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Review Audio Video October 2002

FOCUS/INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS

Better start mortgaging.

Bow Wazoo

VERDICT What, no remote? What, only 50 watts? You have to be kidding…

OK, so there is a remote control. It’s called the Bow Wand and it comes as an extra to the Wazoo amplifier and the Wizard CD player that I am currently entertaining at home. Trouble is though, that one normally uses a remote for an amplifier to control the volume. But a pot on the Wazoo that is controlled by a motor would induce unwanted additional circuitry and more importantly, unwanted additional noise into the signal. So, you have to adjust volume manually.

It ought to be clear that we’re talking about a very special amplifier here. It’s not one for the faint-hearted, or the faint-walleted. Take a look at the picture – as if you haven’t already – and you will see that like its counterpart, the Wizard integrated CD player, the Wazoo is a statement in styling as much as it is a claim to the high-end line up of audio components.

The only thing I could think of comparing it to would be B&O -  a stand out from the crowd if you could ever want one, but let’s not go there yet. Looks-wise the Wazoo is clearly in a class of its own and what that class might be will depend very much on your own personal opinions and décor tastes. I however, liked it if for nothing other than its sheer, outrageous, extroverted, in-your-face styling.

Since we’re on the chassis so to speak, the unit is fitted with massively complicated, all aluminium heat sinks down either side that are stunning to look at. The machining of these looks impressive and is matched by the equally high levels throughout the amplifier. Tempted as I was to peek under the hood and prod around, I left the cover on. At the rear we start to see a few indications of performance with the highly regarded WBT plugs doing service for the input and output RCA channels and speaker binding posts. There are also a set of balanced XLR inputs, as one would expect at this pricing point.

This is an integrated amplifier that follows a philosophy to deliver valve-type sound from solid state components. I did some hacking around on the Internet to delve into some more meaty design aspects of the Wazoo, but what I found was not official so I am not quoting it. What interested me most was that the heat generated by this unit is substantial – it doesn’t get hot enough to burn you or become uncomfortable to the touch, but on a hot summer’s day, in a rack with lots of music, one would be well advised to ensure adequate ventilation.

Even with this 20 kg brick on top of my rack, run in and warmed up, I found that it took a little time for the amplifier to really settle down and start playing to its best. Standby mode is more of a mute mode, with the amplifier running from warm immediately, and then after an hour or so reaching optimum running temperature and optimum performance. The performance from the Wazoo is something quite special indeed, and please don’t let the 50 watts spec fool you in any way. The amplifier will step up to 90 watts in 4 ohms, and do so as effortlessly as anything. And  when you’re running 50 watts as close to pure Class A as dammit, you’ll need one very difficult speaker to present a remote challenge.

In fact, on all speakers, this is an amplifier that will shine. It shrinks around the music and disappears, leaving you with a straight wire with gain effect that I crave and adore. But it does so with its own signature, in that music is presented with minimal effort, and with minimal influence. Notably one of the highlights of the Wazoo is in its consistency – it played loud as well as it did softly, with the same emphasis and the same tonal neutrality.

In this league, neutrality is a very much more rigorous measurement for we poor reviewers and it is true to say that our own ears are very misleading at times. But the Wazoo is one of those amplifiers that leaves you with a musical ringing in your ears and an understanding of what the recording is about, delivering the music from the CD player without emphasis, without detraction and without colouration. Yet it does so by keeping the musical emotion alive and its devastating presence on any speaker will grab your ears and force you into the listening seat as if possessed.

The fact that I ended up in front of my system for hours, just listening to music and doing it all again the next day is proof enough for me. The Bow is exceptional kit, and an extended audition is really required for a true reference.

William Kelly