Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Any experiences?

I had the opportunity to slot a KWI-200 into my downstairs system this morning.

Two discoveries worth mentioning.

First, I really appreciated the KWI-200's reading of the music. Warm, organic and natural to succinctly sum things up. Versus my reference Integrated amplifier, a Gryphon Diablo, the KWI-200 did not have the same treble extension (seemed a little rolled off) and certainly was not as dynamic with the KWI-200 smoothness seeming to cloud / sacrifice some sharpness in transients. The KWI-200 exhibited a vestige of softness to leading edge of notes which robbed dynamic music of that last ounce of immediacy and attack. Still, this is nit-picking for the price and as noted above I liked the KWI-200’s overall musical reading and I imagine this amplifier will be a breath of fresh air for many.

Second, the KWI-200 was in-capable of driving my ESL speakers above moderate listening volumes with-out clipping. The ESL speakers are however difficult to drive being 84dB sensitive with impedance dipping to 3 ohm at 20 KHz.

I auditioned the Modwright KWI-200 on two separate occasions and in the finish did not opt to purchase it.

My sonic findings were posted earlier. It is not a bad integrated but it certainly is no class leader IMHO. Mechanically the build quality could be improved with Modwright opting to use a chassis which is larger than it really needs to be and sheet metal thickness is thin making the overall until prone to vibrations. I am a fan of Modwright products owning an LS36.5 pre-amp and wish the KWI-200 had the same attention to detail in mechanical design as the LS36.5