ullodea's avatar
ullodea OP
11 posts
 
I also find that odd, in fact his review was very influential when making my choice. Just posting my experience for the benefit of potential purchasers, as I know I'm not imagining it.
jult52
153 posts
 
I've just started using exactly this amp with my Maggies and have exactly the opposite experience, finding it a very warm sound (which I like). This warmth is identified by a wide swathe of critics, not just Ebaen.

The W4S is detailled. Could it be revealing something about your DAC or Pre that had been covered up by the NAD's coloration?
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