Thanks bud. Cheers 
. Looking forward. It should be here the next time you come through town.
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Have been using the Starlett with an Entech Number Cruncher 205.2 via a Schiit EITR
and a Schiit LOKI Mini, with a pair of Hifiman HE 4XX via the balanced out of the Starlett.
The sound is excellent. I have found that I cannot hear any difference between low
impedance and IEC in balanced mode. However, I prefer low impedance in SE mode vs
IEC. I find the sound to be more open, with a greater sense of space around the instruments.
The Number Cruncher (circa 1998) uses a crystal dac chip with Burr Brown opamps, and really sounds nice. Good resolution and a very pleasant tone. Would cost around
$700 in today’s dollars. Found a groady looking one for about $70 delivered.
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Good to hear your other DACs play nice, I have a soft spot for the older burr-brown DACs as they remind me of listening of another time.
In terms of the lack of difference using the balanced output, there is no high or low impedance with the switch. It can only do SE or Balanced at the same ohm as the low impedance on the TRS output. The TRS output is the high/low impedance output.
Hope that makes sense
Here is a cheat sheet:
• XLR and 1/4" TRS outputs provide the same power: 440mW into 50 ohms, 360mW into 100 ohms
• XLR output is selectable between unbalanced (single ended) and balanced headphone drive
• XLR output has 9 ohm output impedance
• 1/4" stereo TRS output has selectable gain attenuation between 0dB and -6dB for greater volume control range on higher sensitivity headphones
• 1/4" stereo TRS output on full gain, 0dB attenuation setting has selectable output impedance between 9 ohm (Low setting) and 120 ohm (IEC setting)
• 1/4" stereo TRS output on -6dB gain attenuation setting has selectable output impedance between 3 ohm (Low setting) and 115 ohm (IEC setting)
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Consistent with @Roark’s comment, that is expected as Z is fixed at 9 ohm on the XLR output (assuming we are talking about the same thing).
I also preferred low impedance on the TRS output. I have more detailed impressions in an earliest post in this thread.
Enjoy the listening. I’ve been jonesing for that DNA sound.
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Thanks! The Starlett is addictive to listen to. Have had it two weeks now
and spent several hours a day listening to it with different music and components.
It will definitely be part of my system in the future. It’s a keeper!
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Thanks for the info. Yes, I do understand what you are saying. I remember reading about this on the DNA Website. This amp is much more powerful than its spec’s. Goes to show that objective info does not necessarily translate into good or bad sound. My JDS Labs ATOM has better specs than the Starlett, yet the Starlett sounds much better - as it should given the difference in price.
Based on the past few weeks of listening to it, I truly believe that the Starlett is a real
bargain at its price. It’s basically built to last indefinitely, as long as it’s properly maintained. Great piece of gear! 
I also like old dacs with Burr Brown chips. One of my favorite is an old Anodyne Adapt hybrid that I owned back in the early 1990s. It was such a nice sounding dac with good resolution, width and depth. Scott Nixon built it to compete with higher end dacs at the time and its performance was very respectable. Even by today’s standards. Wish I had kept it.
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Truth be told it isn’t powerful per se but it’s macro dynamics are excellent so it creates the illusion of being powerful. It won’t give crazy punch or slam but what it does give is enough of that to properly accent the music you are listening to.
It is a bargain, especially with its relative low cost tubes, unless you chase NOS rectifiers.
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You are welcome, and the low output TRS would make sense given the lower impedance of the Hifiman cans. Did you mention you have the HD650? If so, try those on high output. At 120 ohms output, the Senns, ZMF, other other 300+ ohm dynamics are the right output match.
Get your deposit in, you are only going to prolong the withdrawal!
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Yes. HD 6XX and HD 600, also, AKG K240 Sextetts. These sound better on IEC than the
planar magnetics I use. The Starlett just loafs along with these headphones. The more I Iisten to this amplifier the more impressed I get.
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Yes, the low cost tubes are a great benefit of the Starlett. I have some good headphone amps. No TOTL amps, however very good ones. The Starlett is better. It just draws you into the music and you end up listening for hours as I am doing now. I just multitask. 
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Been pairing this up with my Verite and here are some thoughts.
Immediately noticeable was the texture. Bought the verite as I felt it has some of the best texture rendition of any headphone out there despite the apparent dip in it’s mids. The Starlett further enhances this aspect. Music sounded more open and really fills out the depth of verite’s sound stage… It has a more rounded feel to it’s transient and isn’t as incisive as coming off of RME hp out. Overall tone of the amp is fairly neutral with a slight tinge of tube bloom.
Initially thought this would not be a good match as the Verite has a rounded transient respond and a slightly warmer than neutral tone. Having an amp that further rounds out it transients might make it a tad too soft and slow but no the Starlett is anything but. Contrary to what I thought, the Starlett has great synergy with the Verite. Best I’ve heard from my Verite.
A note on the volume pot. Normally not something worth noting of but it is extremely smooth and total lack of channel imbalance unless turned to near 0. Smooth and nicely weighted as is with it’s overall sound signature.
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Nice!!Are you using the verite closed or open?
Open. Would be interesting hear how it pairs the closed. I’d imagine it to be just as good given the similarities in driver and sound characteristics.
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A surprise discovery. Running the verite off IEC sounds amazing but it seems to synergize more with low impedance mode. Doesn’t sound as smooth and full as IEC but in return it has a noticeable effect on it’s speed and layering. This give guitar a bit more bite and air and seem to made the mids a bit more prominent when compared to IEC.
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For TRS, I also preferred low impedance, high gain for the VC and Eikon.
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IEC with the VO sounds veiled to me. I’m not into “smooth” per se, give me speed, layering and detail. Pads can alter that perception as well.
Stand alone I probably wouldn’t have noted it but in comparison to a Utopia it is a stark difference.
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The IEC does sound somewhat veiled in comparison to low impedance. The mids sounded noticeably clearer and a tad more upfront with low impedance. The changes might be subtle but it does adds to the overall experience and it’s great to have the option to choose between them. I tend to prefer IEC over low impedance most of the time with my modded hd800.
It’s been a while since I’ve last heard the Utopia and will be very interesting to hear how it pairs with the Utopia. Given the experience I’ve had with the hd800 and verite I have no doubt it will sound great.
I’m running mine off the BE2 perf lambskin which added a tinge of warmth. Might switch these out for universe or verite pads to hear how it compares running off the Starlett. Which pads do you prefer with your verite?
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Interesting to see you single out trs specifically. Do you hear a noticeable difference between running it balance and se? I can’t seem to find the balance cable that came bundled with my verite but will report back once I find it.
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Initially ran Uni lamb skin as it provided the most contrast to the Utopia, which is my main can. I have since migrated to the Be2 lamb skin which given the advertised apparent tonality was the pad I thought I would prefer. My common sense returned and I realized I should just listen to the VO with my preferred pads.
I think @bpcarb mentioned trs simply because that is the only out where the impedance is selectable on the Starlett. I haven’t noticed much difference between balanced and SE outs or between the balanced and single ended option for the XLR. Some have noted XLR in balanced mode is better for the 800 but I can’t confirm that. I thought XLR on balanced was maybe a very very very slight bit crisper with the Utopia.
I just leave the toggles as is to get to 9 ohm Zout for the VO as I have them both plugged in simultaneously. They are close enough sensitivity wise and I don’t listen loud enough to worry about blowing drivers. I rarely go past 1.5 for the Utopia and the pot is so smooth I don’t feel I need any more range than that to dial in my volume.
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Ohh that is a surprise I did not know the IEC switch is only applicable to trs. Learnt something new about the Starlett today. Will be interested to hear it myself if I could ever find the included cable.
Yes the tonality of the be2 pads is indeed something special. Personally I find the stock verite pads punchy and dynamic sounding a tad too upfront and aggressive in comparison to the other pads. The universe pad though unique in its presentation especially for the 3d like effect soundstage, a tad too laid back and dark for my liking. I find the be2 pad to be a sort of happy medium for my taste.
Very interested in comparing the utopia and verite off the starlett. A while back I’ve had an extended listening session for both headphones and found a slight preference to the verite(verite pads) despite the latter’s slightly hollowed out upper-mids. Technically I think the utopia edges it especially with it’s pin sharp imaging and detail retrieval and I do not find it sterile or metallic sounding. In fact the utopia is one of the most dynamically engaging headphone I’ve heard. The thing that draws me towards the Verite is it’s unique presentation which I found myself enjoying a lot is probably what makes me gravitate towards it. It’s relatively unsafe/polarizing tuning sounds remarkably different from most headphone I tried up till this point is probably what’s sealed the deal. Will be interested to see how it differs now.
A note on the pot. It is very smooth and I hear no noticeable channel imbalance once turned beyond the 0.25-0.5 point (the letter U in volume as a point marker). Like you I very rarely go past 1-1.5 running off a 2v source output. There are times when I have to run it off -6db when listening to hip hop (like Eminem and Kendrik Lamar to name a few) as there’s simply too much gain. There are no drop in sound quality even when level match to 0db output. Very impressed with the volume implementation and a great to have gain selection option as this gave greater flexibility over volume control depending on the type of recording that we’re listening to.
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