TESTED: Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 and Bel Canto Ref 1000 Mk II Monoblocks

Green Amplifiers

June 12th, 2009 -- by Steven Stone
Source: The Absolute Sound

Power output: 570W at 8 ohms, 1140W at 4 ohms
Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz +/-0.4dB
Gain: 27dB
Damping factor: 2000
Dimensions: 8" x 4" x 13"
Weight: 14 lbs. each
Price: $1199 each

WYRED 4 SOUND
2323 Tuley Rd. Unit A
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 237-2113
www.wyred4sound.com

Associated Equipment
Desktop System: EAD 8000 Pro CD/DVD player and transport, MacPro Dual core computer with i-Tunes 7.7.1, Trends USB Audio Dac UD-10, Monarchy Audio DIP, Meridian 518, Meridian 561 pre/pro, Grace M902 reference headphone preamplifier, Bel Canto Dac 3, Bel Canto S-300 stereo amplifier, Accuphase P-300 power amplifier, Earthquake Supernova Mk IV 10 subwoofer, Goertz M12 Veracity speaker cables, Goertz TQ2 alpha-core interconnects
Room System 1: CEC TL-2 CD transport, Sony BPS-300 Blu Ray Player, Apple TV, Sonos Z90, VPI HW-17, ClearAudio/Souther TriQuartz arm, Denon/VanDenHul cartridge, Michael Yee Pfe-1 phono preamp, Lexicon MC-12B HD pre/pro, Monster HTPS 7000, Chang Lightspeed CLS 9900 AC conditioner, Genesis 6.1 surround speaker system, two Genesis S2/12 subwoofers, one Genesis 4/8 subwoofer, two JL Audio Fathom F112 subwoofers, Synergistic Research Designer’s Reference interconnects and speaker cables
Room System 2: Sony BDP S-300 Blu Ray Player, Logitech Slim Systems Squeezebox Duet music server, Meridian 598 CD/DVD player, VPI TNT-IV turntable, Graham 1.2 tonearm, ClearAudio Victory H cartridge, Vendetta SCP-1B phono preamp, Meridian 568.2 Pre/pro, Meridian 518 Digital processor, Ps Audio Premier AC power regenerator, Chang Lightspeed CLS 9900 AC conditioner, Dunlavy Signature VI main speakers, Dunlavy Signature IV center speaker, Dunlavy Signature IAV rear speakers, two Genesis G-928 subwoofers, two Earthquake Supernova 12 Mk VI subwoofers, Audio Magic and Synergistic Research interconnects, Audio Magic Sorcerer and Synergistic Research Alpha Quad X-series speaker cables

Comments

highendzen -- Thu, 07/22/2010 - 02:13

Just got through reading your review on the Wyred 4 sound SX-1000 and Bel Canto Ref 1000 Mk ll mono block "D" amps. I knew halfway through the review that Bel Canto would get the final nod. Reading reviews and bench test reports since 1975, your instincts become razor sharp where the reviewer is going, based on how the framing of the message is set up to lead the reader down an intended path. The review
in 6moons portrays a very different picture on the Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 than you do. You imply you get what you pay for. Completely false.Bel Canto does not own their own circuit company like Rick Cullen, and I'll put Cullen's circuit reputation spanning 35 years over Bel Canto. The 6moons review was more objective and honest, avoiding the politcal favor slanted towards Bel Canto. Wyred 4 Sound can provide
a better product for lower cost since their circuits and boards are designed and manufactured in house, not having to rely on purchasing from
outside, which drives your costs up. Many reviews on blogs, threads, and tech reports during the past year has raised the Bar quite high with
audiophiles on their opinion of Wyred 4 Sound, which has many companies shaking in their boots. Audiophiles are tired of getting ripped off
on class " D " products that weigh 8 to 12 lbs. costing $ 2K to $ 4K per unit and made with only standard military grade parts. God bless Rick
Cullen and his partner for giving a damn providing world class performing products that are within reach of middle class incomes. Beware of the upcoming Nuforce Reference 18's, a pair of monoblocks at eighteen pounds for $ 8K. What a burn !!!!!

jgstiller -- Thu, 08/19/2010 - 00:01

I have to agree with the previous comment. This review is blatantly slanted from start to finish. The reviewer clearly states at the outset that he hopes that the more expensive amplifier is better than the less expensive one. Any reviewer harboring such inane biases cannot be trusted. Is that the standard that The Absolute Sound now expects from its reviewers: price and brand snobbery as valid criteria for initial assessment of audio performance? What he's really saying is that he hopes his favorite brand (he owns three Bel Canto amps) is not shown up by a lower-cost alternative that other reviewers have found to be superior to it. It's interesting that he references very negative comments in other reviews about ICE amps (not the SX-1000) in his review of the Wyred4Sound, but he fails to mention reviews that specifically preferred the Wyred4Sound to the Bel Canto. Apparently only comments from other reviews that cast aspersions at the Wyred4Sound by association with other ICE amps are allowable. And his rebuttal of those comments is tepid. He confirms the supposed "chalkiness" but plays a cute little word game to suggest that it's less than what others noticed. But it's still there, of course, and the impression is clear that the Wyred4Sound has an issue in this regard. None of the other more objective reviews of the SX-1000 have noted the supposed "chalkiness," but that isn't mentioned at all.

The section headings further underscore the prejudice in operation here. The Wyred4Sound is "4 the masses" while the Bel Canto is "A Beautiful Voice". Sure, that's a loose translation from a latinate language, but it's used by contrast with the Wyred4Sound section heading to underscore that the Wyred4Sound is for the plebes. It's ok despite having "a few sonic flaws." If you can't afford a serious amplifier, it will be serviceable (but you are pitied).

I've heard both amplifiers and the Bel Canto is not obviously better than the Wyred4Sound. At nearly three times the price, it's a bad purchase. What the reviewer fails to mention is that there's little competition for the Wyred4Sound in it's price range and well above it. At the cost of the Bel Canto, however, the competition is stiff. That's where an objective reviewer would have provided some useful advice and insight. I echo the sentiments above that folks check out the 6moons reviews and others. They all have critiques (no equipment is perfect or suits all tastes) but they generally don't come at it with such obvious bigotry.