Donald North Audio Supernaut Review and Impressions

@ChaChaRealSmooth, how does this sound with the Utopia as compared to the Starlett? And did you continue to find the best synergy with the Yggdrasil GS using the Supernaut, or does it need a different DAC?

 

Does it take KT88 tubes as well? I thought those were pretty interchangeable but I don't know. I just have a lot of KT88 tubes.

 

KT66 only

 

original message deleted

 

Well f@#K, I should have stayed away from the forum longer ....I will be getting in line now.

How about this amp with the Atrium @ChaChaRealSmooth , I am with you in that I don't run the Atrium with the Starlett as it is too limp....

Edit: Does this amp have XLR (balanced) inputs or just RCA input like the Stratus/Starlett?

 

Just RCA inputs

 

BOOO !!!!

( When will mine be ready, BTW ? )

 

Make your own XLR-->SE for $200 and paint it blue

 

XLR is super overrated at times to the point I'm not selling my left nut for more audio cumming.

 

I laughed and cried a little internally when I saw this. But I'll present some theoretical examples for the Stellaris. Levels 1 - 5, with 1 being the cheapest, 5 being the most $. Note that the amp is very good even at level 1 because Donald put effort into making it this way.

Sorry mods, this is obviously off topic and tangential to the Supernaut. But I think it's worth posting this.

1) Stock 2A3, stock 5U4G, stock 6N1P-EV - from my limited experience with the same stock 2A3 but in other amps in other countries and from what I've heard talking to other members here, there's going to be a lot of crappy stock 2A3 mixed in with the good ones. Like if you need 2, expect to buy 4 if you care about "actually" matching, no random problems with the tubes, etc.
$100 per pair x2, $50 rectifier, $20 input. Possibly a few hundred for repairs when the stock 2A3 fail as I've heard stories from 2 separate audio dealers (in China though, I don't know what the normal usage cases and environments are there) about when they had Shuguang 2A3 fail - they can fail spectacularly and cause damage. Or they just stop working and nothing really bad happens. Your gamble. Also, a lot of inexpensive modern production Russian + Chinese tubes don't last that long.

2a) Stock 2A3, vintage "regular grade" 5U4G, stock 6N1P-EV
If you can only upgrade 1 tube, I'd say upgrade the rectifier, $80-100 (lasts a long time, like 50-100k hours sometimes). Yes, I've posted before that the input to me made the biggest difference, but there is so much more nuance here, and you're probably going to spend a lot of time and money to try a lot of input tubes before you find something you like.
2b) You want a more linear sound and switch to 5U4GB or a 5AS4 rectifier. These are actually well under $50. Some people think they don't sound as good. IMO this is not true - they just sound more linear vs 5U4G, have less deadened macro dynamics in the bass, and a few other minor differences to me but only you will know if you prefer the kind of sound.

3) Vintage 2A3, vintage 5U4G (or 5U4GB or 5AS4), stock or specialty 6N1P-EV - $350-500ish (few thousand hours), $80-100 (very long time), $20 or $50-300 (high hundreds to ~3k hours). After the upfront costs, this may actually be the cheapest option in the long term because the tubes last longer and are less likely to fail spectacularly (i.e. repair fees). You still have to like the sound of these tubes though.

4) Specialty vintage or modern production 2A3, specialty vintage or modern 5U4G, . $400-1600 per pair, $400-800 per rectifier, $40 - 300 per input tube. Tube life is pretty variable on the specialty modern production tubes. For example, I really like the KR rectifier but sometimes they're also notorious (look on other forums) for dying out of the blue, sometimes in as little as 50 hours. Also note that a lot of modern 5U4G and 2A3 have some odd specs or operating parameters and you need to be careful using these in a lot of tube amps because they are not actually compatible.

5) This level kind of sucks because I would argue that money isn't the main constraint anymore - it's availability too and if you don't have someone like a trusted dealer who can hunt down and maybe someone to properly test tubes down for you (both at a price), then a lot of your time too. And a lot of these don't pop up often enough for you to stock up on them either so it can be a constant time drain. Unless you're crazy and want to just offer the sellers $5k per tube every time.

Single plate 2A3 - $1500-2k a pair if you can even find one. Some other vintage "super" 2A3 are $2500-3500 per pair. To top it all off, there are enough people out there selling bad ones with no refund policies as well.
High end rectifier $800-1200 + $ several hundred to Donald to mod the Stellaris for better function with these tubes.
Super duper input tubes - after 5 years of casually on/off looking, I still haven't found one (singular) that works AND was under $500-600. I've seen them actually sell for much more before and still don't own any myself. I did get a "good deal" on 2 before but both had horrible noise - 1 out of box, 1 would get noise after about 10 minutes of warm up all 3 tries - thank goodness both sellers allowed a return / refund. Worst part - I've heard accounts of how sometimes these tubes last for thousands of hours, sometimes you get a few hundred, even if they measure fine.

In short, at this level, you can easily be into the tubes more than the amp if you have even 1 or 2 extra compliments of tubes.



As someone who dislikes spending time and money on this stuff, I put up with it because IMO it really does sound THAT good. Otherwise, I would have just got a nice SS amp or two and called it a day a very long time ago.

And all of this is why I think the Supernaut makes a lot of sense. I still think the Stellaris is absolutely better (albeit with a different sound), but giving up a little performance to not deal with any of the above can definitely be very appealing.

 

I only wish this was my very own Supernaut, but I'll have to settle for a gracious loan from the venerable @Donald North who allowed me to try this puppy out (and will be featured at the next Austin mini-meet on Saturday so some other locals can get a taste of this beast)

Just arrived yesterday so a little too early for impressions, but what immediately comes to mind is that it's like DNA and Eddie Current fucked and had a baby (no disrespect to either Donald or Craig) and it feels like an amp for someone who can't decide between the two outfits and wants the best of both worlds.

 

Listening done with BF2 (props to @Joshvar) and a pile o' Senns.... HD6XX (mine), HD800S (props to @yotacowboy) and JAR600v1+2 and black screen HD600 (props to @Erroneous and @famish99)

I've owned and loved both DNA and Eddie Current products (owned Starlet, ZDSE, 445, as well auditioned Stratus/Stellaris and Aficionado/StudioB) so I'm pretty familiar with the house sounds of both. DNA sounds lush/enchanting/magical while EC sounds athletic/grand/dazzling. The Supernaut sounds like a marriage of both worlds. Brandon Walsh vs Dylan McKay. And it's like Dylan taught Brandon some new tricks or that Brandon softened Dylan up a bit. Choose your 90210 metaphor.



The Supernaut roughly sounds like a combo of both houses to me, but leaning more toward DNA, obviously... but it does sound like Donald was going for something even more different than that simplistic description.

The thing that makes the Supernaut so special is that the mashup has created a new kind of sound that I'm not familiar with in tube amps. It's not quite so DNA that it seems so tube-y effervescent but also not quite so EC that it seems massively operatic, and yet it retains elements from both. I'm not sure how many are familiar with the term "magical realism", but it's a literary phenomenon where (according to Wikipedia) "paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality." Or according to other sources... "matter-of-fact inclusion of fantastic or mythical elements into seemingly realistic fiction"... "where fantasy slips into everyday life". You get the idea. It's like Nolan's Batman films or Terminator 2.... these very realistic worlds where it feels like you'll walk out of your apartment and encounter a liquid metal man or a man with half his face burned off running around like it's nothing.

If say, the MJ3 is like being at the studio during the recording, the Supernaut is like being there but being a little high or buzzed while it's happening. Everything feels realistic and defined, yet has this little extra special pizazz that lights up the senses. I didn't experience this as much with EC, which feels like this brutally honest window into reality with a bit of steroids thrown in the mix, hyper engaging, but not to be mistaken with flights of fancy or magic pixie dust sprinkled on the notes. Neither did I experience this with other DNA amps, which feel like (to borrow a phrase from Marv) "soapy suds and Sofia Vergara rubbing her boobies on you", while still keeping some vigor about the presentation (read: SLAM).

No, this new DNA amp feels wholly unique and gosh darn is it incredible to listen to! All the emotion of John Williams E.T. flying music and the energy and drive of Beethoven's 5th, to the trippy being at a rave on ecstasy feeling of Modeselektor.... the EC side of it just seems to invigorate the DNA aspect so that it's like this portal to a new dimension has opened up into another side of recordings, making everything seem brand new.

It has all the gobs of resolution that is mandatory for a multi kilobuck amp... seems noticeably/appreciably more resolving than my old Starlet. Maybe a smidge or two behind the Stellaris. Not sure about the Stratus as I have not heard it in a long while. Layering, separation, imaging and micro stuff is all similarly very high level as expected, no surprises there. And it slams like a garbage truck dropped off the Empire state building (points goes to whoever knows what this is stolen from without googling).

And it 110% passes the "gotta get home" test... that feeling that only TOTL amps and gear can give where you can't wait to get home and listen (and are maybe even thinking of calling in sick so you can listen.... don't do that by the way). The texture of instruments and notes feel alive in a way I've rarely experienced.

This also translates to stage, which feels a little bigger and wider open than I'm used to hearing with DNA amps, which so far have felt on the more intimate side. This is amazing considering how well known EC amps are for their expansive stages.

But nothing is free in this world. Unlike previous DNA amps I've heard, it has more "snap" and is more forward in the upper registers... and it does not sugarcoat less than ideal recordings. You are going to hear more imperfections for better or worse. The highs are more extended in this sense (which makes blaring trumpets and things of that nature a little more realistic to me). But hotter recordings were kind of annoying, and I really had to watch the volume when too many came up in a row on my playlist.... but I blame the artist, not the amp maker, and it will motivate you to get a little more proactive and seek out better recordings, or it's possible your source sucks and really needs to be dealt with (digital nasties) and the amp will communicate that to you. I was using the BF2, which can tend toward prickly highs, so maybe I was hearing that a a bit more. On the flip side, this increased transparency means better recordings become orgasmic(!) and you are rewarded for having better masters. It really started showing me how certain recordings impart more emotion, as opposed to others, which came across as a bit more boring. Regardless, careful gear pairing applies here for potential buyers.

I really wish I had a ZMF on hand, because I have a feeling @zach915m 's headphones would pair exceptionally well with this amp. As much as I adored the Verite with the Starlet, I feel like it could've benefitted from a little more edge, which this amp has. And while it does have excellent synergy with the HD6XX/HD650 and HD800S, the synergy with the JAR600v2 was insane... otherworldly and made hotter recordings more listenable. The Supernaut/JAR600v2 is about as perfect a pairing as I may have ever heard in headphone audio. Just... wow! This may be THE combo to get and pretend nothing else exists... hyperbole, but you get the idea.

As much as I really like the amp, it wont be for everybody... as it requires more careful pairings. If you have the money and patience to deal with premium tubes and want a more traditional DNA sound (soapy suds and Sofia boobs), you are better off hitting Donald up for a Stratus or Stellaris. But this amp represents an interesting and maybe even welcome departure from the typical DNA sound into something more varied.... similar to Jason and Mike's take on the different Schiit Yggdrasil flavors. While each previous DNA amp has been more of a linear upgrade path and an improvement on the last, the Supernaut is more of an alternative flavor. I can even see some financially abled folks getting two DNA amps; a Supernaut and one of the others, to compliment each other. But please only do this if your wallet and sanity can handle it! Don't become a cautionary tale!

I may have some additional comments after the meet on Saturday when I get to hear it with @Erroneous 's Holo May DAC and/or vinyl rig... wanna triangulate vs. the BF2.

But the DNA Supernaut without a doubt represents another exciting step forward in boutique audio, and Donald continues to show how skilled of an audio craftsman he can be, creating something that clearly started with a specific vision in mind, with that vision executed with perfection. It always pleases me to experience something so sublime in a world choked with mediocrity.

 

In no way to say this would be a bad pairing, but I wonder if a certain someone's WaveDream would not be even better pairing, particularly for those recordings that have some upper mid/treble emphasis...

 

From experience with EC Af, Stellaris, and May: May NOS worked fairly well with Af's decisiveness, but it was too rounded for Stellaris. With HQP upsampling and DSD modulation, however, May and Stellaris are a superb pairing. Given @ColtMrFire 's positioning of Supernaut relative to EC and DNA, I'd suspect May NOS might still be a bit lacking in edge.

 

This is true for me as well with DNA Starlett & Utopia (Focals being a very easy load) - however a bit with Senns, and more so with ZMF, I can understand someone describing the sound as "upper mid forward" as the Starlett just does not grip the bottom end enough...just thoughts. That said one would think this amp would be different. However DN is estimating 270w before clipping into a nominal 300ohm HP for this amp right now (1W into 80 ohms), sooo....