[AmpDesigner333]

This thread is for posting reviews of Cherry / Cherry PLUS / Cherry ULTRA and Cherry MONO / Cherry MONO PLUS / Cherry MONO ULTRA amplifiers.

[AmpDesigner333]

Here's a dandy (from Audiogon):

10-24-12: Jwmazur
Digital Amp Company and their Cherry line of amps. I have had Trends, Spectron, Virtue Audio Class D amps and the Cherry amp is the one my Son will get when I leave this Earth.


The link:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1351100480&read&keyw&zzcherry+amp

[AmpDesigner333]

From AVS Forum:

Hey babak147!!!

I also wanted to help steer you in the right direction regarding AMPS!!!

Have you ever heard of Digital Amp Company ?

Cherry?

http://www.digitalamp.com/cherryUltra.html

I don't think it gets much better than that! That amp IMHO will best Red Dragon, EJ's Icepower, Spectron and just about any amps for that matter!

If you don't want to go digital you always can get Amplifier Technology Inc. (I'd use AT2000 or AT3000 series for the theater but Cherry for 2 chan)

I'd go digital for the environment and of the digital amps available I'd go CHERRY PLUS!

For a 2 channel preamp I'd go with EJ's (Wyred 4 Sound) STP-SE or Kingwa's (AudioGD) C-39 MK3.

I'm sure at this point if your BELIEVE IN SOLID-STATE (ME!) between Rick Craig (Selah Audio), Jim Salk (Salk Signature Sound) and Jed Kunz (Clearwave Loudspeaker Design) your in good hands regarding a custom loudspeaker.

PS I'd go Cherry Plus with STP-SE !

link:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1406372/speakers-for-20-30k/120

[AmpDesigner333]

From Audiogon:

Stereo Systems evolve and seperate components get switched around. An audiophile is in search of a sound presentation that when heard literally is "music to their ears." Weather it be acapella, strings, clarity, soundstaging,deep base notes when S/he finds it S/he knows, this is the sound I like and this is the piece of equipment for my system. For many years I have insisted on having planar speakers. Quad ESL 57, Apogee Stage then Caliper Sigs. The precision of the note reproduction oh so impresses me. Now I have switched to the Ohm 2000. A totally different type of speaker and sound presentation. This review is not about the speaker. Nor about my amp from Digital Amp Company, the Cherry Amp ( digitalamp.com www.stereotimes). This is the amp for me. But I needed to find a pre amp that would match with my system.

Pre amps will add noise and color the amps true output of the sound. This can be a problem or a blessing. I used a Creek OBH-22 passive, The Bel Canto Pre-3 and the Granite Audio 770 pre. I liked all of these for different reasons but the sound match was just not there. When evaluating a pre amp I listen for noise, base notes, plucking of strings, soundstaging, seperation, ear fatigue and more. The Cherry amp is so clean and precise that any degradation by the pre amp is noticable.

I liked what I read about the Audio Mirror 61-t. All tube, triode, low distortion, great linearity, sonicaps and silver wiring. The specs and build were impressive. I had already decided on a tube pre so it fit the bill. I purchased a used unit off Audiogon . When the 61-t arrived I contacted Audio Mirror through their web site www.audiomirror I recieved an email from Vladimir Bazelkov the owner, designer and builder. He was very attentive, understanding and helpfull. I sent it out and Vlad upgraded the caps, replaced the tubes and brought it up to spec. It has had at least 100 hours of playing time since then.

The Audio Mirror is very attractive and well built. There is no need to bias the tubes (very nice). It has 4 line inputs and 2 outputs and cone feet. Very easy hook up and operation through a remote. It is of minimalist build which I like. So is my amp. The Adio Mirror 61-t is a very pleasant piece out of the box to hook up.

Tonight Judy and I started with a fire, red wine and Ottmar Liebert & Luna Vegra. The disc ,Viva was recorded during the "2 hours between day and night" tour in 1994. I have listened to this disc on many a system. In Tracks 2 Buddhas Flower ,3 Morning arrival in Goa and 4 Snakecharmer, the music is blended with insect and other natural sounds. It is very complicated. The 61-t was very pleasing to the ears. It reproduced with exceptional depth and clarity. Ottmars flamingo guitar sounds clear, It is well placed and the sound is smooth and easy. Very warm reproduction with no harshness. The stereo imaging of both guitars is excellent.The percussionist is well placed back in the stage and clear.The 61-t demonstrates clarity and smoothness. First impressions here is great music and very well done for the first test of the 61-t.

Bali Bali is a group that plays Afro Cuban jazz with inspirations from R&B and funk. There disc "Who do you call king" is a fine clear recording. The instruments consist but are not limited to acoustic and electric bass, Saxaphone (tenor,alto, and soprano), drums,guitar, tres,piano and congas. The first track "our man in Havanna" has all these instuments. The sepaeration and soundstage are excellent. The Saxaphone is well placed, clear and smooth. The differentiation of each instrument on the stage and its clarity is impressive. What impresses me here is all of the above but also the mellow way each note is delivered with ease and and in a pleasing manor.

Now the tough stuff, Time Warp Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Phenominal reproduction of Don Dorsey Ascent, Strauss Intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra with each track melding together through Star Trek, Superman, Star Wars, Battlestar Gallactica and more. I am not a professional reviewer. I must say you have to hear it to believe it. At ample volume even the best speakers will muddle under the low notes if not given a clean signal. The multitude of instuments in these recordings will tend to merge under inferior equipment. I need to stress again the amp has ample power and definition to deliver this recording at incredible volume. I want a pre amp that is of high enough quality to not degrade the signal in this system. The violins, horns, kettle drums are all delivered with force. There is immediate power from this amp. The 61-t in every way compliments and separates each instrument. What I understand now is that the two components are matched very well. I know how the Cherry works with different preamps. I notice with the Audio Mirror 61-t that the sound is still pure amp. But it is also soft,smooth and still with the powerful delivery of 600 watts per channel . Boom , in you face sound that unfolds around you.

Throughout the evening we listened to Sade: Lovers Rock, Beth Orton and The Belfast Harp Orchestra and of course Pink Floyd. The music was flawless. The sound sweet. The amp and pre amp are made by owners, engineers, lovers of music. The history of Vlad and Tommy are similar. They started a small company with love of music and the faith that they could build a piece of equipment better. They both have their own patents. They both use the best materials.The Cherry has more warmth than any Digital or solid state amp I have heard. I searched through many preamps to find one that would be up to the perfection I have found in the Digital Amp Corp. Cherry. Pairing it with the Audio Mirror 61-t solidifies the sound. The Audio Mirror does everything an active pre needs to do and what it does is very pleasing to the ear with no fatigue. I have found my match. A great pair. I highly recommend you try the Audio Mirror 61-t tube pre amp. Feel free to email me with any questions mittg@hotmail.com


link:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1364091152&read&keyw&zzcherry+amp

[AmpDesigner333]

Reader comment on Digital Amp Company amps

(1/1)

mfsoa:
I don't think this'll violate any rules here. If so, lemme know.
A really nice reader comment on The Absolute Sound website:

Quote

With time, I came to suspect (fairly recently, I must confess) that the problem was that 60-100 watts per side tweeter amps were never powerful enough for the actually highly inefficient Tympanis’ tweeters. But, where to find a powerful amp with the required hi frequency characteristic (dear to me) of a quality high end tube amp without the super-premium price, that I actually could try, at home, in my system? Not very easy these days. Fortunately, I stumbled into a couple of reviews of the products from the Digital Amplifier Company. The designer, Thomas O’Brien, does not modify B&O ice modules or anybody else’s. He uses his own and holds several patents in digital circuits (all of this in his website). Prices are extremely reasonable for the kind of power and quality, and there is room for customization (including over 1000 watt monoblocks). More important, he offers a rather flexible 30 day full satisfaction guarantee. I selected two 4800A amps delivering over 640 watts rms for each of the two frequency segments, that is, over 1200 watts rms per speaker, in a vertical biamp configuration. I selected that particular model because a well respected industry player has expressed preference to use that model with his premium tube line stages--I use a Cary Audio all tube line stage.

This configuration, used with a full line level passive x-over (resistors and capacitors, no coils, 6 dB per octave), has completely eliminated the problems that I have been suffering for over 30 years. Now, I have no compression or shrillness, regardless of musical program. Just fully coherent and extended sound, with limitless, distortionless dynamic range and the same mid and high frequency smoothness of my favorite tube amp I was previously using. This in addition to the exceptionally extended and controlled bass that appears to be a trade mark of this brand of amps-- in this case being delivered through the Timpani ID’s bass/mid panels, themselves still considered a benchmark for bass and low mid range reproduction, as Harry Pearson states it in this review (and in Part II, in the current issue of The Absolute Sound). All of this with a phenomenal sound stage of over 19 feet wide, close to 7 feet tall ( I have 12 foot ceiling), and depth reaching far beyond the wall behind the speakers. Plus all the audiophile attributes: musicality, resolution, detail, excellent transient attack and decay, pin-point imaging, three-dimensionality, palpability, etc. I had those elements before to a large extent, just even more of it now. Most impressive is the density of the sound field, to the point that it feels as if one is being transported to the performance itself and drawn into it…actually, it is like one is being immersed into the sound field and engulfed by the body of musical energy filling the performance’s venue. I am sure most of this is related to the immense power response that these amps make possible for my system to deliver in my largish room, in combination with the sheer size and nature of the Timpani 1D’s themselves (fully refurbished by Magneplanar 7-8 years ago, a significant improvement in itself due to improved materials and work techniques, after 30 years), but I have no doubt that all the observed benefits are a result of a synergy or, better said, the ability of these amps to deliver all the driving power with the quality that Magneplanar's very fine speakers evidently require.

dr.larkos
JLM:
Interesting:

60 - 100 watt tweeter amps (not enough)??   

A big digital amp satisfying a tube guy 

Lots of clean power is always preferred (now I feel downright frumpy with my 100 watt digital monoblocks)   

richidoo:
From what I could find online, Tympanis have ~79dB sensitivity and low impedance typical of planars.   Thanks for posting this Mike. I always enjoy reading D.A.C. reviews, they are always so positive!

JLM:
Wow, those gotta be some kinda speakers to put up with 79 dB/w/m speakers.  No wonders he mentions super expensive tube amps, compression, and lack of dynamics.  I wish my 91 dB/w/m speakers were a bit more efficient.  (I know high efficiency can reveal system noises.)

richidoo:
It's not an official rating, I couldn't find that anywhere. I calculated the sensitivity based on a classified ad I saw listing the sensitivity as 93dB @ 10 watts. Which sounds like typical audio manufacturer marketing spin, so it's probably from Magnepan. Convert watts to 2.83 volts because it's a low impedance planar, and then back out -3dB for each halving of power down to 1W.  Just a rough guesstimate.

[AmpDesigner333]

Link to that last one:
http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=3296.0;wap2

[AmpDesigner333]

This in today:

Well, I've been listening to these new amps [Cherry MONO ULTRA] for a couple of days. I'm far from a professional reviewer, but here's my impressions.
 
Initial reaction is "WOW"!
 
They do macro dynamics effortlessly great. But that was expected with those (backbreaking) 1,800 watt transformers (put on "Santana Live in South America" to really test them). What was more amazing (and important) is how well they do microdynamics (the bow across the violin strings, the pluck on a guitar). Your amps do microdynamcs absolutely wonderfully. They make the music sound real and not simply coming out of a sound system.
I always read how class D amps are supposed to do the bottom well, but always have problems with the highs. These amps' highs are gorgeous and real (not a hint of shrilliness).
They also do details super. I was listening to the Berlin Philharmonic playing Beethoven and among the orchestra going full blast I could clearly hear the triangle off in the distance. All the individual instruments were clear and could easily be placed in their position in the orchestra.
I don't know how many amps I've gone through these last 30 years, but these amps really stand out among the best.
As we used to say (a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), these amps are groovy.

Mike D
Los Angles, CA

[AmpDesigner333]

This one is on here in a different thread....

Hi, I have been meaning to write a review ever since purchasing these amps about 8 months ago.  What held me back was the fact that they sounded sooo good, that I up graded all my components. 

My story, a wife inspired redecorate forced a down size to my HT/stereo system.  I did like how the room turned out so I need to make it work.  So, a new Plasma TV, small scale HT pre/Pro into my Bryston amp driving B&W 804n's.  Yes full circle back to 2 Channel and I liked it.  This brought out the short comings of the b&W 804's, I owned them for 10 year and know then well.  Amps yes I need a new amp!  I like Bryston, have owned a few, another Mac maybe, Classe?  I gave class D a look not really wanting to go that way, guess what? 

The B&W 804n's are not known for their bass output, can sound a little small (congested) and could use some help with sound stage size.  Now for the Achilles heel, the tweeter can be hard and bright.  Class D are known for their bass, can open up a speaker, increase sound stage and powerfull amps.  If i could find a warm class D amp that was not so hard in the treble I would try it. 

It was not easy, but my search led me to Tommy's Digital Amp Comany.  Tommy was very exited about his mono's, this would work well for me.  I could place them behind the speakers a free up space in my too small rack.  Not enough, Tommy was gushing about how much better they sounded then stereo amps.  Yes mono's please. 

Tommy lives an hour away and delivered them to me and set them up.  WOW, out of the box, WOW!  The first thing that hits you is the bass, tight, fast, controlled it is very addictive.  For the fist time I could truly say I do not need a sub.  The speaker opened up with a relaxed easiness, but yet fast.  Sound stage increased, with height and depth with a nice dimensionality.  The air and space between note is very nice as these amps are very quiet.  These amps are so quiet that details previously unheard come to life.  For me it is all about the mid range, well it needs to be warmth,juicy,meaty,real.  These amps injected life into the B&Ws like no other had ever before.  The treble is neither rolled off or etched and free of grain, believe me the B&Ws are unforgiving in this area.  In my opinion the amp is uncolored and detailed with unlimited power.  My last amp, YES (don't we all say that?) and a bargain to boot.  At this point Tommy said this is very loud.  I got carried away with the volume and it sounded great.

My quest for better sound.  I like to make changes one at a time.  I added a W4S Dac-2 as a preamp/Dac with HT bypass with balanced interconnects into the amps. Next came a Squeezebox touch, Flac files running JRiver.  Harmonic Tech 1 meter pair of Pro-9 ref SE external bi-wire speaker cables were chosen.  Gabriel Gold refection balanced interconnects made me smile.  With some time under my belt and new gear one would think short comings would surface. None have these amps just keep getting better. I Wonder how far you can take them?

Thanks for reading and I an pleased to be among this class of audiofiles.

[AmpDesigner333]

Here is a thread about Cherry amps used for an awesome HT demo:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=116231.0

An excerpt from this thread:
"Since this is the Digital Amp Company forum, I will say the Cherry amps performed wonderful during the spirited 5.1 movie session. We  again calibrated at 83 dB, but this time we played up to +15 just for fun. We still had 3.5 dB more headroom with the volume control, but I suspect we were probably close to the amps' limits. I never heard any compression or clipping due to lack of power."

There's much more in the thread, all very interesting.  Thought mention of it should be here.  Thanks