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Reviewer: Glen Wagenknecht
Financial Interests: click here
Source: Luxman Brid modified by Audio Upgrades to be a now tube-less, zero oversampling machine with integral volume control
Amplifier:Bel Canto 200.4
Speakers: Apogee Duetta Signature, Paradigm Servo 15 subwoofer
Cables: Signal Cable Silver Reference interconnects and speaker cables, Audio Art SE cable loom
Resonance Control: Solid Tech, EquaRack Footers, Weizhi Precision Gold Glory footers, Boston Audio TuneBlock2 footers, Superspikes, and Black Diamond
Powerline conditioning: Noise Destroyer power filtration
Room size: 12' x 17'
Review Component Retail: $2.499


The uphill battle. In audiophile circles, integrated amplifiers have generally been treated with a fair bit of snobbery. Regardless of sonic performance, they have always been viewed as the poor cousins to "real" High End. The rule has always been that real audio requires separates.


Wyred4Sound would like to break that rule. The performance potential here is tremendous. The STI 1000 integrated amplifier promises quality line-stage functionality with an unreasonably high level of output power in a compact and lightweight package. None of the STI units offers the same passive/active design as the company's well-regarded STP preamp.  "In the integrated units, the line stage is also the single-ended to balanced converter which resides in the circuit all the time just ahead of the output stage." The digital amplification is provided by a pair of modified digital B&O 1000ASP ICE modules. According to specifications, they deliver 500 watts per channel into an 8Ω load, over a kilowatt per channel into a 4Ω load to become a potential heavyweight performer at this price.


Despite the "scaled-down" designation, the line stage preamp retains Wyred4Sound’s proprietary fully balanced dual FET unity gain buffers on the inputs, a true resistive-ladder volume control and balanced output on all inputs including unbalanced RCA courtesy of internal conversion. There is a provision for loop through to accommodate external crossovers and processors. Inputs are nameable. Balance control and absolute phase control are available. For Wyred4Sound to describe this as scaled down proves someone in the organization has a sense of humor.



The digital amplifier consists of a pair of modified B&O 1000ASP modules with the stock power supply. These modules have been the basis for some ambitious competing product in the last while, some sporting terms like "reference" in their title. One would expect to see this level of performance in a premiere design. It is unusual to see it being offered in an integrated at this price.


The sheer power capability is staggering and beyond anything previous generations of audiophiles could expect. For those who question the need for such high power, there is indeed a legitimate rationale.



The raison d’être for such sheer horsepower is not louder playback levels but  immunity from clipping.  No transistor-based amplifier (and this includes "digital" amplifiers) will behave kindly if pushed into clipping. With this amount of power, clipping becomes a moot point under most conditions.