FWIW My rankings
OG Utopia
MySphere 3.1
D8000 Pro
All the stuff I don’t regularly listen to
I put the Utopia over the MySphere just because of the night and Day impact it has on that headphone, and just how good it is on that amp.
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Thanks for sharing. I wish I could’ve tried the Utopia just to hear that magic pairing but I also feel it wouldn’t have made a difference in my decision to not put an order for a DNA. One more thing to add to my list of things to try one day I guess.
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They aren’t for everyone, I really loved mine when I owned it, but over the time I owned it I pretty much tilted everything towards making it less relaxed, DAC selection, Rectifier and power tube selections. In the end I wanted something a step up from the Stratus, so I let it go.
I’d very much like to hear the Stellaris on that front, but I’d assume it’s slanted the same way
I think the the Eddie Current tube sound resonates better with me than the DNA one.
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It is here with the stock tubes, I’m sure it can be improved with some upgrades there. I don’t have anything to replace them with though.
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If you have time order or borrow a $70 RCA 5U4G it’s the only “required” tube change to me, the stock regulator makes it VERY laid back, and you can address that. The only thing you really get from better power tubes is more resolution.
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If the wa33 is dry and the stratus is a little more lush, does the EC sit in the middle?
That’d probably be the modwright… that’s how it sounds like to me at least
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Cool! Just wondering. Never heard an EC and thought it would be nice to see how these compare in this area.
The studio T is also very dry, but it has a bit more “character” that the WA33, because it’s not balanced like the Woo, it doesn’t come across as sterile as the woo can, it presents with more tonal weight.
The Studio M is supposed to be a bit less dry.
The EC is just a lot more energetic than the DNA.
The DNA is more to me about the relaxed presentation than more lush. To me, it’s not out and out tubey by any stretch.
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Ok cool. Yeah I guess lush wasn’t the best word but I couldn’t think of something at the time haha. Relaxed is probably a good way to put it. Better than me saying wet or gooey, which I didn’t feel was appropriate.
Energetic sounds good. Nice to hear it’s not as dry and sterile as the woo. Still fairly holographic?
What was it about the DNA, which did not do it for you?
It’s about as Dry, just not “sterile” (and I don’t use the word as a criticism, I like the WA33).
Yes staging is probably not as airy as the Woo, but it’s a big stage.
If I could only keep 1 amp, I’d keep the Studio T and dump the Susvara and my other hard to drive planars.
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Using the mysphere, Utopia and D8kp mostly?
That sounds good. I wonder if the B is a similar signature as the T, just not as technical or refined…
MySphere 3.1’s are my go to these days, easily my favorite headphone by a wide margin.
Haven’t heard the B, it’s likely closer to the M and possibly even less dry than that given the use of 300B’s (though I think there is a 2A3 version now), Craigs amps have all skewed dry.
Obviously you’d expect overall it would be a technical step down from the T/M.
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Nice! I’ll have to try a mysphere one day.
Yeah I know the B will be a step down and that’s ok.
Also still thinking stellaris 
I simply heard all my headphones sound better with other amps so it doesn’t make sense for me to own (I keep 1-2 amps in any given time, usually only one).
It’s not tubey and warm enough to play that part in my collection and not technical enough to do the other side either.
With the D8KP it didn’t have enough control of the bass as I know can be done.
It was very fun with the HD650 but didn’t take that headphones to new heights or drive it to be super warm enveloping as I’d like from it.
It didn’t match well with Mysphere 3.2.
It can’t drive the Susvara.
It’s a little too relaxed and laid back for fast electronic music that makes a lot of what I listen to daily. With more complex tracks it didn’t handle separation as well as I’d like so things became a little too loose and smooth.
On the flip side (so I don’t just rant about it) it’s fun and smooth and easygoing and depending on headphones and what you listen to I can see how it’s a great match for some people. I’m probably a better candidate for the Stellaris if I understand what I researched.
When it comes down to my preferences, headphones, music and use case/goal for the amp - the LTA wins hands down. Add on top of that that I already have the LTA, the Stratus is >$4K and wait is about a year, it’s a pass for me 
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Appreciate the thoroughness, think you hit the main draw back and that is planar headphones with the DNA is a weak point, throw in EDM and it will be less than desirable. Even with a rectifier change, it will not play like an SS amp, or hybrid type.
Stellaris has same specs in terms of power and current output as Stratus, it would be reasonable to assume it also is challenging for your taste.
Yes but it’ll be a step up in technicalities.
In any case I’m not in the market for a DNA amp anymore, will enjoy the Smurf blue amps in photos of others instead!
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seems very similar to my experience with the eddie current aficionado. very fun and smooth but not enough control or speed
Just got a Stratus v3 from a friend, same one who loaned me the HM1. I’ll be demoing this for a little while and it’s fun to have a tube amp again. It also came with a couple 6n1p alternatives to roll which I’ll try out at some point. So far the Utopia has been my favorite pairing followed by the Verite Closed. Atrium was nice as well but Utopia just sounds so much better. I also tried Tunsgten SS on it and it got loud enough in the 0db gain mode, around 6-7 on the volume, but felt like it could run out of headroom on quieter recordings.
I’ll post some more impressions soon but it reminds me a lot of Firstwatt SIT-3 which I’ll definitely be making a comparison to.
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