Modwright Instruments at CES 2011

I got to meet up with my old friend Dan Wright at Modwright Instruments at CES 2011. I haven't seen him for a couple of years, probably since I reviewed the 36.5 preamplifier for TONEAudio. Dan has had a lot of success with his new power amplifiers, the KSA 100 and the KSA 150, and had received a lot of great reviews from the press. He had a system set up with the KSA 150, his brand new LS 100 preamp, one of his modded Sony SACD players and a Townshend Rock 7 turntable. Speakers were small aluminum bookshelf speakers with matching subwoofers. I can't recall the name but I'll try to find out as quickly as possible.

We listened to some Johnny Cash and I really appreciated the purity and simplicity of the sound. Johnny's presence in the room was eerily realistic, which was even more surprising since it was a mono recording. I've always liked Dan's gear, especially the 36.5 and some of his outboard phono stages.

I was intrigued with the new LS100, and asked Dan if it was his new flagship. He said it was actually his new entry-level model, replacing the old 9.0. I was surprised because the case for the LS 100 was actually larger than the top-of-the-line 36.5. It's the same case as the one used for the KSA 150 power amplifier. Dan prefers to use the larger case because there's more room for the tubes inside. Dan is definitely a guy who likes to tube roll; when I reviewed the 36.5, he brought me every conceivable tube that could work including some very rare industrial-grade tubes.

I have always enjoyed the blue glow that emanates from all of Dan's products, as you can see in the pics. I loved having his gear in my system because it always made my listening room look so calm and relaxing. Plus, it sounds great!