Last month we went out to Jersey for the launch of the VPI Forever One table, however, it was not our only reason. We also stopped by Orchard Audio to pick up a pair of the Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premiums from Leo, the founder, and mastermind behind the brand’s wonderful products. We reviewed the Starkrimson Mono Premiums not that long ago (LINK), and I absolutely loved them, so I was very interested in checking out these big brothers. Both amps feature GaNFet technology which is somewhat new to Hifi. Gallium nitride is a semiconductor and in this case, is used as the basis for the Class D amplifier. The Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premium comes in at an MSRP of $2,499.95 each plus $10.00-$15.00 for a power cable (all prices U.S.). So at about double the price of the Starkrimson Mono Premium, is it double the amplifier?

Unboxing and Setup:

Unboxing these was just like the smaller Mono Premium, both being packed with the expanding foam to make sure they were perfectly cradled in the box. The setup was simple as well, just plug in your inputs, speaker cables and power cables hit the switch, and listen. I love power amps that are simple to use and avoid tone and volume controls. I prefer to reserve any controls and settings for the preamp, so these are in my mind the best type of power amp.

I used Synergistic Foundation SX cables to connect them to the variety of speakers I played them with. Now I did have to use RCA to XLR adapters as none of the preamps I had available during this review have XLR outputs. I used the amps with my Sonus Faber Sonetto V, Magnepan LRS+, and Vienna Acoustics Bach Ultimate speakers. For preamps, I used both my Marantz SR7009 as well as the Java Hifi Singleshot I have in for review. so let’s get into the sound.

Sound:

I should say lack of sound, not that they don’t have output, but rather it’s as if they aren’t there. A truly neutral amplifier that just blends into the system. As I mentioned before I don’t care for power amps that have settings options so the best-case scenario is a power amp that has no adjustment and needs no adjustment. The Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premium can be considered a reference product, it adds nothing and takes away nothing, just the music as recorded. The Java Singleshot integrated uses GaN tech as well for the power section and it is tonally similar to the Mono Ultras, though with quite a bit less power. The Mono Ultras have an output of 250/500 watts (500/1000 watts peak) into 8Ω/4Ω respectively. This translates to loads of headroom even on demanding speakers and plenty of power for bass. When I had them connected to the Java I didn’t use a sub as it only has one set of pre-outs and to be honest with this much power I didn’t really miss the sub at least with my Sonetto Vs that have a total of 4 7 inch woofers.

I particularly like the sound with the Java Single Shot, perhaps its due to it also being a GaN design so it’s designed to marry well with that topology. The Java is very neutral and has no tone controls so with a neutral amplifier you can let your speakers of choice really sing. Pairing neutral products is much easier as you aren’t trying to balance anything out and also allows you a bit more leeway if you should find something you really like that isn’t as neutral, perhaps a warmer Tube DAC, or pair of speakers won’t become overly warm, or the opposite with a bright piece of gear. The overall clarity of the pairing with my Sonetto Vs was impeccable, and the richness in the midrange of the Sonettos complimented the top end detail and sparkle of the clean power. Bass response was more than adequate with no subwoofer, though I do always like to have one as it eases the workload for the main speakers. I played one of my favorite bass heavy songs, “North End Nightlife” by Headphone Activist. The bass was clean and smooth, it didn’t overwhelm the mids or highs and the Ultra Monos had good control over the woofers.

Playing with my Marantz is a bit of a different story as it has a warmer sound and isn’t quite as detailed as a preamp as the Java Single Shot is. However, the amps still performed great and since they are so neutral they didn’t compound the warmth of the Marantz and the Sonus Faber speakers. I enjoyed the sound overall but found that these amps can really take advantage of a great preamp. The benefit of the Marantz is that it does have tone control so you can dial back the lows to balance out the sound and match the timbre of the Ultra Monos. Comparing them to the inbuilt amps in the Marantz really isn’t a fair contest and Ultra Monos really just leaves the integrated power of the Marantz in the dust both in power and consequently dynamics.

With Sonus Faber Sonetto V

The majority of my listening with the Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premiums was with my Sonetto Vs, as these are my reference speakers and take the king’s share of time in my system. The Sonetto V is a warmer speaker with an emphasis on mid-range richness and a detailed but slightly soft top end. I like the sound of them, they are never fatiguing and the mid range is what really sold me on owning so having an amplifier that doesn’t mess with that sound is ideal to me. The neutrality of the Ultra Monos is truly incredible, and I keep harping on it because it is what stands out the most to me. Most amps have some type of signature to them, something to make them stand out, and is typically what garners their following as McIntosh has. The way that these amps just melt into your system is remarkable. That said any flaws you may have in your sound these will not correct unless it is related to a lack of power as these have so much on tap that you end up with with incredible dynamics and speed as they masterfully control the drivers. That control also leads to increased detail throughout the frequency range.

I listened to Kaos, which is the soundtrack to Kaos the Show. The first track in particular is this 12-minute sonic adventure with massive dynamic swings and loaded full of layered sounds and distant transients. The bass is also very powerful and deep. This is the best I have heard the whole soundtrack out of my Sonetto Vs yet. The loud to quiet loud swings that happen in an instant are reproduced effortlessly. The vocals which are similar to choir vocals are natural and airy sounding. The atmosphere created transports you to another world.

With Vienna Acoustic Bach Ultimates:

I brought back a pair of Vienna Acoustic’s Bach Ultimate speakers from Capital AudioFest. This is actually my first impression of the speakers in my system and I must say they make a great first impression connected to the Mono Ultras. These and the Sonus Faber Sonetto V both have a sensitivity of 90dB but the Bach Ultimate is is a smaller 2-way design with a rear port. They’re much less warm than the Sonetto V, giving me a very neutral system. The bass is very impressive for such a small driver and cabinet, having great impact. Even in bass heavy songs, the midrange is not compromised. The high range is handled by a silk dome tweeter that leads to a smooth natural high end that isn’t thin or fatiguing. The Bach Ultimate is a testament to how good the Mono Ultras can sound in a tonally neutral system.

Vocals stand out as being very human and organic sounding even from a digital source. That said, acoustic sets on vinyl are particularly wonderful to listen to on this system. I played my copy of Taylor Swift – Folklore, The Long Pond Studio Sessions. This is a live acoustic recording of the album that gives you a peak behind the curtain of the making of Folklore. The sound is like no other Taylor Swift album and hearing it on an exceptional system is a must to get the full experience. “Exile” is probably my favorite song on the album, with Bon Iver duetting with Taylor Swift. This track will test any system’s ability to reproduce vocals with both Bon Iver’s low voice and Taylor’s Vocals, in parts at the same time. I am more than impressed with how it sounded. I played the album on the new VPI Forever Model 1 with the Shyla MC cart and Avenger Phono. The chain from start to finish contributes to incredible sound. I played sides C and D on my VPI Prime with the ZYX EX100 Ultimate and the Pyxi phono to see how that would sound, the ZYX is an incredible cartridge that continues the neutral trend in this system. Another one of my favorite tracks is Epiphany, with this setup the piano is lifelike and it paints a cinematic picture. The imaging is on point as well, having seen the video of the recording, every element is placed perfectly in space.

To put it simply, this combination of gear has me impressed. The Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premium amplifiers are a crucial part of the organic ethereal sound.

With Magnepan LRS+:

The Magnepan LRS+ is a great speaker for the money, it has great detail and clarity for 1000 bucks a pair. There are some shortcomings though as this is a budget model and relatively small in the world of planar speakers. The thing they lack is low-end, there is no punch, and even with all the power on tap from the Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premiums they still just don’t quite reach low enough. That said with the Mono Ultras they do shine in the clarity department with a crispness to the sound that has an edge. This may be one of the cases where having a pre or power amp with some warmth to balance out the brightness of the Maggies would be great. When I had them connected to the Viva Solistino they had more midrange and low-end body due to the richness of the amplifier. If you are a big Maggie fan, adding in a subwoofer helps a lot with adding body back to the music. Positioning can help as well, moving them closer to the wall helps them produce more low-end, and depending on your sonic tastes, this may be an excellent pairing for you.

I played a variety of music and found that this combination suited classical quite well and I listened to a number of Tchaikovksy and Joe Hisaishi pieces. One that stands out from Joe Hisaishi’s album Silent Love (soundtrack) is “Hand of God”. The song has a great stage with very detailed instrumentals. The Mono Ultras with the LRS+ captured the aura of the music and presented it a lifelike way. The background was inky and deep, while the instruments painted brilliant colors on the canvas.

Specs:

• Fully balanced from input to output
• Extremely low noise and distortion
• Power output 250/500W (500W/1000Wpeak) into 8/4Ω
• 1200W power supply with 43,600uF of additional capacitance
• 2-ohm capable
• Universal AC input from 95 to 265VAC.
• Size per monoblock(W x D x H): 31cm (12.2″) x 35.3cm (13.9″) x 11.6cm (4.6″) – w/o binding posts
• Weight per monoblock: 5.9kg (13lbs)

Price: $2,499.95 Each

Pros and Cons:

Associated Gear:

• Marantz SR7009 (preamp)
• Java Hifi Single Shot (preamp)
• VPI Prime with ZXY EX100 Ultimate Cart on JMW 10″ Unipivot
• VPI Forever Model 1 with Shyla Cart on S arm
• SOTA Pyxi Phono
• VPI Avenger Phono
• Rotel CD-11 Tribute
• Sonus Faber Sonetto V
• Magnepan LRS+
• Vienna Acoustics Bach Ulitmate
• Synergistic Research Foundation SX Cables
• Synergistic Research Powercell 8SX

Conclusion:

This is another perfectly ripe pear from the Orchard, Orchard Audio that is. Everything Leo has sent me and I have heard at shows has been wonderful. Not only are his products solid, but for the price, they are hard to beat making them one of the better values in Hifi. You get great sound, great build quality, and an easy to integrate amp. If you can’t swing the price of these, the Starkrimson Mono Premiums are also great with a bit less power. However, for those with the cash available the power advantage is not small, the extra headroom and expanded dynamics are well worth the extra coin. I have no negative feedback for these, there is nothing I would change, add, or remove. The only scenario where I didn’t find them to be perfect was with the LRS+ without a Subwoofer, but that is more a reflection of the LRS+ than the amps. The Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premiums are the best fruit from the Orchard yet, and they can be even better if you manage to snag a pair of the limited edition Linear Power Supply versions (only 28 left). Don’t let Class D scare you, this isn’t your fathers Class D, these amps smash any preconceived notions of what Class D sounds like.

For more information and to purchase click the link below:

Disclaimer: Orchard Audio provided Hifi Chicken with a pair of Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premiums for the purpose of this review, Orchard Audio nor any Affiliate paid in part or full in exchange for this review.