DNA Stratus 2A3 amplifier - first impressions - Page 18

Thanks budx3385. I did see those comments earlier, but I'm looking for a more in-depth comparison of the sonic characteristics of these amps.

Will hear the HD800/Princess combination on Sunday. Have been looking forward to it since your initial comments, Bud.

 

LOL! Hey don't look at me. I never liked the Sonett (sorry Donald). The Stratus is a much better amp (also costs much more). I do like the Stratus a lot. That being said, know what you are getting into with the Stratus. If you like the S7 sound, the Stratus may not be for you. I've heard most of the amps you've listed above and I kind of agree with your rankings BTW.

 

Anaxilus (speaking from the phantom zone) also adds: The Stratus is like the Eddie Current Super 7 and Luxman P1-u having a baby. I agree with this. Hopefully this gets you a little closer to knowing how it actually sounds. But yeah, actually hearing it for yourself is best.

Edited by purrin - 11/5/12 at 12:29pm

Hi Purrin,

It's OK if you didn't like the Sonett - that's why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors

 

I don't know if you heard my setup at the big LAX Hilton meet you organized, but I was showing the Stratus with Emission Labs 2A3 mesh plates (on loan from Budx) which are very different sounding tubes from the stock Shuguang 2A3Bs. I'll try to get a set for the next meet - I think you and Anaxilus will find the comparison interesting.

 

Yes I did. As you know, I am not a big fan of the limpid willowy sound very typical of Chinese tubes. The EML meshes were my preference. Your SCD-1 + Stratus + Sony R10 (basslite) / TH900s (two headphones which I like a lot) were something truly special. However, I don't think people who want a solid-state drier sounding, hyper-resolving amp with the last word in precision and control will gravitate toward the Stratus - and I think you would probably agree.

 

Although it should noted that the Stratus can hardly be labeled as one of the poster boys for what I think is "bad" tube sound - the kinds of tube amps which give tubes the reputation of being overly organic, soft, mushy, syrupy, bloomy, distorted, etc. With the EMLs, I feel the Stratus hits the right combination of precision, detail, and "wetness". I know that santacore (who I respect alot and spoke to at the meet) preferred the Chinese tubes, so there is some latitude here for a customer to play with things.

The Stratus is officially on my Class B amps list (as with the S7 among others.) There are only two amps on my Class A list: The BA and T2DIY. And any amp which makes my Class E list is something I feel worthy of praise and consideration. And you know me. I don't pull punches and I think most stuff sounds like crap.  There's a good reason why I've sought you out to listen to the Stratus at every meet we happened to have been to.

Edited by purrin - 11/5/12 at 6:07pm

Apologies for interrupting, but have you heard the Zana Deux SE and 2A3? If so, how would you characterise their sound and that of the Stratus?

Oh man, that's a good one and a tough comparison. Tough enough that I wouldn't dare say without direct comparison using the same familiar sources and headphones and indicating which tubes were used.

 

Both of these amps are both what I would consider a good middle ground between wet and dry, but they approach it in different ways. It's very hard to explain, mainly because I lack words to explain it.

 

UPDATE:

 

The ZDSE is like a Mercedes AMG. Smooth luxurious ride, but when the driver calls for, it responds. The Stratus (with the EMLs) is like an Audi S4.

Edited by purrin - 11/5/12 at 6:35pm

Yes it is difficult. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to audition them. I've seen the Zana Deux SE likened to a solid state amp due to it not having the kind of syrupy, bloomy, tubey sound you describe. The Zana Deux SE appeals on that basis.
Edited by unspool - 11/5/12 at 7:02pm

ZDSE has a more luxurious ride compared to all the other amps in the EC lineup, but the Stratus is more "tubey" or wet for lack of a better term. I'm probably not making any sense.

I think I understand. ;-) It also seems to work well with some low impedance phones even though it's an OTL amp.

It's cap-coupled, but the SE has switchable output impedance. Obviously it's not 0.5 ohms, but I think it's still relatively low where it won't screw up HD800s and give them an obvious measurable bass boost.

What about a low impedance phone like the Fostex TH900?

Not an issue. Works great with both amps. Refer to Muppetface's TH900 thread. I think there was some discussion on it with various amps. Use Google search since HF search is totally lame because the Huddler guys can't figure out how to make it not return random unrelated entries.

Will do. All of my phones are low impedance and the rule of thumb is to pair them with transformer coupled amps, but the Zana Deux SE appears to be the exception.

Edit: Thanks purrin for your assistance and my apologies for temporarily turning the Stratus thread into the Eddie Current show. I'm just as interested in Donald's blue beauty. :-)
Edited by unspool - 11/5/12 at 10:07pm

Hey Purrin, thanks for the kind words and very hard work at the last L.A. meet. 

 

Yes, at the meet my opinion was that I really liked the stock tubes over my Black Treasure 2A3's. Well guess what?!? Since then, I've made a few minor changes, and the Black Treasures have been in play ever since. The stock tubes may indeed be better, but I haven't wanted to go back to find out. Right now I'm rocking an old RCA 6BQ7 on the input, Black Treasure 2A3's on the output, and a old RCA coke bottle 5U4G as the rectifier.

 

One of the reasons I ended up selling my Super 7 and getting the Stratus was that it played well with all my phones, and of course sounded fantastic. This is a big deal, as it makes the amp a lot more enjoyable, even as I cycle through different phones. Of course everyones taste is different, so you milage may vary.