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DNA Sonett 2

post #1 of 18
11/23/12 at 11:35pm
Thread Starter 

The new and improved Sonett. Donald North makes fetching amps.

 

http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Sonett-2-headphone-amplifier.html

 

I hope that owners of the Sonett 2 will use this thread to post their impressions and of course photos. We love photos. smile.gif


Edited by unspool - 11/24/12 at 6:58pm
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post #2 of 18
11/24/12 at 5:18pm

Thanks, I created it more as a successor to the original. First production unit shipping next week.

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post #3 of 18
11/24/12 at 6:38pm
Thread Starter 

OP amended accordingly. smile.gif

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post #4 of 18
11/25/12 at 8:15am

i would be interested in how the Sonett 2 plays with the LCD-2/3 and HE-6. I know the Stratus is a stellar performer in that area, but I wonder if Sonett 2 provides a more affordable alternative. Thanks.

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post #5 of 18
11/25/12 at 9:50am

The LCD-3 and HE-6 are lower efficiency and challenging headphones to drive, whereas the Sonett 2 is intended for headphones with more traditional efficiency like Grados, Sennheisers, beyers, Denons, etc.

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post #6 of 18
11/25/12 at 10:55am

thanks Donald!

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post #7 of 18
11/25/12 at 11:27am

Gorgeous amp. I like the 4 pin XLR (rather than the irrational 2 x 3pin sometimes used).

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post #8 of 18
11/25/12 at 11:39am

it is an absolute beauty! Absolutely, love the 4 pin XLR as well. 

 

BTW, Donald, did you use a certain headphone to tune it? If you did, which one? If I recall, HD800 was used on the initial Sonett, but I could be wrong. 

I am also interested in the sonic differences between running the HD800 through 1/4 inch pug vs 4 pin XLR. 

 

Thanks again and sorry for nickel and diming with the questions. 

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post #9 of 18
11/26/12 at 8:05pm

Thanks, on the original Sonett I tuned it primarily with my beyer DT931s. I also tested it with my K240DF, DX1000, and friends DT880/250 and K701. When I debuted it at CanJam 2009 the HD800 had just started shipping, and it turned out to be a fortunate coincidence that the Sonett paired well with them. With the HD800 driven by the original Sonett, I found they sounded better when driven balanced (adding a bit more bass weight and extension) with the Low output impedance setting (28 ohm).

 

By paralleling the sections in each 6H30 tube on the Sonett 2, the output impedance is reduced to 28 ohm on the full gain setting while producing twice the voltage (6dB louder) compared to the original. During development and tuning of the Sonett 2, I primarily used the DT770 Pro 80 along with the DT931, K240DF, and friends HD800 for testing.

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cante Ista View Post

it is an absolute beauty! Absolutely, love the 4 pin XLR as well. 

 

BTW, Donald, did you use a certain headphone to tune it? If you did, which one? If I recall, HD800 was used on the initial Sonett, but I could be wrong. 

I am also interested in the sonic differences between running the HD800 through 1/4 inch pug vs 4 pin XLR. 

 

Thanks again and sorry for nickel and diming with the questions. 

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post #10 of 18
11/29/12 at 4:36am

Can these enclosures be done in black? confused_face_2.gif

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post #11 of 18
11/29/12 at 7:41am
Thread Starter 

You kidder. tongue.gif

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post #12 of 18
12/10/12 at 12:00pm
Welcome to everybody :)
After reading reviews of original Sonett on this website, I decided to purchase this amplifier for my hd650, which I have since three years. Thet time Sonett 2 was introduced, and in September I placed an order for it. Last week I received package from Donald with this beautiful gear. It was #1 Sonett 2 :)
I have had  DIY headphone amplifier till now (OTL, similar to Allan Kimmel's  mu-follower) and I must say, that Sonett gave new life to my Sennheiser :) The amp has only 40 hours of work, but it sound clear and direct. Main thing that I noticed till now is that the amp is very detailed even at low volume.
Specially thanks to Santacore, who wrote about Sonett 2 prototype. It is indeed "easy recommendation".
Best regards from Poland:),
Paul.
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post #13 of 18
12/10/12 at 12:47pm

Congratulations Paul!  Let's see some pictures. biggrin.gif

 

I very much enjoy my Sonett with my Sennheiser collection.  cool.gif

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post #14 of 18
1/20/13 at 9:40am
Any impressions yet?
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post #15 of 18
1/21/13 at 7:34pm

interested in if any other custom upgrades (e.g. stepped attenuator, audio grade phone sockets ) are available, or it takes in consider by individual request??

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