Hi-Fi: Modwright Instruments Transporter – Review – 76

The keen-eyed among you will be doing a double take regarding the subject of this revue – it was only as recently as Tone 73 that Logitech graced my listening room with its splendid Transporter music server. I praised the Transporter not only for its excellent sound quality, but also for the logical ease of use and simplicity of setup.

Since Logitech launched the product it has become possibly the ‘everyman’s’ high-end music streamer (especially in the USA) and, just like most highly regarded hi-fi components, it has become a target for modifications and tweaks.

Realising the potential of the Transporter, ModWright Instruments, boutique manufacturer and professional modifier of luxury audio equipment, has waved its magic wand at the device with startling effect.

The changes are not exactly minor ones, either. The analogue stage has effectively been turfed out in favour of ModWright’s own tube stage, featuring two 6N1P triodes or similar. The output stage is also tubed, and the difference between the pukka Logitech and ModWright’s Frankenstein is easy to spot: all three tubes emerge like a small city from the top case, so I’d suggest that a decent gap between shelves for heat dispersion would be a must. It’s probably the ultimate convergence of old and new, and it kind of made me wonder if Anna Nicole really did love that old billionaire after all…

The ModWright still uses the excellent Squeezecentre software, meaning it’ll be a piece of cake to access and play your favourite artists from your iTunes library or internet radio stations.

I won’t delve into the setting up of the component since that has already been covered in issue 73 (you do have issue 73, don’t you?), and also because importer Peter Hardie of Reference Audio Systems in Auckland had the Transporter well and truly soaring when I popped in for the audition.

A top-flight component will only sing if the accompanying equipment is at least at the same level in terms of quality, and as a special treat Peter had the ModWright connected to the Satri 15wpc integrated amplifier from little-known Japanese manufacturer Bakoon, while a pair of giant Coincident Pure Reference loudspeakers well and truly shifted the air in the listening room.
It’s a totally different system to the one I used to review the standard Transporter but the sheer listen-ability and refreshing ‘un-digital’ sound quality of the ModWright had me floored.

John Hiatt’s ‘Feels Like Rain’ was simply mesmerising from the first note; subtle nuances and inflections in his gravelly voice were revealed, adding to the honesty and palpability of the recording. Similarly with Chuck E Weiss and his stand-out track ‘Sweety-O’; the plucked double bass sound appeared to hang in mid air, while the muted trumpet was as realistic and uncoloured as I have heard.
And then Peter plugged a Quantum Plug into the wall. Essentially a mains purifier, the device actually improved the sound quality further; music appeared to have more detail, the dynamics were improved and the bass performance stepped up a notch, being tighter and with better extension.

Quantum Plug or not, ModWright has turned an exceptional audio component into a high-end revelation. The company’s tube-based Transporter is possibly another nail in the coffin for disc-based audio replay, but I’d tend think of it as being more of a stake through the heart.

GARY PEARCE

She’s a mod

Transporter
Music Server “Truth”
$6400

ModWright’s Truth costs $3000 more than the original Logitech Transporter. What does that extra cash buy you?

• Analogue stage redesigned and now featuring tubes.

• RCA and analogue balanced outputs now sourced from the 
re-jigged analogue stage. They feature custom-wound Electroprint transformers.

• Tube output stage has an internal “tube rectified” power supply.

• Powerful enough to directly drive most amplifiers.

CONTACT:

www.referenceaudio.co.nz

This Review is from Tone Issue #76.