A Rev 1.0 Starkrimson Stereo Ultra ($2900 configuration) amplifier is currently touring the US. Everybody is welcome to join in.
Update:
As of 04/01/2023, the tour amplifier is Rev 1.0 Starkrimson Stereo Ultra dual mono with capacitor upgrade ($3500 configuration).
How does it work?
You are responsible only for the costs of properly packaging and shipping the amplifier to the next person in line.
As part of participating in the tour, you have to write your thoughts/finding on the amplifier on the forum (see below).
Joining The Tour
1. You have to be a member of the Steve Hoffman Forum, registration is free.
2. Send me a message using the contact-us form with your full name, address, phone number, and forum handle.
3. I will reach out to you when your turn is up to see if you are available.
4. Once you receive the amp you may use it for up to one (1) week.
What Are People Saying?
James N. (New Hampshire) — “There is a lot to really like about the Ultra…complete silence…pinpoint imaging…full bass…” and “Congratulations to Leo for developing such a capable amplifier!”
Thomas K. (Washington) — “It sounds very transparent with a lot of details.”
Michael V. (Minnesota) — “Great separation of musical instruments. Percussion instruments are rendered in great detail. I was hearing things I hadn’t heard in the mix before.”
Marty K. (New Jersey) — “In summary, the Ultra is a really good amp (not just for a class D amp, but for any amp). It just played whatever music I sent over and played it beautifully Both my speakers, which tend to like a lot of power, sounded just a little better overall when playing the Ultra. Of the 3 amps I was playing with, it was the most complete amp for me.”
Ted T. (Louisiana) — “Spatial holographic sonics are now so strong, every recording and genre in my music library transports me to the live venue performance, with all the dynamics, clarity, realism, fidelity, and resolution that it offers.”
James D. (Maryland) — “With my Vienna Acoustics Bach Grands, the Orchard amp was an eye opener. I’ve had the VA’s for a long time and have run many different amps with them. I’ve always appreciated them for their warm, rich, non-fatiguing sound and strong bass for their size. With the Starkrimson Ultra, they have never sounded better. The VA’s still sounded smooth and non-fatiguing, but it’s like they were put into full focus instead of a hair blurry. So much detail yet so smooth. John Darko uses the term “squeegee clean” to describe some gear and that’s what I felt like happened with the Starkrimson/VA combo.”
Oliver M. (Virginia) — “The GaNFET is definitely a game changer in Class D. The best way for me to explain this is it is like going from a 45-inch 1080p TV to a 65-inch 4k TV. You notice the image, colors, and black spaces immediately.”
Jay T. (Oregon) — “The Starkrimson amp sounded pleasant and somewhat warm with none of the glare that I’ve heard on many lower-priced amps, particularly many of the earlier class D amps. It had excellent control of the bass and never sounded strained.”
George N. (California) — “Moving forward I am strongly considering moving on to class D, I can’t un-hear the bass quality from this amp. I typically listen to a lot of extreme music (punk, death metal), which this amp brought a whole new level of energy to the table in terms of bass speed.”
Nate R. (California) — “In the end, I really loved how the Starkrimson sounded, I just found the VAs to be maybe a 5% better match in my system.”
Todd G. (Oklahoma) — “I’d say the amp was good to a point and certainly capable, but overall lacked some of the things I’ve come to value in a piece of gear. It could be that my speakers don’t have a good synergy with the amp. It could also be that its design was done around a balanced connection and my single-ended system was simply holding back its full potential. Either way, it just wasn’t a great fit in my system.”
Ron N. (Florida) — “Leo has created something special…this amp deserves an audition when you are considering your next amp or if you are looking for a way to upgrade the clarity and accuracy of your system.”
Doug A. (Missouri) — “The Starkrimson Ultra is dynamic. My speakers are 1 cu ft, 8″ ported 3-way, 4-ohm speakers. They have decent bass, but I never felt they totally lived up to their Sound Dynamic name. That has changed and the amp really controls the woofers. But, and this is important, the bass never sounds overly tight. It sounds correct and full. The bass is not anemic. Never thought these speakers could do the things they are doing with the Ultra.”
Steve L. (California) — “The different music ranges all sounded very good, but certain characteristics did become apparent in my listening. First, the lower midrange, including male voices, lower female voices, and the bottom half of the acoustic guitar register, were, in my opinion, spectacular! Everything in this range had a certain clarity and “thrust” to it that really made you want more; it sounded like you expect to hear in a very fancy stereo store. In the upper ranges above this (sibilance and the upper guitar strings) things still sounded very nice, but I did notice a very slight tilted-up forwardness; clapping, for instance, sounded just slightly peaky. None of this was in any way objectionable, just observable … still very good.”
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