Here are my thoughts on the M50 power amp following the loan period, thanks to Alan and Colin for setting this up. Following the success of the LS 40 loan I was intrigued to see what the EWA amps sounded like compared to my existing Teddy Pardo ST60. These are 2 very different beasts and how to explain the differences is pretty difficult
M50 Possibly the cleanest distortion free sound I have heard in my home which took a bit of getting used to. The clarity and detail offered is something to behold. Also the addition weight and bass gave a solid presence to the music. That extra bass weight in my room did cause me issues, as due to limited space I am unable to move my speakers to see if I could eliminate the added boom. I also found that after a while I was listening to the system not the music if that makes sense, it seemed more detached and less real. I put the ST60 back in which immediately seemed thinner in comparison but where this amp excels is in PRAT and 3D imaging which was instantly more evident than with the M50. Bass on the ST60 though not as deep or prominent is tight, tuneful and fast.
I imagine the M50 highlights the weaknesses elsewhere in my current set up but it’s all I had for this demo. I was hoping the M50 would add to the benefits the LS 40 bought about but found it less engaging than my existing amp. Synergy with components and rooms is always tricky but it’s not to say that in another setup the experience would be completely different.