Awesome. Thank you for your time and feedback. I’m looking at a few tube amps like this to compliment my mz3. I think this may be an option.
Congratulations and hope you enjoy!
2 Likes
The only negative, the wait time I heard is 7 months…
Another positive, it’s half the size of the big boys and really light weight. I got lucky, saw one and hurried up and paid the asking price. Luck of the draw.
3 Likes
Yeah, maybe I’ll keep an eye out for used or order one how I think I’ll like it.
Awesome info. Thanks again!
1 Like
Don’t get me wrong you can certainly find improvements with better amps. But you seem to be looking specifically for high power amps which tend to generate more heat. For ZMF I think the decware you bought is more then capable of driving your zmf. Alternatively you can look at SET amps like stuff from DNA which are not especially powerful but sound fantastic with dynamic drivers. So far of the things I’ve tried, only planar truly benefit from having really powerful amps.
Transformer coupled tube amps can sound good with planar. I’ll be interested to hear how the studio b sound with the 1266 and he1k. But so far the stuff I tried seem to sound better with solid state then the tube amps I’ve owned. Certainly would not recommend OTL amps with audeze.
That’s a great looking piece. Very interested in hearing how Decware sounds but they seem really tied up with orders atm. Hoping we can attend audio shows and meets soon so I can have a listen.
1 Like
Just a quick update on the Heresy.
I am in shock right now as Schiit has offered to pay for my headphones, which I declined, AND they have a check in the mail to me for my Heresy that they paid for the return. They have restored my faith in their company. I really said some nasty things about their customer service that I will have to take back now.
.
Topping on the other hand is still the worst company in the world to deal with. And, Topping’s build and design quality is complete garbage.
6 Likes
DNA Starlett was built with dynamics in mind. DNA Stratus and Decware Taboo were intended to have enough power to drive less sensitive/efficient headphones including planars.
This is consistent with my experience, setting aside ribbons and e-stats.
I’m optimistic, enjoy.
2 Likes
Not specifically looking for more power but cleaner, impactful and resolving sound. As I moved up the chain with Ampsandsound, that sound achieved all that I was looking for but that amps of course gained in size, weight (70lb at the end) and heat but that’s a given.
Then I moved to an all in one with the Matrix Element X, thought I’d try (this might be the same story I’ve told already) and see what a solid state sounded like. I missed the tube sound.
Move to the last couple days, I have a very versatile, small, compact and light but very power amp at a fraction of the price that also achieves the clean, impactful and resolving sound with so many adjustments to the gain, ability to change the sound on the fly, it’s really impressive. And if you talk to Decware like I did yesterday, I even told him I picked up his amp second hand, he welcomed me to the family. Pretty impressive.
My adventure is crazy but I’ve learned a lot and starting to really know what I like. What works and doesn’t work for me.
5 Likes
It might be a good idea to edit previous posts of such nature, if that option is still available.
I am glad to hear Schiit took care of you!
5 Likes
I think it’s better to keep those posts for posterior’s sake. If people had a right to know how badly Schiit FK’d up, they have an equal and even more important right to know the original poster was wrong and Schiit did right.
What’s done is done. Own it, learn from it. Hiding it looks shady AF.
Perhaps add an edit to the end of the first post to clarify the outcome. Maybe an apology.
I don’t like censorship, especially when the wrong people benefit from it.
18 Likes
I’m with you on both accounts, and I agree an edit would probably be better.
10 Likes
I need a headphone amp recommendation. I currently listen to music with a dCS Bartok driving Focal Utopia controlled by Roon. I have a local music collection on a Nucleus Plus and stream from Qobuz almost any music style that I can find in Hi-Def. What I am looking for is a way to listen to my focal Utopia and a dCS Vivaldi stack (DAC, upsampler and clock) using a headphone amp that is as resolving as the dCS Vivaldi stack. Does anyone have headphone amp suggestions for this “Bartok on steroids” setup?
Thanks,
Thyce
Get another dCS stack?
Seriously, I don’t know what to tell you. 
I haven’t heard the Bartok, but by all accounts you’re already in rarified air with that setup. I have no clue what could compete.
4 Likes
What amp are you currently using with the Vilvaldi stack? It’s going to be tough to “top” the Bartok I’m guessing, but you can definitely find different sounding amps. If you don’t have anything with tubes, it could be fun to checkout DNA Audio, Woo Audio, Ampsandsound, etc. Lots of very nice tube amps out there in the 7-10k price range that do speakers, headphones, or both.
2 Likes
In no way do I have any experience with these amps, but maybe you could add this on your considerations…
1 Like
A lot of the feedback you’re going to get is going to center on the price point you are coming in at. Not many of us have experience in the price bracket we are inferring you can access.
However, we can try.
1). Do you have a preference or curiosity for tubes vs. solid state?
2). Any features it must have, such as portability, streaming, balanced connections, or a Frappuccino attachment?
3). What is it about the dcs you appreciate the most? Total clarity, ease of listening, or more?
4). Did you have a budget in mind other than what we might guess from your existing equipment.
8 Likes
I’ve never heard any of the dCS stuff. So you’re saying you’re currently using a Bartok with the built in headphone amp for Utopia but would like to use your Vivaldi stack as a dac to a separate amp?
I have no idea how they compare to the Bartok amp section but the Bakoon 13r and the Niimbus amps seem to be some of the most talked about at the high end of the solid state world. Tube amps you’ve got options from DNA, ampsandsound, and Woo to name a few.
If you want to spend big boi money there is the DNA Stellaris Silver edition.
5 Likes
Personal preference for utopia (and most dynamic headphones in general) is a tube amp. The best amp I heard for utopia by a noticeable margin is my recently acquired studio b with starlett coming in second and the euphoria a distant third.
I’d highly recommend to check out Donald’s flagship blue amp. Seriously contemplating whether to get it myself. Only thing to note is the wait time but it is worth it.
1 Like