DNA just has more appeal to me as gear than the Feliks stuff … also handmade by its designer in the US, with a lot of satisfied owners on the audio forums (not much buzz outside of reviewers that I could find for the Euforia).
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Personally not a big fan of Euforia. I actually heard both amps side by side and the Euforia is much more colored so it is limited in terms of what headphones you can pair with. Euforia also doesn’t seem to have the same level of depth and layering as Starlett despite being almost the same price. Both amps were heard through their stock tube configurations, but I would say Starlett is a way better value for the money
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If you want the Euphoria sound at a better price, check out the Dragon Inspire IHA1. Both gooey and “euphoric”. The tubes are far cheaper for it too.
I don’t really miss my Dragon. Just not a good pairing with most of my preferred headphones.
Anyway… I’ve wanted a DNA amp for a long time after I heard the Stratus. Maybe one day.
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Thats weird, I was just recommended a 3 yr old YT review by @currawong on that amp! One of those odd youtube algorithm suggestions; although, Ive started watching more of his reviews lately.
That’s matches my findings as well when I was researching my amp purchase. A lot of praise from dealers and “professional” reviewers but a more muted response amongst the unwashed audiophile masses. Even though I am Cdn I still consider US made to be “locally” produced so that was kind of an odd selling point for me too.
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I had a shortlist of candidates for a tube HP amp, and @torq 's lobbying for the DNA amps pretty much sold me, backed up by what I read online and the direct order/communication with Donald. My father, for a time when I was young, knew and worked with some sharp engineering minds who invented, among other things, some innovative audio gear (back in the mid-1960s) that pioneered air-bearing tone arms and electrostatic panels, and such, and it made an early impression of how cool that stuff was. We also had a Heathkit amp in the house for awhile (and a giant mono speaker) … all of it long gone now. So it’s kind of a nice full-circle move to get a Stratus. It’s a one-and-done buy. Unlike all my previous high-end gear (until now perhaps). I used to think I was a fan of “warm and gooey” until I got hooked on “fast and precise” components.
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Im thinking the DNA house sound is a nice middle ground of those two, at least that is my impression from my time with the Starlett.
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That’s perfect. Also, that crazy blue … Very sci-fi with the tubes on top.
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@perogie your impressions have most definitely put the DNA Starlett on my radar, had not thought an amp from DNA would be in my price range until you posted this thread. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of my wallet 
In all seriousness, thank you. I’m also torn between this and the Pendant and don’t even know where to start the comparison.
Any suggestions from the collective would be greatly appreciated.
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@perogie excellent review and impressions, thanks! As mentioned in another thread, I’ve narrowed it down to the DNA Starlett and ZMF Pendant (which I believe were your 1A and 1B). I’ve made contact with Donald and am next in the queue for a demo in the next couple weeks here in LA. I used to have Boston Acoustics speakers in a car stereo setup, and Donald was responsible for testing car speakers when he used to work for them in the 90s – cool coincidence.
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@Roark: I was very much in the same place you were. It’s not an easy decision and it took me about 3-4 months before I finally placed an order for the Starlett.
The simplest thing is to just pick one and never listen to the other!!! But jokes aside they were very much a 1a vs 1b choice. I haven’t come across anyone who has heard both and I understand your position in not knowing how to compare. There are not many reviews out there for either amp.
Both will be great. Not really sure how I convinced myself to go with the Starlett but I have no regrets. The impression I came away with was that the Starlett would have good technicalities with that tube staging and layering and just enough tube magic and warmth. Not saying the Pendant wouldnt have that but I came away with the impression it may be a touch more neutral than that what I was looking for. Again just based on reviews I read, nothing I actually heard. Apologies to your wallet, I just told mine to accept it and move on.
What headphones you looking to pair with these?
@bpcarb: Yes, Donald seems to be real good about letting people hear his stuff, lucky that you are LA based. Let me know your thoughts when you hear it, Im curious to see if my impressions match those of others. Hope you enjoy it or the Pendant if you ultimately choose either.
(listening to Kind of Blue with the Autuer and Starlett… havent heard it in a while and there’s a delicacy to it that I hadn’t previously appreciated)
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It’s been great dealing with Donald so far. Sometimes LA has its perks. I’ll be sure to revert back with my impressions. I’m hopeful the Starlett or Pendant work out.
Enjoy your listen of Kind of Blue on an all kinds of beautiful blue amp. I sometimes pair it with Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.
A Love Supreme. Good idea, havent heard that in a while either. Got it on disc but easier to stream it as I dont really have a great CD option other than a really old Panasonic portable unit (talking 20 yrs) that I dug out of a box a while back.
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Nice. Awesome that you have it on disc. That Panasonic is a collectors item. I don’t have a CD player at the moment.
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@perogie dude I just realized I had some 5U4GB tubes and put one in and man it’s really good with my 650s
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Awesome.
I’ve considered those, too. Donald said they were a viable rectifier option along with the 274b Aqua that Sophia electric makes.
What’s the change like over what you had initially? Was it the stock genalex 5ar4?
I’m getting the tube rolling itch…
Oh really? Donald said 5U4G and 5U4GB should work as well when I emailed him. I didn’t know 274b was also an option.
Yeah whatever the stock tube was.
I usually hate tube rolling, but the tubes are cheap enough to have fun with haha I also just bought this one on Ebay LOL for $15. So pretty
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omg the 274b is expensive… wtf lol 
I know. Big $$ over the usual tube complement. The standard 274b ain’t rugged enough so the aqua is the specific one he mentioned as a viable option.
I might see what those NOS rectifiers will do. If only to allay my curiousity. I’m keeping this amp for a long time so might as well see what I can get out of it. If they do nothing then at least I’ve learned that and got some spare tubes.
Bloody tube prices are all over the place. Makes you think cheaper eBay stuff is a scam even if legit.
tbh I’m not expecting big changes with tube rolling, probably minor tonal changes at best. Starlett is already pretty good at layering and dynamics so.
Also I like the design of some of the 5U4GBs compared to the 5AR4s, making it look more like the stratus and stellaris 
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