DNA Starlett Impressions

I'm confused (since I don't know too much shit in general about Preamps), so you are putting a BAL input and you are feeding that BAL input from the Freya to RCA out to Starlett? So you can still control the volume knob on the Freya and the Starlett at the same time?

What does it mean for output mode on Freya S? So you can tell the preamp to only output with no volume gain adjustment from the Freya?

So I'm trying to understand this: You can use a Freya S as a pre but not actually using its volume knob on your amps?

 

Freya S basically does 3 things:

• Converts balanced signals to single-ended, and single-ended signals to balanced (via Nexus)
  • It can only do this when run in active mode. When run passive, it's basically a fancy volume attenuator.
• Provides some additional gain (x4) in situations where it's necessary/beneficial.
  • Can also be run as a buffer (x1), which keeps the voltage level the same but can help support sources with less robust output stages by increasing current capacity (e.g., for driving lower impedance loads)
• Provides a relay-stepped volume attenuator with extremely precise stepping and channel matching
  • Normal potentiometers have at least some channel imbalance, which is especially pronounced at low volume levels

To answer your questions about volume, you would generally turn the volume pot on your amp (e.g., Starlett) all the way up to essentially remove it from the signal path. Then the volume dial on the Freya S becomes the main volume control for your system. Think of a power amp, like a Pass Labs XA25, which has no volume control whatsoever. This is why preamps are so important in 2-channel systems. Freya S has a handy remote, so you don't need to walk over and adjust the knob. It's a good value too, combining the features of a stepped attenuator and a high-quality balanced to single-ended transformer (Freya S uses Nexus to do the conversion though, not transformers). Buying those items separately from folks like Goldpoint and Jensen could easily run you >$900. You might pay a tiny price in terms of transparency if you have a super resolving system, but for many I suspect that the feature set, utility, and value of Freya S would outweigh those considerations.

 

Interesting. So if you have tons of sources but one amp, you can most/less plug them all into the Freya and adjust the volume with the Freya with very little hit on SQ So you don't need speakers to use the Freya if you have tons of Sources/DACs but one/two Amps. Interesting....

But @monacelli you can lose some SQ if you run the pre on 1x and 4x? In theory running it passive shouldn't make you lose anything? In theory that is....

 

I'm planning to buy one, but don't own one yet. But yes, @purr1n and others have mentioned that either Freya in any mode is slightly less transparent than Saga. And if ultimate transparency is your goal and you don't mind losing all of the extra features, then the Goldpoint steppers are pretty hard to beat. BUT, to my knowledge Goldpoint doesn't make a model with both XLR and single-ended inputs, and they don't convert balanced to single-ended. So you need to budget for a transformer-based conversion system too, if you have a DAC where the XLR outputs sound best. So as usual it's all about tradeoffs and making the ones that best suit your priorities.

 

So far your recommendation on BF2 to Starlett is great! Like I really don't feel like rolling DACs at all.

 

Note: This Impressions/Review has been posted after having the Starlett in my possession for about two months. This is the highest valued amp that I ever had in my possession. I don’t have any experience trying out other $2k+ tube amps, so I will not comment on anything from EC, Cavalli, etc. due to not having any experience with them.


Gear List At Time of Impressions/Review:

Thinkpad X260 via Roon or Foobar2000-UPnP > Schiit Eitr > Massdrop x Airist R-2R DAC (RDAC) > Zampotech SW51+

Roon or UPnP > PI2AES [Coax Output] or Pioneer DV-79AVi DVD Player (CD Transport) [Toslink Output] > Schiit Bifrost 2 > DNA Starlett (Via BF2 RCA Output)

Senn HD600, Senn HD6XX, ZMF Auteur, ZMF Verite Open Loaner, CA Andro, CA Ara Loaner, and JVC + Drop HA-FDX1


Intro

I wanted to try a near-TOTL tube amp for my dynamic headphones. For the longest time I been el-cheapo on amps. This is due to I didn’t think it will make a huge difference on my end. Well, I am 100% wrong “I’ll tell you what” like Hank Hill.

My experience with tubes amp were mostly on the negative side of things for almost a decade. I had a Little Dot I+, Woo Audio WA6-SE, some other tube amp that I forgot, and a ZDT Jr. They all do things in their own special way (the classic warmer tube sound, the bloom, euphonic type sound, etc.). However, I just got bored of them because I didn’t think they were engaging enough, too warm/fat, and I am not into tube rolling at all.

For a while I was mostly running SS amps, since I thought I would be happy with the more detail focused/no tube rolling aspect. After a while I get annoyed on the harshness of a SS amp. Similar to my previous tube amp experiences, I would get bored with a SS amp after a while. Then again, I was mostly in the Low/Middle end of SS amps like a Jot Rev 2, THX AAA 789, Asgard 2, various Mangis stuff and yep I was into Audio-GD for many years before Kingwa just lost his mind when building stuff that didn’t work for me half the time (another story for another time). This opinion could change if I hear something like a BHA-1 or that ECP DSHA3F that people really, really love.

When I was thinking about upgrading to a big-boy tube amp, I found most of the prices for one to be out of reach on my budget. I was looking at around $2k at most for one. I really was looking for one that still has the traits of a tube amp but more on the neutral side. I do like some of the benefits of a tube amp without being overdone (no warmpoo mess, extreme blooming, etc.). It is like making a good pot of soup. If you over do it with spices, you ruined it.

When I had the money ready to look around for amps, I had limited options during my research/budget. I really wanted a basic looking tube amp that is easy to swap out tubes if needed, a simple design, and limited on tube rolling on purpose. I read @ChaChaRealSmooth Starlett Impressions/Review post like a million times like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers when he said “one million dollars.” This is mostly due to me thinking “what, there is a tube amp that is just for someone like me.” I keep reading the Starlett thread multiple times to make sure I understood that yes, there’s a tube amp that is really for me! After thinking about it, I proceeded in placing an order for one with @Donald North.

The DNA Starlett is when no spice is overwhelming the flavor of a pot of soup. This is a neturalish sounding tube amp with the right amount of relaxed treble + minor wetness to the point it is easy to “eat your music.” The mid-range is very engaging, but not to the point that it is shadowing the treble and bass. Speaking of bass, it has just the right amount of bloom for those Jaco moments in Weather Report – Heavy Weather. However, it doesn’t go off the mark in making Jaco’s bass sounds bloated/fat.

You may not like this amp, the @Donald North sound isn’t for everyone (love uber warm sounding stuff with a slam fetish, go some place else like a Woo Audio WA6-SE). I dunno if I want to use this with an extreme bright or an extreme warm DAC. I did however like it a lot with my Bifrost 2. Of course you can be a @tommytakis and get the full @Donald North experience with a vintage Sonic Frontiers DAC (or CDP if you wanna spin CDs). I think this amp work best with higher impedance cans, but I gotten interesting results with IEMs. Focals shouldn’t be a problem on this amp, and others said the same thing as well.

Yes, I like this amp a lot. This was just what I was looking for in the world of tube amps. At the same time I will not bullshit you with “you need to buy this amp now.” Heavily tube rollers will be disappointed with this amp, same for those who have an euphonic fetish. If you prefer an amp that is more in the upfront region, don’t get this amp. If you however want a neutral amp that has just the right amount of bloom, slightly relaxed treble, excellent layering/separation, good (but not end all) transients, and you wanna see how far your old pair of the HD600/650 can go, then please read further.


Packaging and Design

Amp comes in a white white shipping box with the DNA logo on it. Inside the box is the amp, and a small white box that holds the set of tubes, a manual that appears to be printed from a computer, and a power cable. The manual has all the information you need on it. Noting special here, which is a good thing.

The amp itself is pretty basic looking. On the front you have the IEC switch for Low Ohm/High Ohm, a TRS/XLR switch that does different things, the 1/4-XLR output connectors, and the volume knob which is a TKD pot (not cheap). the tubes with the caps and transformer on top, and on the back is the power connector, power switch with its fuse, and RCA input connectors (while the amp has XLR output, this amp does not supports XLR inputs from a balanced DAC/Source. You will either need to use the RCA output your DAC/Source or use the transformers method so you can have XLR > RCA unbalanced into the Starlett).

Per the manual, putting IEC switch on High gives the output impedance 120 Ohm. The manual also said (from @Donald North personal experience) that he found that higher impedance headphones from AKG, Beyers, Senns, etc.) to sound better on the output impedance. If you put IEC switch to Low, you will get the lower 9 Ohm output impedance (Grados, Focals, etc.).

The other switch on the amp is the TRS/XLR switch. This serves two purposes depending if you are using the ¼ Output or the XLR output. If plugging into the XLR output, it selects between unbalanced headphone drive and balanced headphone drive. If using the ¼ output, this will change the db setting from 0db to -6db. I found this useful on my IEMs (more on this later).

You have direct access to the tubes on top. Easy to change them and put them back on. it’s mostly a blue chassis (which blue is my favorite color) with some chrome on front with things that are easy to read. This doesn’t look cheap, but it doesn’t look fancy or anything. The amp has weight to it, and it appeared it was built with great care. Someone previously told me that the amp looks like something from Sim City (as a negative). I guess maybe? I dunno, I’m happy it doesn’t look weird. It’s just a tube amp, and it doesn’t look like it will fall apart. That’s enough for me. I just want basic looking amps that is easy to use and it does an amazing job. It also helps that the Starlett is in my favorite color, woo.


Headphones and IEMs

As stated in the gear list, I ran so much stuff on the Starlett from the last two months. Long story short, this amp is designed for dynamics headphones. I dunno if someone tried planars on this thing, but I don’t think this amp was design for those headphones. All my dynamic headphones sound great on this amp. Since all the headphones I have are high impedance, all of them sounded great with IEC switch on High Z. I would presume for Focals you have to use the IEC switch for Low Z (@ChaChaRealSmooth and others can answer this part).

IEMs is where things gets interested. Yeah I know most IEMs aren’t designed for tube amps due to most IEMs are using BA drivers. To be on point, if you are using BA IEMs then you have to get yourself an IEMatch. I’m not the biggest fan of IEMatch, it is very needed on the Starlett. When I had the Ara Loaner and the Andromeda, I can get good volume control on the Starlett by putting the IEC switch on High Z and the TRS/XLR switch to -6db. This will mostly kill the hiss that you will hear with these IEMs, but in some quiet recordings it is not enough volume for you to go around. If you put IEC switch to Low Z and TRS/XLR switch to 0db, not only everything will be loud as fudge, but you will get tons of hiss. The biggest problem with the Ara and the Andromeda was the input impedance, it made both IEMs have too much focus on the upper mids/lower treble that it was painful to listen to after a while. The IEMatch solves that problem, but you will lose some body. In order to use the IEMatch correctly on the Starlett, you will need to put the IEC switch to Low Z and TRS/XLR switch to 0db. If you put the IEC switch to High Z and -6db on the TRS/XLR with the IEMatch, things are too low on the volume to the point you will max out the volume on your amp.

With that being said, if you have the JVC Drop HA-FDX1 then you will realize that these things have good scaling ability (but not on the level of a HD600/650/6XX IMO). Due to the DD design of the JVCs, I wasn’t too surprised they worked well on the Starlett. With those IEM the soundstage gets wider if you are using IEC switch in High Z with decent imaging for an IEM, excellent treble that doesn’t feel artificial, and great bass impact for an almost $300 IEM. I tried the JVCs on my other amps and running them on the Starlett is my favorite. With that being said, the Starlett is designed for dynamic headphones. Don’t get this amp if you are heavily into IEMs. Having the JVCs (or maybe any pure DD IEMs out there) on top of your dynamic headphones is a wonderful bonus.


Headphone Scaling + Soundstage (Or How I Learn To Love The Senns)

If you wanna see how much your HD600/HD650/HD6XX scales, the Starlett will show it to you. This amp will really show off the high value these headphones can bring to the table. The layering, the imaging, soundstage depth, midrange and more really shines here. These headphones will scale with a better DAC and etc. My huge wow moment after getting the Starlett was plugging my HD6XX into the amp and see how impressive the staging was. While the performance boost was crazy, they are still Senns with their pluses/weaknesses that we are all aware. After gotten the ZMF Auteurs and the ZMF Verite Open loaner, they didn’t fully scale/transform as mad as the Senns. However, when comparing to my SW51+ (more on this way later), there’s noticeable improvements on a wider soundstage (even more so on the Verite Open), more layering, depth, and refinement in the sound range. With that being said, any dynamic headphone should sound improved on the Starlett due to how much control the Starlett has with the drivers. The real question is will you like the sound signature of the Starlett with the rest of your chain.

If you are really crazy and you only wanted to use the HD600 series headphones, then the Starlett is a great amp for them.


DAC/Source Pairing

I used mostly the Bifrost 2 with my Starlett, and I enjoy it a lot. The more I use the Bifrost 2, it doesn’t sound too warmish on the Starlett. This is due to me running PI2AES Coax into the Bifrost 2 (which makes warmish neutral than USB Unison into the Bifrost 2). If I have to be honest, I would try to avoid running an extremely warm/dark/bright DAC/Sources into the Starlett. I will explain the sound signature of the Starlett in a bit, but the Starlett to me will not mask the flaws of your DAC. If you want to pair a darker DAC into the Starlett so the sound is more warmish/close to neutral, well that will not work since the Sarlett isn’t going to transform the sound of your DAC. If your DAC is really bright, well it won’t fully fix the issues of your DAC. DACs/Sources that are slightly tilted in one direction tone wise should be fine here. Keep in mind the Starlett will only shine as much as your DAC/Source. So if you are running a lower end source into the Starlett, then the Starlett will only go up to the ceiling of your DAC/Source with tons of magic dust sitting in reserve. If you want the true @Donald North experience, its been stated multiple times that he personally uses a Sonic Frontiers CDP when he shows the amp face to face. And also people really love the Sonic Frontiers CDP-DAC/Starlett pairing (@tommytakis knows).


Sound Signature

Treble/Highs: Slightly wet enough, mostly engaging without fatigue and to me the lower treble being very welcoming where you can listen to the amp for hours without any issues. It sucks you right in and get you going. In my experience I found a lot of tube amps to have too relaxed highs and smooth treble. This amp doesn’t have this problem for me. It is engaging but not being too overbearing. Some can say the attacks in this area can be kind of softish, and I agree with that. I don’t like too hard attacks because it tires me out. With that being said, the treble isn’t sleepy at the slightest. With regards to definition and transients, the definition in the treble (and Mids and Lows) are in pure 1080p video, while the transients in the treble and everywhere else to be like 720p? So where you know the sounds of the transients, it is kind of rounded if that make sense.

So if you are treble sensitive but hate warmpoo Treble smoothness to the core (aka you still want air in your records and you need things to sound alive), then this amp will meet your requirements for treble. If you demand 1080p with ultra sharpness in your treble, then don’t get this amp.

Midrange: Very excellent layering with vocals that to me sound realistic, but at the same time it is just slightly laid back so you can have that great staging for your Senns and ZMFs. With the setup that I currently have, I am not detecting anything weird in the midrange. This amp really shown me how excellent the midrange on an amp can be if you just get a good amp, period.

Would I use this for ultra aggressive music like Slayer? Answer is no, that’s not the strong suit of the Starlett. Would I use this for Slayer and hear the layering and the possible flaws of its recording? The Answer to this one is yes. Folk rock and not too crazy pop rock like Fleetwood Mac will work great here. Same for Jazz and other things as well. Honestly, almost anything on my end sounds great on here and no real serious flaws for me on the Midrange. However, expect more of a spaced out Midrange than anything else. It could help with the Focals, but I don’t think it will really change the sound of a Focal (or anything else for that matter). I know, me talking about the Midrange here sucks, but I’m always here for questions if you wanna know more. Before I go, Grace Jones is great on here, hehe.

Bass: Just enough bloom where the bass has good meat on its bone, but not to the point that you are eating a 70/30 ground beef. I think this is more like 85/15 ground beef. So while there’s the tube effect in the lows, it isn’t even close to just boring fat bass on something like the WA6-SE from Woo Audio. Yes, the notes stay a little longer than something that is lean like a THX AAA 789, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It will help leaner sounding headphones like the Auteur, but it will not make the Auteur a bass slamming freak. Bass impact quality is going to be better than the cheaper amps that I had in my experience (unless that amp was design to be a bass slam monster), but it will not be an ultra slamming wide dynamic bass slamming fest. If you want more slam, you either need to EQ it or do your adjustments on your headphones.

The Bass Textures are great for an entry-level TOTL tube amp. It surpassed anything I used in my lifetime. However, I will say is if you are uber bias for bass slam, really love your tube bloom in bass, or just like your bass to be mild, DO NOT GET THIS AMP. I really enjoy the bass on reggae where the bass don’t bleed into the mids, and tons of Jazz where it just sounds right (and not sounding artificial). Maybe on some electronic music I wish maybe there was more bass impact, but just use a different headphone or EQ the sucker. This amp I said falls more on the neutral side of things without going overboard.

Everything else: This amp is a micro/macro detail whore. Isn’t the best one in the world of tube amps, nah. Then again, I stated at the start of this post that I haven’t heard other TOTL tube amps. But if you are dealing with cheaper amps and then upgrade to this one, it’s a borderline life changing perspective.


Tube Rolling

I really like this amp because it is limited on tube rolling choices. I honestly hate to roll tubes due to tube nervosa sucks. One of the goals of this amp is to use common tubes. Before purchasing the amp, @Donald North advised that it doesn’t really cost much to replace the tubes at all. I think he said around $70 is what you need to replace all the tubes. So I ordered a backup set for all the tubes on the amp for about $65, not bad. For more information on the tube requirements on the amp, go here.

I haven’t really done tube rolling. The only tube I rolled was the Input/Driver tube. I put in the Westinghouse 6CG7 made in Japan in my amp and I did noticed that the sound was bolder. My impressions were similar to @ChaChaRealSmooth on this one. @tommytakis should have more opinions on this one since he had done more tube rolling on his Starlett amp than I will.

And please, don’t be one of those guys who put tube adapters on their amps. If you are even going to do it, get one of the higher end DNA amps from @Donald North. Actually, if you are a tube rolling expert, I’m not too sure the Starlett is even for you!

If you are a tube rolling n00b, @ChaChaRealSmooth gave me this advice with regards to tube rolling on the Starlett:

Vs. SW51+

Yes we are going there. This is due to people will want to know how the Starlett compares to the SW51+. Lets get on point: SW51+ is like 80% of a Starlett that is more aggressive with its stock tubes. With regards to the SW51+, the sound staging is less/more upfront, less macro/micro details by a good bit, and not on the same playing field (but closer to technicalities) than a Starlett. Best way to explain both amps is the SW51+ is like drinking of basic but good whiskey, while the Starlett is the whiskey that has been aged for many years and is very very pleasant to drink. When drinking a good whiskey that is like the Startlett, you don’t get any alcohol burn and you can taste all the wonderful notes in the drink. Drinking a whiskey like SW51+ you will get more alcohol burn, but the notes and taste aren’t on the same level on sophistication as drinking a whiskey like the Starlett.

The Senn HD600/650/6XX staging will go down a bit on the SW51+, but still keeps their good traits on it. Going from the SW51+ to the Starlett was an eye opener for me because staging really went up plus the macro/micro details. The Auteur are great with the SW51+ since it shows off the strengths of the Auteur (being neutral without going overboard).

Both amps have a serious price difference. On my end both amps serve a different purpose. SW51+ fits great on my computer desk (which is the main reason why I got that amp). The Starlett is great on my main rig in the living room. Both are different in its presentation to the point that they are great for the purposes they serve for me (look at my profile page for more info). I know we had the SW51+ hypertrain, but that amp for its asking price is utterly nuts.

Before you say “well I won’t get a Starlett,” the Starlett will outperform the SW51+ no questions ask. The Starlett also has extra features that can be very very useful for people. We all know the SW51+ is killer for its price, but I prefer listening to my Starlett since it is just on a different level than the SW51+.


Conclusion

I think I forgot something on this post. Then again, this post is pretty long and at this point you are most likely rolling your eyes and saying “why this post is so damn long.” However, I hope this is informative for anyone considering to buy the Starlett. If you can’t tell, I really like this amp. It fits my needs on what I was looking for in an entry-level TOTL tube amp. However, it may not be a fit for your needs. I would try to see if you can hear this amp to see if you one enjoy the DNA house sound, and two if the DNA amps is what you are looking for. I think this amp will fit the needs of most people, but not everyone. Shit, if you are brave enough to do a few hours visit to me in Jax, FL (Friends only of course), then I'm open to it. I know how it is when considering to buy pricey gear.

I don’t feel like upgrading my main setup amp anytime soon, not even for years. It’s that good for my needs. Money was well spent considering that I have more simple tastes than most. The limited tube rolling and the cheaper cost to replace the tubes is just a wonderful added bonus to the point we should spend more money on music and less tubes, period. I know the higher level DNA amps are going to be better, and I will not dispute that. But I don't really care at this time. It's great that you found a piece of gear that works so well for ya. It's the hope that we all have in this hobby, I hope....

At this time I think I’m forgetting something about my impressions. And I know on some parts I’m skipping out some details. Any questions just let me know by posting here and I’ll respond back to ya.

 

Has anyone tried Grados with a Starlett? If not, can someone give it a try and report back?

 

@pure5152 doesn't have a Starlett, but the Sonett 2. It should still have the DNA house sound. He does live near a few Starlett owners, however, he did say that he liked the Hemp with the Sonett 2. My gut feeling will say that the Starlett should tone down the infamous brightness treble of the Grados.

Others can maybe say more to this than I can.

 

I believe @ChaChaRealSmooth would report back about the pairing sooner or later. He is currently filling in the application form for super best grado friends sub-community.

Of course 30% joke.

 

I received my Hemps on Saturday and I'm working on a bigger review but I'll add a few comments of them with the Starlett. They do scale pretty well, big improvements stepping up from a ZDT Jr. Better control and more cohesive from bass to treble, less bloom and more tightness. The Starlett does a good job of rounding the peakiness of the Grados, same thing I heard with the RS2s. Big improvement in depth as well, instruments have more separation and there is a clear distinction in a bands depth/position. It's not as good as other headphones, but it's also not a flat plane. It's fun comparing to the ECP T4 as it's a faster amp and plays more to the Hemps strengths, but the Starlett pairs equally as well just in a different way.

 

Yeah I really love the hemp and sonett 2 pairing on the low impedance output!

• Using the mullard rectifier and electro harmonix 6h30 Ambient sounds (room acoustics, background characteristics) are more readily audible compared to the jotunheim/3f/bw, which made the soundstage feel like it had more depth and with more noticeable layering, sounds more a bit 3d sounding and expansive. The added ambient cues were the most noticeable/welcome difference to me.
  
• Dynamics, both macro and micro, are excellent to me - it slams hard and excels at playing both loud and soft at the same time (Hans Zimmer's "Why So Serious?" and infected mushroom is a real treat to listen to). Dynamics and imaging are maintained all the way down to the lowest volume setting, which is basically 0 because the Sonett 2 volume pot has perfect channel balancing all the way down.
  
• With the grado hemp, I feel like the sonett's tonality is balanced, and sounds similar to the 3F, maybe with the FR tilted a bit clockwise (less top treble air, and a slightly more punchy/authorative bass). I find the 3F pairing overall smoother - sometimes, some notes that female vocals sing bothers me (notably some of the medium/higher notes that suis from yorushika sings). But that's not a big deal for me (I just turn down the volume knob slightly) - I overall find the sonett 2 very transparent, cohesive, and balanced sounding. Great synergy with the hemp, I like it a lot.
• Hemps + sonett 2 is my favorite pairing with these tubes, preferred over the utopia and auteur. Not to discount the utopia/auteur pairings - they both sound great - but I just like the liveliness and rich sound from the hemps.

Keep in mind that the "Low" output impedance for the sonett 2 is 28 ohms, versus 9 ohms on the starlett. I imagine this means that grados will sound a bit bassier/tilted clockwise on the sonett 2, whereas more balanced/neutral on the starlett (read: brighter than sonett 2, that's my guess just based on the output impedance differences; I haven’t heard the starlett yet). The sound can probably be altered by tubes though.

(Hope talking about the sonett 2 here is not too off-topic; mostly writing here because @YMO called me out haha. I don't think there's a sonett 2 impressions thread here actually?).

 

@pure5152 @StageOne can you guys say a little bit about the amp gain? Seems you two didn't have issues but I'm still wondering.

Grado's 32 ohm drivers (current e-gen) had 100-ish db spl/mw sensitivity. And hemp's 38 ohm drivers might be a few decibel more efficient (as many other reported hemp sounded louder)? With unit gain (low gain) setting with magni 3+, I have the volume pot around 9-9:30am position with low crest factor tracks. Wondering how DNA amps' gain works with such highly efficient drivers -- unfortunately amp gain wasn't specified in the product homepage. Any thoughts or comments?

 

You're not wrong assuming low pot range - I have the pot set between 0-1 on the volume reader for the sonett 2. That said, the channel balance to my ears is perfect all the way down to 0, with no loss of engagement/sound quality, so it's not an issue for me.

EDIT: also, looks like sonett 2 XLR output has 6db gain.

 

I get the same results on my Starlett. That TKD volume pot is great, but not cheap with regards to how much that part costs.

 

Well that would explain why I had to add a SYS in front of the ZDT. The channel imbalance with that is a little high and it went from imbalanced to loud. SYS gave me some usable range.

With the Starlett I set the volume at 8 and use the Freya S as the volume control and I have plenty of range to work with. For fun, I turned the Freya all the way up and only had 0-1 usable range on the Starlett. But as others have noted, there is no channel imbalance at all and it's not an issue. Freya in 1x Nexus mode might add a bit of volume so if you are going straight from a DAC to the Starlett it might have a little more range.

 

TKD volume pots in my experience are also not as warm sounding as Alps. It’s quite a significant difference when you compare them.

 

If that's is true, then it is true. Starlett is not really a true warm amp. Some might say it has some traits of a warmer sound (slightly relaxed sound and softer attacks).