I took delivery of a 2Cherry in early April, probably one of the first, and I’ve been posting my findings here:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=163954.0It seemed like this amp deserved its own thread….so, I’m starting a new thread in hopes that other 2Cherry owners will post their experiences as well.
I’m now at 50 hours, so here is an update….but first, a couple questions. In a few words, how do owners of tube based systems often describe the sound of their systems? liquid, dimensional, musical? What about solid state based systems owners? detailed, airy, great lows? Ok, I agree, that these are just broad generalizations.
Next question…when you hear live music…lets say a piano player, a trumpet player and a drummer, first playing individually and then together…how do you describe that sound, especially in relation to your home audio sound? clearer, more dynamic, perfect tone?
For me the implications are that if you want your home audio system to sound more like live music then you might want to stop looking for liquidity, dimensionality, detail, and low end or at least prioritize components that can deliver clarity, tonal accuracy and dynamics. The 2Cherry is at the top of the class in this department.
Over the past two years my amplifiers have included a Crown XLS2000, Nuprime STA9, and Parasound Halo A23. Each amp was a step up from the prior but I was still searching for something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
Obviously, with each amp, I was moving up the chain…both in sound and in price and there were a lot of amps to choose from for my next move. I guess I chose the 2Cherry because I respected the interview with Tommy in Positive Feedback and because many forum commenters said that he bent over backwards to help and satisfy his customers.
Out of the box, the amp sounded great; beautiful tone, soundstage and musicality. And then it hit me, this amp was also a step up in clarity and this clarity brought the music alive in a way that I hadn’t heard in my system before.
Over the first 50 hours, I’m not sure that the sound of the amplifier has changed much if at all. I’ve tried different power cords, no change. I’ve swapped the Halo back in, less musical, less alive. I’ve tried new cds, old cds and really old cds; all of them sound better.
Here are a couple more examples...and music you may enjoy for your system;
On Jook Bourke’s “Up All Night” CD, the saxophone, beautiful guitar work, snares and Hammond just take on a whole new presentation and really come alive with the 2Cherry in a way I had never experienced prior….you can try the streaming sampler to see if this is might appeal to you…the music is a mix of jazz, blues and classic rock. It is a little eclectic but the work of the musicians and the tone they generate is enchanting!
https://www.amazon.com/Up-All-Night-Jook-Bourke/dp/B00CVKWN66/ref=tmm_msc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=If you haven’t seen the play Hamilton…it is a great play in so many respects. Admittedly though, it moves fast and with the rap dialogue you may not pick up 100% of the music/words without the headphone option if you see it live. I bought the CD and I was shocked at what a beautifully clear and almost better than live presentation the 2Cherry rendered on my system. Dialogue – Clear, Staging – Perfect, Music – Authoritative, Tone – Beautiful.
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Original-Broadway-Recording-Explicit/dp/B0135P6PZA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Hamilton&qid=1563026607&s=dmusic&sr=1-1Let me wrap up the 50 hour update by saying that the 2Cherry has made my system more emotionally involving and wanting to play more music than in past years!
Warning: This amplifier will have you wondering about what else in your system needs to be upgraded to keep moving closer toward a live music sound.