Modwright KWI200 vs Kinki Studio EX-M1+

@arafiq 

I own an M1, M1+ and the M7 stereo amp and over the last 2 years have used them with speakers from Verity, Nola, Spatial, Reynaud, Fritz, Odyssey, Wharfedale and Harbeth.  I have not found your friend's characterization to be true with any of them including the Harbeth.  Was the Harbeth pairing great maybe not but that is more the Harbeth's voicing than the Kinki's to me. The similarly voiced Wharfedale however was a very good match.  As Alan now uses Hegel in his lab the fact that it may be a better pairing than the Kinki would not be a surprise. My Audia Flight integrated was also a better pairing with the Harbeth's and it is voiced to the warmer side like Luxman and Hegel. 

As to the op amp rolling Doug referred to it is there if you feel so inclined just like with the input boards for many of the NC500 based amps but it is fine just as it is but if you want to explore a different flavor you are free to do so. 

stereo5, The bottom line is that you didn’t believe my review. Shame on you. ;)
I’m going to put in some extended discussion here, not only because I’m disappointed in your skepticism, but as additional info for the community in general in such situations where products can be improved at low cost.

It’s the same as with tubes. Simply because a component can be improved does not mean it was not good sounding in stock form. Do not misread my review and misinterpret.

This is the nightmare for manufacturers who offer such improvements. Instead of fixing the product to allow no easy improvements, they hand the buyer a gift, then it is perceived to be some sort of problem How’s that for a no win for the manufacturer? Perhaps you would be happier if Kinki Studio soldered in cheap opamps like 99% of the companies?

Of course we all want the ultimate build, the ultimate sound for cheap. If the parts are not good enough and better are available, we complain. If the parts are too fancy and deemed unnecessary, we complain. This is the audiophile community, after all. :(

I have actually had to discuss with manufacturers how much of mod availability to a product should be discussed in a review because of this very perception problem in the community. If I put in an arcticle that I have done an improvement, then some yahoo goes to the manufacturer and gripes about it. NO, they can’t just pay a bit more money, or put in the effort, but instead it’s easiest to blame the manufacturer, or make other excuse for not getting their a-- off the couch and doing it.

Simply because theoretically a unit could be improved, there is always a percentage of the community that thinks that is a problem. Either the manufacturer didn’t give us the best, or it doesn’t sound that good because it wasn’t built with this or that part, etc. It can’t simply be that it’s a great product, a good design, and it can be tuned. No, that can’t be. It has to be a problem. :(

Then, there are the component makers who go to the limit, the extreme, and again, a percentage of the community, the objectivists or "thrifty" ones, are railing against them because of purportedly using parts that are not necessary and upcharging. I feel sorry for the manufacturers who have to deal with all this nonsense.

I happen to have in my rig right now, along with the incredible Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifiers the older Eastern Electric Minimax Tube DAC Supreme - with Sparkos Labs (among others used) upgrade discrete opamps. It was a GIFT of EE to NOT solder in some lame opamp that would not allow for the INCREDIBLE contouring of the DAC to any system. This community needs to learn that simply because a component is built to a cost point does not mean it has poor sound, AND if the maker generously allows upgrades, it should be seen as a benefit, not a problem.

Now, does this mean the EE DAC is better than all others, a "giant killer" that takes out DACs up to 3x price? Yes, about every fifth system. And, in about 80% of the time it doesn’t. So, will the Kinki Studio EX-M1+ with discrete opamps outperform components that cost 3x? No one knows, comparisons must be done. But, no one wants to do that; they just want to boast about what they think they know. Again, this is the audiophile community, after all. :)

@douglas_schroeder

Thank you for the response although I am a bit perplexed. You said I didn’t believe you. Yes, I most certainly did believe you. I tried to digest your findings but I got lost a little bit in the details, hence my questions. Part of my problem is that I would never screw around with different op amps. I have done it with tubes many times however. All my questions were honest but you made me feel like I was talked down to although I know it wasn’t intentional.  I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.

stereo5, It's like tubes, really, but without the nose bleed upper end cost structure. Consider the stock opamps like the stock tubes in amps. 

I haven't heard the EX-M1+ but I owned the EX-M1 and although I loved 99% of its sound, it sounded a touch dry to me. I replaced the opamps and this helped but my subconscious kept telling me that something wasn't quite right. The best way I can explain it is that it sounded harmonically incomplete or overdamped and as much as I loved the amp I couldn't ignore this trait and ended up selling it. 

Once I hooked up my tube amp again, my subconscious relaxed and the nagging was gone.

However, the new owner of the EX-M1 likes it so much that he has now sold his tube amp.