Do it! If you don’t care for it, there will be folks lining up to buy it so they don’t have to wait.
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True, I believe this speaks to tradeoffs depending on the topology chosen/employed by the designer/builder. Class A SET brings much goodness, but others might have more punch and slam (broad strokes, subject to exceptions) – solid state, Class AB/D, push pull, parafeed, hybrid, etc.
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I think that’s why it pays to understand your preferences. I’m not big into slam but I’m still considering whether to invest in an ultra linear amp just for added spice.
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Definitely. My MZ2 is Class A push pull, so I’m on the other end in considering single ended options to complement.
There might be certain tubes that can help elevate slam, but you’ve likely already explored that. For my amp, I turn to Mazda for slam.
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I’ve gotten a bit more out of it with tubes but just can’t change its topology, well I could try but I’d no longer have a working amp. Plus fire and/or electrocution.
Ha, there’s that.
20 char
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Sent my deposit last week but its very tempting to change it to a stratus w/ AN transformers upgrade. But i might not be able to afford it.
Do you think owning the starlett AND stratus is worth it or too close in sound that its more logical to sell the starlett if i get the stratus
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I’ve yet to hear the Stratus. Some say Starlett gets you 90% of the way there, which I think would be quite impressive for the Starlett. If I had the Stratus and I didn’t need to have multiple DNA amps for more than one listening area/location, I’d likely sell the Starlett. Even so, I’d likely sell the Starlett to allocate funds in order to experience a variety of sonics/presentation.
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I imagine they would be very similar. Both SET amps voiced by the same designer. DNA does have a house sound from what I’ve gathered.
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It’s like buying an M3 and also having an M5, get some variety if you have cash to burn. Invest in an OTL for variety, or a good SS.
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Agreed. I have the Starlett and am building the BHC w/ Speedball for the OTL and the Eddie Current Black Widow 2 for SS. Need that variety in life
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Now that is a killer selection of options! Congrats on your recent acquisitions, including the Yggy. Has your Starlett been delivered?
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Thanks! I have made lot of changes recently to my chain.
Shipped out today so should be here soon
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Awesome! I’m going to hit you up separately to ask about the Yggy.
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Starlett arrived!?
Edit: sorry didn’t read that you said it shipped today.
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Cool. This makes sense as I believe Donald favors Beyers and owns more Beyers than any other cans.
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My Stratus is plugged in and cooking … for about a week now. Pix TK. It’s a beautiful thing.
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I’ve been wondering about how that was going for you. Is it what you hoped for?
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Yes, absolutely. Both as a piece of beautiful industrial design and for the sound … which surprised me because it’s so absolutely quiet on its own and is not really what I’d call “tubey,” not like I’ve experienced in the past (I owned Manley Labs monoblocks in the mid-'90s, Conrad-Johnson, and Vincent gear that was all tubed and all to some degree generative of traditional tube artifacts, which of course I found addictive but not always ideal for “clean” listening). This is a different animal. It’s really getting some new mileage out of my Utopias. I have listened to the Utopias on a very high-end Class D amp/DAC in my main system and really enjoyed it, but this is a different flavor (pairing the Stratus with a PS Audio Stellar Gain DAC/Pre, although I also have my 7-year-old Bel Canto C7R which has a good DAC … will have a shootout soon, but probably selling the latter.). Anyway, relishing the detail, depth … SPACE … and digging through many of my favorite albums/tracks on Qobuz. The PS Audio box has the advantage also of its I2S input, which means I can run HDMI from the Perfect Wave Memory Player for redbook CDs … which I have all but stopped listening to (while haha continuing to buy, mostly box sets). I have hundreds of CDs and CD-Rs that would be fun to visit again (although eventually most of them will land in the car, in yard sales, or be given to friends, or stock up in the car for the vintage CD deck I have). More notes to come, and a playlist!
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Awesome. Glad that it is meeting expectations. Part of me still wonders if a Stratus is in my future at some point. Ive been told the Stratus has the most DNA house sound of the 3 amps he currently makes, which I thought meant a bit more tubey but perhaps not. The Starlett is a pretty balanced sound with a bit of warmth, do you find the Stratus to be similar?
Soundstage wasnt something I felt I was that in to until I got an amp that could actually throw one, I think that is a strong point of DNA/SET amps.
Utopias will scale like few others I think. Even with the Starlett I get a sense that there is still room for it to work with. I dont quite get that feeling from my other cans.
You are thinking of getting out of CD but Im thinking of getting back in to them!
Please share impression when you wish. Playlist will be cool, I can see how the Starlett compares.