Unofficial Orchard Audio StarKrimson Ultra Amplifier Owners

I started home audition of  Starkrimson ultra stereo amp two days ago.

It sounds much better than my expectation.

I will keep it updated of the progresss.

Thomas

I dropped at my friend's hous Friday with Schitt Freya+ and Starkrimson.

Alas, I did not bring balanced cable and he does not have any.

It is 70 minute's drive thus I just enjoyed his system of Pap trio driven by Dartzeel.

Kindly, he let me borrow his Dartzeel to compare with Starkrimson at my home.

He came to my house on Saturday to compare between Starkrimson, Dartzeel 108 and Line Magnetic 508 fitted with vintage tubes.

His conclusion is my Line Magnetic 508 is beyond both Starkrimson, Dartzeel 108 in overall musicality.

He found Starkrimson sound thin compared with Dartzeel 108 although very transparent with lot of details.

When he came, one of tube in Schitt Freya+ got dead, thus I had to use SS balanced buffer.

He is of the opinion that Atma D matches Dartzeel but Starkrimson is not on the same level as Dartzeel 108/

After he left, I replaced dead tube in Schitt Freya+ and with that Starkrimson sounds much more musical



I sent this link to my friend.

He also agreed that it got much better.

I have few more days to listen to Starkrimson but regard it as good value.

Unfortunately, I can not give opinion between Starkrimson and Atma D.

It will be nice if I have chance to audition Atma D before making final purchase decision.

Thomas

https://youtu.be/ecBw3Jm-Rhs

This one was driven by Line Magnetic 508.

My friend's voice is heard of his frustration with his cell phone

Although I like my LM508, I turn if off after two hour's playing.

Thus I am looking for Class D amp for longer casual listening.,

So far my impression of Orchard Audio D class amp is favorable with nice transparency and details at reasonable price.

Thomas

If you tune the sound with tube pre, Starkrimson sounds pretty nice.

I use Sylvania vt231 at input Amperex at buffer in Schitt Freya+ just in front of Starkrimson for balanced output.

Main tower is Scaena 3.2

180hz and up

Altec A7 basshorn 180 hz and down

I had switched to Vaughn Cabernett ii speaker.

How about voide of Billie Ellish?

It doesn not sound thin at all.

It sounds pretty musical.

I also have Crown Xls 2502 but it is no match with Starkrimson in refinement at all.

I brough down two Lanshce 4.1 speakers (85lb) each from third floor by myself.

It was lot of work.

The only helping hand is the elevator in my house without it I could not move them.

I bought Lanshce 4.1 speakers new paying 50k$ on 2006.

It has plasma tweeter and 99db/w claimed efficiency(real efficiency may be 95db/w).

I used to drive this speaker with Silbatone 300b amp fitted with WE 300b made in 50’s.

But after movijng to larger listening space, Silbatone could not do it.

Thus I had tried Cronus Rogue Magnum II for a while and then Line Magnetic 508 since 2017.

But after I got Altec A7, 2021, I got enamored by its unlimited dynamics.

Thus Lansche got a break in the attic.

Then after I assembled Scaena 3.2, I use main tower of Scaena 3.2 for upper frequency, and use Alted basshorn for bass using active by amping.

12 3.5 inch mid drivers of Scaena 3.2 has no passive network.

9 ribbon drivers are also connect with simple low pass using a capacitor.

Thus Scaena 3.2 is very revealing speaker.

But plasma twetter of Lansche 4.1 give slightly more details.

I drive Lansche 4.1 using Starkrimson from 180 hz up while Altec basshorn and two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers are still engaged.

Tomorrow, I will try to drive Lansche 4.1 using Starkrimson full range.

Thomas

I got the feeling that Class D amp had improved a lot in musicality.

It would be better to audition Atma and Audion Agd D amps but i could not around Seattle area.

"AGD Audions are lovely.

Atma Ds are more detailed and transparent.

But some may prefer the AGDs"

Above is from someone who listened to both.

My writing is in head page of another forum.

Super Best Audio Friends

I drive Lansche 4.2 with Starkrimson full range.

My impression of Starkrimson is very positive.

But amplifier and speakers need to have synergy due to impedance and frequrency aberration.

Thus the best way is to do audition it yourself.

I will send my tour unit to the person in next line tomorrow.

Thomas

Before seinding it to the person in next line on tour, I took more video clips.

it seems that Starkrims work better with Lansche 4.1 than Scaena 3.2

I plan to write comprehensive review after spening my time with Line Magnetic 508 and Schitt Aegir.

Thomas

I attended Pacific Audiofest held at Seattle last July.

Big genesis driven by Merril Audio class D amp sounds really spectacular.

But the combined price of pre and monoblocks is 54k$.

I do not believe that Starkrimson is at ths same level as Merril Audio class D amp.

But it seems to be good value.

As I listen to Scaena through Schitt Aegir again now, I miss transparency and details of Starkrimson although Aegir sounds musical with full body.

I am back to one of my tube amps, Rogue Cronuns Magnum II fitted with Tungsol Kt120, vintage Telefuken 12ax7 and Amperex 12au7.

As good as class D amp is with transparency and details, tube amp sounds more lively.

But if you want no heat and limit of playing time, it is good to try class D amp.

I usually turn  off tube amp after two hours of playing.

In that way, i had used my tube amps without any problem for long time.

Starkrimsom got very close to nice tube amp in musicality.

Thomas

After auditioning Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra for 8 days, I had been listening to Line Magnetic 508 and Rogue Cronus Magnum II fitted with vintage tubes.

8 days is too short to reach clear conclusionl without doing cable rolling or comparsion with other refutable class D amp like Atmashphere or Audion.


But Starkrimson clearly has no serious fault at all.

It sounds very transparent with lot of details.

Soundstage is wide and deep enough ( not the best but close to it).

The reason that my friend Rex found it sound thin compared with Dartzeel 108 could be due to upstream source and super revealing nature of Scaena 3.2

Starkrimson works nice with both Lansche 4.1 and Vaugn Cabernett II.

Thus it is a nice value for sure.

I recommend you try it by being in the line for tour.

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/orchard-audio-starkrimson-stereo-ultra-amp-tour.1148415/


But both Rex and I favor my Line Magnetic 508 fitted with vintage tubes over Starkrimson.

The reason is my tube amp give halo around each instrument and nuanced details.

Next week I will visit Korea to see my 100 days’ old granddaughter.


Luckily, I could attend Seoul Audio show which will be held at Kangnam, Seoul.

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it had been 20 years since I attened the Seoul Audio show which is pretty big.

After being back to US late March, I plant to audition one of Atma and Audion or Orchard Bosc monoblocks.

Then I may give more clear conclusion.

Thomas

@orchardaudio 

i enjoyed my time with Starkrimson.

After I am back to US, i may order Bosc monoblocks as sub amp to my tube amp.

best

Thomas

https://youtu.be/kmjIqQnG3Kk

Starkrimson monoblocks sounds nice driving main tower of Scaena 3.2 from  180 hz and up.

Thomas