Unfair Competition: Orchard Audio Bosc Monoblocks vs. Pass Labs XA30.8

This is getting interesting. After hearing the more open top octave of the Starkrimson monos compared to my old Aleph 2 monos...with NO compromise in harmonic richness nor soundstage depth, I sold the Alephs, their Nordost SPM 8' cables, as well Red Dawn pre/pow ICs, deciding to make my olwn solid pure silver 1' links from the Starks to my Parsifal Encores...as well new ICs and Parsifal jumpers.  The reduction in smear and sandiness on brush strokes with the Ag links is real. I remporarily had to use a Stark Stereo Ultra unit, reverting to old AudioQuest speaker cables, and indeed the top octave res dropped. Reinserting the Stark monos with 1' Ag cables restored the improved res. NOT expectation bias, as I've had enough swaps to be not experiencing placebo.  The point is that the clearer top octrave res of the modern Starks is simply more revealing of cables and upstream sources...for good or bad. Even though it';; probably be less forgiving of a larger portion of mediocre recordings, I'm willing to live with that to get a "fresher", VERY realistic presentation. I attend many live classical and acoustic performances, and the Starks simply bring me closer than the old Alephs.

NOW, that's not to say that Nelson's NEWER designs aren't more resolving...and maybe less "dark" sounding indeed, as so many love his XA25, for example, as well the big boys.  Given that the Starks only consume 8w idle means they're on 24/7, without the "juicy" (300w idle each!) i hour warmup the Alephs required. Class D with GaN is indeed a brave new world....

The thread-head's comment that the Stark's midrange disn't seem as fleshed out as his Pass amp is intriguing. I wonder if that Class A "magic" or the possibility that because the Starks sound FLATTER that one hears less midrange because there's no top octave perceived droop (or darkness?). Which Pass amp, by the way? Foilks tell me the old Alephs were wonderful...but not as open up top. That's my perspective now too.

I will have the monoblock amps in stock in the next few weeks.

Spent the weekend shooting out the Orchard Starks against a few amps. It’s an amazing little amp. FYI my room is completely treated and flat as I use it for mastering music and it needs to be. I currently use Sonics Allegra speakers that have a fully rebuilt external crossover consisting of about 9k in parts and direct wires to each driver. (Cardas rhodium posts, silver wire etc…) needless to say my room is accurate and these speakers are very revealing/neutral.

I’ve had plenty of class d amps in my space (nad c298, various wired4sound Monos, bel canto ref500m, Merrill Audio thors… a few more… and I never got along with them. I’d always go back to my Magnus Class A 340 amp or… there was always a grain or something that felt off in the sustain/decay that left the music feeling like a science experiment or something…

we shot the Orchards out against the Magnus 340 (which initially I liked more that a few Pass amps I was trying out) just sounded more linear and accurate in my space) and a first watt f2

The Starks are amazing little amps! Non of the grain or distracting artifacts were present in what I’ve experienced with other class d amps.

F2 sounded veiled and filtered compared to the Starks. These little guys really seemed like straight wire with gain. I was really impressed how the music presented so clearly, the reverb/space on orchestral music decay and air felt so open and endless… downside was the bass lacked a little impact compared to the Magnus 340. I’m hoping to demo the Ultra soon or just buy one… if you like an accurate sound these amps really out class any other class D I’ve heard.

Hoping the Ultra gives me that bass energy… if everything else is there along with the bass I imagine they are awesome.

I also heard the Starks on my friends Zu Def supremes and they really reveal the sound of those speakers… cool little amps!