Wright Sound WPP specs please

"I am on a personal cusade to tell the world that you must try using this pre directly into the amplifier's input instead of through a linestage. The 12AU7 output tubes have plenty of oomph to drive an amp directly."

hifiharv. Greets.
As I read your post a couple of things occurred to me:
1) I have a WPP 100C
2) My integrated amp (Classe') allows 'amp in' or 'preamp out'.

So I decided to give your idea a tryout by just plugging the output IC's from the Wright directly into the "amp in" rca jacks on the back panel of the Classe'. Then proceded to play a record.

What I noticed straight away was:
1) that I had to turn the gain pots way down on the Wright in order to eliminate some serious residual system noise. Btw, this noise is not present when playing the Wright through the normal inputs of the Classe'. Just when by-passing the preamp side of the Classe'.

2) after turning the pots down to around 1 or 2 o-clock I did experience some vivid music. I had been playing some Ormandy/Wagner prior to reading your post. So at side 3 I tried your suggestion. It was an improvement, I suspect.

3) but the system seemed abnormally noisy. As in noise through speakers. I also noticed some clinking noises as I had my hands next to the 6 tubes on the Wright preamp. Not touching, just near. Clinking noises like bumping dishes together in the sink. Abnormal.

4) So I hooked the Wright back through the normal preamp input of the Classe'..... and my already good sound returned.... sans the weird noises.

system details:
Step up Trannys: 1:10 Sowter made by Geo Wright.
Wright WPP100C
Classe' CAP 181 integrated stereo amplifier
NHT 2.9 speakers
Thorens TD124/Zeta tonearm/Uwe bodied DL-103R

TD 160, not sure what is going on there, but every combination of amps and preamps I have tried has yielded better sound in my system straight into the power amps. As usual, I guess I should have stated YMMV. Perhaps the Wright is too high output for your amp section, or there is some sort of impedence mismatch between the tube and solid state components. I am using 15 watt tube amps so maybe I need the high output. My gain pots are usually set between 9 and 12 o-clock for live in the room listening. This is with a mm cart. Perhaps my "crusade" should end since I cannot control other system's variables. Anyway, you did try it and if your impressions went the other way you would have been very pleased to find a free tweak right under your nose but undiscovered. Now I am curious, I would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has newly tried this and whether or not it works for them. In what kind of components is it a step down in performance?

When I owned a WPP100c, I was using a passive preamp (Bent TVC) and the sound was wonderful. It was incredibly open with an outstanding three dimensional soundstage. I can't offer any comparisons with an active linestage b/c I didn't have one at the time, but the usual caveats apply. Your system has to be passive friendly for it to work right. The only way to know if it works in your system is to try it both ways.

hifiharv
greets again.

After the fact, I decided to review the owner's manual of the Classe' CAP151. What I described previously is in agreement with the Classe' suggestion. On the front panel there is a "separate" button. Push this and the preamp section is now separate from the amp side. Back panel: RCA jacks. Preamp out or Amp in. Meaning that the preamp side can now feed input to a different amplifier, and that the amplifier section can receive input from a separate preamp or, as Classe' suggests, an equalizer of some sorts. Perhaps that is a clue.

The Classe' CAP 151 does have some serious wattage output. Meant to drive inefficient speakers. And the Wright does indeed have a lot of gain.

FWIW, I've been using the Wright WPP100c and Classe' CAP151 happily together for several years. Just feed the signal from the Wright into the "line in" inputs on the Classe' back panel. Beautiful music.

Anyway I tried it. Nothing lost. Nothing gained.

-Steve