DNA Starlett Impressions

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by ChaChaRealSmooth, Sep 27, 2019.

  1. Ruined

    Ruined HD700 ruined my ear holes

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    I have a Starlett on order and am going to pair with Musical Fidelity MX DAC, which is mostly neutral pcm1795-based (but not harsh) . I am thinking it's gonna be a good pairing, it pairs well with liquid platinum currently.
     
  2. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    I think for some just using the HD6x0 stuff and Starlett is what they need. Some prefer using the cooler Schiit DAC stuff on the Starlett. I like using the BF2 with mine, even with the HD6XX it could be slightly too darkish in tone for some. But to be honest, I can see myself using Starlett and HD6XX and be happy with it for a very long time. Autuer is also a great match on the Starlett when I had it.
     
  3. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    [​IMG]

    After 6 weeks with the Starlett, the ZMF Auteur is the headphone I've reached for the most. I've been using the MHA150 as a preamp to convert the balanced outputs from the Yggdrasil A2 to RCA. Still all about the suede pads. It's not the most detailed or transparent, but I can't get enough of the biocellulose timbre. This chain makes even bad 90s electronic recordings worth listening to. I'm preaching to the choir a bit here, but I'm really excited and you guys are the only ones who understand!
     
  4. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    I have had a newly arrived Starlett running for about 2 hours now. Much like the "Bachelor" amp, it seems to significantly help the Verite Closed (I have Monkey Pod) sound more even tonally and (don't know how) even making the cup reverb and resultant congestion less noticeable. Not willing to say how much this early, but it is immediately noticeable. So far have only tried low gain, TRS (so 3 ohm out).

    With the Utopia, well it's just so darn liquid :headbang:
     
  5. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Yikes in suede, but Starlett can help with any issues with the Suede pads. So more/less use the MHA150 as a backup amp/preamp duty going forward?

    I'll give you two weeks before you'll make a FS post.
     
  6. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    I'm in the minority, I've been using the Auteur more often than the Utopia. They both have their strengths!

    The MHA150 still gets plenty of use with planars.
     
  7. perogie

    perogie Facebook Friend

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    Hello.

    Has anyone here had much experience with the Aeolus and the Starlett? I dont think Ive seen any information about that combo on this thread, unless I missed it. Im on the fence about whether to pick it up as an alternative to my VO (Uni lambskin pads) and Utopia; as a reference point I also have an Auteur but it doesnt get much ear time anymore.

    Looking for something a bit more along the lines of that ubiquitous "fun" tuning. Ive read reviews and posts re the VO vs Aeolus and some make them seem different enough while others make me think the Aeolus might be too similar to the VO to warrant it as an alternative to my current headphones.

    Plus there is also the issue of whether the Starlett is the right amp to make the Aeolus truly shine where it needs to to make it different enough. One of the main reasons I much prefer the VO with the uni pads is that it provides such a nice contrast to the Utopia. While I actually might prefer the tonality of the Verite pads it is too close to the Utopia for it to make sense for me to use it as my default pad choice on the VO, plus you just dont get that uni pad ambience.

    Thanks for any information you can provide.
     
  8. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    For your goals I agree the Aeolus is a great option and I would also suggest you consider the Atticus. I had both the Aeolus and Atticus but the Atticus ended up scratching the fun itch for me more effectively (and I subsequently sold the Aeolus). The Atticus can be a bit too punchy but using the suede pads has resolved that for me and tuned it perfectly to my taste.

    I found both work well with a Stratus and I would expect similarly good results with the Starlett. The Atticus is not picky about amps.
     
  9. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    In terms of just synergy, Aeolus and Starlett work quite well; a dynamic and energetic listen. Starlett's refinement in the mids and treble help tame a bit of the treble jaggies the Aeolus shows.

    If you ask for my completely honest opinion though, I think you're just accumulating too many ZMFs. To put it bluntly, an Aeolus is basically a less resolving Verite without the rich Verite timbre and without the crazy cup reverb (for those that care, the Verite does stage better, but headphone stage is still headphone stage). I think Aeolus/Atticus might hit the big macrodynamic slams harder than Verite, but that's about it. If you compare the FR across the same rig (please do note that measurements are not comparable across rigs), ZMFs aren't that meaningfully different from each other. The most complementary pair of ZMFs with the Verite is the Auteur, but with Utopia, the Auteur kind of becomes a moot point (this is why I sold mine).

    I don't know what your source is, but if you want to play around with your setup some more, it might be worth now settling down and really dialing things in. Invest in a transport (like Pi2AES) and explore different DACs. If you have the space for it, having a secondary amp that has a different sound to Starlett isn't a bad idea either.

    As far as Verite pads bringing the Verite too close to Utopia for your tastes, unless you really like the Utopia for what it does, you might actually try running the Verite with the Verite pads and keeping the Auteur around. Just roll the pads on Verite when you want the Universe pad experience.

    P.S. WTF @perogie, why do we have such similar setups? You own a trio of headphones I regularly rotated for a long while.
     
  10. perogie

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    Thanks for the replies.
    Did you have a chance to compare them to a Verite? I imagine the Aeolus or Atticus would pair well with the Starlett, but not sure if worth it if I already have a VO.

    Honesty is great and appreciated. I do get the sense from what I have read that they are likely too similar. Outside of slam I never came across much to suggest it would be different enough. Was just wondering if I was maybe missing something.

    Ive come to the same conclusion as you about the Auteur and will likely be selling it. A good headphone in an of itself but just doesn't give me what the VO and Utopia do and now just sounds kind of flat by comparison. The Starlett brought a lot out of it and I would still say its a good pairing, its just not for me anymore.

    Shit, forgot to mention source DAC: a BF2 via USB, which I like and seemed like a no brainer purchase, no regrets on that for the price. Trying a different DAC was a thought I had but it's a tertiary option after headphone and/or amp addition. A second amp was my first instinct. Maybe I'm being a bit of a cheapskate by hoping an Aeolus might give that occasional punch I wouldnt mind every know and then instead of looking for another good amp. Considering a Pendant for something with a more aggressive presentation but Im still gathering some information on it. The Starlett is just really good so I know I might be chasing expensive rainbows.

    HA! Well this thread was influential on my choosing the Starlett so the Utopia choice was probably influenced by it as well so I can give you some credit for that one. I came across an essentially brand new one on the used market for about 40% retail so I snapped it up. It's a remarkable headphone. Dont worry, I aint buying a RAAL so wont be following you there. The RAAL is something Id really want to try first and that would be tough given my geography.
     
  11. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I'm in the "not for me" camp regarding the Verite. It's weird because I love the other ZMFs. I may try one again with my chain (only heard at CanJam) which could change my mind.

    After reading ChaCha's response, I think his suggestions are better than mine. The Pi2AES is an affordable starting point, I've been very happy with mine.
     
  12. perogie

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    The Verite is a weird one for sure, it aint helped by the pad rolling options or even the pad material options. I wonder how many people were put off because they heard it with the "wrong" pad.
     
  13. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    Where exactly are you guys buying the Acme tubes from for your Stratus'? (Stratuses? Strati? wtf) I got curious, did some googling, and PSvane seem to have no official site or retailers on the int3rwebz at all. That does not encourage me. At all.
     
  14. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    PSVane Canada is legit, but I don't like they charge extra for "hand picked" best tubes but I guess that's common
    https://psvanetube.com/
     
  15. Claud

    Claud Living the ORFAS dream

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    On the Web, go to https://grantfidelity.com/new/ for Acme Supremes and new Linlai tubes. Linlai are a bit cheaper. Its a new Chinese tube company and factory started by Psvane engineers who left. When I am spending that much for a matched pair of tubes, I always buy the best selects. One of my friends bought an un selected pair of Acmes for his Stratus and had several weeks of break in until they began to sing sweetly.
     
  16. fluxbat

    fluxbat New

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    If you're in europe, Tubeampdoctor is a good source for PSVane Acme pairs.
     
  17. loadexfa

    loadexfa MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    Yeah, to me this translates as “we have shit quality control and will charge you extra to find the good ones.” They know many of us will pay extra because nervosa. I did. :(
     
  18. perogie

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    I guess it kind of depends. If the basic quality is good then you are hopefully getting the superstars with the magic in them. I wonder if anyone has ever compared these handpicked ones to to the run of the mill tubes? If the upcharge wasn too crazy I would likely do it as well. I pay extra for internally balanced and matched sets with NOS readings so this isnt much different.
     
  19. dncnexus

    dncnexus Friend

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    I have had my Starlett for awhile now, maybe a bit over a month. I haven't written an impressions yet, but as I have sold this and delivering this to the new owner tomorrow, I thought today was the best day to post up impressions. So here we go.

    Chain:
    Yggdrasil GS > DNA Starlett > ZMF Verite/Auteur/ESX900/HD6XX/Utopia

    When I first started to get back into the hobby, I started scouring the threads to see what there was that I could potentially buy. I never planned to buy the Starlett right off the bat, as I thought it was way too expensive. After buying the Auteur, I started to read through this thread. For some reason, with gear, I have a certain draw to the item. I know that I wanna have it, and this is what happened with the Starlett. I got a little nudge from my GF that I should go for it, so I put in an order with Donald around the July timeframe and was expecting to receive this Starlett in December. I ended up getting it early.

    There is a lot of hype around this amp, and I think it is well warranted. There have been some amazing reviews already, so I won't get into the details of the IEC switches and such, but just give my impressions. My only previous tube amp before this was the Darkvoice 336SE, so I had quite the expectations coming into a big boy amp. The Starlett delivers. The sound is leaning neutral and with a "wet" sound. I have really been enjoying the wetness of the amp. Macro and Microdynamics on this amp are great albeit not the most hard hitting amp there is. I would say that this amp is more rounded in its transients, not very sharp nor harsh. The timbre is top notch, everything just sounds so realistic. The biggest thing though, is there is an intangible element of this amp. I know the objectivist is probably cringing, but when putting on this amp and listening, there is a certain realism that comes with it. I guess this is just the magic people talk about when talking about tubes. I think it is the timbre, or maybe the whole package but it really is an amazing thing.

    I knew that the headphones I paired with the Starlett would be advantages to bring out the good qualities of the headphones. All the headphones I paired listed in the chain above paired beautifully with the Starlett. For those with the ESX900 or thinking of getting the ESX900, this pairs amazing together. The extra soundstage, layering, and timbre makes this amazing with the biocellulos drivers of the ESX900 and ZMF Verite.

    I never really believed people before, but when people say the HD6XX scales infinitely, they aren't kidding. The HD6XX with the Starlett is a thing of beauty. Sure it is still an HD6XX but this amp really pushes it to its limits, improving on its shortcomings such as treble veil and makes its strengths even stronger.

    If it wasn't obvious from my gushing of this amp, I absolutely love it. I think the DNA Starlett is an amazing amp, and one that someone could use forever and be completely satisfied. Now, I know I said I sold it, but it simply is because I loved it so much, that I am gonna upgrade to the bigger brother, the Stellaris. I can't even imagine how the Stellaris takes what the Starlett is, and just jacks the knobs up. I am very excited to try it out soon.

    I would say anybody who hasn't already put in an order for one (I think everyone here already knows that they want this amp) then they should consider it. At least if you run dynamics. Not sure how it pairs with the planars since I don't use any.

    Also, Donald is a joy to order from. He has answered all my questions and has been great all around. I would highly recommend buying from him, and the product itself is amazingly built. The blue is beautiful, the pot is the smoothest I have ever felt, and it just oozes quality. I really don't have anything but praise for this amp.
     
  20. Levpush

    Levpush New

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    Hello Friends, wondering if anyone tried Hifiman Arya with Starlett? I'm thinking of getting the Arya lately but not sure if the Starlett is powerful enough drive Arya well. Appreciate any inputs on this
     

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