An Under Rated Audio Company. ModWright Instruments.
By Steve Huff
My review of the LS99 Tube Preamp and the KWA99 Mono Amps
One thing stands true though, there are Mega brands these days run by corporations and then there are smaller brands who take their passion for audio and create new things. Sometimes they may even create variations of old things. They create, they test, they work their rear off to bring products to life that will be reliable, sound great and even look cool.
It is these kind of companies I really love and like to support as there is a human connection there vs speaking with a corporate dude in a suit whose main goal is to push inventory out the door, and that’s it. Now, I enjoy gear run by the big guys as well, very much so at times, but there is something cool about supporting the small guy with the true passion for what they do.
Sometimes I get something in from a certain brand that blows my mind due to the quality of the product but I usually do not get emotionally involved with gear. Yea, sometimes I do but I try not to. Sometimes it is very hard not to fall in love with a piece when it really connects. When I love something I like to hold on to it for a while until the next thing comes along, at least for this website and my YouTube channel. It keeps things fresh.
Doing what I do means I have gear go through these doors weekly and it’s tough hearing so much stuff, especially when you really love something so much that you just want to hold on to it. I wanted to write this article today to talk about a brand that I have grown to appreciate on a deeper level as I found their gear to be extremely excellent after recently getting in a set of their mono amps and tubed preamp.
I recently had a serious $$$ fling with Nagra and I fell in love with them after hearing the Tube DAC. Then I went all in, which was a mistake for me as it was too rich for my blood. Murphys Law and life happened shortly after the purchase. The Nagra stack sounds sublime, magical even, but it was way above nay pay grade though I did get a deal, one that was too hard for me to pass up. Murphys Law happened and I talked about it in a recent video HERE on my YT Channel.
Yes indeed Nagra is more refined, zero noise, and amazing…yea…but after spending months with the set, I realized it outclassed my room and most importantly, my wallet. I am a simple guy, I like my music with body, glow, and with a dash warmth that touches the heart. I like details, but not of the overcooked sharp variety. Nagra does this, but the price for me is, as I have found out, too rich for my blood.
Is it possible to find “the one” that I could afford and be just as happy? Sure, but it is not easy.
Over the last couple of months I have been listening non stop to a set of Mono amps and Preamp that is unlike anything I have heard in the past, when it comes to sound. No, I am not saying these are “the best” as you know me, I always say there is no such thing because we all enjoy different things. I can only find the “best” for me, and I believe I just did, within my more realistic price range. No, I am not saying this bests the Nagra, it doesn’t, but when we consider price into the equation, it can. As in, you are getting much more for your money spent here.
The gear I am speaking of, this awesome set of amps and preamp, comes from ModWright Instruments in the form of their KWA 99 mono amps and the LS99 tubed preamp. The amplifiers look sort of vintage with their big yellow meters that are tastefully done. The preamp has the tubes showing and glowing and the pre amp even has the big volume knobs I love. The sound though, well, it is pure bliss and I will tell you why.
Before I do that I want to say that I have also heard and reviewed the Tube Buffer from Modwright, which did exactly what they say it will do. It adds real tube flavor to your setup. If you have a lean, strident or a system lacking in soul or life, try the buffer and it may surprise you.
It seems that almost every tube product I have tried over the last 8 years tries to be something other than tubes, but not at ModWright. If you want the true tube sound, the magic, the holographic sound stage you have heard about then you may want to consider ModWright.
To me, tubes should be tubes!
The good news is that this LS99 tube preamp from ModWright sounds like an old school tube amp with glow, fullness, sweetness, clarity, amazing imaging and soundstage but it also has a hint of modern, as the detail is never obscured, rather it is delivered in a way that is soul stirring and magical.
I have heard hundreds of amplifiers in my life and yes, all have sounded different to some degree but none have been quite like the KWA 99’s. When paired with the LS99 pre, the sound with my Icon 12 speakers is pure bliss and at times, magical and oh so right. There seems to be a soul within these boxes. Even with other speakers I have here, magic. These make most amps I have heard before them sound as if something is missing and now I am hearing the whole entire musical picture in such a gorgeous way. These absolutely do Rock, Metal and Dance music JUSTICE! I can turn my 13X18 room into a mini concert hall with these powering the Icon 12 speakers from Norway.
These deliver detail and separate instruments in a really nice way but these are not of the forensic variety. They somehow meld the perfect blend of old and new school and the bass, the density is powerful indeed. Impact, drive and delicacy all in one.
I was so amazed by these boxes that I started to look online as to what others were saying, and I didn’t find much. Not many (in the grand scheme of things) seems to talk about these amazing amps and products from ModWright. I see so many posts about the big corporate brands, and this must be due to marketing, but if you haven’t discovered ModWright yet then you really are missing out. With the right speakers there is pure audio HiFi magic to be found.
ModWright(for me anyway) is one of the most underrated audio companies that exist today, and they are right here in the USA. Check them out here and no, I wasn’t paid to write this. This is not a sponsored post. I wrote this because this is how I feel and I love sharing things such as this when it is about a company that really delivers on what they say. I did post my review of these on May 19th 2025, you can see it at the top of the page or direct at YouTube HERE.
VISIT MODWRIGHT HERE to see what they offer.
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