Sonneteer Alabaster

Eden Audio has uploaded quite a number of videos, showing their speakers driven by the Orton.

My gut feeling tells me that I might not like the Orton much. Might find it a bit too clinical etc. Can easily just tell, even by listening to those YouTube uploads. You'll miss out the fun and slight sweetness that you get from the cheaper Sonneteer amps.

What I said all above may seem low IQ and plain daft. But I strongly stand by my opinion.

S.

I think you can tell a little from them. But certainly not enough to be able to identify which component of the system is doing something you like or don't like. You can't do that without having the system right there in the room with you and being able to swap other items in and out to identify what is doing what.

Like in my system if you heard it with the XTZ pre-amp in you might assume the reason for the lacklustre sound was the power amp, or the speakers, or maybe even the cd player. You'd only know for sure it was the XTZ by swapping it for a different pre-amp. or maybe if you had heard the other components sounding good elsewhere.

I've noticed over time that rookies always tend to assume it is the speakers at fault if the sound is poor/mediocre. Sometimes it will be the speakers of course. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Thanks for sharing that, Shane. It rings very true for me. The longer I’ve had my Sonneteer Campion, the less acceptable other amps have become. Now I don’t even bother trying other amps. I’m not alone either. Look how few Campions and Alabasters come up for sale used. I haven’t seen a Campion since I sold my spare one in June 2017. Wish I hadn’t which again speaks volumes.

Off topic regarding Sonneteer, but it does illustrate what I meant by saying you can tell a fair bit from vids.Check out this vid of Little Bear T7 and T8 phono stages.

It is a powerful integrated that will drive most speakers, even those with a bit of a rep for being difficult. It also has a very good phono stage.

I think Campion at £999 without phono stage would sell well, but RoHS regs meant the original Campion parts couldn’t be sourced and later ones were just too similar to the Alabaster for both amps to exist.

If you look at the price of things like the current Sugden A21, Sonneteer look good value to me. Sedley in particular is a lovely thing for the price.

Me too. The t8 just sounded robotic in comparison.

The Alabaster too expensive?

If the thing was made in thousands a week, then yes, I'd agree with you (and I bet the makers heartily wish they could sell that many).

I have no idea how much an Alabaster costs to make or how large or small the company is, but in its defence, the nice if simple case won't be cheap (custom front panel and possibly knobs too?), I suspect the circuit boards (UK assembled/stuffed?) aren't as cheap as far eastern production - sometimes with suspect capacitors - and then you have 'UK' wages and other 'UK' factory expenses including VAT to add in together with the probably small quantities these amps may be made in.

(I'm saying the above after a huge wake-up call regarding the stuff I had a hand in making for five years - can't say much, but a successful audio company cannot exist really on a purely hand to mouth basis once hidden expenses like repairs or drop in consumer interest in the industry as a whole are taken into account (UK audio is dire this year but hopes are high once the 'B' word is finally delivered or got moving), no matter how 'good' they are. You HAVE to budget for potential hidden issues [can't find the words to explain it better] and this may well be why an Alabaster costs as much as it does - we do want Sonneteer to keep going, don't we?)

Apologies, I don't mean to patronise. To tie in with another thread you started Shane, I (and maybe you) need the good stuff to sell to the first owner, so 'we' can buy it used a way down the line...