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DNA Stratus 2A3 amplifier - first impressions
Apr 28, 2024 at 12:40 PM Post #4,442 of 4,464
Apr 28, 2024 at 2:32 PM Post #4,443 of 4,464
Apr 28, 2024 at 3:22 PM Post #4,444 of 4,464
LarsMan said:
Could you please tell me how I can tell which V I have? Thanks!
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Certainly, look on the back and see if your serial looks like this:

1714332096152.jpeg
 
Apr 28, 2024 at 3:39 PM Post #4,445 of 4,464
kkrazik2008 said:
Certainly, look on the back and see if your serial looks like this:

1714332096152.jpeg
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Thank you. Yes, I've got one with an AudioNote transformer - AN 0013 or something. That's V3?
 
Apr 28, 2024 at 5:44 PM Post #4,448 of 4,464
LarsMan said:
Thank you. Yes, I've got one with an AudioNote transformer - AN 0013 or something. That's V3?
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LoL I doubt we have the same DNA Stratus DNA#.jpg
 
Apr 28, 2024 at 5:46 PM Post #4,449 of 4,464
smodtactical said:
Oh sorry, is there anything v3 does better than v4 ?

Also how is v4 vs stellaris ?
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Yes, V3 is great, V4 is better, and Stellaris is awesome!

An analogy, they are the Porsche 911:
Stratus V3: 911 4S
Stratus V4: 911 4 GTS
Stellaris: 911 Turbo S
 
Apr 28, 2024 at 6:55 PM Post #4,450 of 4,464
kkrazik2008 said:
Yes, quite a few with mixed results. I tried it when the Caldera was first launched, then again about a year later and I swear the two Caldera sounded very different from one another. Without offending anyone, the Caldera was a better match than trying to use the Susvara off the Stratus. My DNA amp friends, who own or tried the Caldera, felt similar to what @Tchoupitoulas posted above.
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I tried a Caldera loaner for a week on my V3 Stratus and Mjolnir 3. Caldera I found to sound super bright on Stratus. However, with the optional mesh installed on the Caldera it tamed the highs to the point where I really enjoyed it on Stratus.

There was no need IMO for the optional mesh on the Caldera using the MJ3. It was a better pairing all around, as I find the MJ3 to have quite tame highs and not nearly the extension up top that Stratus has. This was a good thing with the Caldera and balanced things out.

All that said, I vastly preferred my Atrium Open to Caldera on both amps. It just sounds natural and correct where Caldera just sounds a bit off to me in its presentation.

Chain was Holo Audio Red -> AES -> Yiggy A2 -> Stratus V3 / MJ3 -> ZMF Atrium Open / Caldera Open
 
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Apr 28, 2024 at 7:17 PM Post #4,451 of 4,464
RestoredSparda said:
I tried a Caldera loaner for a week on my V3 Stratus and Mjolnir 3. Caldera I found to sound super bright on Stratus. However, with the optional mesh installed on the Caldera it tamed the highs to the point where I really enjoyed it on Stratus.

There was no need IMO for the optional mesh on the Caldera using the MJ3. It was a better pairing all around, as I find the MJ3 to have quite tame highs and not nearly the extension up top that Stratus has. This was a good thing with the Caldera and balanced things out.

All that said, I vastly preferred my Atrium Open to Caldera on both amps. It just sounds natural and correct where Caldera just sounds a bit off to me in its presentation.

Chain was Holo Audio Red -> AES -> Yiggy A2 -> Stratus V3 / MJ3 -> ZMF Atrium Open / Caldera Open
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The first Caldera I heard, which my friend who kindly bought it at CanJam SoCal was a limited edition wood, sounded a lot better than the second Caldera which was sent around on a mini-tour. I had no idea about the mesh option until the second Caldera came through and had in the case, I was wary of messing around with a tour unit so never tried the optional mesh. Your experience lines up with a nice solid state being the ideal partner for the planar ( in my case the Black Widow was a nice partner), and the dynamic driver Atrium with our beloved DNA amps!

I will say the one exception to the planar experience for me is the LCD-4, a good friend let me borrow his for a good bit of time and I didn’t want to give it back 😂
I don’t know why it matched up better other than the 200 ohms and increased sensitivity compared to other planar headphones?
 
Apr 28, 2024 at 7:28 PM Post #4,452 of 4,464
Apr 29, 2024 at 12:36 PM Post #4,453 of 4,464
kkrazik2008 said:
The first Caldera I heard, which my friend who kindly bought it at CanJam SoCal was a limited edition wood, sounded a lot better than the second Caldera which was sent around on a mini-tour. I had no idea about the mesh option until the second Caldera came through and had in the case, I was wary of messing around with a tour unit so never tried the optional mesh. Your experience lines up with a nice solid state being the ideal partner for the planar ( in my case the Black Widow was a nice partner), and the dynamic driver Atrium with our beloved DNA amps!

I will say the one exception to the planar experience for me is the LCD-4, a good friend let me borrow his for a good bit of time and I didn’t want to give it back 😂
I don’t know why it matched up better other than the 200 ohms and increased sensitivity compared to other planar headphones?
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Did you try swapping around the pads of the loaner Caldera?
 
Apr 29, 2024 at 5:13 PM Post #4,454 of 4,464
K3cT said:
Did you try swapping around the pads of the loaner Caldera?
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Yes on the second unit I tried at home.

1) The first pair, it only had the stock pads as it was right before the official release and cowhide had not been available yet.

2) The loaner unit came with these pads:
- Lambskin - Stock
- Lambskin - Thick
- Lambskin - Thin
- Lambskin - Ultra
- Suede
- Cowhide

My experience with the pad changes, don’t make or break the headphone, gives a bit of a different presentation. Especially when it comes to how it’s driven by the amp, it’s a tweak not a transformation making an apple into an orange.
 
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