The ModWright KWH 225i Integrated Amp is a Beautiful Beast
By Steve Huff
I have been enjoying the DAC-to-mono-amp thing for a while now with my Burson Voyager Timekeeper mono amps and the Imersiv D-1 DAC I recently talked about here. Even so, I have always enjoyed integrated amps, and throughout most of my listening life I have veered toward the one-box solution for reasons of convenience, space and, well, cool factor. I love a nice integrated amp with cool looks, great build, low noise and, of course, real power and gorgeous sound.
The handsome and powerful ModWright KWH 225i in silver finish
I’ve heard many integrated amps over my lifetime, and some that come to mind as being among the most memorable come from Luxman with the 509Z and 590 AXII, Kinki Studios with the Dazzle, and Pass Labs with the INT-25 and INT-250. I have enjoyed many more as well, including pieces from Vinnie Rossi, SoulNote, Accuphase, Michi, Yamaha, McIntosh, HiFi Rose, Cary Audio, Heaven 11 and so many others. All were wonderful in their own ways and brought their own set of strengths in design and performance.
Integrated amps today, in 2026, can vary wildly. Some are all analog with just the amp and three or four inputs. Some have a phono stage, some have a DAC, and some even stream today. Some are Class A, most are Class A/B, and some newer models are Class D. All types bring a different kind of vibe, sound and flow, which makes it hard to find “the one”. There are also all-tube integrated amps, of which I have heard many as well: the Western Electric 91E, the Brunoco Terra, the Line Magnetic options, the Galion amps, the Octave amps, Cary Audio and so many others.
I love tube amps and solid state, but even better? A hybrid of both, with an all-analog path and, well, being balanced is a plus as well. Yes, I still do prefer an all-analog two-channel integrated without the bells and whistles, such as those from Pass Labs and the subject of this review here, the ModWright KWH 225i. I was excited to do this review, as ModWright is one of my fave audio companies here in the USA. Each piece I have had here from them has been well worth the cost, and then some. All-out end-game type of gear without that insane exotic-level pricing and run by a guy who knows his stuff and also is a kind human being.
For me, there is something so pure about an all-analog integrated amplifier without all of the bells and whistles. It reminds me of the car-buying experience these days. Some are the base model, which some love, and others bring so much tech that there is more to potentially go wrong. But we have choices in anything we buy these days, and buying a HiFi all-in-one or integrated amp is no different. Each person has a different situation or need, so it is nice to see so many offerings that can get people into the hobby, which is what these all-in-ones seem to do.
When it comes to integrated amps filled with a DAC, streamer and even phono stage, well, they have always sounded great but also a little less refined to me. When something tries to be everything all at once, there are usually compromises made, even if those compromises are small.
The Imersiv D1 DAC – The worlds first multi path design
I am allergic to a sound in audio that has edge, brightness, overly hyped-up detail and a lean presentation. I am also not a fan of puffed-up, bloated sound. I like it somewhere between those two extremes, more neutral so to speak. Most of the integrated amps I have had here that try to be everything to everyone, filled with all of the bells and whistles, have never been able to reach the audio peaks in the same way as a purpose-built piece of equipment whose sole purpose is to amplify the music.
I have to say that the ModWright KWH 225i, for me, stands among some of the finest in the business in this regard and bests a few that used to be my faves when it comes to all out sound performance. When I say best I mean the best for these ears as we each have our own “best” when it comes to sound. Even so, I will describe the sound of this amp to the best of my ability so you have an idea of what it can do for you.
The ModWright is made in the USA and delivers not only super good looks but also big power, huge drive, massive punch and wide-open transparency, somehow all at the same time. This amp also has balls and stunning dynamic impact. The hybrid design, with tubes and Class A/Class A/B solid state, truly delivers something more than just solid state or just a tube amp. There is sweetness up front from the tubes and impact and drive from the solid state amp section. The music can swell and fill a room with effortless ease, and the bass is incredible, besting any amp I currently have here in this deep down area as well.
The KWH 225i uses two tubes (EC88/6922) for the preamp section and solid state for the power section. Many agree that this is one of the best ways to experience audio, with the tubes adding some richness and glow to the front end and solid state delivering the slam. Myself included. Oh, this amp also brings the power with over 400 watts into 4 ohms and 225 into 8 ohms. The first 25 watts? Class A, and this is another bonus, as Class A, when done right, sounds divine, heavenly and unlike any other class of amp. So far, on paper, we have the. best of all worlds here. Tubes, High Current and Class A Sound with high end build and design.
Seeing that the 225i is biased this much into Class A is awesome. Since it is not a full Class A design, it doesn’t get super hot like some Class A amps can and do. This is also a plus. My main reference mono amps that I use here, the Burson Voyagers with their Fusion Core power supply, are also pushing Class A up to 40 watts, but they run very hot. I have measured them up to almost 140 degrees after a few hours of being on. The sound is worth it, but I can say that the ModWright doesn’t get nearly as hot and sounds even better with my new reference SV Audio Gro speakers, as this pairing brings with it perfect synergy.
The 225i is masterful in how it weaves the musical spell within your mind, and it’s addicting as all get out. I will touch more on why as we go on. I will also talk about testing other speakers with this amp, and what it did for them vs. the $8500 Dazzle integrated.
The 225i I action on my cabinet in my space. This one also ships with a remote and ModWright has just made an all new metal remote for this amp as well.
This amp is a stunner in looks indeed. It comes in black or silver, and I have the silver here, which is very nice with the blue heatsinks and glowing ModWright logo on the front. I bet the black looks awesome as well as deep black with blue lighting is nice. Even so, the silver is gorgeous. This one looks like pure class but with some beef, balls and muscle-car influence, or so it seems. It’s built like a tank, though it weighs around 64 lbs, so it is not a back breaker at all, which is nice. When I had the Pass INT-250 here, now that was a backbreaker!
On the front you will see two knobs. The left dial is for input selection, of which there are three RCA inputs and one XLR input. By the way, the 225i is a legit balanced amp. There are two displays as well: one shows the input and one shows the volume, lit in blue. These can be turned off with the remote, which also offers varying levels of brightness.
On the back you will see the inputs, a preamp output and HT bypass, so this can be used as a tube preamp into another amp if you feel like experimenting a bit.
NOT a “one trick” Pony
This integrated amp is designed for big power and finesse. I was so curious as to how it would compare to my Burson mono amps, which also run in Class A up to 40 watts. I love the Burson amps as they have warmth, sound organic and natural, and also do detail and soundstage duties in such an exposing way but without any hardness. They get hot, up to 140 degrees, and on hot days they can really warm my room. I still love the sound of them, and they have become my go-to reference mono amps to be used with the Imersiv D-1 DAC.
I was curious as to what the ModWright would bring to the system, how hot it would get and how it would compare, so I set it up and was ready for a few weeks of listening.
Set Up
So I set up the KWH 225i in my system, only replacing the amps I had in place. I had the Imersiv D-1 DAC ($12k) installed along with the Matrix NT-1 streamer ($4k), Matrix SC-1 clock ($5k) and Matrix SS1 Pro switch ($1600). Speakers fluctuated between SV Audio Gro ($32k), T+A Talis R330 ($11k) and my Fleetwood Helios ($5k). Cables are now a full loom of Foundation XL from Synergistic Research which includes power cables. I use the Powercell 12SX for power distribution, also from Synergistic Research.
With the Burson Voyager Mono amps and the SV Gro, I was used to an expansive, smooth, grain-free experience with that heartwarming Class A glow. When I fired up the 225i, what a change-up in sound! The sound of the 225i is powerful indeed, yet it stays grain and fatigue free. This amp brings more of an open, transparent vibe to my system, but with massive punch and kick. Dynamics rule the day here, yet all along the journey there is warmth and fluidity as well. With that said, this is not a gentle, intimate kind of sound. It is more of a bombastic, big sound that can do intimate, but with a large scale. This one is a powerhouse, my friends, and one I had to buckle in for, as this sounds excited rather than mellowed. Also, the way this amp does the soundstage is pure holographic.
The ModWright KWA 99 mono amps are also stunning amps
A couple of years back, I had the ModWright LS99 tube preamp and their KWH 99 amps here. Really quite the setup, and that LS99 is still probably my all-time fave tube preamp up to $10k. I had to let go of that set, though, and only sold them to pay some big medical bills I had over the last two years that accumulated to a staggering amount. In any case, this 225i reminds me of that sound, but it’s crazy because, to me, it seems even stronger, bigger and more badass. I feel the separates were maybe more relaxed, but just a little bit. Just a little.
This 225i seems like an old-school design with a big toroidal transformer inside, yet I cannot argue with the performance here. The amp makes no noise here, so no buzzes, no crackles, no hums. When you power it up for the day there is a 30-45 second warm up of the tubes that happens before you can press play. After about 15 minutes this amp will be fully warmed up and sounding its best.
The First Listen
So as I sat down to listen, I started with some easy music: an album of acoustic music from Vishal Naidu called “Fragments of Serenity”. When I listened on the Burson amps with all of the same equipment, the sound was warm, fluid, rich and inviting. The stage was large, but it soaked me in and calmed me down.
When the 225i was in charge, the sound grew larger by about six inches higher, wider and maybe a foot more into the room, as the ModWright brings with it some serious 3D depth as well. The sound is more open, lit up and transparent. It’s sublime, and it had me inside of the album throughout. The separation of instruments was more distinct, each guitar pluck placed in a 3D space where each string had life, body and enough shine to really sound…well…real. I listened to this entire album with Tidal going to the NT-1 and Imersiv DAC. With the Audio Mirror Wave DAC, the sound grew a little larger, rounder and deeper still. Maybe a little more sparkle up top as well. So immersive, but either DAC was making incredible sounds here.
Now I have heard some say “all DACs sound the same or similar” and this is just not the case here.
When I swapped to an Emotiva differential DAC ($799), the sound shrunk, became sharper up top, and now I heard some grit as well. Yes, DACs make a huge difference, and here it was no different. That Emotiva DAC is meant for starter digital setups IMO, not for those seeking perfection in digital sound. I ended up doing the rest of the listening with the Imersiv D-1 but I do enjoy the Emotiva DAC when it’s in the right system.
As I listened to more styles of music over the days and weeks, I started to understand what this integrated amp was doing so well. The 225i has a sound of both power and finesse. While this amp has been around for a while now, it is still a current model, and there is no reason to change a thing here, as it’s stunning as is.
When I played Immaru from Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman I was shocked and almost jumped from my seat when the music went from soft to a big swell to an all out assault on my senses. This impressed me so much as the sound was so dynamic, impactful, sweet, open, 3D and so so so immersive. Nothing harsh ever here with the Gro speakers, just massive scale in size with an enveloping stage that was as naturally holographic as I have ever heard. This track here sealed the deal for me and allowed me to say with confidence that this amp with the SV Audio speakers was on a new level from what I have heard prior. The most powerful sound I heard but with massive magic and soul behind it. I wondered if I had anything else to sell to fund this amp at this moment but I didn’t. Man, what a sound. WHAT A SOUND!
COMPARED TO…
I am also a huge fan of the $8500 USD Vinshine Dazzle made by Kinki Studios. It’s really the definition of an all-analog integrated amp with high power and super-heavy build. It’s a looker as well, but it does not use tubes in the preamp. There is also quite the sound difference here, as the Dazzle is warmer in the midrange and treble vs. the ModWright, and therefore it is not as holographic, transparent or open as the ModWright. The Dazzle focuses more on body, density and weight. The 225i focuses more on the immersive style of soundstage. That is why we have so many amps to choose from, as all will deliver a different vibe. Anyone who tells you all amps sound the same is lying to you, as these two couldn’t sound more different from each other. Both are awesome, but each one has its own “house sound”.
What about the SoulNote A2 MKII ($9390) I reviewed not so long ago? It’s also in the same price range as the ModWright and has an open, airy vibe much like the ModWright. It’s made in Japan, where the 225i is made in the USA. I have to say the SoulNote provided a similar style of sound when it comes to being very open but was a little less bold, punchy and big sounding vs. the 225i. The SoulNote is nice indeed and does the open stage and depth as well, but it’s a hair leaner in the mids and down below vs. the muscle-car-like ModWright. The SoulNote has a more lit-up, gentler vibe vs. the all-out, balls-to-the-wall sound of the ModWright. Yet again, the 225i can also do gentle immersion so well. It’s like Jekyll and Hyde.
The 225i has more weight behind each note, more force, but even at lower volumes it can bring more body and flow vs. the SoulNote. Again, the SoulNote is a superb integrated as well, and has an airy more intimate vibe.
The Pass Labs INT-250 is also a powerhouse and costs a few grand more than the 225i. It is quite a bit heavier and larger, and it also has an amazing sound. In fact, the INT-250 is a well-regarded integrated seen as end game. It’s been two years since I had it here, but if I were buying today for THIS system I have now, it would be the ModWright, as the synergy with my speakers is off the charts. Even so, the INT-250 is one of the greats and if you own one, it’s a keeper.
So of these three brands, there are things I like about each of them, and each looks quite different as well. It all depends on the sound signature you seek, but I love the ModWright sound and also feel Dan Wright is such an awesome, nice guy. He builds these here in the USA, which many seem to seek.
SPEAKERS
The 225i can drive almost any speaker, as it has the current and power to do so. This is not a wimpy amp, and you know this as soon as you fire it up.
I tested it with the speakers I have here, and here is what I discovered:
- With the $32k SV Gro from Denmark – Big, bold, detailed, open and clean, but with density to the instruments and voices as well. Very big stage, supremely holographic and immersive. Low bass was tight, controlled and fast, yet also powerful as it gets, shaking the outside of my room one day when listening loud. These are, for me, the best speakers I have ever had in here or have owned, for me. The 225i is a perfect mate, as in PERFECT. My main reference mono amps are also wonderful here, the Burson Timekeeper Voyagers but the 225i just brings more pop, energy and does spatial cues in a more dramatic way.
- With the $11k T+A Talis R330 – The sound was beefier in the mids, which is what these speakers do. The treble was as open as the SV Gro, and the lower bass was also quite nice and bombastic, very open and alive. These speakers produce a nice big weighty sound as the midrange has some punch and beef. These speakers have sounded great with most amps and the 225i brought similar things such as a big soundstage, big deep powerful bass and a more lit up top end. An amp like the Dazzle made these a shade darker, smoother and more refined but less sparkle and air up top.
- With the Fleetwood Helios – The sound was as usual with these unique speakers. Vocals are magic, instruments are exposed in their own private space in the stage, and while they are a bit warmer and beefier with the Burson amps, they are cleaner and more open with the ModWright. Take your pick. No matter the speakers the 225i brought a sound that was more neutral than the others and this is cool as it allows us to hear what our speakers should really sound like. No coloration here though some feel ModWright amps bring some warmth. In this regard, yes, the 225i is not bright, edgy or lean in any way but I would not call it a warm sounding amp.
What I Love About ModWright
- Made in the USA, and Dan is a great guy, truly one of the nicest around.
- I love their designs. Bold and dramatic, but understated.
- Their approach to hybrid designs is fantastic, as we get a little bit of tube and solid state, which is nice.
- Build quality is stellar here, as always with the brand.
- High-end sound and looks, but it is not going to cost you $30k for an integrated.
- Great customer service, always.
- The SOUND is rich, meaty, open and transparent, but it stays away from being edgy, lean or strident. It sounds like pure music, and how it should sound, without obvious coloration. There is density and body here as well. It’s just so open and alive.
- The music SWELLS with this amp, and it’s quite the experience to behold, especially with these SV Gro speakers.
Final Word on the 225i
I was recently looking back on the last 40 years of being in this hobby. The first “serious” integrated amp I ever owned was a Cary Audio tube integrated back in the mid 90’s. It was nowhere near as good as what I hear today. Even so, over the years I have had so many amps, integrated amps and all-in-ones that I was able to experience in my home due to an awesome dealer friend I had back in the day. He would let me take gear home for a couple of days just so I could experience it. Of all of the integrated amps I have owned, I can remember the few that stood out.
The Pass Labs INT-25 and INT-250 are super integrated amps: all analog, Class A and Class A/B, and made in the USA. Pass Labs has a small cult-like following, as once you get in, you may get addicted to the Pass sound. The INT-25 sounds quite different from the INT-250, but the 250 is more in line with the KWH 225i. The ModWright is punchier, has more energy and drive, and the bass seems to be endless while staying controlled and clean. It’s refined, yet just has an effortless way of making music come alive. Some may prefer the Pass sound, which is a bit lighter-footed and a hair more organic. Either option is end game.
The Luxman integrated amps are awesome as well, and these days Luxman seems to bring a more open sound, with less warmth than back in the day, and it’s nice. One of the finest integrated amps I have had here has been the 509Z, which is a stunner and also end game in the world of integrated amps. Beautiful build, design and attention to detail with Luxman. The ModWright is simpler, as it doesn’t have tone controls or a phono stage, but it’s those tubes, man. Those two tubes do something special with the 225i that allows it to really immerse me into the music more so than Pass or Luxman. Each has their pros, of course, and it really depends on synergy with your speakers.
The Dazzle is another awesome integrated and is about $1k less pricey than the ModWright. The Dazzle is made in China and is heavier, even more solid in build, and surgically silent. The sound is less dynamic, warmer, more dense and smooth. It’s a darker sound vs. the more illuminated sound of the 225i. I’d say the build quality of the Dazzle is among the best I have seen, and it is a lifetime keeper as well. End game. It just doesn’t have the tube magic that the ModWright injects, which makes my listening days longer and more addictive.
At the end of the day, there are probably over 50 options in the higher-end integrated amp world right now. Some small brands, some exotic brands, some well known, some legendary. The ModWright KWH 225i sits with the giants in this world of all-analog integrated amps, as it does so much right. It has a bias into Class A, so the first 25 watts will be in Class A, then it goes up to 400 WPC into 4 ohms in Class A/B. I never made it out of Class A, as I use about 10-15 watts max in my space, usually 2-3.
The 225i has the current and power to drive almost any speaker as well. The design is artful and clean with a simple layout, and it also comes with a remote, as it should.
The price of this integrated sits with some of the brands I mentioned, like Pass Labs and Luxman, but the ModWright is less expensive and doesn’t give up a thing to the others, it just does its own thing in its own way. In fact, it has more power, uses tubes and solid state, does Class A, and looks just as nice as any Luxman or Pass, depending on your tastes of course. This is a winner of an amp with end-game potential if it fits for you. For me, it has created the all-out best sound I have ever had in this room along with the SV Gro speakers. It’s unreal, in fact. I wish I could just keep buying all of the gear I love, but I seriously am tapped out after the Gro.
Do not overlook ModWright or the fact that this amp has been around for a few years. Some see this as a negative, but I see it as a 100% pro, as it doesn’t need to be replaced for “newer and better” when it was done right the first time. Many companies rehash the same amp over and over to appear “new” as they want us to upgrade and keep buying. I see it every year. Same with how camera companies always worked; minor changes marketed as “better”, when many times those newer cameras had lesser IQ quality than what came before them.
ModWright doesn’t refresh often, as what they have on offer is already so good. I love this.
I can easily and safely say that I cannot imagine anyone not loving this amp. Maybe that’s why I rarely, if ever, see a used one pop up on the market. Also a great sign of something really fantastic. People keep them. ; ) This integrated is, for me, as good as it gets, and while many others can be as well, each one brings something different to the table. Here it’s the hybrid design and all-out power on tap with the superb refined and all out massive sound it brings.
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