Reviewer: Dawid Grzyb
Transport: Innuos Statement, fidata HFAS1-S10U
DAC: LampizatOr Pacific (KR Audio T-100 / Living Voice 300B + KR Audio 5U4G Ltd. Ed.)
USB components: iFi audio Mercury3.0
Network: Fidelizer EtherStream, Linksys WRT160N
Preamplifier: Trilogy 915R, Thöress DFP
Amplifier: Trilogy 995R, FirstWatt F7, Enleum AMP-²3R
Speakers: Boenicke Audio W11 SE+, sound|kaos Vox 3afw
Headphones: HifiMan Susvara
Interconnects: LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio IC3 CG
Speaker cables: Boenicke Audio S3, LessLoss C-MARC
Speaker signal conditioning: LessLoss Firewall for Loudspeakers, Boenicke ComDev
Anti-vibration conditioning: 12 x Carbide Audio Carbide Base under DAC, preamp and speakers
Power delivery: Gigawatt PC-3 SE EVO+/LC-3 EVO, LessLoss C-MARC, LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio Power Gate, ISOL-8 Prometheus
Equipment rack: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Rack 1+3
Music: NativeDSD
Retail price of reviewed component: $10K/pr
In my SIT4 review I wrote that as magnificent as they are, my small 4" 3-way sound|kaos Vox 3a monitors don't pack sufficient cone surface to sound like a large speaker. I don't mind that they would struggle at SPL higher than I use. That notion the SIT4 had turned on its head. To quote: "Its contribution to Vox bass created a clearly grander tauter profile with copious extra ease. I hadn't seen that coming. For some inexplicable reason, the Swiss boxes behaved more authoritative, controlled and complete with this 10wpc monster than any other amp I tried; and there were many. Even my 55-watt class A monos produce bloomier muddier lows on this load…" In short, the Vox fronted by the SIT4 caused unadulterated personal bliss. The amp's sticker made that even more surreal, appealing and intoxicating. After that review went live, I wondered. How much of its special sauce would the SIT5 inherit? Their higher power and damping factor promised a sportier profile possibly built upon somewhat leaner firmer and quicker bass. This early guess proved largely correct. The Vox fronted by the SIT5 again scored silly high but I heard even nimbler lighter bass and additional radiance if somewhat less enveloping spaciousness. These were no major changes, just enough to consider the usual Vox sound still more caffeinated, alert, intense and energetic. By implication that would make the departed SIT4 somewhat more grounded and relaxed but without a direct A/B I can't be sure. I'm simply certain how I now felt about the SIT5/Vox combo. It generated the same kind of rare joy and completeness. If I had to pick a SIT just for the Vox in my rather small 22m² room, the terrific SIT4 costs half and that small widebander actually benefits from its lower damping. When demanding loads enter of course, such considerations become irrelevant. On that note, my Boenicke W11 SE+ floorstanders enjoy three things; damping, power and space around them; the more the better. If these criteria aren't met, they sound spatially flat, with a sharp lightweight profile and quite unlistenable poorly controlled bass. On them the SIT4 would be the pinnacle of poor synergy.
Even though their specs still don't read entirely ideal, the SIT5 monos made far more sense. Practice proved that out. I still haven't the foggiest how the 10wpc SIT4 made the Vox 3 act more authoritative, controlled and feisty that my resident Trilogy 995R hybrid monos but it did without compromises. Somehow I assumed that with the W11 SE+ and SIT5 an equivalent show was off the table. I expected underpowered insufficiently damped bass to be shy on heft and control so bloomy if not boomy. Yet the SIT5 netted the opposite result for remarkable bass extension of proper textures, ideal control, weight, effortlessness and quickness without a hint of looseness. These LF were squeaky clean, highly elastic and simply brilliant. Just so, excellent bass wasn't the key attraction. Although fully 'on' when needed and thunderous upon demand, this bass remained elegantly supportive like a skilled drummer who understands that setting the pace for the entire band to elevate the other members is his job. Speaking of which, all Boenicke speakers are imaging fiends to which my W11 SE+ adds high-tier clarity, articulation, accuracy and illumination. The challenge is not to overdo these aspects as otherwise they veer into the shouty, glassy and piercing. The juicy, smooth and texturally generous SIT5 prevented that. They assisted the W11 SE+ in filling image outlines with moisture and substance all set within space of cavernous scale. Main images sat close and large in accordance with a given track's perspective. The SIT5 played terrific enabler on a set of challenging speakers which to my knowledge need far more muscular amps to truly shine. Live and learn.
Of all the amps I tried the W11 SE+ with over the years, to date the €67'000 200/400wpc into 8/4Ω Aavik I-880 with its vanishingly low output impedance was best. While I'm confident that over my Boenickes it produced even more crackling tectonic slam and viscerality than the SIT5 did now, I won't risk calling the FirstWatt any less eloquent, sublime or immersive. To my ears these Nelson Pass monos are as accomplished on these counts as the SIT4 was. They represent the same peak performance which makes playback so captivating, sensual, magical, expressive and profound. While I know quite a few amps that excel in one way or the other, the SIT4 and SIT5 offer a particular suchness which I don't think I've encountered in any other. But let's return to raw drive. To second-guess myself, I asked my pal Matt for some of his precious time to compare SIT5 and 995R monos over the W11 SE+ on five songs. He listened for a minute then I muted playback, swapped speaker cables, unmuted, pressed play and asked his feedback 60 seconds later. On Tool's "Prison Sex" Matt fancied my Trilogy amps more because to him they sounded gutsier and chunkier. "Forget" by Lianne La Havas scored opposite because to his ears (and mine), her voice and all other images were more articulate, nuanced and smooth. Matt also called out the SIT5's more elaborate textures, spatial sorting and higher background cleanliness. Eivør Pálsdóttir's "Trøllabundin" surprised him. He called my 995R lazier and somewhat metallic on the solo vocals. At that point he started to see the difference. He just had to acclimate. "Dancer" by IDLES was the final clincher. Here he found the SIT5 digging deeper, gutsier and firmer but also creating a quicker, dynamically more charged elastic read that caused less boom and was superior in limiting the claptrap this song embeds. The same held for "Colossus" also by IDLES. For grins I asked Matt whether he wanted to return to Tool. "No need, don't push it" was his answer. Although Matt's observations reassured me that I hadn't lost touch with reality, the most valuable upshot wasn't that. His feedback was instant, precise and without hesitation. That was yet another reason for me to consider the gap between the SIT5 and my £22.5K/pr Trilogy monos truly significant. Let's wrap.
FirstWatt's SIT5 gracefully follow the SIT4's exquisite profile minus the latter's load-related limits so offer the same kind of magic now to a wider audience. It's really that simple. While they double energy consumption so heat generation, price and shelf space requirements, we could spend a lot more and get nowhere near the SIT5's sonic excellence. At this time I haven't the faintest what it might actually take to outshine this casually dressed two-box affair. I truly don't. My tip of the hat to Nelson & Co. for landing today's monos and effectively showing me where the current amplifier performance ceiling really sits.
