[Stillhart]

  I'm too the point where I don't think I can pull any harder without either damaging the amp or shattering the tube. I feel like this should be a lot easier than it is. Does the white piece come out as well with the tube?

 
You need to roll the tube out... tilt it side to side and back and forth and around gently... it'll slowly loosen up and come out.  Same process to get it in.  
 
There's a reason they call it "tube rolling".  

 

[Blze001]

I'm kind of torn between the Solstice and Sunrise III kit for using at work. Would I be correct in assuming the main difference is the Sunrise has more available for someone who wants to tweak as much as possible, while the Solstice is primarily focused with being easy to tube roll?

 

[Phishin Phool]

I don't know that much about the solstice but I have a sunrise II built for me by Jeremy and I love it still use it after 3 years daily even though it isn't my most expensive or touted amp

 

[Asr]

I just made an update to my Solstice review from last year, added quite a bit of stuff on more tubes, more headphones, etc! Link here: http://www.head-fi.org/products/garage1217-project-solstice/reviews/14378
 

I'm kind of torn between the Solstice and Sunrise III kit for using at work. Would I be correct in assuming the main difference is the Sunrise has more available for someone who wants to tweak as much as possible, while the Solstice is primarily focused with being easy to tube roll?

 
That'd be an incorrect assumption. According to the Sunrise page, it's an OTL amp, which means it's more ideally-suited to driving high-impedance headphones. The Solstice is a tube hybrid amp and is better-suited to driving low-impedance headphones. So it depends on what kind of headphones you have—for the headphones listed in your signature, the Solstice would be the better choice.

 

[Blze001]

That'd be an incorrect assumption. According to the Sunrise page, it's an OTL amp, which means it's more ideally-suited to driving high-impedance headphones. The Solstice is a tube hybrid amp and is better-suited to driving low-impedance headphones. So it depends on what kind of headphones you have—for the headphones listed in your signature, the Solstice would be the better choice.

 
Good to know! I have my Torpedo I at home for my Q701s and subsequent high-impedance cans, so all this would have to push is the K92s and other low-impedance ones I pick up for the office. Guess Solstice is the one I should grab.

 

[techboy]

The sunrise is a hybrid as well. Not OTL. All Garage amps are hybrids. Except Polaris which is SS.

 

[Phishin Phool]

The sunrise is a hybrid as well. Not OTL. All Garage amps are hybrids. Except Polaris which is SS.

Sunrise is both a hybrid amp and OTL.

From the garage1217 site:
"Single ended OTL class-A output stage."

 

[Asr]

The sunrise is a hybrid as well. Not OTL. All Garage amps are hybrids. Except Polaris which is SS.

 
Since the Sunrise's info page on the Web site was a bit confusing, I asked Jeremy @ Garage1217 and he confirmed that the Sunrise is indeed an OTL amp, but he also added that it can be "considered a hybrid as amplification is done in the class A stage".
 
Btw, not all of the Garage1217 amps are hybrids—the Polaris which you mentioned is a solid-state amp, and the Horizon is an OTL amp as well.

 

[Josh-Fi]

Since the Sunrise's info page on the Web site was a bit confusing, I asked Jeremy @ Garage1217 and he confirmed that the Sunrise is indeed an OTL amp, but he also added that it can be "considered a hybrid as amplification is done in the class A stage".

Btw, not all of the Garage1217 amps are hybrids—the Polaris which you mentioned is a solid-state amp, and the Horizon is an OTL amp as well.

All of their tube amps are hybrids and none of them are a true all-tube OTL. OTL simply means: output transformerless. But if you add a solid state output stage then you really can't call it an OTL. It is a hybrid.. Wich means an amp that utilizes old tube voltage amplifiying technology with
Modern solid state output buffering technology.
OTL should only be used when describing all-tube-only amps.

I actually wish the did make a single tube TRUE OTL amp with no solid state divice in the signal path. I would definitely buy an amp like that.


Can sonme one please tell me what resistors I need for a gain of x1.5 on my Project Solstice? What resistor valuse are used on the Ember for the lowest gain setting?

 

[starence]

I'm considering buying either an Ember or Solstice. Aside from the price, is there any reason to prefer the Solstice?

 

[droht]

General question here.  Wondering if there are other manufacturers like Garage1217 that are worth considering for bargain tube amp?
 
Thanks.

 

[CJG888]

Little Dot, Darkvoice and LaFigaro.

 

[ibage]

Just curious. Anyone pair the HD700 with the Solstice? Looking for a cheaper tube amp to pair with them.

 

[YtseJamer]

Match made in heaven! (Emotiva DC-1 --> Project Solstice --> ZMF Atticus)
 

 

[Hyde00]

Lol I noticed the last post was in 2017, sorry to revive this thread a bit.

But I previously tried my friend's Ember for 2 weeks and later on I owned a Polaris for a while. What I noticed is that both amp sound much better without the attenuation module (attenuation module bypass jumper on). With the attenuation module, the timbre just sound wrong for lack of better word. However with attenuation module off you're essentially getting full power and it was LOUD on my Denon D5200 (24 Ohm, 103 sensitivity) so I basically have no usable volume range. Though with it off the tone/timber finally sounds correct lol.

Was sorting my pictures the other day and saw my Polaris picture. And realize I do really miss it quite a bit so I'm willing to give it another chance, but this time I might try a tube amp lol.

That being said I do have 3 questions:

1. Is there any way to bypass the attenuation module on Solstice? Or is it something that I have to ask Jeremy to make a module without resistors and just 2 wires LOL. Ember / Polaris has bypass jumpers but I don't think Solstice has it.

2. Is the lower output on Solstice more reasonable for sensitive headphone? (i.e. D5200)

3. I've been mostly using dongle dac or dac/amp combo, so with this I'd probably need to get a dac, what dac are you guys using these days? I have a Mojo 2 coming in I wonder if I can use that as a dac LOL.

Here is the old photo that I found that triggered my interest again lol, thanks!