Modwright offers the “beefier” KWA 100SE
December 2011 Audiophilia review of the LS 100 and KWA 100SE
KWA 100SE 6 moons review by Srajan Ebaen.
Blue Moon Award Winner!
KWA 100SE Receives high praise at RMAF 2010:
Positive Feedback ‘Best of the Best’, by Bob Levi.
The KWA 100SE is designed to offer exceptional performance in a dedicated stereo power amplifier. It offers the same tube-like midrange of our flagship KWA 150 and greater levels of detail and bass slam than the stock KWA 100.
The KWA 100SE provides a strong 100+W into 8 ohms and 200W into 4 ohm loads, capable of driving even the most difficult speaker loads.
Modwright set out to design the KWA 100 to meet a price point and offer the best possible performance for that price. When Customers asked Dan Wright what he could do without these price limitations, the KWA 100SE was born.
The KWA 100SE includes the following upgrades:
- 20 output devices total, opposed to 12 output devices in the KWA 100.
- 88,000uf increase in total main power supply capacitance.
- Upgrade of over twenty (20) key signal and power supply capacitors to MWI custom capacitors.
- Upgrade of key signal path resistors to Precision Japanese Takman Carbon Film resistors.
The results include better bass response, speaker control, and improvement in low-level detail and overall resolution
Design Specifications of the KWA 100SE:
- Fully discrete ‘Solid State Music Stage’ design by Alan Kimmel, offering midrange of tubes as well as muscle and speed of solid state design.
- Zero global Negative feedback.
- High Current MOSFET output stage for extreme linearity and speed.
- Over 180,000uf total power supply capacitance reserves for deep and tuneful bass.
- Lundahl Input Transformer coupled floating ground design, preventing ground loops and isolation from ground mains, for exceptionally low noise floor.
- RCA and XLR inputs transformer coupled to fully balanced circuitry.
- Proprietary protection circuitry operating completely outside of signal path, protecting both amplifier and associated system components with ZERO impact on sonics.
- DC input and output protection
- Over-current protection.
- Output short-circuit protection.
- Thermal overload protection.
- Proprietary ‘RFB’ circuit to protect amp in case of single rail fuse failure
- Class AB operation.
- Bias optimized for low distortion, heat and sonics, allowing for lower operating temperatures, and ideal sonic presentation.
- Pure copper pcb traces, offering the lowest possible impedance.
- Extremely short signal paths and highest quality MWI capacitors and audio grade signal path components for sonic purity.
Physical size and styling of KWA 100SE amp is the same as the KWA 100. Modwright applies an SE badge to the front of the KWA 100SE units to set them apart.
