I bought a Strata MK2 last January and every time I use it to play music, I’m really happy with this integrated Amplifier. I sounds so much better than the receiver it replaces. I knew it was going to sound better, but I’m still surprised that it sounds so much better!
I know, it’s explainable because I replaced the internal phono preamp of my Thorens TD 402 DD, the internal DAC of the Yamaha receiver and the pre- and power amp of the Yamaha all in one go with the internal phono preamp, DAC and amplifiers of the Strata. This really is a big step upward and I enjoy it daily .
Besides all the happiness, there is one thing that’s slightly annoying about the Strata MK2: It often doesn’t show the correct bit rate when playing music from digital sources. I contacted the PSaudio service team and they replied that they will address that issue in a future firmware version of the Strata.
I guess most of you own much higher end systems, but I’m just wondering who of you own a Strata MK2 and what are your experiences?
Well, I own the Strata MK1 and just like you, I’m pretty much overjoyed at what I hear out of my system.
I made the jump from a Sprout, which made the jump from an Onkyo 939 and have never even thought to look back.
The MK1 does an accurate job of displaying the correct bitrate BUT can’t seem to do anything over 44.1 for the coaxial connection. So I just invested in a quality USB cord and this works great for my streaming from an Eversolo DMP-A6.
The MK1 fit my needs as I was delving deeper into streaming. I don’t have any kind of vinyl setup.
The MK1 is now powering a pair of FR5s which I am over the moon with.
It’s very nice to see that you’re having a similar experience. I mainly listen to vinyl, SACD, CD and cassettes. I use Apple Music streaming to explore new music, often inspired by the thread What are you spinning now.
Speakers will be my next upgrade, but it’ll have to wait until after the renovation of our barn. I’m thinking of saving money to buy FR10s.
Hi Joaquin, I started this thread to see how many forum members own a Strata MK2, what their experiences are and how they connect and use the Strata.
Regarding the bit depth and rate indication: As I mentioned, I contacted the PSaudio service team and they told me that they’ll try to solve that in a future firmware update. I don’t expect that to happen in a few weeks, since they are a quite small company and the Strata just is one of their many products.
Most important for me is that I just love how the Strata sounds and also the fast startup and simple/elegant way you control this amp. Besides that I really like the friendly and open way the PSaudio staff interacts with their (potential) customers on this forum
I swapped out a bunch of gear for the Strata MK2 too, and honestly, the improvement was huge. The sound is way clearer, and the convenience of having everything in one unit is a game changer.
The bit rate thing is annoying, though, I’ve noticed it too. Glad PS Audio’s on it, but it’s a bit of a letdown when you’re expecting everything to just work perfectly. Still, can’t beat the sound quality.
I agree that the sound of the Strata MKII is spectacular. I pair it with a set of Wharfedale Diamond speakers.
I’m using it with a streamer via i2s and coaxial. I was amazed to hear a difference for the better with i2s, considering that I don’t have powerful ears.
The only thing that puzzles me is that phono preamp. I’m using a “cheap” Sony turntable with the standard cartridge and phono output. The Sony’s phono output sounds better than the line output, but the volume is quite a bit lower. And I have already set the gain to maximum in the Starta’s settings.
Other than that, and the bitrate issue, I am a very happy user .
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