AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Digital Amplifier Company Owners => Topic started by: RonN5 on 19 May 2019, 06:04 pm
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Over the past several years, I’ve gone through a number of amps that sounded good but always had one or two things that just bugged me. Finally, I settled on the Parasound Halo and it turned out to be a great sounding amp, huge soundstage, very musical, no sibilance…really no overall weak points.
I’d been following Digital Amplifier Company and maybe because of the interview with Tommy or maybe because of the various user postings my curiosity grew. Then he announced the new amplifier 2-5 Cherry and it seemed like a good time to take the plunge so I ordered a 2Cherry….you could call it a standard 2Cherry with optional added capacitance and faceplate….or a King2Cherry minus the WBT binding posts.
It arrived a few days ago and frankly I wasn’t sure what to expect. I played a few CDs through the Halo…they sounded great as they always had. Then I swapped in the 2Cherry and Holy Cow…all of a sudden the music was much more alive…not in the in your face type alive but with clarity and immediacy. Maybe a better word is realism. It actually sounded like pianos, guitars, snare drums were in the room…the weighting, the sustains, the pitch were delicious.
Needless to say, I was really surprised, so I put the Halo back in to make sure I wasn't hearing things...then the 2Cherry, then the Halo, then the 2Cherry...nope, as good as the Halo was, the 2Cherry was delivering a greater sense of realism...live music...you are there experience.
And this was the “out of the box” sound. When I hit somewhere around the 50 hour point, I will post a full blown review.
My initial impression is that the 2Cherry gives you a window into the music that you may have never experienced and for that reason it’s definitely worth SERIOUS consideration.
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Hi,
What is your pre and also the speakers?
Thanks,
Gene
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My full system is an Oppo 205 into a Belles 22a tube/mosfet hybrid into the power amp into a pair of Salk Veracity ST loudspeakers. I also have a Power Sound Audio S1500 subwoofer which is turned off for my comparisons and review. When I have it on, I run the Salks full range and bring the sub in around 50 hz.
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Thanks,
I've wanted to try Tommy's amps for a while but have just never pulled the trigger. Your non-review ( :green:) makes me want to give it a go.
Gene
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I’d like to share a few things about the physical characteristics of the 2Cherry. It is not in a $500 machined aluminum case, but it looks good. Personally, I think the red faceplate is really striking…it almost screams “here I am”…but I ordered the black because I wanted something more subtle for where it would be located. There are no lights on the front to signify on or off. There is no power switch on the front (it is on the back) and as a result, the faceplate has a very clean look. For the record, unless the sound of the amp would be compromised, I would prefer an indicator light and power switch on the front.
With the optional faceplate attached and measuring to the back of where the balanced to RCA adapters end: 17” wide, 4.5” high, 10.5” deep although you should really add another 1.5” to allow for the power cord and audio connections. The 2Cherry weighs about 18lbs. Also, the amplifier has feet that raise it about 3/8” (included in the 4.5” height above) to allow air flow through the vent holes in the top and bottom. The operating temperature when measured on the top of the case after an hour of operation is in the 95-100 degree range...warm but not hot.
The 2 Cherry does not have a 12v trigger (I would prefer this also) but it does have a soft start up and a sleep mode and it goes to sleep within about 10 minutes and wakes up quickly when it senses a signal. Turning the amp on is a soft start and does not result in any pops or clicks through the speakers. Turning the amp off does result in a small pop (not problematic but maybe annoying to some)…unless you wait until the amp is in sleep mode and then it turns off silently.
Below is a photo of the rear of the amp so that you can see the connections. Almost standard these day, the power connection is on the right as you are facing the rear of the amp. You may notice that the power is on because of the internal red lights in the picture. The speaker cabling is homemade OFC twisted cross paired stranded double 14 gage netting 11 gage for each connection. The RCA cables are Blue Jeans Cables. The serial number is on the bottom.
One final thought, the amp arrived via FEDEX and was well packaged. One interesting thing here is that every other piece of equipment I’ve ever purchased was wrapped in a plastic bag of sorts before it was packed. I guess I assumed the idea was to protect it from water and condensation during shipments, as rare as that might be. The 2Cherry was not in a plastic bag. Nor was there a manual or any kind of specifications page. In the future, I think this should be rectified. Even a one man operation like Power Modules (Belles) includes what looks like a “done on the office Epson) four page manual and there is a pdf you can find online.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194665)
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Here are a few more photos....the 2Cherry packing box as it arrived, the 2Cherry in the box so you can see the packing, and the 2Cherry in its temporary position as I swap back and forth. I'm planning to do another listening update tonight but I continue to be amazed by what I'm hearing.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194680)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194681)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194682)
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Here are a few more photos....the 2Cherry packing box as it arrived, the 2Cherry in the box so you can see the packing, and the 2Cherry in its temporary position as I swap back and forth. I'm planning to do another listening update tonight but I continue to be amazed by what I'm hearing.
<photos>
Ron,
Thanks very much for the photos and pre-review !
Looking forward to hearing more ( pun intended ).
-Tommy O
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Update
Most of us can’t afford the megabuck systems we hear at the big shows. As a result, we buy what we can afford and then tweak…swapping a component or wire here and there as budget will allow.
Sometimes when you swap a different component or wire into your system, the change is either small of nonexistent. Other times, it may even be negative causing you to swap back to the original. At the 10 hour point, I’ll say that the 2Cherry is a pretty substantial improvement in the quest for those difficult to achieve tonal characteristics that bring the music alive.
We’ve all thought that many of the older CDs were too bright and lacked dimension and bass. One thing I’ve noticed over the past few years is that with each of the components I’ve upgraded, the sound of many of my older CDs often improved as well. What the 2Cherry has done is take the improvement to the next level. By that, I mean that many of these CDs now have air, dimension, impact and just plain musicality they didn’t have before.
Two examples, James Taylors Greatest Hits, Warner Records 1976 and Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, Columbia Records 1972 now have a decent bass line, tons of detail and far more musicality. A more recent recording, Chris Isaak, Heart Shaped World, Maliboat Records, 2011 is hauntingly eerie, almost surround sound like…the guitar work, the voices, the echo.
Have I found any weak points? Not so far. I currently have the 2Cherry wired with the supplied power cord. The Halo has been powered through a Shunyata Venom power cord. Then Venom made a nice improvement to the Halo but had no effect whatsoever when I put in on the Oppo and on the Belles. It will be interesting to see how it pairs with the 2Cherry; I hope to try this combo over the next several days.
Below is a photo to try to provide some size perspective...laying on top of the amplifier are two CDs.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194729)
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Amazing sounding amplifier and when you think of the cost,
it really is clear what an outstanding deal it really is.
Been doing this expensive hobby for over 40 years and when you find
an amp that is so cost effective, such as the Cherries, it makes you take note.
The 2-Cherry is at the lower end of the Cherry line, yet it has the family sound signature
of the more expensive models and is frankly a bargain.
Unless you hear the amp, it’s really difficult to comprehend especially when you consider
the price point. It is a paradigm shift and a good one.
I will say that as much as I appreciate my amp, I got another paradigm shift
when I took a chance on a DAC DAC. Again, the quality of the sound from my system
went up significantly at 1/3 of the price of my higher priced DAC. I sold my old DAC and turned a profit on the exchange. Well done Tommy.
When you couple these key components with a musical speaker, like my Spatial Audio OBs
It is really a magical combination that now becomes an experience that is hard to forget.
Cheers.
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Amazing sounding amplifier and when you think of the cost
it really is clear what an outstanding deal it really is.
Been doing this expensive hobby for over 40 years and when you find
A key component that is so cost effective such as the cherries it makes you take note.
The 2-Cherry is at the lower end of the Cherry line, yet it has the family resemblance
Of the more expensive models and is frankly a bargain.
Unless you hear the amp, it’s really difficult to comprehend especially when you consider
the price point. It is a paradigm shift and a good one.
I will say that as much as I appreciate my amp, I got another paradigm shift
when I took a chance on a DAC DAC and again the quality of the sound from my system
Went up significantly at a 1/3 of the price of my higher priced DAC. I sold my old DAC and turned a profit on the exchange. Well done Tommy.
When you couple these key components with a musical speaker, like my Spatial Audio OBs
It is really a magical combination that now becomes an experience that is hard to forget.
Cheers.
Thanks very much for the compliments !! 😊
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Thanks very much for the compliments !! 😊
What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? :scratch:
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Hmmm...by definition it must be secret....right? But seriously, read this interview with Tommy and I think it will get you closer to the answer.
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What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? :scratch:
A Thousand Islands.
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Hmmm...by definition it must be secret....right? But seriously, read this interview with Tommy and I think it will get you closer to the answer.
This one?
https://positive-feedback.com/interviews/tommy-obrien-digital-amplifier-co/
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What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? :scratch:
All that and more. I'm not divulging any trade secrets. Three decades plus of work is definitely "secret sauce"!
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Thanks,
I've wanted to try Tommy's amps for a while but have just never pulled the trigger. Your non-review ( :green:) makes me want to give it a go.
Gene
Our current Pre-Summer sale is the BEST time to get into Cherry!
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All that and more. I'm not divulging any trade secrets. Three decades plus of work is definitely "secret sauce"!
Congratulations, happy too see that hard work paid off.
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This one?
https://positive-feedback.com/interviews/tommy-obrien-digital-amplifier-co/
Excellent article, thanks for posting.
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That interview is referred to as Part 1 (at the end) and is from March 2017... was the rest of the interview ever published? Thanks for sharing the link, it's a very interesting article.
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Our current Pre-Summer sale is the BEST time to get into Cherry!
Wow, this thread is really making me consider an amp. Is the sale over? Just saw the FB info. Emailed support. Sorry for hijacking the thread!
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Wow, this thread is really making me consider an amp. Is the sale over? Just saw the FB info. Emailed support. Sorry for hijacking the thread!
Sale is on until June. Here's the newsletter about it:
https://conta.cc/2H9xmrN
Please subscribe (link top right) if you haven't already. Thanks (:
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Recently there was a review in the online Blog 'Audio Pursuit' giving accolades to the desktop Maraschino. The review included a lot of superlatives but the reviewer did make the observation that the Maraschinos seemed a little bass shy when compared to a vintage Adcom GFA 545ii. I actually think that it's that the Maraschino bass definition is so good that the Adcom seems a little boomy by comparison....and usually we perceive boomy bass as more bass.
I've noticed a similar situation when comparing the 2Cherry with the Halo A23...the difference in perceived bass output is very slight. On first blush, the Halo seems to produce a little bit 'more bass' but on closer listening, the 2Cherry has much more detailed bass; you can clearly hear individual bass notes, you can hear the kick drum membrane being struck. Again, more detail, less boom..given a choice, I'll take the detail.
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Recently there was a review in the online Blog 'Audio Pursuit' giving accolades to the desktop Maraschino. The review included a lot of superlatives but the reviewer did make the observation that the Maraschinos seemed a little bass shy when compared to a vintage Adcom GFA 545ii. I actually think that it's that the Maraschino bass definition is so good that the Adcom seems a little boomy by comparison....and usually we perceive boomy bass as more bass.
I've noticed a similar situation when comparing the 2Cherry with the Halo A23...the difference in perceived bass output is very slight. On first blush, the Halo seems to produce a little bit 'more bass' but on closer listening, the 2Cherry has much more detailed bass; you can clearly hear individual bass notes, you can hear the kick drum membrane being struck. Again, more detail, less boom..given a choice, I'll take the detail.
Great point, and you are CORRECT !! All Cherry amps developed after 2013 are DC coupled without use of a servo. How is this done? By making a naturally low DC offset end-to-end Amplifier. There are no capacitors in the signal path, and thus, no phase shift in the bass. The lack of phase shift can improve realism in the bass. In the time domain, phase shift from a high pass filter (a.k.a. “DC blocker” or “AC coupling”) skews timing of the bass with respect to the rest of the spectrum. Some say this timing skew is insignificant, but this is an invalid generalization. Most audio systems have multiple AC coupling stages. They are effectively cascaded, and the phase shift they create is cumulative. It is also irreversible Consider a system with an AC coupled DAC, an AC coupled preamp (in and out), and an AC coupled power amplifier. That’s easily four or more cascaded high pass filters, with the phase shifts from all of them added up!
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Great point, and you are CORRECT !! All Cherry amps developed after 2013 are DC coupled without use of a servo. How is this done? By making a naturally low DC offset end-to-end Amplifier. There are no capacitors in the signal path, and thus, no phase shift in the bass. The lack of phase shift can improve realism in the bass. In the time domain, phase shift from a high pass filter (a.k.a. “DC blocker” or “AC coupling”) skews timing of the bass with respect to the rest of the spectrum. Some say this timing skew is insignificant, but this is an invalid generalization. Most audio systems have multiple AC coupling stages. They are effectively cascaded, and the phase shift they create is cumulative. It is also irreversible Consider a system with an AC coupled DAC, an AC coupled preamp (in and out), and an AC coupled power amplifier. That’s easily four or more cascaded high pass filters, with the phase shifts from all of them added up!
THE SECRET SAUCE!! :lol:
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Sale is on until June. Here's the newsletter about it:
https://conta.cc/2H9xmrN
Please subscribe (link top right) if you haven't already. Thanks (:
Thanks! Now I just need to place my order... :D
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That interview is referred to as Part 1 (at the end) and is from March 2017... was the rest of the interview ever published? Thanks for sharing the link, it's a very interesting article.
This appears to be Part 2 (in a totally different place):
http://www.jeremykipnis.com/Golden_Cherry_Review_-_07_18.html
Thanks for mentioning this! It took a while to find it.
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No wonder I couldn't find it... I look forward to reading Part 2. Thanks!
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Updates from the 20 hour point:
1. Generally, I don’t like the music on audiophile CDs...of course there are exceptions. A few days ago, I referred to the clarity of the bass that is presented with the 2Cherry. Here is an example where the clarity of the 2Cherry shines through. Often times, when there are notes of similar frequencies from different instruments they get smeared together. On Legacy Audio’s Sampler disk #4, track #5, the Mighty Sam McClain “When the Hurt is Over”, the 2 Cherry separates the notes so that you can clearly distinguish the drums, standup bass, piano bass and bass guitar.
2. Jumping back in time to the Steppenwolf “Born to be Wild” CD, MCA, 1980…who knew that CD had some deep bass? John Kay’s raspy voice on Hoochie Coochie Man…just beautiful. The guitar rifts, the keyboards, the drum clarity…the 2Cherry brings this old CD to life.
3. The 2Cherry by itself has been absolutely dead silent. Nevertheless, I noticed that I was getting some 60 cycle hum when the preamp was turned on and connected to the amp. I spoke to Tommy and within a few moments he determined that a different pair of rca/balanced adapters should solve the problem. He overnighted them to me and voila problem solved. Dead silent background with the preamp connected and turned up to full output. Unexpectedly fantastic customer service!!! Thank You!!!
4. Afterward, I did a short comparison of the standard 16 gage stock power cord with the Shunyata Venom HC power cord I had been using on the Halo…I couldn’t hear a difference.
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I would suggest that any fence sitter mulling a new amp, to just leap and upgrade, better yet to even try some models Tommy may have in stock. This is how I found Tommy and Digital Amplifier back in 2012. At this time I was auditioning a class D amp from California … 270C something, and the worst sounding POS I ever listened too period!! Upon getting my funds back I almost didn't try class D but found info on Tommy.
Tommy had a Cherry Ultra in stock and I instantly loved it, thought my amplifier search was over but then I with arm in sling snapped a binding post (my fault) all Tommy said was to return it. Then a loose banana wire fell out a Genesis monitor and arched my right channel, again Tommy said he would take care of it, even thou again my (bad luck) go ahead and send it he said! Around this time I found out my mains power box was really messed up, as were the main wall socket where the amp plugged in. Tommy would repair/ship etc. but I couldn't keep the amp on without it cutting out. Between all this back and forth which was very stressful on both, I had a new mains power box installed, wall sockets replaced etc. Surprising my house didn't burn to the ground!!
I also tried the Maraschino monoblocs with 48V supplies, which were super sweet on my Acoustat 1100 panel speakers. But I like simplicity in wiring and set-up so went back to a red Cherry with 1800V transformer and Cardas binding posts I had Tommy install. When word of the MEGA Cherry came about I signed up for this update/upgrade and have not looked back!!!
From what has been written on in the audio press about the MEGA I totally wholeheartedly agree, just a awesome amp from a class act guy. Which is really the core of these few words, Tommy will not abandon you! A class act company if there ever was one.
DW
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Shear Bliss - 2 Thumbs Up
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194906) (https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194907)
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The 2Cherry has been in residence for almost two weeks now……hours played = 25…. and I am still blown away by the sound every time I turn it on. No Decision to Make; 2Cherry is staying!
As I went to switch the 2Cherry with the Halo in my cabinet, I quickly remembered how hard it was to maneuver the 30 lbs Halo into a tight cabinet with 1” to spare on width and 3” on depth and wires galore. The 2Cherry on the other hand was a breeze…similar width…18lbs…and now at least 6” to spare on the depth. Nice to have working room…especially when there is no room to get your head into the cabinet to see what you are doing.
Fortunately, the cabinet back is more open than it looks and ventilation was never a problem. I'd much rather have a rack or stand for the gear, but it just doesn't work in this room.
You might wonder about the rca cables, speaker cables and power cable being in such close proximity to each other...absolute black background, dead silence, even with the preamp turned up full. Seemingly, all of the equipment and cabling is well shielded.
Pictures Below:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194987)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194988)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194989)
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Wow, this thread is really making me consider an amp. Is the sale over? Just saw the FB info. Emailed support. Sorry for hijacking the thread!
No worries. Several customers requested an extension for the sale, so we’ve removed the sold items and have a new list. Just email Support@DigitalAmp.com and we’ll send the new list to you. Thanks.
-Tommy O
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30 Hour Update
I suspect that most audiophiles would say that one of their goals is to have their system sound like live music. I’ve always found the difference hard to describe in a way that I could say, “well, if I just fix A, B, and C then problem solved”.
After a while, I changed my approach. I began to look instead at improving aspects of the sound that didn’t seem quite right. Make a tweak to get rid of some harshness. Make another tweak to firm up the low end. Then make another tweak to improve the soundstage. And hopefully, each tweak did not result in one step forward and another step back in a different area.
I had my system pretty much at a level where it didn’t seem like there was much left to fix. It didn’t exactly replicate live music but it really sounded good…great tone, massive and deep soundstage and just fun to listen to.
I had no reason to switch things up but I decided to buy the 2Cherry for the heck of it. As I said, I liked the interview with Tommy and I liked what reviewers and forum posters had to say. Since I had nothing I was trying to fix, I had no real expectations.
Much to my surprise, the 2Cherry significantly improved overall clarity and as a result the music sounds more alive, more realistic and more tonally correct. It doesn’t bump up the top end and it doesn’t add midrange presence, both of which result in a “false” sense of clarity. Instead, what the 2Cherry seems to do is remove a level of haze/fog that I never realized was there.
In 2014 Tone Audio said this about putting the Cherry Mono Blocks into their system, “It’s like cleaning a dirty windshield to get a better view of the road”. This is a spot on description: my system retained all of the great sound characteristics it had previously but the added clarity has moved the overall sound/presentation closer to live music than I realistically thought I could achieve. Thank You Tommy!
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how much are these? Are they 400 watts into 8 0hm? Just curious.
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how much are these? Are they 400 watts into 8 0hm? Just curious.
CherryAmp.com for prices. Current sale has some x-CHerry versions at $700 off.
400Wpc into 4Ω. Thanks for your post.
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30 Hour Update
I suspect that most audiophiles would say that one of their goals is to have their system sound like live music. I’ve always found the difference hard to describe in a way that I could say, “well, if I just fix A, B, and C then problem solved”.
After a while, I changed my approach. I began to look instead at improving aspects of the sound that didn’t seem quite right. Make a tweak to get rid of some harshness. Make another tweak to firm up the low end. Then make another tweak to improve the soundstage. And hopefully, each tweak did not result in one step forward and another step back in a different area.
I had my system pretty much at a level where it didn’t seem like there was much left to fix. It didn’t exactly replicate live music but it really sounded good…great tone, massive and deep soundstage and just fun to listen to.
I had no reason to switch things up but I decided to buy the 2Cherry for the heck of it. As I said, I liked the interview with Tommy and I liked what reviewers and forum posters had to say. Since I had nothing I was trying to fix, I had no real expectations.
Much to my surprise, the 2Cherry significantly improved overall clarity and as a result the music sounds more alive, more realistic and more tonally correct. It doesn’t bump up the top end and it doesn’t add midrange presence, both of which result in a “false” sense of clarity. Instead, what the 2Cherry seems to do is remove a level of haze/fog that I never realized was there.
In 2014 Tone Audio said this about putting the Cherry Mono Blocks into their system, “It’s like cleaning a dirty windshield to get a better view of the road”. This is a spot on description: my system retained all of the great sound characteristics it had previously but the added clarity has moved the overall sound/presentation closer to live music that I realistically thought I could achieve. Thank You Tommy!
Thanks so much for your detailed feedback!