[Solude]

If money isn't an issue it's a fairly easy choice.  The BA has no equal in the DHT market and has the benefit of being a great preamp.  It would fairer to ask Stratus or 2A3 or WA5LE.

 

[fejnomit]

It's a tight race. But having owned both for a while and focussing specifically on the HD800, the edge goes to the Stratus- again for sonics alone. I prefer the sound of its transformer. I prefer the sound of its coupling caps. And I prefer the 2A3 certainly to the 300B and even to the PX4. Again in terms of the HD800. It gives them some electricity they otherwise lack with the BA. Even with a killer Ecc35 or my new favorite the 7n7 as driver, the BA never quite frees itself from a certain cabernousness - a sense of being in a slightly too large echoey hall listening to music. This can lead to some spine tingling resonances at times but at others it can sound a little empty and boomy. The Stratus never sounds his way - especially with the right 2a3s. It has better detail retrieval, better tonal balance and more clarity. But again it's close. I listen to the BA a lot still - especially when I want to lose myself a little more. The Stratus will keep you very much awake.

 

[Solude]

BA can be ordered with 2A3/45

 

[fejnomit]

Of course. In fact I was in the process of converting my BA to a 2A3/45 when Craig basically talked me out of it.  He does not recommend the 45 in that circuit - so at the end of the day I would have been stuck with two 2A3 headphone amps.  I'm pretty hard-core but not quite that hard-core. Same sonic reflections would still apply I have to assume.  And like I said, on any given day, I'm plugged into the BA.  The intriguing development is the EC Leviathan - which really takes the 2A3 to the max.  I look forward to hearing that.  For now, in terms of HD800, I would still pick the Stratus.  And - to your earlier point - the BA does have other advantages beyond mere sonics that make it great: balanced inputs, pre-amp outs, more tube rolling options that have a much more profound effect on the sound, etc...

 

[SleepyOne]

Wouldn't there be problem in converting your BA to 2A3/45 as it uses output transformers design for higher power 300B/PX4? I thought Radio_head prefers 45 in his BA 45/2A3.

 

[Radio_head]

My (now ceetee's) BA was a 300B/PX4 unit though I contemplated switching it to 2A3/45.  I'm just buying a Levi instead, though I'm still curious about Donald's amp.
 
Want to give a big kudos to Donald for some OPT advice for us crazy Craig-standers even though its a competitor's amp.  That is seriously one of the coolest things I've seen from a vendor on HF, and my already high opinion of Donald is now even higher.  Maybe when I get more settled in I'll get bold and ask Donald if he still sells the Sequence...

 

[Donald North]

Thanks, I'm happy to help. Around 6 years ago I went on my own end-game amp quest for my Sequence speakers and ended up with some interstage transformer driven, parallel 2A3 SET amps. Sequence speakers are available, built to order. Fejnomit heard them recently.
 

 

[budx3385]

Quote:

For the HD800's only, BA vs Stratus...who wins?

 
++ 
 
earlier in this thread about the Stratus, several comments were posted contrasting the sound quality of the HD800 on the Stratus vs the EC BA.
 
Cante_Ista was quite correct. The consensus was that the HD800 sounds fantastic on the Stratus, deep and wide 3D with realistic timbre and dynamics and detail, but not so much on the BA, and with the PX4 that works so well for the LCD-2 on the BA, some said barely listenable with the HD800.

 

[fejnomit]

Quote:

and my already high opinion of Donald is now even higher.

+1
 
And the Sequence speakers are truly outstanding.  First time in a long time I was actually blown away by a piece of equipment being noticeable better than anything I'd ever heard.  My Soul Superflys were crying when I got home...

 

[third_eye]

Is anyone using mid-tier headphones with the Stratus? I would imagine some of these would really scale to really high levels (like DT770/880/990, HD600/650, etc....)
 

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

 
++ 
 
earlier in this thread about the Stratus, several comments were posted contrasting the sound quality of the HD800 on the Stratus vs the EC BA.
 
Cante_Ista was quite correct. The consensus was that the HD800 sounds fantastic on the Stratus, deep and wide 3D with realistic timbre and dynamics and detail, but not so much on the BA, and with the PX4 that works so well for the LCD-2 on the BA, some said barely listenable with the HD800.

Damn that is disappointing to hear, I was hoping to add the BA to my to buy list due to it's sleek looks and similar traits from Eddie's earlier Moth amp designs. I'd really love to see a Stratus in Black, I don't dig that blue colour, but hey that's just me. Any of you guys using balanced notice a significant upscale in sound from se?

 

[Radio_head]

I'd take these things with a grain of salt. In the Stratus thread the preference will of course be towards the Stratus, and in the BA thread the preference will be towards the BA.  Meet impressions, as always, will be all over the place.  I can think of at least one aussie with a BA and one with a Stratus, I'd suggest seeing if you could arrange a meet and listen for yourself.
 
*Of course I am not belittling the Stratus at all, just pointing out that using the term "consensus" is narrow-minded when restricted to a thread dedicated to only one of the products in question.

 

[DefQon]

Quote:

I'd take these things with a grain of salt. In the Stratus thread the preference will of course be towards the Stratus, and in the BA thread the preference will be towards the BA.  Meet impressions, as always, will be all over the place.  I can think of at least one aussie with a BA and one with a Stratus, I'd suggest seeing if you could arrange a meet and listen for yourself.
 
*Of course I am not belittling the Stratus at all, just pointing out that using the term "consensus" is narrow-minded when restricted to a thread dedicated to only one of the products in question.

Yeah that is true. I will be able to get to one of the resellers here that sell the Stratus. The BA impossible unless I buy one. 

 

[Da5Id]

Quote:

Is anyone using mid-tier headphones with the Stratus? I would imagine some of these would really scale to really high levels (like DT770/880/990, HD600/650, etc....)
 

Not quite yet, but Donald has told me he expects to be able to finish mine by the end of this month, so I'll have the chance to try my HD600's with it. I've got HD800's and LCD-3's too, but still really like the 600's. 

 

[Eee Pee]

There was a post made a while ago in a meet thread about the Stratus (in an unfinished stage still) paired with a defoamed HD 600 and being done with Head-Fi that I can't forget.