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Unofficial Orchard Audio StarKrimson Ultra Amplifier Owners

Reposting details about my loaner Amplifier from Orchard Audio. If there are other owners of the fully assembled or DIY boxes. Please feel free to post here.

Obviously all the "Armchair Engineers" can feel free to either deficate or praise your thoughts on GaN LClass D Amplifiers even if you’ve never heard one but feel to have an opinion. Then there’s the brainwashed Placebo Effected Guys that feel Class D just ain’t there yet. You can post here as well while the rest of us laugh. It’s usually the Geezer crowed that has a n issue with Class D. Anyway here’s my repost :

I actually have the Orchard Audio StarKrimson Ultra on loan for the Arizona A/V Club to get passed around. Leo Ayzenshtat is great to work with and sent us the original StarKrimson (then BOSC) Amplifiers and power supplies last year. Yes, it was a kludgy setup but sounded so good I sent all my PS Audio M700’s & an S300 off to The Music Room ! After I DIY’d some of his GaN boards, they went up in smoke because of a not recommended Power Supply bring up method I had going (long story). But they sounded amazing when I didn’t let the smoke out of them.

Fast forward to the StarKrimson Ultra just received for my review (YouTube & for the Club & Leo). They are amazinger sounding. He’s hit it out of the park again and then some. All the issues I had last year have been resolved. No break in required either. These are out of the box perfect. Understand that I’m an all Tube Guy and I will do a comparison between the currently direct connection form my PS Audio DSSr. DAC into the Ultra and the DSSr. into my BAT VK50-SE then head to head out to the Ultra and my Jolida 3502p KT150 Tube Amplifier.

Speakers in my Evaluation :
KEF R3
Bose 901 Series 1 from 1968
my Homebrew DIY Open Baffle Speakers
KEF 105/3 modified
Future plans of mine are to DIY from blank PCB’s 5 Ultra Amplifier Modules for a kick ass Home Theater setup and for the Summer, use two of those 5 channels for the main L & R. Fall/Winter/Spring would be back to the Tubes for the L & R while the Center & Surrounds would be powered by the Ultra’s. Surface MOunt Soldering for me is easy but the BGA devices will have to be put on by a board shop.

The beauty is you stop listening to the Amplifier and start listening to the music very quickly.
https://orchardaudio.com/shop/ols/products/strk-ltr-mdl
https://orchardaudio.com/stereo-ultra
The ClassD Audio stuff is pretty good too (haven’t their GaN’s) through a friend who had a 250Wx2 built for him.

My Evaluation rig is setup so that nothing colors or influences the (no BAT VK50-SE in the chain - until all reviewing is done this way first)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZPGJR1RatZf2ZrzW9
rajugsw
rajugsw OP
215 posts
 
I’ve been doing this Audiophile Crap for over 36 years (High School) and lots of failed and successful DIY projects. Mostly Speakers and some electronics stuff.

I just won’t spend my hard earned money (or credit) on pure snake oil. Instead, take that money and by more music and DIY where it counts the most.

My current system is :

  • Onkyo PR-SC5530 (for Home Theater & 5.1 SACD’s & DVD/BluRay 5.1
  • Blueosund Node 2i (for AmazonHD & my Server’s PCM collection - No more Qobuz and definitely not Tidal)
  • PS Audio DirectStream DAC Sr.
  • Sony UBP-X1000ES ( with HDMI to I2S Adapter Boards for the DirectStream) for all my DSD, CD, DVD-Audio, & BluRay for disc spinning
  • Balanced Audio Technology VK50-SE
  • Jolida 3502p (selling it for $1200 if anyone is interested) with KT150 Tubes
  • 5 Channel Orchard Audio StarKrimson Ultra Amplifier (still a DIY WIP - proceeds from the Jolida will pay for it’s build )
  • KEF R3’s (on loan from a friend)
  • Bose 901’s from 1968 resto-modded by me with a miniDSP in place of the original EQ. My own custom curve dialed in to suit my room
  • My own DIY Full Range Open Baffle’s with integrated stacked 12" H Frame Woofer
You sound like a noob who hasn’t had much experience. It’s ok, we all had to start somewhere……..

rajugsw OP
215 posts
 
Running the Ultra with the BAT Preamp this weekend elevated everything. Just like last years little monoblocks. These higher power modules reaches out to the lower Bass of any Speaker I throw at it !

A great Amplifier just got greater. 
zufan's avatar
zufan
563 posts
 
I've had my Starkrimson diy amp, bought via ebay, for 2 months now (bought for $1,100!). Not the ultra but his standard modules. Since then I've sold both my tube amps as I'm going Gan all the way now. Sound so good it makes me tinkle. 
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The one downside is the low gain, at 17db. Only matters when playing vinyl. However, my Nad C658 has Dirac included up to 500hz. I created the filter for my room, and I can adjust the filter gain. So that one issue is solved. Ergo: that's one way to boost gain for other vinyl playing owners out there (and dirac). 
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I'll prolly buy the ultra next year out of curiosity; won't be able to resist. 
toetapaudio
474 posts
 

Spec Corp vs Orchard? Anyone compared?

rajugsw OP
215 posts
 

What "Corp". The Orchard just sounds better than the rest. Read Dick Olsher’s TAS review and Tom Martin of TAS on YouTube. Don’t trust my opinion. I’m a Schill for the Company.

 

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