[RonN5]

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.

[Goosepond]

Hi,

What is your pre and also the speakers?

Thanks,

Gene

[RonN5]

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.

[Goosepond]

Thanks,

I've wanted to try Tommy's amps for a while but have just never pulled the trigger. Your non-review ( ) makes me want to give it a go.

Gene

[RonN5]

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.

[RonN5]

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.

[AmpDesigner333]

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

[RonN5]

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.

[sumoking]

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.

[AmpDesigner333]

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 !! 😊

[witchdoctor]

Thanks very much for the compliments !! 😊

What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? 

[RonN5]

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.

[Wind Chaser]

What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? 

A Thousand Islands.

[AmpDesigner333]

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/

[AmpDesigner333]

What's the "secret sauce" for your amps? A circuit? Wiring? Parts? 

All that and more.  I'm not divulging any trade secrets.  Three decades plus of work is definitely "secret sauce"!

[AmpDesigner333]

Thanks,

I've wanted to try Tommy's amps for a while but have just never pulled the trigger. Your non-review ( ) makes me want to give it a go.

Gene

Our current Pre-Summer sale is the BEST time to get into Cherry!

[witchdoctor]

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.

[witchdoctor]

This one?
https://positive-feedback.com/interviews/tommy-obrien-digital-amplifier-co/

Excellent article, thanks for posting.

[audio.bill]

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.

[lewdogg]

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!