WestminsterLab Re-imagining Amplification

[MarkusBarkus]

I think it is important to note that these amplifiers are built like a Swiss watch

...and you would know, Dr. TicToc!

 

[MarkusBarkus]

because of irrational hope to keep previous gear.

...I know what you mean. I tried to keep the c900 Luxman pre, but no way. Even using the MSB Reference as pre was excellent...but not quite there. I tried all the combos I could. All the various tracks...and with multiple listening friends.

 

[tictocdoc]

Im sure that my excitement seems like promotion. I paid for these myself and feel free to offer an honest opinion. I will say that the audia flight amps were the other amps that I loved at axpona. I could own either and be smiling ear to ear. One of the reasons I chose westminster labs was that both rooms to my ears were best of show. The westmisnter labs total system cost less than the turntable alone being used at the audia flight room. That got my attention.

Its worth noting that I am also not yet achieving the sound quality that the new life audio room had at axpona. This is frustrating because I have a sound proof room that is well treated and they had a small hotel room! I think it's easy to assume that the von schweikerts are a step up from my pmc and the rockna is a step up from my tambaqui. They also had a stand alone streamer, i think the u2, and I am still using the network card inside the tambaqui. I have been told by more than one seasoned music lover that the source is the most important component. I have been bitten by the analog bug and should have a turntable soon from my local shop. I will stop back when that is set up to give further impressions of the WL rei amplifiers. Its time to get a dedicated source.

I was surprised that the amps do not include power cords. I suppose at this level most folks have their own. I did not. I ran over to guitar center and purchased some. Can anyone share experiences with power cords for these amps. Should I consider getting better power cords?

 

[gleeds]

I'm not one to promote (first time) as no one on this forum has exactly the same gear, room, ears etc. BUT @tictocdoc's experience closely match mine. I received my REI monos and Quest with MasterBuilt PCs and a MB XL IC and KBL IC from @gleeds and Rob/Destination Sound Group early Summer but honestly the break-in and readjusting subs took me until now to what I think is the 'full monty" from the upgrade.
The stark improvement was rather immediate but now is over the top IMO. Westminster Labs products are top echelon, worth the cost and should be trialed if considering change/upgrade. I believe the Quest preamp was the biggest contributer and this through changing only one piece at a time and moving on only after evaluation of before/after because of irrational hope to keep previous gear.
A side note: Before making this change I was planning on a speaker change from my Wilson Audio X1v3 but now am content to forestall that as it was as a "speaker upgrade" as @gleeds foretold. Likewise, streaming Classical is 95% of our listening.

Thank you, David. We are so happy to be a part of your journey. Enjoy the music. Always. Rob and Gary!

PS We have our first-ever formal review of the WestminsterLab electronics with Wilson speakers coming up in The Absolute Sound. Hopefully more Wilson owners old and new will request an in-home demo

 

[LL21]

I'm not one to promote (first time) as no one on this forum has exactly the same gear, room, ears etc. BUT @tictocdoc's experience closely match mine. I received my REI monos and Quest with MasterBuilt PCs and a MB XL IC and KBL IC from @gleeds and Rob/Destination Sound Group early Summer but honestly the break-in and readjusting subs took me until now to what I think is the 'full monty" from the upgrade.
The stark improvement was rather immediate but now is over the top IMO. Westminster Labs products are top echelon, worth the cost and should be trialed if considering change/upgrade. I believe the Quest preamp was the biggest contributer and this through changing only one piece at a time and moving on only after evaluation of before/after because of irrational hope to keep previous gear.
A side note: Before making this change I was planning on a speaker change from my Wilson Audio X1v3 but now am content to forestall that as it was as a "speaker upgrade" as @gleeds foretold. Likewise, streaming Classical is 95% of our listening.

Congrats Dbeau! Your speakers are fantastic speakers as we have discussed at length over the years. Enjoy!

 

[dbeau]

I was surprised that the amps do not include power cords. I suppose at this level most folks have their own. I did not. I ran over to guitar center and purchased some. Can anyone share experiences with power cords for these amps. Should I consider getting better power cords?

I tried my own, admittedly low cost ~$200 PCs against the WML Ultra supplied by @gleeds and I knew immediatey the hole just got deeper.
Not being able to afford the WML Ultras, Gary sent MasterBuilt Ref2 PCs stating that they were 1/2 the cost and 85% the performance.
I think that was so in my system, so I replaced all my PCs with them and yeah it makes a difference - on my previous gear tool

 

[spm360]

New Life Audio @ T.H.E. New York Audio Show 2025 - Ballroom A with WestminsterLab - Show Recap

What an incredible weekend at the New York Audio Show! Our large ballroom was alive with music, energy, and passionate listeners who came to experience the art of true high-end audio.

It all started with a vision for a system that would both look and sound exceptional - and the end result exceeded every expectation. We arranged the system along the long wall to create a wide and immersive soundstage, with the source components elegantly centered:

• Lumin U2X Streamer (brand new model)
• Rockna Audio WaveDream Reference DAC
• U.S. premiere of the Trafomatic Audio Tara 30A Preamplifier

The entire system was wired with MasterBuilt Audio cables, ensuring signal purity and coherence from source to speaker. From the source components, two sets of long MasterBuilt ULTRA interconnects ran to either side of the room.

On the right side, they fed the WestminsterLab REI monoblock amplifiers (running in bridged mode) driving the majestic Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 7 loudspeakers.

On the left, they connected to the VAC 200 iQ monoblocks, powering the Von Schweikert VR-30 speakers (affectionately known as the “mini-7”).

Throughout the weekend, we welcomed hundreds of attendees from seasoned audiophiles to first-time showgoers all eager to hear what makes New Life Audio different. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who visited our room, shared their passion, and helped make the weekend such a success.

We’re also thrilled to announce that our new showroom in Queens is nearly ready! We’re targeting a soft opening on November 22, with a grand opening celebration to follow soon after. Stay tuned for your official invitation - we can’t wait to welcome you in person.

 

[Stevet]

Im sure that my excitement seems like promotion. I paid for these myself and feel free to offer an honest opinion. I will say that the audia flight amps were the other amps that I loved at axpona. I could own either and be smiling ear to ear. One of the reasons I chose westminster labs was that both rooms to my ears were best of show. The westmisnter labs total system cost less than the turntable alone being used at the audia flight room. That got my attention.

Its worth noting that I am also not yet achieving the sound quality that the new life audio room had at axpona. This is frustrating because I have a sound proof room that is well treated and they had a small hotel room! I think it's easy to assume that the von schweikerts are a step up from my pmc and the rockna is a step up from my tambaqui. They also had a stand alone streamer, i think the u2, and I am still using the network card inside the tambaqui. I have been told by more than one seasoned music lover that the source is the most important component. I have been bitten by the analog bug and should have a turntable soon from my local shop. I will stop back when that is set up to give further impressions of the WL rei amplifiers. Its time to get a dedicated source.

I was surprised that the amps do not include power cords. I suppose at this level most folks have their own. I did not. I ran over to guitar center and purchased some. Can anyone share experiences with power cords for these amps. Should I consider getting better power cords?

Try the Snake River power cords. I think that you will be surprised at the improvement they make. Available directly from the maker (which is what I would do) or from The Cable Company.

 

[rob]

I had the EAR 912, then the Lampizator Poseidon as pre-amps. Then my current Quest 2 pre-amp. The differences are immense. The Quest 2 is both neutral to the source and has all the sonic attributes of my 50+ years of tube pre-amps. If I am missing something that SOTA pre-amps have, it an error or just not part of the sonic picture by omission, not commision. Fantastic! Just as with my REIs and EAR 324 phono pre-amp, they are on 24/7, ready to play without growing my electric bill (I previously had the EAR 890, played hot and a pair of monoblocks with 12 6GB7 output tubes, power hogs and 30+ minutes to stabilize). I am unfamiliar with most SOTA pre-amps above $15K so I'm not an authority.

When I purchased my VS VR9 SE Mk2 speakers, I heard them with the REIs, the EAR 912 and the Lampizator Horizon. I never heard such instantaneous dynamics changes, especially micro changes before or since. That the voices and strings were rather thin sounding I attribute to listening to digital through the 912 (bought it for it's analog sound, C rated digital sonics even in 2004, but super dynamic)! With the Quest 2, I get that lush full bodied sound that I had with analog with digital sources.

All power and IC cabling is WL Ultra except for the SPDIF which is Masterbuilt Reference 2. The audition I heard had all Masterbuilt Ultra cabling at 2X or 3X the price of the WL Ultra.

You have had some nice equipment i know quite well.
I once had EAR912 with EAR890. For the uninitiated expecting a lush tube sound you would be best served looking elsewhere!
In my system this combination was super dynamic, clean, and had excellent tight punchy bass.
I could imagine the EAR with VS VR9 being possibly on the lean side, potentially even bright, up front and quite in your face sounding.
Happy you have found a combination more to your liking.

PS I miss Tim de Paravacini. I used to have some fantastic conversations with him on the phone many years back.
What a CV he had. (Luxman, Musical Fidelity, Quad,Esoteric Audio Research, Island records,state of the art tube driven cutting heads for MoFi, Waterlilly Acoustics, Studer -Building tape decks for BobLudwig David Gilmore Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney etc, Best in show direct driven Quad ESL etc)