[RubyTiger]

Guys… Can you describe what the sonic changes are associated with the upgrade?

It improves the layering and resolution of the amplifier while maintaining its musicality. It's something you notice as soon as you listen. Donald could have went for even more resolution but at what cost? I suspect listener's fatigue and no one wants that. I have never heard anyone say the Stratus is fatiguing. That's the opposite of engaging which describes the Stratus in spades. I hope that's the right idiom. Probably the best way to look at the upgrade is like a cherry on top of a cake. Not totally necessary but O so sweet.

 

[Bigsecret]

Are you saying that the upgrade didn't have a big (any?) impact on the sound of the other output tubes you have? If so, that's interesting, as I am pretty certain that his upgrade included a new type of cathode bypass cap on the power tubes. If you didn't hear any other differences with the other tubes, it may have something to do with the different bias points of your output tubes, generally, that the cathode resistor lands on, and for some reason it favors the EMLs. Or you could take my biased point of view (the cathode resistor in my brain is speaking) that the other two brands suck, IMO.

 

[Bigsecret]

Are you saying that the upgrade didn't have a big (any?) impact on the sound of the other output tubes you have? If so, that's interesting, as I am pretty certain that his upgrade included a new type of cathode bypass cap on the power tubes. If you didn't hear any other differences with the other tubes, it may have something to do with the different bias points of your output tubes, generally, that the cathode resistor lands on, and for some reason it favors the EMLs. Or you could take my biased point of view (the cathode resistor in my brain is speaking) that the other two brands suck, IMO.

No. I'm just saying the upgrade made a bigger difference than any tube rolling I've done. And, I still enjoy the other tubes. They most certainly do not suck. The EMLs were always exceptional tubes sounding very balanced and full. I just find myself enoying them like I never did before since the Stratus upgrade. I have no idea why that would be.

 

[rydenfan]

I just worked out the details with Donald and will be sending my Stratus in during May to receive the latest upgrades. I am very much looking forward to hearing it!

 

[Frihed89]

I'm writing here about my Impressions of the Stallaris, instead of the Stellaris thread because I was a long-time Stratus owner who decided to take the plunge, without hearing it first, and after a good deal of thought.

First, let me say that the Stratus is an outstanding amplifier, especially as modified by Donald. It is hard to beat. The Stellaris has the same general sound signature as the modified Stratus, and what differences you hear will depend (or do depend in my case) on the type of music you listen to. My own tastes are mainly limited to Indie Rock, Folk, Alt Country, almost anything Acoustic, and Classical. Frankly, I am finding differences hard to detect on "simple" music with a few instruments and lead singer (You know, the girl and her guitar). One does hear more of the details of the human voice, but the tone and texture of a guitar, for example, doesn't change much. Where the Stellaris excells is with a larger number of instruments (and or many voices), a lot of dynamic range both in terms of volume and variations in pace and rhythm, and multiple instruments playing different themes at different times at different volumes. You'll find this in all forms of Classical music to varying degrees, even with smaller ensembles. The Stellaris presents a wider and deeper soundstage and it also allows you to hear the right tones and pace from all the instruments, as you also hear where they are placed. So, imagine a transition in a modern Romantic Symphony, that consists of a wall of violins playing high on their scale and then in the background, you hear a faint oboe playing a theme, gowing louder and louder. From the very start, you hear the oboe with crystal calrity, and even if very faint, you hear the high pitched strings. They are clearly coming from different places, and even as the oboe rises and the violins fade away, you can visualize (with your ears) the process. With fast piano concertoes, the fast low notes don't get smeared together with the high pitched ones. Each note is isolated (unless there is a lot of purposeful reviberation) in time and space and even then you can distnguish the clear notes through the reviberation. I suspect a lot of the same things happen in jazz and I know they do with the Flaminco guitar.

If you want to hear what I mean, buy a good recording of Bruckner's 7th Symphony.

Oh, one final thing, if a song is badly recorded or over-recorded, you'll hear it a lot more on the Stellaris than the Stratus.

That's about it, for now. For me, the purchase and experience of the Stellaris has been well worth it.

 

[rydenfan]

for those that have heard the 800S...are they a worth upgrade over the 800's for the Stratus?

 

[forestitalia]

Listening the Stratus with "cheap" Akg 7xx.....What!!! amazing mens

 

[vc1187]

for those that have heard the 800S...are they a worth upgrade over the 800's for the Stratus?

I personally didn't like the HD800S with the Stratus as much as I like the HD800 with the Stratus.

I also own the EC ZD.
For reference, I think that the HD800 sounds a lot better on the Stratus over the ZD, and the HD800S sounds a little better on the ZD over the Stratus. But overall, I prefer the HD800 over the HD800S

 

[yage]

Re: HD 800 vs HD 800 S, I was very hard pressed to hear big changes between the two. The most noticeable difference to my ears was in the reproduction of sibilants. The HD 800 S seemed to produce a pink noise like spectrum while the HD 800 sounded more like white noise. And that's about it. Personally, I listen to the HD 800 stock with my Stratus.

 

[mysticstryk]

for those that have heard the 800S...are they a worth upgrade over the 800's for the Stratus?

I would just grab a pair of SDRs for your 800 for $20 instead of buying the 800S. I heard both on the Stratus and they are essentially the same when the SDR mod is applied to the 800. 800 bass was maybe a hair faster.

 

[RubyTiger]

Me doing some pin's for my Stratus. Before testing I sand or use an xacto knife for better contact.


I will be sending these and a few more for cryogenic treatment.


I accidentally dropped the tube on the left causing the glass to fracture. The getter flash turned white.

 

[claud W]

Upgrading my Schiit Yiggy in preparation for Stratus arrival in September or October. I even sent Donald another thousand.

 

[m17xr2b]

You are in luck. I just updated the yggy a couple of days ago. The Stratus can reveal the differences nicely with the right gear. The high end had a super slight graininess and the bass was just not as controlled as my metrum pavane. Voices were a bit on the cooler side again compared to the Pavane. The V2 yggy has fixed the grain, bass is a better controlled and overall it closed the gap between the old yggy and the pavane. At this point I would say the pavane is poor value compared to the yggy.

 

[claud W]

You are in luck. I just updated the yggy a couple of days ago. The Stratus can reveal the differences nicely with the right gear. The high end had a super slight graininess and the bass was just not as controlled as my metrum pavane. Voices were a bit on the cooler side again compared to the Pavane. The V2 yggy has fixed the grain, bass is a better controlled and overall it closed the gap between the old yggy and the pavane. At this point I would say the pavane is poor value compared to the yggy.

Thanks for your Yiggy V2 opinion. --Like I was not stoked enough before.
I am going to have a headphone system with Oppo DVD player into Yiggy via Wywires Platinum coax and then balanced Platinum into Ragg and SE into Stratus via more Wywires Platinum ICs. By December, I should be getting Stratus well broken in.

 

[kingkikapu]

What’s the lead time on stratus orders these days?