[magiccabbage]

   
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?  I thought you had it ordered and everything?  What happened?  What did you go for instead?  
 

I know I did have it ordered - months ago. 
 
Donald emailed me during the week and said that there would be another delay, then offered to refund me. 
I don't mind waiting that is not why I cancelled. The reason I choose another amp is because I happened to acquire 
extra money over the past few weeks quiet unexpectedly which allowed me to buy another amp I always wanted
but never though i'd be able to afford - especially from Ireland. 
 
I went with the WA5 in the end. I always wanted a speaker/headphone amp. I am aware that the Stratus with HD800 is considered 
to be a better pairing than with the WA5 but the other benefits of having a speaker amp and powering the HE6 tipped it for me. 
 
That being said I might not be satisfied with the WA5  - I have heard it can sound lean with HD800, I will have to wait and see. If it doesn't work well with HD800 I will order the stratus again. I might even order the Stratus next year anyway if this new job works out. 

 

[Hun7er]

I sell my Stratus if you want a unit right now

 

[magiccabbage]

  I sell my Stratus if you want a unit right now

You prefer your EC 2A3? 

 

[Hun7er]

I prefer EC Balancing Act

 

[magiccabbage]

  I prefer EC Balancing Act

Too ugly for me. I know that shouldn't be a deciding factor but it is. It looks like it cost 200 dollars to glue together. LOL

 

[bigfatpaulie]

  I know I did have it ordered - months ago. 
 
Donald emailed me during the week and said that there would be another delay, then offered to refund me. 
I don't mind waiting that is not why I cancelled. The reason I choose another amp is because I happened to acquire 
extra money over the past few weeks quiet unexpectedly which allowed me to buy another amp I always wanted
but never though i'd be able to afford - especially from Ireland. 
 
I went with the WA5 in the end. I always wanted a speaker/headphone amp. I am aware that the Stratus with HD800 is considered 
to be a better pairing than with the WA5 but the other benefits of having a speaker amp and powering the HE6 tipped it for me. 
 
That being said I might not be satisfied with the WA5  - I have heard it can sound lean with HD800, I will have to wait and see. If it doesn't work well with HD800 I will order the stratus again. I might even order the Stratus next year anyway if this new job works out. 

 
 
That's too bad, but such is life.
 
I actually feel really bad for Donald.  That has to be extremely frustrating as a business owner to lose a sale like that.  I hope he can get is production in line because he really does make exceptional stuff.
 
I have never heard the WA5 but it is certainly an end-game amp.  I've heard with the right tubes it is up there with the best of them with the HD800's.  
 
I know what you mean about the BA.  EC makes fantastic sound amps but the cosmetics leave a little to be desired.
 
When does the WA5 arrive?

 

[magiccabbage]

   
 
That's too bad, but such is life.
 
I actually feel really bad for Donald.  That has to be extremely frustrating as a business owner to lose a sale like that.  I hope he can get is production in line because he really does make exceptional stuff.
 
I have never heard the WA5 but it is certainly an end-game amp.  I've heard with the right tubes it is up there with the best of them with the HD800's.  
 
I know what you mean about the BA.  EC makes fantastic sound amps but the cosmetics leave a little to be desired.
 
When does the WA5 arrive?

It will ship next week - so maybe 10 days after that

 

[Dubstep Girl]

Too ugly for me. I know that shouldn't be a deciding factor but it is. It looks like it cost 200 dollars to glue together. LOL

very true, its a good amp if you like the sound but ugly and i dont like build quality



the wa5 is good pairing with hd 800, i enjoy the combination. i too went the wa5 route instead of stratus, but i still plan on purchasing it in the future. i just like my wa5 so much i dont feel a need to own a stratus just yet.

 

[kazsud]

I love the way the that the Stratus looks. I've only heard you should get better feet. I'm in the same boat though as the Wa5 will happen here before I get the Stratus.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

Yes.  The feet are gummy and very sticky.  It is my only gripe with an otherwise outstanding amp.

 

[third_eye]

  Yes.  The feet are gummy and very sticky.  It is my only gripe with an otherwise outstanding amp.

 
The original feet that came with my Stratus (#11, 2 years old now) were a lot smaller and gummier than the ones Donald replaced them with. At least one of them used to come off or shift position every time I would pack/unpack the amp to take to a meet. The new ones have held up well so far.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

   
The original feet that came with my Stratus (#11, 2 years old now) were a lot smaller and gummier than the ones Donald replaced them with. At least one of them used to come off or shift position every time I would pack/unpack the amp to take to a meet. The new ones have held up well so far.

 
Interesting.  I have #27 and I believe it has the "new feet". They don't come off the amp, but really stick to everything.  The really sticky feet combined with the lopsided weight of the amp make it a tricky thing to move.

 

[third_eye]

Check what's in the new Gift Guide! 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/head-fi-buying-guide-ultra-high-end-headphones-summit-fi
 

Emotion. Body. Presence. Realism. The Donald North Audio Stratus 2A3 single ended triode tube amplifier is Donald North's foray into Summit-Fi and follows on the heels of the popular DNA Sonett (now in its second generation). The Donald North signature blue powder-coated finish and fantastic build quality makes a true statement and is part of the experience of owning a real piece of audio art. 

 

Designed to operate with both low and high impedance headphones, the Stratus has a completely silent background and is a purist class A single ended triode (SET) design. To provide the user with a wide range of configuration options, the Stratus' single-ended headphone output has user selectable output impedance between 8-ohm and 120-ohm, and selectable gain attenuation between 0dB and -6dB for greater volume range. 

 

The XLR outputs have 8-ohm output impedance and come in both dual-3-pin and single-4-pin variety. The 4-pin XLR output is labeled K1000, the legendary headphone which provided inspiration for Donald to develop the Stratus. And with 1.8W (into 50 ohms) of output power, I can confirm that the Stratus has enough juice to power the AKG K1000 (and the even harder to drive HiFiMAN HE-6). But the real standout pairing with the Stratus is the Sennheiser HD800. The Stratus-HD800 is one of those magical combinations where you can simply forget that you're listening to music being reproduced, and instead just listen to, and become one with, the music.

 

The stock tube complement of the DNA Stratus includes a Winged "C" (SED) 5U4G rectifier, a Sovtek 6N1P dual triode input/driver tube, and 2 Shuguang 2A3B directly heated power tubes. Donald has done a great job here finding budget tubes that provide rock solid performance, musicality and lush intimacy. 

 

For enhanced resolution, speed and increased soundstage layering, popular tube upgrades for the Stratus include: EML Meshplates, Sophia Princess, and Shuguang Nature Sounds for 2A3's; EML 5U4G Mesh, NOS RCA 5U4G, and Ken-Rad CKR 5U4G for the 5U4G rectifier; and NOS 6BQ7A's and Cryoset 6N1P's for the input tube.

 

Originally released in 2012, the Stratus has undergone one revision change in 2013 with the introduction of new balanced choke-filtered 2A3 filament supplies. This upgrade option was offered to all Stratus owners at the time and is included in all current production Stratus amplifiers. The main result of this upgrade was an even blacker background, enhanced soundstage layering, and an increased sense of three-dimensional realism.

 

The DNA Stratus is an incredible value at $2700. It is worth noting that lead times for the Stratus can be fairly long due to the nature of it being a custom-built product. But good things come to those who wait, and the Stratus is certainly worth waiting for--especially if you're an HD800 owner looking for an end-game rig.

 

[budx3385]

Outstanding write-up, third_eye!!!
 
and many thanks for sharing it here!

 

[drheadphone]

Yeah. Great writeup third eye!

My latest listening session with the Stratus was with the Alpha Dogs. It took me several tries to get the right tubes to match with the dark-sounding AD's. My ears settled with the EML Mesh Plates (duh!). (The solid plates and Sylvania 2A3 sounded a bit flat and 2D-ish). The superior extension of the meshies really open up the AD's sound from top to bottom and the AD's sometimes forceful midrange is controlled nicely. MJ's Thriller never sounded so 3D and crystal clear and balanced. This is in comparison to some heavy hitters like the SR009, HE560 and the entire Audeze lineup using the same material.

In contrast, I'm starting to fall out of favor with the HE560 + EML Mesh Plate pairing, formerly my reference pick. Too icey. With the 560 I much prefer the midrange-y sound of the Sylvania dual flat plate or plain grey plate 2A3. (Black plates have a slightly recessed midrange). I get a smoother top end and a full low end with this combination. A much more musical sound.