STARKRIMSON® (150W) REVIEWS, ACCOLADES, & AWARDS
Accolades and Awards
Reviews
Print and Online Publications
John Richardson – Part-Time Audiophile (March 2025)
“Long story short, I really am impressed with what Leo Ayzenshtat is doing here, especially at the price point. I could easily see considering one of his more upscale offerings as a permanent reference amplifier to drive my ATC speakers; the introductory product in his line was that good… I really don’t see how one could go wrong with the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Mono Premium amplifiers or any of its bigger siblings.”
Matt Bonaccio – SoundStage! Hi-Fi (August 2024)
“This pair of Orchard Audio Starkrimson Mono Premium amps has turned me around, though. With more than enough power to drive virtually any speaker and without many of the drawbacks of more conventional class-D amplification, the Starkrimson Mono Premium amp is a worthy entry into the field of class-D hi-fi.”
Jerry Del Colliano – Future Audiophile (May 2024)
“For those looking for a flavorless amp that can truly light up even some of today’s more demanding speakers (with ease), there is no reason to miss out on the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Premium Mono amps.” and “Consider these amps an early contender for Product of the Year Award consideration, as the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Premium Mono amps are simply that good.”
Ron Nagle – Enjoy the Music.com (May 2024)
“The Orchard Audio Starkrimson Premium Mono amplifiers at $2,499.90 per pair set a new personal benchmark for value, laser-like clarity, and inner detail at this price range… As I look at these two little black boxes I realize that they turned out to be much more than I expected, they are state-of-the-art. If you prefer to carve out minute details from your recordings then make these amplifiers your end point. If at all possible find and audition the Starkrimson Premium Amplifiers, highly recommended.”
Anton W. – HiFi Chicken (April 2024)
“I can wholeheartedly say that Class D is in fact Hifi, there is no reason for it to be a bad word anymore and the Starkrimson Mono Premiums are the proof. They are extremely compelling at their price point and offer wonderful sonic quality in a small and efficient package. I know it can be hard for some people to get into the smaller gear as it is less flashy, but don’t let the size fool you, it isn’t everything. You get more than you pay for with these amps in terms of performance, and they are versatile, allowing you to drive even power-hungry Magnepans with ease. ”
Graig Neville – Part Time Audiophile (March 2024)
“Seriously. You need to try this out. This is definitely not your Dad’s Class D. Paired with the right speakers, I think most of us will be quite happy… Orchard Audio Starkrimson is a solid amp at this price point. Like little jewel boxes filled with fruit candy. Get ’em while you can.”
Michael Zisserson – Future Audiophile (March 2024)
“I believe Orchard Audio has a very, very good thing going with the Starkrimson monoblock amplifiers for $1,595.95. These tiny yet refined and sophisticated-sounding amplifiers provide plenty of drive and play very well with speakers capable of high resolution. The mild and forgiving sonic signature of the Starkrimson monoblock amplifiers has a strong allure that is desirable to many audiophiles who prefer listening deeply into the music, over those who prefer musical shock and awe.”
Dick Olsher – The Absolute Sound (January 2022)
Budget Product of the Year Award
“I know that Starkrimson is supposed to be a pear, but to my mind it is a peach of an amplifier, sweet and dynamic, at a delicious price point. To my ears, it sounds like a high-definition Class A amplifier and surely offers a glimpse into the future of Class D amplification. An absolute must-audition.” and “The Starkrimson performed flawlessly with excellent bass impact, transient clarity, and purity of tone.”
David Price – Hi-Fi Choice (June 2021 Issue)
Hi-Fi Choice Recommended Rating
“This design has a really pleasing tonality, one that renders the natural timbre of the instruments being played in a surprisingly natural way” and “…this pair of Starkrimson monoblocks offers seriously good value for the money – especially if you’re all about getting the best sound per pound”
Stuart Yaniger – AudioXpress (September 2020)
“At 1 W into an 8 Ω load, the amp’s distortion is below the Audio Precision analyzer’s measurement capabilities.” and “No matter what sort of music I played from acoustic jazz to Americana-folk to electronic progressive rock, whether my own minimally miked uncompressed recording or highly produced loud studio rock the amplifiers did exactly what they were supposed to, noiselessly, without stress or strain, and in a perfectly transparent way.”
Ron Nagle – Enjoy the Music (August 2020)
“The Orchard amplifiers at $1499.99 set a new benchmark for value, laser-like clarity, and inner detail at this price range. Highly recommended.” and “Power on and my very first impression was clean and clear music overlapping what was a very dead black background.”
Ross Wagner – Stereo Times (June 2020)
“Leo’s little guys, boasting the newest GaN (gallium nitride) transistors and modestly priced at $1500 for the pair, lit up the music room.” and “…dynamic, well defined deep bass, excellent staging, imaging and resolution throughout. All this was maintained through demanding crescendos, with airy upper ranges, while conserving the subtleties of decay- especially welcomed on pizzicato and percussion segments.”
Adam LaBarge – The Audio Beatnik
“I wanted to stop my heart so I could hear the music better. I was being sucked in, pushed out, and unable to focus on anything else but the music. There were all the little bird-like chimes, dancing between clicks and pings and bongs of xylophone harmonics with dry reed raspy sounds zooming in and out, floating on top of deep rolling strings and organ-like bass. I didn’t want to miss a moment of it.”
Jack Roberts – The Audio Beatnik
“I found them very dynamic, very musical, and beautifully detailed in the top end. The tone was better than in many transistor amps. The same could be said about emotional involvement. Listenability was very good with a relaxed and detailed sound. The soundstage and imaging were also very good.”
Paul Rigby – The Audiophile Man
“I immediately noticed a major drop in high frequency noise and a swathe of new air and space within the midrange which pushed open the soundstage, expanding it left and right. All of the reconstruction work of the soundstage created a new level of clarity and transparency.” and “Sound quality is quite sublime for the price, detail, character, clarity, it’s all there. A fascinating power amplifier and definitely one to investigate.”
