The Warp 1 in the listening room
Bill Leebens, Underwood HiFi's PR guy, told me that the amp I was sent for review was "broken in" and verified as working, so I got right down to listening to music. I recently had my Benchmark AHB2 power amp connected to my listening room system, driving a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 808 speakers. Ahead of the power amp is the Benchmark LA4. Sources were a dCS Bartók DAC/streamer and a recently installed phono rig: Technics SL-1200MK7 turntable, vintage Shure V15 Type III HE cartridge, and Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 phono preamp. Connected to the Bartók via RCA S/PDIF is the DV-981HD universal disc player from the late, great Oppo. The room has a vaulted ceiling and is a big open space that blesses my mid-'70s raised-ranch house. Filled with leafy indoor plants and bathed in light on sunny days, it's a treat to experience music in that space. I swapped out the Benchmark power amp for the Warp 1 and immediately needed to adjust the LA4 gain downward. Those big, vintage B&W speakers are good at many things, but their strongest suit is low-frequency reproduction. They can move a lot of air quickly and project the lowest octaves in visceral ways. They don't need a ton of amplifier power, but they do need an amplifier that can push the power through with speed and authority. At this task, the Warp 1 delivered. I spent hours streaming all manner of fun, punchy music from Qobuz and my NAS library, via the Bartók. My favorite rock, soul, blues, and funk tunes took on full-bodied punch that made the beat stand out and got feet tapping. Many times, I rose from my seat and danced around the room, which probably looked uglier than Elaine's dancing in that Seinfeld episode (footnote 4).
A particularly good workout for the woofers is the music of Jack White. Both his recent solo album Fear of the Dawn and the recent, deluxe reissue of the White Stripes' Elephant make masterful use of the lowest octaves in the service of rock music, punch without annoying boom. The Warp 1 delivered quick, distinct bass, with no flab. It's also good with electric guitar tones, and it has no trouble when the playing gets percussive.
I then spent some time listening to a box set of CDs I remastered: the complete recordings of pianist Byron Janis on the Mercury Living Presence label (footnote 5). These recordings were made over the course of 5 years (1960–64) in seven different venues spread across three countries (US, UK, USSR). The sound and listening perspectives are different for each recording, but the instruments always sound as they should. Played with the Warp 1, the piano tone tended to favor metal over wood, but violins and woodwinds were not strident or exaggerated. The double bass and cello were firmly present. In comparison to the same music played with the Benchmark amp, the character was a bit edgy but not "glazed" as with older class-D amplifiers. That edge is good in that it highlights the music's forward momentum, but it can be a bit unsettling when things are at a climax and Janis is all-in leading the charge.
Switching gears, I spun some vinyl. Periodically, I search Amazon for "Blue Note Classic Series vinyl," looking for bargains. If an all-analog Classic Series LP is discounted below $20 including tax and free Prime shipping, I'll usually bite, even if I'm unfamiliar with the artist and the music. This has led to two happy discoveries: Extension by George Braith, and Destination Out by Jackie McLean. On the Braith album, I especially dig the organ playing by Billy Gardner, and Grant Green's guitar is a nice match for Braith's multisax attack. (He sometimes played two or more horns at once, sort of like Roland Kirk but not exactly.) McLean's album is borderline free jazz, meaning it's borderline not my taste. But the presence of Bobby Hutcherson's vibes is enough glue to keep it within the bounds of distinct rhythms and melody.
As the records spun, I periodically switched back and forth between the vinyl and streams of the albums from Qobuz. The McLean album is available as a 24/192 stream; the Braith album streams 16/44.1, likely from an old Capitol CD. I was surprised how similar the vinyl and digital versions sounded when it came to instrumental tone, but the digital Braith has less stereo width, and there is something a bit tame about the digital McLean. Both albums have the fully mature Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note sound. The Warp 1 amp brought forth the close-in details, firm bass, and snappy drum sounds. Hutcherson's vibes sounded full range, not just the clangy top.
Sticking with jazz, I spun the Analogue Productions/Verve reissue of Night Train by the Oscar Peterson Trio. This record takes a less in-yo-face approach than Van Gelder Blue Note; the trio is more real than super-real. Unfortunately, the master tape has audible wow at times (also present on the HDtracks download and the older CD reissue), so I can't say it sounds just like three great musicians in front of me, but it has the life force lacking in many modern jazz recordings. Peterson grunts and hums as he sweats over the keyboard, yet he never sounds like he's pushing himself to the limit. On the left, Ray Brown plays his bass like a cucumber-cool expert. Ed Thigpen's drums, to the right, are miked close and bright. The HD and CD versions are too bright, all metal edge of the hi-hat and no cymbal body, all brush strokes and no snare head. The LP, as played through my system with the Warp 1 amp, sounded just right.
As my review deadline approached, I had one more dance with the Warp 1, this time streaming from Qobuz two of my favorite country music albums. Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger is a sparse recording, but there are nice little sound "Easter eggs" in there, such as when sister Bobbie Nelson's piano quietly enters the verse in the title track when the "yellow-haired lady" walks into the saloon, soon to be gunned down. The piano sounds like what you'd be likely to hear in a real saloon, a neat little trick typical of Nelson's genius for making a lot of music out of a few instruments, words, and notes.
Contrasting the stripped-down sound of Nelson's album is Johnny Cash's American II: Unchained. Backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Man in Black leans toward the rowdy end of country. It's a loud, sharp-edged, Rick Rubin–produced 1990s album, particularly Cash's cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" and his own "Country Boy."
The Warp 1 did an equally good job with both albums, keeping the loud and hard stuff unmuddled and rendering the subtle and unsubtle details of Nelson's masterpiece. I finished up my listening with a big grin on my face, the good-feelings synapses in my brain firing wide-open.
A class-D keeper
There are two ways to think about the LSA Warp 1. You could think of it as a category killer, a great-sounding amp at a bargain price, class-D finally brought to fruition for almost all budgets. Or you could think of it as a low-risk/high-reward way for an open-minded skeptic to give class-D a try.
The phone number on Underwood HiFi's website gets you right to Walter Liederman. Talk to him about an in-home trial (footnote 6), but be forewarned: Your ears' old ideas about class-D amps may be proven wrong, and your mind may be changed
Footnote 4: youtu.be/jsl3IBAsEH4. Footnote 5: Released on March 24, Byron Janis's 95th birthday, this set, from Decca Classics, is now in retail worldwide. Footnote 6: Another reason to be forewarned: In an industry full of 30-or-more-day money-back guarantees, with free shipping both ways, Underwood HiFi charges a restocking fee on returned products. Here's how it works: Take original sales price, subtract shipping cost. A customer who returns the product within 30 days can get back that net price minus 15%. For example, If you paid the $1195 sale price, you could get about $985 back if you return the Warp 1 within 30 days, plus you pay return shipping. This is one of the cost-saving measures that lets Underwood sell products cheaper, and that's cool, but you should know how it works before buying.—Jim Austin
Bill Leebens, Underwood HiFi's PR guy, told me that the amp I was sent for review was "broken in" and verified as working, so I got right down to listening to music. I recently had my Benchmark AHB2 power amp connected to my listening room system, driving a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 808 speakers. Ahead of the power amp is the Benchmark LA4. Sources were a dCS Bartók DAC/streamer and a recently installed phono rig: Technics SL-1200MK7 turntable, vintage Shure V15 Type III HE cartridge, and Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 phono preamp. Connected to the Bartók via RCA S/PDIF is the DV-981HD universal disc player from the late, great Oppo. The room has a vaulted ceiling and is a big open space that blesses my mid-'70s raised-ranch house. Filled with leafy indoor plants and bathed in light on sunny days, it's a treat to experience music in that space. I swapped out the Benchmark power amp for the Warp 1 and immediately needed to adjust the LA4 gain downward. Those big, vintage B&W speakers are good at many things, but their strongest suit is low-frequency reproduction. They can move a lot of air quickly and project the lowest octaves in visceral ways. They don't need a ton of amplifier power, but they do need an amplifier that can push the power through with speed and authority. At this task, the Warp 1 delivered. I spent hours streaming all manner of fun, punchy music from Qobuz and my NAS library, via the Bartók. My favorite rock, soul, blues, and funk tunes took on full-bodied punch that made the beat stand out and got feet tapping. Many times, I rose from my seat and danced around the room, which probably looked uglier than Elaine's dancing in that Seinfeld episode (footnote 4).
I then spent some time listening to a box set of CDs I remastered: the complete recordings of pianist Byron Janis on the Mercury Living Presence label (footnote 5). These recordings were made over the course of 5 years (1960–64) in seven different venues spread across three countries (US, UK, USSR). The sound and listening perspectives are different for each recording, but the instruments always sound as they should. Played with the Warp 1, the piano tone tended to favor metal over wood, but violins and woodwinds were not strident or exaggerated. The double bass and cello were firmly present. In comparison to the same music played with the Benchmark amp, the character was a bit edgy but not "glazed" as with older class-D amplifiers. That edge is good in that it highlights the music's forward momentum, but it can be a bit unsettling when things are at a climax and Janis is all-in leading the charge.
Switching gears, I spun some vinyl. Periodically, I search Amazon for "Blue Note Classic Series vinyl," looking for bargains. If an all-analog Classic Series LP is discounted below $20 including tax and free Prime shipping, I'll usually bite, even if I'm unfamiliar with the artist and the music. This has led to two happy discoveries: Extension by George Braith, and Destination Out by Jackie McLean. On the Braith album, I especially dig the organ playing by Billy Gardner, and Grant Green's guitar is a nice match for Braith's multisax attack. (He sometimes played two or more horns at once, sort of like Roland Kirk but not exactly.) McLean's album is borderline free jazz, meaning it's borderline not my taste. But the presence of Bobby Hutcherson's vibes is enough glue to keep it within the bounds of distinct rhythms and melody.
As the records spun, I periodically switched back and forth between the vinyl and streams of the albums from Qobuz. The McLean album is available as a 24/192 stream; the Braith album streams 16/44.1, likely from an old Capitol CD. I was surprised how similar the vinyl and digital versions sounded when it came to instrumental tone, but the digital Braith has less stereo width, and there is something a bit tame about the digital McLean. Both albums have the fully mature Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note sound. The Warp 1 amp brought forth the close-in details, firm bass, and snappy drum sounds. Hutcherson's vibes sounded full range, not just the clangy top.
Sticking with jazz, I spun the Analogue Productions/Verve reissue of Night Train by the Oscar Peterson Trio. This record takes a less in-yo-face approach than Van Gelder Blue Note; the trio is more real than super-real. Unfortunately, the master tape has audible wow at times (also present on the HDtracks download and the older CD reissue), so I can't say it sounds just like three great musicians in front of me, but it has the life force lacking in many modern jazz recordings. Peterson grunts and hums as he sweats over the keyboard, yet he never sounds like he's pushing himself to the limit. On the left, Ray Brown plays his bass like a cucumber-cool expert. Ed Thigpen's drums, to the right, are miked close and bright. The HD and CD versions are too bright, all metal edge of the hi-hat and no cymbal body, all brush strokes and no snare head. The LP, as played through my system with the Warp 1 amp, sounded just right.
As my review deadline approached, I had one more dance with the Warp 1, this time streaming from Qobuz two of my favorite country music albums. Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger is a sparse recording, but there are nice little sound "Easter eggs" in there, such as when sister Bobbie Nelson's piano quietly enters the verse in the title track when the "yellow-haired lady" walks into the saloon, soon to be gunned down. The piano sounds like what you'd be likely to hear in a real saloon, a neat little trick typical of Nelson's genius for making a lot of music out of a few instruments, words, and notes.
There are two ways to think about the LSA Warp 1. You could think of it as a category killer, a great-sounding amp at a bargain price, class-D finally brought to fruition for almost all budgets. Or you could think of it as a low-risk/high-reward way for an open-minded skeptic to give class-D a try.
Footnote 4: youtu.be/jsl3IBAsEH4. Footnote 5: Released on March 24, Byron Janis's 95th birthday, this set, from Decca Classics, is now in retail worldwide. Footnote 6: Another reason to be forewarned: In an industry full of 30-or-more-day money-back guarantees, with free shipping both ways, Underwood HiFi charges a restocking fee on returned products. Here's how it works: Take original sales price, subtract shipping cost. A customer who returns the product within 30 days can get back that net price minus 15%. For example, If you paid the $1195 sale price, you could get about $985 back if you return the Warp 1 within 30 days, plus you pay return shipping. This is one of the cost-saving measures that lets Underwood sell products cheaper, and that's cool, but you should know how it works before buying.—Jim Austin
