EJK1, IME, trusted Leo's claimed "sonic improvements" with the Fully Loaded and ordered it After touring his Middle Loaded Starkrimson (2 weeks prior)...have Not Been Disappointed (see V2 Review)!!! IMO, starting this "SHMF Tour" with the Fully Loaded Amp would have fared Even Better in some stiff head-to-head class AB and D Amp match up comparisons! Ted
@ejk1 @Barry_NJ I’m in your neighborhood and would love to hear the two compared. Have already done the tour. Let me know if you’re open to a guest listener.
I am very curious to hear what you hear folks in a direct comparison. I know the differences I heard compared to the Ultra I put together, but that is just memory and my notes. I will publish my thoughts here when my schedule lightens up some.
I see no problem. Barry will have to pick the date. Other than talking to him off the forum I would hope he ways in LOL I am going to text him now
Well, it seems like Evan started a party at my place We should be good with that, but I think we'll keep it to just you 3 Could get a bit crowded otherwise. I'll also need to see when the amp is arriving, and what is going on at my house otherwise when it gets here. I have a wife, kids, and other obligations to schedule around. But this should be fun!
For comparison here, other than Evan's Starkrimson, I'll have my Audio Alchemy OM150+PS150M, a pair of Merrill Audio Thor Monoblocks, and a BelCanto s125. For preamplifiers to feed these, I'll have my Audio Alchemy DLC+PS3, and my YaQin MS-845 should be here and all ready to go by then as well.
@Barry_NJ @nymarty @ejk1 lets please continue this conversation privately in the group that was setup. No need to litter this thread.
Hey guys I have seriously been considering 6 of these as diy modules. Yes Leo I am the one Sami told you about last night. Is there any way I could possibly get on this tour? I would be comparing these against 11 channels of Digital Amp Company King amps. I know I have never posted on this site. But I have bought and sold many things on US Audiomart. And Audiogon. I am under the same name on both those and this site. I actually can't believe I stumbled on to this by searching the web. Thank you for considering me, Ron Hale
Please note: Starting with @rhing the tour amp is now the dual mono configuration with caps MSRP at $3500. Reviews: @Ted Torres Jr -- here and here and here @james -- the review is at this link (post #7) @Oliver Meyer -- the review is at this link (post #37) @Jaytor -- the review is at this link (post #66) @gguy -- the review is at this link (post #111) @naru1980 -- the review is at this link (post #147) @okc_craft -- the review is at this link (post #165) @ejk1 -- the review is at this link (post #171) @RonN5 -- the review is at this link (post #192) @barondla -- the review is at this link (post #214) @DennyCrane -- the review is at this link (post #224) @nymarty -- the review is at this link (post #278) @MValentiner --the review is at this link (post #287) @jimbones -- the review is at this link (post #360) @thomaskong -- the review is at this link (post #425) @Paul_In_WA -- the review is at this link (post #440) @Nick BZ -- the review is in the works @OBLuver -- the review is in the works @buckdog58 -- the review is in the works Upcoming Individuals: 1. @rhing -- the new tour amp will be shipping to this person on 3/17 2. @jcn3 3. @Gibsonian 4. @CarmineRed 5. @panhead 6. @Barry_NJ 7. @barryso 8. @Devg 9. @rhale64 Joining the Tour: For anybody else who is looking to join the tour please send me a message through the contact us form on the website. The tour amplifier is the "middle" configuration (single power supply with caps) at a $2900 MSRP. Starting with @rhing the tour amplifier is the "fully loaded" configuration (dual power supplies with caps) at a $3500 MSRP. Tour Rules: Participants are responsible for the cost of shipping to the next person. After trying out the amp, participants have to write their thoughts in this forum thread. Participants get to try the amplifier for 7-days
You are comparing the wrong emotiva amp model. Here is an amp that emotiva sells for 1900 dollars, which appears to be a tad cheaper than the Starkimson. Emotiva xpa dr2 (brute force all day long)... XPA-DR2 Differential Reference™ Two-Channel Power Amplifier But, this emotiva model won't stammer away like weak sauce and say, "I think I can...I think I can". Instead, It will say, " I will smack the daylights outta you...smack...smack...smack...I own you...i own you"...(I know, corny, but, appropriate)...
HF, you are 100% correct. I considered the XPA-DR2 and sonically, it would certainly also have been a big step up from my past EMO entry level stereo amp, but decided on the Starkrimson Ultra for several reasons: - 67% less weight - 63% less height - dual SMPS - much cooler/more efficient running Class D GaNFET design - stable 2/4-ohm rating of 1000WPC and Overall Compactness...All Attributes I needed and was looking for in a step-up high-end power amplifier! With the "tour offer", was able to HEAR what Leo's design had to offer in sonic realism, clarity, transients and most importantly, Musicality! FWIW, your "corny" comments easily fits what the loaded Starkrimson has brought to my home music playback system...LIVE-I-AM-THERE!! Ted
After reading this entire thread I am pumped to get to try the dual moni version. I will use 6 of the mini ultra's if I like it. I will be using custom power supplies. I wish I could post photos on here of all my diy stuff. I have Digital Amp Company amps now to compete with the Starkrimson
Leo, thanks for posting the photos of the Starkrimson Ultra in my system. My system consists of the following: Digital Front End: Raspberry Pi 4 running Volumio 3 LaCie Rugged 4TB hard drive BRZHiFi 5VDC DC power supply for the Raspberry Pi 4 Jenving Supra USB cable Denafrips Pontus II DAC Analog Front End: Dual 1229 idler wheel drive turntable rebuilt by Bill at Fix My Dual Shure V15 Type III with original Shure VN35E stylus Schiit Audio Mani 2 phono stage Jenving Supra Dual Interconnect cables Amplification: Schiit Freya+ line stage preamp NOS GE 6SN7 with fat side D-getter tubes New production Tung Sol 6SN7 tubes DIY shielded, balanced Duelund DCA20GA interconnects with Switchcraft XLR connectors Pass DIY Aleph J Class A SS power amplifier Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra Class D power amplifier (amp tour loan model) Western Electric 16ga cotton-insulated, Tin-plated Copper stranded wire speaker cables Speakers: KEF LS50 speakers Monoprice 28” steel speaker stands Using the Schiit Freya+ in balanced JFET buffer (no gain) or in balanced tube mode (+12dB gain), the system running the Starkrimson Ultra sounds very natural, detailed and musical. So far, I’ve only played music featuring female artists: Diana Krall, Bebel Gilberto and Samara Joy. I will run this amp through the paces and do my best to compare the results against the Pass DIY Aleph J, which I really enjoy. A review is forthcoming.
No, I live in an apartment in Minneapolis, and my neighbors appreciated that I don’t have a subwoofer. My system with the KEF’s can run down to 45Hz, and I can enjoy anything from Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and Nima Ben David (Viola) to large scale symphonic pieces like Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. It doesn’t move air like my Klipsch Forte II’s in my system at my home down South, but I can really enjoy music in my apartment without irritating my neighbors. I prefer this arrangement over headphones.
Well I am having a hard time operating on this site. I want to post photos. But my power supplies are now Micro Audio. I have 3 per speaker now. All with Mundorf Caps as the last caps in line. All OCC Neotech cable. I have extra capacitance on the mids and woofers. Smaller extra caps for the mids. They are really pretty awesome sounding. The original Cherry Amp supplies are pretty generic compared to these. Please if someone could give me better directions to post pics I could post them. I looked at the directions and those have a lot to be desired.
