bel canto and wyred 4 sound

I have heard this complaint about Class D amps before and it concerned me when I was making the final purchase decision on the W4S amp.

I did a quick scan of prices of the three amp brands you mentioned: Krell, Pass and M. Levinson and at anywhere near the output power of the W4S STI500 they are 3 to 15 times more expensive. This is really an unfair comparison.

Assuming quality audio reproduction of the equipment, Class D amps provide the following additional benefits:

They are very light,
Have very low power consumption, and
Give off little or no heat.

The pace at which the W4S is breaking in right now, my concerns about Class D lessen each day. I would possibly compare the "difference" in Class D amps with my previous Class A (up to 10 watts) /AB amp may be similar to how Magnepans sound different than other speakers. You either like it or not, but they do present the sound in a different manner. I don't hear any differences as big as Magnepans vs typical speakers in the W4S vs Class A or A/B amps, but possibly some slight differences.

Finally, the W4S STI500 does sound very very good with the Magnepans.

Ron, that is also an issue in my mind - the cost of the class A amps versus that of the class D amps. But to be fair, the Bel Canto is closer to half the price vs. a quarter or third.

But one of the claims of the class D amps is this performance per dollar and the many, many statements about the amps being better than amps costing many times as much. When somebody makes this claim, then I think it is more than fair to compare said amps with others costing twice as much.

Also, it should be noted that it costs considerably less to make a class D amp than a class A amp - that is just a matter of parts pricing, casework, etc. . .

I think the class D amps have improved dramatically, though my experience is that those that have shown the best performance and most promise are also the ones with the best power supplies and don't rely on just the switching amp. This, to a greater (vs. lesser) degree, can be seen in the weights of the better class D amps.

Ron, you are not the first to suggest the notion that the class D amps shine well on the Maggies, or e-statics/planars, etc. . . for that matter. I have owned Logans, but not currently and never at the same time as a class D amp - so I cannot comment at all in that regard. But based on what I have read, it seems your statements are well supported by owners of these types of speakers.

The Bel Canto is a Class D amp that goes for 1.5 to 2 times as much as the W4S. I understand it is also a great amp and makes sense for someone thinking of spending $2K to $3K on an amp or integrated amp.

I really like the simplicity of the W4S and how I can completely black out the lights on the amp and DAC when listening in a darkened room. It is incredibly easy to use.

Since my budget topped at $2K the W4S STI500 was an easy choice. There seems to be a lot of quality parts and good construction for its price range. I replaced a 55 lb Class A and A/B amp along with separate hybrid preamp with one simple box that puts out 2.5 times the power and has done amazing things with the bass response of the 1.7s.

Well Ron, it has been a while since I have been to this page. But over the weekend I picked up a couple pair of speakers. A pair of Thiel CS6 and a pair of Maggies (SMG-A, I think is the model). I'll give 'em a listen with the class D Bel Cantos

My experience so far with the Thiel's (very power hungry speakers) is that the Bel Cantos don't seem to have enough power for them (@ 1,000 watts at 4 ohms - which is what these speakers are). Instead I am using my Mark Levinson 125/250 @ 4 amp which seems to have a much, much better ability to power the Thiels.

But those little maggies don't need much power and I will hook the BC's up to them this coming weekend and give it a shot.

I would be curious to see if the W4S STI500 would make a difference on the Thiel's. I feel that the STI500 has an unlimited amount of power with my Magnepan 1.7s. At any listening levels that I am comfortable, the STI500 seems to be cruising along.

Reading some threads on both the Bel Canto and W4S integrated amps, the W4S seems to come out very well on build quality. Don't know if that is true or just opinion.

Just made a very simple change in my system - removed the Better Cables digital cable and replaced it with a Xindak digital cable. I am not sure that this can be the case but the music flows much more realistically and is much more involving than before. Very surprised at the results.

Working on upgrading my XLR cables connecting my W4S DAC2 and W4S STI500 from Morrow MA1.1's to either Morrow MA4/5, AudioQuest Colorado or MIT Shotgun 3.3. Looking forward to seeing if top dollar (for me) cables can bring out additional detail and musical realism.

As the W4S STI-500 has fully broken in, I would say that the characteristics are:

1. Incredibly smooth

2. Good detail, but not yet up to Class A amps - this has actually surprised me because of the STI500 reviews indicated that this unit has tremendous detail. I hope upgrading my cables will provide additional detail.

3. None of that Class A/B amp harshness

4. Unlimited feeling of power.

4. Decent feeling of space and depth - better than my previous amp.

5. I am just a frustrating step away from hearing three dimensional musicians playing in my room. Right now, I have clarity but it just misses that spooky three dimensional feel that I was beginning to get with my previous Class A up to 10 watt, Class A/B to 200 watt amp.

Limiting factors: I am still using a $100 APC UPS power supply providing surge and filtering for my audio equipment. Cables connecting DAC and Integrated are about $140 - good but not great. My music server is a $350 NETGEAR 9150 with 500gig hard drive. I burned my CDs to the NETGEAR using Microsoft Windows Media in a rather haphazard way. The files are lossless, but I have been reading on the net that Windows Media does not necessarily burn an "exact copy" of the CD.

Overall I would give the STI500 a Very Good rating.