ModWright KWA 99 Monoblock Amplifiers

Dan Wright's brief for the KWA 99 was specific: a 100-watt MOSFET amplifier, biased as far into Class A as heat rejection and efficiency would allow, in a compact monoblock chassis that fits cleanly into a real listening room.  A smartly, precisely engineered amplifier that prioritizes sound above all else — and then gets out of its own way. If there is one thing that characterizes the sound of the KWA99, its transparency. Okay transparency and texture. Comparing the KWA 99 to the Unison DMV2 amplifier, the Modwright has a more lit up midrange and upper frequency band. When I say lit up, I mean a very soft white light. Not forward, not fatiguing, just more revealing of textures and subtleties in the midrange and highs while preserving naturalness.

The Design

MOSFET output devices, chosen for their inherent linearity and musical character. Biased as deeply into Class A operation as the thermal limits permit — meaning the first significant portion of the power output operates without crossover distortion. Zero global negative feedback. Monoblock architecture provides complete channel separation with independent power supplies per channel.

The KWA 99 doesn't announce itself. It simply reveals whatever is upstream of it. In a system built around the LS 99 preamplifier, the combination is transparent in a way that makes the recording's character — not the equipment's — the defining element of what you hear.

Press Recognition

ModWright amplifiers have been reviewed by The Absolute Sound, Stereophile, and Hi-Fi+. Dan Wright's MOSFET amplifier designs have earned a reputation for combining solid-state reliability and power with a musicality that solid-state amplifiers don't routinely achieve.

Specifications

• Configuration: Monoblock
• Output power: 100 watts per channel
• Output stage: MOSFET, maximum practical Class A bias
• Feedback: Zero global negative feedback
• Pricing: Per pair
• Designer: Dan Wright, ModWright Instruments, USA

Questions about pairing the KWA 99 with the LS 99, or speaker matching at 100 watts Class A biased? Reach out.