I have been using the Bow for about 4 years. I knew this amp very well as my friend had it, I spent many hours listening to it before I bought it so I knew what I was getting. I open all of my audio products and was suprised to see that it was not as pictured in some of the reviews on the WWW, the reason for this was that it was a newer model and it had two trafos instead of the one as on the old model. Looking inside there is not much to see, a truly simple and well thought out amp, just the kind I like. NO corners have been cut in choosing the components inside and all of the connectors are WBT, a nice touch! No corners have been cut also when it comes to the build quality of the case, this thing is massive and some of the case work is just plain over board as far as thick aluminum goes, even on parts of the case that could have been thinner (mute knob for example) a big thick piece of aluminum was used. The "floating" face plate that Mr. Bo has been working on from the start of his audio career is here brought to perfection, a truly stand out product regarding design, no matter from what time period in audio history, this amp is a wonder of industrial design, deff not a amp to hide away. All of that aluminum also helps with keeping the unit cool. Looking at this amp from todays perspective, it would cost at least 4000 euro, not only because of the case but also soundwise. This amp easily beats soundwise many similar priced modern amps, and to buy second hand is very wise, repair is basic if ever needed so really nothing to worry about. If I was choosing between a amp like a new Rotel or a used (newer edition) Wazoo I would much rather choose a amp like the Wazoo as it truly is a minimalistic (less is more) entry into high end sound.
The sound of the Bow Wazoo is one that you can listen to for hours! It really is a music lovers amp. I listen to lots of "bass" music (Reggae) and the way the Wazoo works with this sort of music (to me) is magic! I have had a bunch of other amps before settling in with the Wazoo, choosing it as my center piece for at least 15 years, if anything is going to change in the hifi chain it will not be the amp. It also works well with Jazz (my other favorite music) as it has a sound that very nicely brings out the various layers of sound in complex works (like Herbie Hancock as an example). Low sound level bass is the best I have heard in my listening room, a true and heavy bass sound with great attack even at low volumes (yes it is tricky as another user pointed out but not impossible to get low levels right, for some reason the volume knob is very sensitive, something that to me is a wonderfull thing to use). The Wazoo is sort of fussy regarding source components, please do not partner this amp with some cheap player, the better the source the more rewarding the sound will be. When choosing source components I have noticed that more open sounding sources sound better, as the Wazoo tends to lean on the warm side (not to say that this is a slow amp). To set the record straight regarding that this amp is for small chamber works I have to say that it is not true, this amp is the only amp that made my low sensitivity speakers beg for mercy, finally a amp that showed my Dynaudios who is boss and filled the room with deep and layered music.
I do not have any idea what the XL sounds like, I had a look at the specs of both amps, and the regular Wazoo has no negative feedback while the XL does, the standard Wazoo to me seems like the no compromise amp of the two (no negative amps are rare, esp ones that sound this good).
After 13 years of various mid level amps, I am finally in the high end leauge, my ears tell me this.
Thanks for reading my bad grammer, and attempt at righting a review, this is my first audio review, and probably my last.

Outstanding soundstage, superb dynamics, build quality second to none.

Not found any yet.

I changed to the Bow Wazoo XL nearly a year ago, and have been absolutely delighted. Previously used number of integrateds, last being Primare 30.1 - and I concur with a previous review that the Wazoo XL is far superior in spite of all the hyped reviews. Although (conservatively) rated at 75 watts into 8 ohm, it drives my Dynaudio 1.3SE Contours with far more ease and aplomb than the Primare which is rated at 120 watts. It has an uncanny ability to play virtually all styles of music (unless you want really heavy heavy metal slam - which I don't)- vocals, strings, and acoustic renderings are ethereal and at low volume the soundstage is still very impressive. I found it quite difficult to acquire one - but well worth the wait. Over and above its superb audiophile qualities, the styling is unique - the build-quality outstanding - a real timeless classic. Oh - and the remote is something special - called 'The Wand'. Highly recommended - if you can find one. If you 'Google' on Bow Technologies, they have a very interesting website and some helpful reviews.

Similar Products Used:

Primare 30.1; various Musical Fidelity, NAD, Roksan, Meridian, etc.

Bass,midle,high,clarity,dynamic,image, soundstage.

Optional remote control

Wonderfull: the amp is not in the room.

Similar Products Used:

Unison Resarch SR1

The Greatest Integrated of all Time Probably. A Reveleation Sonically Superior to many. (Great Secondhand Prices)

No No No It really has None.

This is Actually about the WAZoo XL. The more powerfull 75 Watt per channel Intergrated amp. I have been using several systems trying to find something better than the WazOO but alas i have had no sucsess? Well i bought the latest Cyrus 8 Intergrated but this was just too thick and muddy but very powerfull. The second amp was the latest Arcam A85 Diva This was a nice amp but sounded too electronic but had some nice features! Another is the latest Primare a30 now from all the reviews this should have been the best amp of all if you believe all the hype and to be honest it was the best of all the rest!the hole point of this write up is to give you a general idea of how great the WAZ really is! The Wazoo is a far superior Amp by far!!! This is really a great integrated Amp far superior to many pre/power systems. I do think the XL has the edge over the standard wazoo you really do need the extra power. This Amp has some magical ability to portray all kinds of music from The Blues to great classical works to the latest in electronic music. This amp does nothing but allow the music to be heard how it was supposed to be heard it adds nothing to the music on the other hand it takes nothing away! You really would have to spend a hell of a lot of Money to beat it!! If you really want a musically reaveling Amp this is it. I have used Naim/Musical Fideleity/Arcam/Cyrus/primare/Linn etc etc and i can honestly say the WAZoo really does the bussiness. It is not so much a good Amp but a Great AMP. I am not one of these people that have just bought it and have to justify the spending of large amounts of Money? i am still in love with this amp over a year after buying it! Check out the following web site for a really good review www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/amps.html

Similar Products Used:

Naim/Cyrus/Arcam/Linn/Primare/Sugden Etc.

Very clean sound, sounds the same by listening loud/ not loud, very nice piece equipment, well build.

It has power, punch, but not too much,
you need a speaker wich is easy to drive,
definitly 4 Ohm (audio physic Tempo III will do)
and a sub if you like it hard (audio physic Luna)

The Bows are beautifull, I play with the WAZOO XL and the WIZARD and they are a nice cople.

Neutrality and musicality, Involving and stunning looks and build.

Low power restricts potential speaker partners, Volume Control lacks precision, not as precise as some, relatively small soundstage.

First of all a metion of the value rating, it would be impossible to give 5 stars because it is obvious when you by a Bow product no corners have been cut in design and manufacturing and that you are paying a premium for something that looks like it does as opposed to something built purely for the best sound/price ratio.

When I bought this amp almost a year ago it was not initially a planned purchase, I had been looking a while for a new CD player and had been very impressed with the BOW Wizard, but to get the best out of it I decided to trade in the KAV-300i for the Wazoo. These two amps are very different. The Krell gives a very impressive, consistent and 3 dimensional sound to anything played on it, and does not suffer poor recordings well. The Wazoo cannot match the Krell for power or WOW factor but it knocks it out in overall musicality, you stop being impressed by the sound and start getting involved in the performance. It imposes less of itself on the sound but at the same time cannot inject the excitement into more extreme forms of music (heavy rock, techno etc) The soundstage doesn't reach very far beyond the speakers (unlike the Krell) and it prefers small scale and especially shines on acoustic work, lots of texture and tone. Volume control is imprecise esp. at low volumes, there is an instantaneous jump of a few dB's at a low point which makes it a pain for late night listening. Relatively low power output (50w/8Ohms) means reasonably efficient speakers only. Like the Wizard setup is important, Kimber powercords and a Russ Andrews purifier block are appreciated, as good speaker and interconnect cables as you can afford.

Similar Products Used:

Krell KAV-300i

Design and akoustic musical performence on specially jazz and classical chamber music, including wonderful voice reproduction. Cymbals on jazz combos are really singing.

Dynamics and speed are not the trademark of this amplifier. If you prefer big orchestral works or hefty rock music, I think you should consider other alternatives or take a look at the new Bow Wazoo XL.

One of the best choice for chamber music lovers and small jazz combos (akoustic music). Choose your speakers and cables very carefully (not to low sensitivity)

It is a very musical amp. What I like most, however, is the design of the amp. The design is simple and elegant. It is a piece of equipment with the sound quality of a good tube amp and the look of a B&O product.

I have bought the "Wazoo".It is a beautiful piece of art!The sound is "clean" without any sort of added innatural additives.
The choice of connecting cable to cd player and loudspeakers is very important.
It needs also a very stable support.
I have no complaints!
Best regards
Derek

Very Clean and Pretty Sound.

Too Simple

"What a bargain!" it was the first impression when I bought this heavy thing with little controllers. The outlook is so simple... but the Sound...? It has a very clear and bright sound. Especially the highs are really pretty... I am using a Sonus Faber Concerto as the main speaker and it is not a easy unit to drive. The deeps are lacking but... it is the problem of my speaker not of the WAZOO. Tight bass cannot be expected but warmth can you feel by your heart. I am really satisfied to have this gorgeous Amp. Too bad that the optional remote is so expensive.....

Th AudioLab 8000A was also a good amp... with it's slim modern face with 60 Watts 8 Ohm output.... The bass amd mid are clean and sharp.. but... the defect is the highs...
Too sharp....
And som humming in the trans and noise in selectors.

WAZOO.. totally different... You should try...

Similar Products Used:

AudioLab8000A