Wyred STP-SE : Break In Times


Hi All,

I recently purchased the W4S STP-SE preamp. I have been breaking it in. It's nearly 350 hours now and feel like it hasn't opened up yet. Vocals are harsh, sound stage is limited and everything feels cramped.

Now, the manual says 200 hours, but does anyone have experience of breaking in much longer to get it to optimal sound?

I have experience with other Wyred products (DAC, MC amp), so I have a very good idea of their sonic character.

I'm just wondering if this is time to panic or wait it out, to say, 500 hours.

Any input appreciated.
Thanks.
pack_tor
Clearly you want to remove all the steel fasteners and replace with brass... Tom
Don't you sell the Audiopoint products audiotweak?

If so, wouldn't that disclosure be relevant?
Wc65Mustang/Audiofeil you are correct..and who are you today? I do sell what I believe in and use all the time. Can't imagine mounting a transformer on bowling balls or even bearings. I also buy brass fasteners from the local supply chain to use in my system and acoustic resonance control devices.Not the big box store but local hardware retailers.. Also use brass and resonance grounding and tuning methods in patented devices for musical instruments.

Tom.. seller of Audiopoints and purveyor of resonance grounding methods and acoustic coupling. That's me..
If in fact you are selling products and recommending them in the forums, perhaps your membership status should be changed from private to commercial.

Or you could continue advertising without disclosure as you've been doing.
I bought a new W4S STP-SE and ST1000 amp and probably have 100 to 125 hours on the units. They are running Maggie 1.7's with an AudioSpace CD8 as the source. I routinely play the Maggies at 40 to 50 on the volume control so I am staying in the passive mode.

The W4S units are plugged into a surge protector from Parts Express with no special cabling or power cords. The speaker wires are nothing special; the gauge is thicker than lamp cord.

The W4S have really opened up in terms of bass in the last few weeks compared to straight out of the box. The bass is articulate with texture and timbre. No boominess at all. I used palpable to describe the bass when I first heard the W4S in my house. I was wrong, it is palpable now. Thicker and richer.

The sound stage seems to come and go so I think that depends a lot on the specific CD or album. This is a piece of advice that I picked up on another Audiogon thread and I think that it is true.

The treble, to my ear, sounds good most of the time. On occasion it does seem a bit harsh. I would not call the treble "liquid" by any stretch of the imagination and I am not sure that that it is necessarily "smooth" all of the time. I do not often hear the "sheen" coming off cymbals. Perhaps this is the source; I am setting up a turntable so more to come on that score.