[kkrazik2008]

Anyone ever compare stratus v3 vs v4? I heard v3 has a better richer warmer tone and v4 more hifi / detailed / dryer sounding.

No, this is not accurate. V4 is not dry, nor is it wet, it is rich and can be rolled warm if one chooses. The V4 is more vivid, and yes detailed is accurate.
If one wants a warm/rich DNA amp, the Starlett is a good choice.

 

[smodtactical]

No, this is not accurate. V4 is not dry, nor is it wet, it is rich and can be rolled warm if one chooses. The V4 is more vivid, and yes detailed is accurate.
If one wants a warm/rich DNA amp, the Starlett is a good choice.

did you compare or ever hear v3 ?

 

[kkrazik2008]

did you compare or ever hear v3 ?

Obviously not, I enjoy making crap up to confuse you…

I responded to your previous message about the V3 compared to V4. Then suggested an alternative DNA amp if one was looking for a richer warmer tone. I wouldn’t consider any of the DNA amps dry as that is more an Eddie Current trait on their SET amps. Nor would I consider DNA amps wet, like an OTL or early ampsandsound designs.

Real question is what are you looking for in an amp, and what is the rest of your chain?

 

[LarsMan]

Obviously not, I enjoy making crap up to confuse you…

I responded to your previous message about the V3 compared to V4. Then suggested an alternative DNA amp if one was looking for a richer warmer tone. I wouldn’t consider any of the DNA amps dry as that is more an Eddie Current trait on their SET amps. Nor would I consider DNA amps wet, like an OTL or early ampsandsound designs.

Real question is what are you looking for in an amp, and what is the rest of your chain?

As well as a Stratus, I've got an Eddie Current Studio B with WE 300B tubes in it, and dry it ain't....

 

[kkrazik2008]

As well as a Stratus, I've got an Eddie Current Studio B with WE 300B tubes in it, and dry it ain't....

Ours ears are different, though the Studio B I had in house did not have WE 300Bs.
So your experience with the DNA and EC follow what @smodtactical has been told? What headphones did you use on the Stratus and Studio B?
For me it’s the Utopia and DNA, Studio B was dry, and on the Studio B was a mix of planar such as the RAD-0 and D8K. Older EC amps are built slightly different in terms of components used from the Studio B, not that has anything to do with how we both perceived dry sound. What do you consider a dry amp, tube based?

My 300B amp is the Yang to my Stratus’s Yin, perfect for planar cans, especially the Abyss 1266.

 

[LarsMan]

Ours ears are different, though the Studio B I had in house did not have WE 300Bs.
So your experience with the DNA and EC follow what @smodtactical has been told? What headphones did you use on the Stratus and Studio B?
For me it’s the Utopia and DNA, Studio B was dry, and on the Studio B was a mix of planar such as the RAD-0 and D8K. Older EC amps are built slightly different in terms of components used from the Studio B, not that has anything to do with how we both perceived dry sound. What do you consider a dry amp, tube based?

My 300B amp is the Yang to my Stratus’s Yin, perfect for planar cans, especially the Abyss 1266.

It's the WE 300B's that make all the difference; if Eddie Current had a higher up model in their line, adding the WE 300B's in place of Gold Lions or whatever to the Studio B would be that amp; they fundamentally change the sound; I was shocked to admit that they were worth the considerable price. I would tend to agree with you with other 300B's as I had JJ's and Gold Lions before those, and yes, I can see how they could be perceived as dry. I use an MSB Analog DAC for source and I've got OG Utopias and Susvaras as cans. I have no problem driving the Susvaras through either of them; I seldom need to turn the volume knob much past 2/3 to get it plenty loud and there is enough current to provide some heft. I can also give them more juice by turning up the preamp on the MSB.

 

[kkrazik2008]

It's the WE 300B's that make all the difference; if Eddie Current had a higher up model in their line, adding the WE 300B's in place of Gold Lions or whatever to the Studio B would be that amp; they fundamentally change the sound; I was shocked to admit that they were worth the considerable price. I would tend to agree with you with other 300B's as I had JJ's and Gold Lions before those, and yes, I can see how they could be perceived as dry. I use an MSB Analog DAC for source and I've got OG Utopias and Susvaras as cans. I have no problem driving the Susvaras through either of them; I seldom need to turn the volume knob much past 2/3 to get it plenty loud and there is enough current to provide some heft. I can also give them more juice by turning up the preamp on the MSB.

Oh jeez you are brave, I could not get the Susvara or any planar headphones to best my solid state amps over the Stratus. I tried really hard as it is a very special amp to me. They would get plenty loud but lacked the speed and had some high treble energy, which I fully admit is something that is not pleasant for me. At the time I was using a TT2+m-scaler and also cracked up the juice to get them to sound a bit better.

In the end I decided dynamic driver headphones would be one chain, and planar headphones its own separate chain. Not practical for sure, yet we all have our quirks in this hobby.

Nowadays I alternate between a totaldac and a pair of Sonic Frontiers DACs. The MSB is one I would like to hear one day, their approach and upgrades are intriguing to me. You have a nice chain sir!

 

[LarsMan]

Oh jeez you are brave, I could not get the Susvara or any planar headphones to best my solid state amps over the Stratus. I tried really hard as it is a very special amp to me. They would get plenty loud but lacked the speed and had some high treble energy, which I fully admit is something that is not pleasant for me. At the time I was using a TT2+m-scaler and also cracked up the juice to get them to sound a bit better.

In the end I decided dynamic driver headphones would be one chain, and planar headphones its own separate chain. Not practical for sure, yet we all have our quirks in this hobby.

Nowadays I alternate between a totaldac and a pair of Sonic Frontiers DACs. The MSB is one I would like to hear one day, their approach and upgrades are intriguing to me. You have a nice chain sir!

Why thank you! I must say that being 'brave' is something I am rarely accused of. I know what you mean about separate systems, though - I've got my headphone setup completely separate from the gear in my 2-channel setup. I'm currently working on getting my living room redecorated and I'm trying to figure out just what cabinetry to get for which system.

 

[smodtactical]

Oh jeez you are brave, I could not get the Susvara or any planar headphones to best my solid state amps over the Stratus. I tried really hard as it is a very special amp to me. They would get plenty loud but lacked the speed and had some high treble energy, which I fully admit is something that is not pleasant for me. At the time I was using a TT2+m-scaler and also cracked up the juice to get them to sound a bit better.

In the end I decided dynamic driver headphones would be one chain, and planar headphones its own separate chain. Not practical for sure, yet we all have our quirks in this hobby.

Nowadays I alternate between a totaldac and a pair of Sonic Frontiers DACs. The MSB is one I would like to hear one day, their approach and upgrades are intriguing to me. You have a nice chain sir!

DNA and 2a3 amps in general not to be ideal for Sus (based on so many people who have tried this combo). Probably just lack of power.

 

[smodtactical]

It's the WE 300B's that make all the difference; if Eddie Current had a higher up model in their line, adding the WE 300B's in place of Gold Lions or whatever to the Studio B would be that amp; they fundamentally change the sound; I was shocked to admit that they were worth the considerable price. I would tend to agree with you with other 300B's as I had JJ's and Gold Lions before those, and yes, I can see how they could be perceived as dry. I use an MSB Analog DAC for source and I've got OG Utopias and Susvaras as cans. I have no problem driving the Susvaras through either of them; I seldom need to turn the volume knob much past 2/3 to get it plenty loud and there is enough current to provide some heft. I can also give them more juice by turning up the preamp on the MSB.

Have you ever heard EC MK IV ? Apparently this is one of EC's best amps and you can mod it like crazy. A guy on my discord has one and has EP silver and other transformers in it and its apparently amazing with hd800

 

[theveterans]

DNA and 2a3 amps in general not to be ideal for Sus (based on so many people who have tried this combo). Probably just lack of power.

Not enough cajones and scale compared to even Schiit Mjolnir 3. Susvara sounds slow and airy/lacking immediacy at the same time with DNA 2A3 amps

 

[kkrazik2008]

DNA and 2a3 amps in general not to be ideal for Sus (based on so many people who have tried this combo). Probably just lack of power.

You must have took my full of crap proclamation to heart.
Yes I’m very well aware of this given I own a Stratus, which has the same power output as the Stellaris, and had a Susvara on long term loan to see how it worked with my amps. However, as @LarsMan Has shared and I have heard from other DNA + Susvara owners they enjoy the combo.

Anyway, you keep asking for comparisons, and it’s always amp A vs, amp B within the context of a particular amp thread. If it was only so easy to compare A to B, I’ve asked what you are looking for in an amp and what the rest of your audio chain looks like. Not to be nosy, rather to help you triangulate the information you are asking for.

So I will repeat the obvious, what are you looking for in an amp, and what is the rest of your chain?

 

[LarsMan]

Have you ever heard EC MK IV ? Apparently this is one of EC's best amps and you can mod it like crazy. A guy on my discord has one and has EP silver and other transformers in it and its apparently amazing with hd800

Never even heard of that one. Just went to EC's website and saw a picture of it; I wonder when they made that model?

 

[theveterans]

Have you ever heard EC MK IV ? Apparently this is one of EC's best amps and you can mod it like crazy. A guy on my discord has one and has EP silver and other transformers in it and its apparently amazing with hd800

Heard the one with Linlei E-2A3 in parallel with silver interstage transformer and silver output transformers. That amp slams like a truck with any headphone I put on it, including DCA Expanse. I'll also add the speed and the treble extension are also incredibly impressive for a tube amp

 

[kkrazik2008]

@LarsMan That’s because they only made about a dozen or so, quite unobtainable as most owners know how rare they are have only seen one for sale and it was between friends. If one needs to mod that amp, to find their desired sound, might as well build something from scratch of they have the know how.

@smodtactical , I came across a post where you mentioned some negatives about Radu amps. Care to elaborate?