Yerude1
I've found the Wyred4Sound ST500 to be a very good amp. I was told (and read on line) that the 250 was one to avoid as it had a different chipset and was not the sonic mate of the other two amps in the line. If someone told you the amp was tubey they must have been a solid state lover.
I should add that I'm happy with the ST500 (though it forced me to get a much better preamp to put in front of it) I don't find that it is a world-beater unless you value pacing and transparency. I can see a lot of people listening with different priorities who would find the amp ordinary or guilty of some other sins of subjective omission. I have 4 ohms speakers and the amps control them effortlessly, but Ive had other amps that have impressed with more slam, but less music. Ive had (tube) amps that added more tone but less pacing and masked musical lines. I am keeping it until I commit to a design philosophy (or maybe simply a typology) that gives me better pacing, tone and dynamics. But I need to get the vinyl settled first, so I may have it for a while.
I am sure that there are better amps and maybe equally good digital amps in the price range - I just dont want W4S to be a victim of their hype. Its a great amp for $1500, but its still an amp for $1500. I am tired of every amp besting amps three times their price, and the amp that was bested was earlier reviewed for trouncing an amp twice its price .... leading me to believe that the W4S ST500 is better than $15-20,000 amps thats grade inflation.
When I was listening to SET I had Cain&Cain Abbys (still have them), like the W4S they do something really right, not the be all and end all, but they can stop a lot of searching until one has more listing experience under ones belt.
I have a lot of records to re-listen to with my now more open system. Certain tube sound that is wonderful, but far from a live sound; like SS slam, far from an acoustic reality (on the other side of the spectrum). So a little more grounded if a little less transfixed. More foot tapping but less heart-stopping? Theres a deeper thrill in verisimilitude (on the level that I can afford, a level that to those higher on the food chain might be pretty basic), thats what kept me going with the amp for the first weeks (when I thought it was harsh and mediocre) because there were little revelations in so many works familiar and less familiar. If I had $3000 maybe Id be saying the same about another amp, but in this price rage its doing its thing right.
Gregg
I've found the Wyred4Sound ST500 to be a very good amp. I was told (and read on line) that the 250 was one to avoid as it had a different chipset and was not the sonic mate of the other two amps in the line. If someone told you the amp was tubey they must have been a solid state lover.
I should add that I'm happy with the ST500 (though it forced me to get a much better preamp to put in front of it) I don't find that it is a world-beater unless you value pacing and transparency. I can see a lot of people listening with different priorities who would find the amp ordinary or guilty of some other sins of subjective omission. I have 4 ohms speakers and the amps control them effortlessly, but Ive had other amps that have impressed with more slam, but less music. Ive had (tube) amps that added more tone but less pacing and masked musical lines. I am keeping it until I commit to a design philosophy (or maybe simply a typology) that gives me better pacing, tone and dynamics. But I need to get the vinyl settled first, so I may have it for a while.
I am sure that there are better amps and maybe equally good digital amps in the price range - I just dont want W4S to be a victim of their hype. Its a great amp for $1500, but its still an amp for $1500. I am tired of every amp besting amps three times their price, and the amp that was bested was earlier reviewed for trouncing an amp twice its price .... leading me to believe that the W4S ST500 is better than $15-20,000 amps thats grade inflation.
When I was listening to SET I had Cain&Cain Abbys (still have them), like the W4S they do something really right, not the be all and end all, but they can stop a lot of searching until one has more listing experience under ones belt.
I have a lot of records to re-listen to with my now more open system. Certain tube sound that is wonderful, but far from a live sound; like SS slam, far from an acoustic reality (on the other side of the spectrum). So a little more grounded if a little less transfixed. More foot tapping but less heart-stopping? Theres a deeper thrill in verisimilitude (on the level that I can afford, a level that to those higher on the food chain might be pretty basic), thats what kept me going with the amp for the first weeks (when I thought it was harsh and mediocre) because there were little revelations in so many works familiar and less familiar. If I had $3000 maybe Id be saying the same about another amp, but in this price rage its doing its thing right.
Gregg