Truth & Power: Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra Streaming Amplifier Review - Gallium Nitride Inside!

  Рет қаралды 8,459

Small Room Audio

Small Room Audio

2 жыл бұрын

#Orchardaudio #Galliumnitride #streaming
Follow us on Instagram: @small_room_audio
Hello everyone! We hope you enjoy our review of the Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra 500w Gallium Nitride Streaming Amplifier (try saying that three times quickly!)
Pre-Order Link - Shipping November 21 (this is for info only, I don't get any commission!)
orchardaudio.com/shop/ols/pro...
More on what Gallium Nitride does - the future of HiFi?
orchardaudio.com/tech%2Frevie...
Tested using:
Dynaudio Heritage Special
Triangle Borea Br02
KEF LS50 Meta
Klipsch Cornwall iii
Audioquest Go 4 speaker cables
Atlas 4dd power cable
Supra Ethernet cable

Пікірлер: 62
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for your time and for doing the review.
@wric01
@wric01 2 жыл бұрын
I'm a believer, sound quality wise best bang for the buck with technology leap rather than other old boutique hifi. I got the Starkrimson Ultra stereo amp as i like options on other dac and streamer.
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your business and support.
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Hello everyone, a few additions to the review: 1. No there isn’t a volume knob! But don’t worry, digital volume control on Roon is brilliantly implemented, lossless, and very easy to use. I thought I’d miss having one, but in reality it was just like using a remote control for all my listening! 2. Speaker matching - universally it worked really well with everything I had to play with. It allows the speakers to do their thing - and never struggles for raw power! 3. Moode is available as an OS option if desired 4. With volumio there is also an option for a USB port to add external storage 5. Starkrimson is a type of pear 🍐! Beautiful sounding pear it is too! 6. The image shown of the amp internals is the prototype version sent out for review. I look forward to your comments - be kind to one another and enjoy the music! 😃
@quanyhuang3178
@quanyhuang3178 2 жыл бұрын
The video looks pleasant and sounds good. You put your heart into it, so do I, ha ha.
@jctai100
@jctai100 2 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the one take these reviews tend to be, enjoy the stream of consciousness impression.
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you - no script, just letting it all out!
@charlier7711
@charlier7711 Жыл бұрын
Great review. Love the Dachshund 🙂
@bilguana11
@bilguana11 Жыл бұрын
I have gone through a couple of upgrades from the original Starkrimson Stereo Ultra Power Amplifier (not the streamer here)to the Dual Mono Starkrimson® Stereo Ultra 2.0 driving my ELAC Vela 409s. The upgrades were even further refinements in the details and clarity. I have gotten many compliments on the sound being close to the artists intent. It is ready to fight the big boy amps.
@dougg1075
@dougg1075 Жыл бұрын
Definitely beauty is what I look for.
@valhifi3684
@valhifi3684 2 жыл бұрын
Great review David! To all UK watchers, you can buy the entire Orchard Audio range exclusively from VAL HiFi.
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Greg 👍
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Simon - was keen to listen to a GaN amp, based on my experience here I think it could really spice things up over the next few years!
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome, you are mighty busy!! I’m having some time off now, time for a holiday I think!
@Anand.Asrani
@Anand.Asrani 2 жыл бұрын
I think this is all we need (maybe wifi too ) …. ,Enjoyed the review !!
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you 😃 👍
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
There is an easy solution if you don't have ethernet next to your audio system. Use an ethernet to Wi-Fi bridge like this: www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/tl-wr902ac/
@dronepunkfpv1424
@dronepunkfpv1424 2 жыл бұрын
I own this minus the streaming part. It truly is neutral with my Dunlavy speakers. And as a daschund lover I approve…
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
The dog says thank you ‘woof’ 🐶 👍
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your business and support.
@StephenBritton
@StephenBritton 2 жыл бұрын
Great review, definitely covered all the bases and the comparison to the popular Nad m10 was very easy to understand. Late to the orchard audio party... Becoming very interested in the starkrimson family of amplifiers.
@IrenESorius
@IrenESorius 2 жыл бұрын
👍‍‍👍‍‍!!
@davidcooper5442
@davidcooper5442 2 жыл бұрын
I would have hoped for a much higher standard of build quality inside the amp. The 4 capacitors on the green blocks particularly looks precarious and could be damaged by minor physical impact eg during transport. I have read up on GaN and see it as an interesting new technology. But this amp really does look like a design concept prototype build and not a commercial product sold to the general public. I also agree that the proof of the pudding is in the eating , listening , and look forward to more reviews of this new technology.
@LennyAyzenshtat
@LennyAyzenshtat 2 жыл бұрын
Hi, That is picture of a prototype that I had send David. The final build will be cleaner.
@frederickhardman3389
@frederickhardman3389 2 жыл бұрын
Hi, how are you doing? Haven’t seen a new video for a few months, hope everything is ok and that you have enjoyed a holiday
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Hey Frederick! Work and life has rather taken over my time lately, but hoping to get some content out soon! Have LOADS of things to talk about! 👍
@TysonVaughan
@TysonVaughan 5 ай бұрын
+1 for the pup
@warrenwillis6477
@warrenwillis6477 2 жыл бұрын
Does it get hot? Can it be kept in a non-ventilated cabinet without harm?
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Was cool in operation for me - I’d always opt for ventilation regardless if possible though, particularly if you live in a hot country…in rainy England, probably less of a concern!
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
It should be located in an area with airflow, a closed off cabinet is not ideal. The product barely gets warm and stays around room temperature.
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Our holiday sale is coming up, sign up for the mailing list on our website to get exclusive offers.
@petergreen8101
@petergreen8101 2 жыл бұрын
We do not all have different truths, we have different opinions!
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
Well yes, this is probably us saying the same thing but using different words.
@Cowplunk
@Cowplunk 6 ай бұрын
If they just added Dirac this could appeal to a much wider audience. Want the warm sound? Boom. Want the party sound? Boom. Want hyper detail? Boom. It really irritates me how few choices there are for people who want a 2 channel system with Dirac. You've got NAD, Arcam, or MiniDSP.
@jim586
@jim586 2 жыл бұрын
It does seem to be rather an odd product at a strange price point. Each to their own, I guess?
@SmallRoomAudio
@SmallRoomAudio 2 жыл бұрын
I quite admire it’s extreme focus - for some this will be 110% on the money - for others it won’t light a fire. Better to be interesting and different than just another drab HiFi box I reckon 👍
@jim586
@jim586 2 жыл бұрын
@@SmallRoomAudio Yeah, someone trying something different is always interesting and should be encouraged. The British HiFi industry has a healthy history of pioneers. During my 35 years in and around HiFi there have been a few. Tom Evans, springs to mind. He really changed certain aspects of the hifi establishment, from what was possible to how and for how much. The problem now though is how small the world is. For £3500 with no inputs and constantly evolving digital replay it needs to sound astounding. For that you can buy all manor of routes to the same end. A pie based streamer going into a Topping, Schit or Denafrips Dac into a decent £1000 Class a/b amp and you’ve got an equivalent class of sound(or better) you can upgrade individual components in the future and you’ve got a spare £1000 odd to buy booze with. Also I don’t think it’s a good marketing tool to offer undisclosed discounts on kit you haven’t even manufactured yet. That’s only my opinion though. I enjoy the channel. Cheers
@henriksrensen3220
@henriksrensen3220 2 жыл бұрын
Most class d amplifiers is " neutral " sounding, maybe that's why i find them a little lifeless
@phoebus
@phoebus 2 жыл бұрын
I know somebody with the amp only version of this and it is anything but lifeless. It is very detailed , quick and natural sounding with excellent imaging and a lot of power.
@robertjc605
@robertjc605 4 ай бұрын
People who stream music over the internet are not audiophiles. Where can you use 500 watts, considering a pure 100 watts can kill you what sort of wattage comes out of this box.
@Fidelity_Sound
@Fidelity_Sound 23 күн бұрын
Sure, whatever you say master of everything!!!
@paulwibb.8944
@paulwibb.8944 2 жыл бұрын
If I'd got 3.5 G, to spend on a new amp,, this one wouldn't be it.
@KXP70
@KXP70 Жыл бұрын
You've added nothing to the conversation
@paulwibb.8944
@paulwibb.8944 Жыл бұрын
@@KXP70 neither have you
@mosfet500
@mosfet500 2 жыл бұрын
I don't believe GaN's give "better" sound. If you look at some of the bode plots and FFT's of regular FET class D designs they're pretty straight, straight enough that the human ear can't discern the difference anyway. Class D is so good that it has turned the high end market on its butt so now manufacturers have to come up with ways to sell $5k and above amps and justify the prices, so now GaN's are the big deal and since they are so new their price is of course are higher too. Are they worth the extra cost? The thing that separated class D amps now is the buffer stage, want a warm amp put a tube buffer there like PS Audio does, class D can be anything you want, I'm not convinced the extra cost for GaN's justifies it or that you can pick out one class D from another reliably when they both have identical buffer stages. GaN's have a future in SMPS, renewables and motor technology where a couple of percent more efficiency means something. Right now class D is doing better than 90% efficiency, the extra couple percent isn't giving you anything, certainly not better sound, that's more hype than science.
@bilguana11
@bilguana11 2 жыл бұрын
The non-streaming amp sounds better to me than any other Class D I have owned.
@mosfet500
@mosfet500 2 жыл бұрын
@@bilguana11 That's anecdotal, no offense but you might have tin ears. Then there's the other variables like speakers, room acoustics, sources, etc. The question is why? What are you hearing, because you really can't hear distortion once it gets below a certain point. The claim to fame of GaN's is efficiency, that makes a difference when you're talking about hundreds of microinverters in a PV array but manufacturers putting amps in smaller packages only benefits their overhead, not the sound. We have to be careful no to let graphs dictate musicality or what we are capable of actually hearing, that's how we got to $1k a foot silver audio cables, $50k turntables and used records that sell for $8k each. You want to claim your amp is better? Prove it in a double blind test with all other factors being equal, that includes the buffers to the class D amp itself. There's a reason the editors of Sterophile don't publish their hearing spectrum, give negative reviews or do double blind tests. They know it would sink them, don't be fooled by the hype.
@OrchardAudio
@OrchardAudio 2 жыл бұрын
@@bilguana11 Thank you for your purchase and support.
@bilguana11
@bilguana11 2 жыл бұрын
@@mosfet500 That is offensive, arrogant and dumb. This amp is revolutionary and if one can't hear the difference between it and other high quality Class D amps then they do in fact have tin ears.
@mosfet500
@mosfet500 2 жыл бұрын
@@bilguana11 We can't disprove what he says so let's personally attack him. It's science! Once you get to a certain point you exceed human hearing. What you are calling differences in other high quality amps is for the most part the buffer before the amp. GaNs have benefits in efficiency, great if you're designing BLDC motor H bridge drives but efficiency is not musicality and you can't hear it. In audio it's meaningless. As for distortion, once it gets below about 0.5% you can't hear it either, there's no difference in an amp with 0.05%distortion and one with 0.005% distortion, again, musicality and distortion are two different things. The amp isn't anymore "revolutionary" than a PV inverter that has higher efficiency with GaNs over other FETs. It's science, look at the bode plots and look at the FFTs. People think they can all kinds of things they can't. The proof is the DBT, that's science, you think you can hear the difference in two different cables - prove it in a DBT and I'd love to be there to see it. You know what happened when a group of audio writers were asked to evaluate music they were told was playing through chicken wire? They said it sounded scratchy, it was top of the line speaker wire. So you're calling this amp revolutionary, why? Did these guys come up with GaNs? Nope, they bought them off the shelf just like anyone else can. The chip industry engineers are the people who deserve the accolades not a guy who puts a transistor in an amp.
@paulwibb.8944
@paulwibb.8944 2 жыл бұрын
Lost interest after the 10min add break,
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