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DNA Stratus 2A3 amplifier - first impressions - Page 26

post #376 of 876
12/13/12 at 8:41pm

I guess some Stratus owners that also own HE-6's could comment on this but I did find this interesting last comment from Srajan's review of the HE-6.......

 

Final comments & suggestions: Speaker-level drive can compensate for the lower efficiency if such an amp is happy into 50 ohms. The HE-6 needs a long time to break in. The screw fittings for the cabling are a bit finicky. More than once they came loose from wear to interrupt or mute one channel. The cable's XLR coupler allows driving this headphone in balanced mode from amps with the requisite K-1000 terminal. Because that AKG design was even less efficient, amps designed for it will automatically work with the HE-6.

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post #377 of 876
12/14/12 at 3:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by third_eye View Post

I guess some Stratus owners that also own HE-6's could comment on this but I did find this interesting last comment from Srajan's review of the HE-6.......

 

Final comments & suggestions: Speaker-level drive can compensate for the lower efficiency if such an amp is happy into 50 ohms. The HE-6 needs a long time to break in. The screw fittings for the cabling are a bit finicky. More than once they came loose from wear to interrupt or mute one channel. The cable's XLR coupler allows driving this headphone in balanced mode from amps with the requisite K-1000 terminal. Because that AKG design was even less efficient, amps designed for it will automatically work with the HE-6.

good point third_eye. I would like to second this, especially since I ready many a post that generally say you need at least 4 or 6 WPC for HE-6, but was not stratus build in part for K1000? Is this a case of paper spec do not always show the whole story, or quality power over quantity? 

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post #378 of 876
12/14/12 at 3:47am

I just don't think HE-6 owners (I can only speak for myself) will be going out getting a Stratus for those headphones.  However, the Stratus seems like a perfect amp for the HD800s and the like.

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post #379 of 876
12/14/12 at 5:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by preproman View Post

I can only speak for myself as an HE-6 owner and I don't think I will be going out getting a Stratus for those headphones. However, the Stratus seems like a perfect amp for the HD800s and the like.

Fixed. wink.gif

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post #380 of 876
12/14/12 at 5:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by unspool View Post

Fixed. wink.gif

 

I like my way better.  As I know a few of us in the same boat.  Thanks..biggrin.gif

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post #381 of 876
12/14/12 at 5:57am

My bad. I was under the impression that you could only speak for yourself. wink.gif

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post #382 of 876
12/14/12 at 6:33am

O dag.  you got me...  ok - I like your way better.biggrin.gif

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post #383 of 876
12/14/12 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by preproman View Post

I just don't think HE-6 owners (I can only speak for myself) will be going out getting a Stratus for those headphones.  However, the Stratus seems like a perfect amp for the HD800s and the like.
Wait a sec, even if the Stratus was the best amp possible for the HE-6 it still only comes in blue smily_headphones1.gif
In all seriousness though, I think this is a valid question as to whether the Stratus could be considered a TOTL amp for the HE-6. We know it is for the other dynamic cans.
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post #384 of 876
12/14/12 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 

My ears are still attached to the HD800, but the last time I listened to my HE-6 using a silver Complement from DHC, the Stratus drove it very well. It did not do so well when the HE-6 was still breaking in, but after >400 hrs on the HE-6, it was a different matter. Full spectrum, marvelous microdetail and air, superb timbre. The only advantage I heard driving it from the 8 Ohm speaker terminals of my 100 wpc ss Odyssey Cyclops was tighter and more accurate bass tonality. But it was far smoother and more liquid from the Stratus.

 

Would it sound different driving it from the K1000 output of the Stratus?

 

or if I used the HE-adapter to bring its load down to 8 Ohms?

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post #385 of 876
12/14/12 at 7:59pm

Bud, are you still using the Sophia's? I really enjoy them with my HD800. I'm using the stock rectifier, is swapping to a NOS going to make much of a difference?
 

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post #386 of 876
12/15/12 at 8:48pm
Thread Starter 

Howdy Ethan. You thinking about upgrading your tubes now? I replaced the stock rectifier with a cryo'd NOS 5U4G from Brendan at tubeworld, and it sounds better than even the EML, IMO. Quieter, fuller, richer.

 

I get a "ping" every once in a while, and i haven't figured out yet where it originates. Not a bother really. Nothing like the gas discharge I had with one of the RCA NOS 2A3s.

 

Yup, I'm still entranced by the Sophia / HD800 combo. I tried the Shuguang special "Natural Sound" 2A3T-C and it came close to the sweet synergy of the Sophia with the HD800, but a bit thin. Also tried the EML mesh briefly again, and it stomps for bass control but it still couldn't match the liquid synergy of the Princess on vocals. Well-recorded a cappela voices are like live mike feeds (yah - like I've heard those).

 

Are you still listening to your HD800 or did your new anniversary cans grab your attention?

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post #387 of 876
12/16/12 at 7:52pm

Yes, I'm only listening to the HD800 at the moment. Once I got the Stratus in, I quickly decided that the W3000, as nice as it is, was not going to get much head time and I sold it off. In addition to the Sophia's I have a cryod NOS 6BQ7A as well. 

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post #388 of 876
12/22/12 at 10:13am

has anyone experimented with tube rolling? does it make a big or minor difference to sound quality on this amp compared to stock tubes , if so which tubes would you recommend?

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post #389 of 876
12/22/12 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richyieee View Post

has anyone experimented with tube rolling? does it make a big or minor difference to sound quality on this amp compared to stock tubes , if so which tubes would you recommend?

 

There's a tube discussion going on like.. RIGHT above your post, kind of ironic.

Anyway, Sophia Electric 2A3 tubes seem to be getting lots of praise here, EML 2A3 tubes might be good too especially for more modern music.

Difference seems pretty major, since the tubes decide quite a bit of the sound signature.

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post #390 of 876
12/22/12 at 9:15pm

I found a great improvement with both the Sophia Princess and EML solids, coming through the LCD3.

 

It's a big difference IMO, but the magnitude of the difference may depend on the phones you're using.


Edited by Duckman - 12/22/12 at 9:17pm
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