Mono Blocks / why are they not more prevalent? + Wyrded4Sound SX1000R

I am not sure how much difference you will hear on the Wyred4Dound Sx1000R compared to the stereo version. 

But on audiophile level equipment the difference in sound quality is subtle but important. I lived with both two Audio Research Reference 160m and a Reference 160s for two years. The soundstage is bit wider and deeper and instruments therefore more separated on the monoblocks. The sonic characteristic are exactly the same.  However, the individual impact of the instruments is slightly less. I think that is because you still have the same power but spread over a smaller three dimensional space. I have heard from a number of other owners of high end amps that this is exactly the differences they had heard as well.

For me, the two monoblocks are superior to the stereo version... I think the difference in price tag was about $10K. Reflecting two cases and additional labor. Why more people don’t do it is the cost. 

So the trade off is what sonic quality can you get if you took the difference between the stereo version and the monoblock versions and just buy a better amp, Until you get pretty  high the answer is usually buy a better amp, 

"If you ever get far enough to get to this level you will have the fun of installing your own outlet because a licensed electrician will not install it. Does not conform with current electrical regulations. https://share.google/83rLotsqDXw5JYzaz"

Not necessarily, it depends on your electrician. When I had my 2 new 20 amp lines put in mine said he couldn't install my audiophile-grade outlets but then I showed them to him and he could tell that they were very high quality and not at all questionable so he went ahead and did it. Maybe against the rules I guess but seems perfectly fine to me. 
 

@emergingsoul - I respectfully disagree that ’nobody likes to live in an apartment because of the noise’. I’ve lived in an apartment for 35 years and quite enjoy it, and there’s a lot less unwanted noise between floors (in my case, none, unless nobody but quiet, non-vocal people who don’t listen to music or watch TV have lived above or below me for 35 years) with a foot of concrete separating them than in any house I’ve lived in. 

@larsman A high-rise structure with ample concrete sides is lovely. Most of the apartments around here (and in suburban America at large) are these awful 2 - 4 floor complexes that are practically squeezed out of a tube; living in them feels like a combination of paper mache and sounding boards. Security? Almost anyone can easily kick the doors in. Audiophiles around here really need a separate home (still generally bad construction, but at least you have a buffer). Mostly the only construction that’s of high quality is commercial. 

My personal hell (hopefully I’m not due there) is living in one of these complexes directly underneath a family with kids and a large dog - and directly above a single person driven into psychosis by the slightest disturbance. Plus a side neighbor who loves rap and has a subwoofer. 

Once I had a downstairs neighbor who played his music so loud (w/ subwoofers) I could get a rather nice foot massage through the floor (I guess that was a plus). Never again living in a complex lol. 

Dear @mendef   :I think that some way or the other almost all posts are good to read about that subject.

As some of you I walk from " here to there " several times: stereo vs monobloks.

I learned almost all what almost of the audiophiles experienced.

For the last 5-7 years I use Levinson Reference 20.6  monobloks ( a 20 years ago Curl design . Yesmy amps are second hand ) mainly because its electronics and protection ( bullet proof. Even a short circuit can't make a damage to the amp. ) are till today unsurpassed.Two years ago I changed all the power supply electrolyt capacitors ( important up-date/grade. ).

As is should be my monobloks are at les than 1m. of the speakers external crossovers and hard wired directly not to a circuiot board ( crossover ) but to the  crossover passive parts ( caps and resistors ).

Due that I have all the circuit diagrams I learned that even its very high quality of the 20.6 the best improves is to be certain that both amps measured the same including its bias ( those circuits/bipolar transistors runs in pure class A starting at 100 watts under 8 ohms and doubling that power ( watts ) down to 0.5ohms ( 1,600 watts ) and can run at an impedance as low as 0.1 ohm.

Well, it was worth of rewards been matched my monobloks. Yes you need a toom/system with very high resolution to listen that kind of improvent.

@mendef  at the end all depends of your main system MUSIC/Sound targets and money.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

I guess I’ll never know unless I can get an amp that comes in stereo and has a mono option , like Odyssey. You might email them and ask. For me I have 3 rigs, the large on has Rogue M-180’s which are about 45 lbs each and pretty bulky. If I remember correctly Ralph had a post where they were driving big Maggie’s with OTL tube mono blocks. The thread talked about using heavy gauge speaker cables the were only 18 inches long. Under the circumstances the heavy gauge and short length made a big difference. In this case mono’s were a must for close placement. If my memory of this is incorrect, please put me in blast. Cheers, Mike B.