5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational. The tubes ARE functional too!

A. · 28 January 2023

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Despite Klipsch being known for having quite harsh treble, these speakers were tamed thanks in part to the tubes, giving music a rich, warm sound. And contrary to the unverified one star review, they DO work as unplugging one tube will yield no sound output. The tubes essentially act like a filter, before the output is fed into the chip amplifier. The tube lights are purely cosmetic from small LEDs on the circuit board underneath, however.The overall build quality is fantastic for a product at this price point: a steel enclosure with firm rotary knobs on the front, solid connections on the rear and a vintage sound meter lets this amplifier look so genuine on my floating shelf.The Pro version allows the sensitivity of the sound meter to be adjusted on the underside, but you really have to crank the volume loud for it to really move, even on its most sensitive setting; we're talking 75 dB kind of loud, which in the bedroom my Hifi setup is in is totally overkill and can be heard throughout the house and likely next-door.To clarify a point many will ask, the clicking sound is still present in the Pro version and is designed to disconnect the tubes when no audio is playing after 10 seconds to improve their longevity. If you're playing audio relatively non-stop however, this shouldn't be an issue, but it can be turned off nonetheless by pressing M1 on the remote it ships with. Therefore, a word of caution: don't lose the remote!Now onto sound quality and first: treble. Everything is clear and accurate through my Klipsch speakers, though I do prefer a little extra shine on my music and the +-6 dB treble EQ knob works very well here. There isn't any harshness as a result of the tubes and I can't perceive any particular peak in the frequency response.The mids have no trouble allowing vocals to step forward, too. My previous system struggled with ABBA's Don't Shut Me Down as an example, but the amplifier allows crucial elements of music to be positioned where they matter. I thought at this price point I'd be longing for more, but if anything it has exceeded my expectations of articulation in all tracks I've heard.Bass is slightly harder to review here; I'm limited by the Klipsch's 62-21k +-3 dB frequency response which isn't as bad as it sounds, but smaller speakers at higher price points can go much further down as a comparison. The room I'm in is also bordering on a cube shape, which is absolutely horrendous for bass acoustics. Still, I can hear a good bass response sitting/lying on my bed near the wall, and it is glorious. Nothing sounds particularly muddy or lost, though I think turning the bass EQ above 3 o'clock is a big no-no. It drives warmth and punch into the mix whilst not overpowering any particular genre of music.I touched on soundstage with ABBA in the mids, and whilst I believe the Klipsch speakers are responsible for the majority of this particular sound quality, the amplifier ensures everything has its place and has even allowed me to hear new things in my favourite tracks I barely knew were there, but I definitely think there's more depth to be had and spending more is the only way that's going to happen.Stereo imaging is equally impressive: I'm able to easily place instruments and vocals between the speakers and hear my music in a new light; some elements I can't even trace to the speakers, it's that good. Again, the speakers can probably claim most of this trait but the amplifier has a job of allowing the speakers to perform in the first instance.I've listened to a lot of music through these speakers and I've been impressed by nearly all of it:• Uplifting progressive house is beautiful thanks to the rounded treble and mid response, allowing acappelas, synths and high-hats to shine through.• Pop is exciting and fun, especially with songs with orchestral elements. (Sweden's 2022 Eurovision entry Hold Me Closer by Cornelia Jakobs is an excellent example.) Bass-heavy party tracks are lacking in the low frequency department but I've already explained why this is so above.• 80s tracks hold up well here too; my mother loves listening to George Michael and the like.• Dream pop and shoegaze tracks mean I can enjoy 3-5 electric guitars flowing with the vocals, and they are in the right positions no problem at all. This is a good soundstage test as the vocals aren't always supposed to be at the front of a song.• I've yet to try other genres I enjoy such as rock and metal, Eurobeat, phonk, electronic and jazz, but I plan to update this review down the road. Trance is also a big genre for me, but I'd imagine this is covered well by my love for uplifting progressive house.My family have listened to their favourite music and have all thoroughly enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Douk Audio ST-01 Pro, despite the fact they all have hearing difficulties to some degree...My plan of attack now is to explore my vinyl collection and begin DJing with house vinyl records (yes, without monitor speakers), and again I will update a few months from now.To add, I'm doubting this unit will fail or give me any trouble given the joy it has brought thus far, but given its Chinese origins I can never be sure. I'll be sure to update this review of the worst happens, however.Lastly, I want to note that Bluetooth connectivity has not been an issue at all for me. I have noticed that if Bluetooth is turned off before I switch the amplifier on and then enable Bluetooth on my phone, I have to connect manually. Switch Bluetooth on before the amplifier has power, and Bluetooth connects automatically without hassle. I really like this connection method given I use my old phone for my tunes, but your mileage may vary. Additionally, a Bluetooth connection generates a quiet mid-pitched hum which can be heard during quiet passages of play and between songs. This doesn't bother me much but it's something to be mindful of.I think it's safe after reading my review I speak highly of this amplifier. It has unlocked a new world of audio for me and I know this will be engraved as an essential piece of kit I owned in my early days of HiFi audio. I can firmly recommend this to anybody doubting whether those extra few pennies are really worth it over the most popular chip-powered amplifiers, because let me tell you: the ST-01 Pro has been worth every penny so far.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good with that reto vibe...

t. · 9 June 2025

Holding this in your hands, oozes quality and style.It has weight to it. It looks great. It does what it supposed to do.I just love the meter. The valve light is dim, not really noticeable unless quite dark.I have 8ohm impedance speakers, which should mean the amp is working less according to the information.But the amp seems to get very warm.I have set up a small PC fan to help with this as it does concern me.That said, it drives the drivers and delivers good, crisp, resonating sound. Love the retro feel and look. Love the sound.Bluetooth is easy and connects, literally, just like that, switch the amp to BT and connect your device.It does want I want it to do and does it well, so far anyway...very pleased.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good sound and a wealth of inputs

C.W. · 12 May 2024

I got it for the array of inputs and size in a limited space - have never seen such a variety of inputs on so small a device, which coincidentally were the ones I needed. It replaces a Teac multifunction CD/amp rated at 2x35W, had no idea whether the Douk could produce comparable power, it can, and drives Monitor Audio BX2s well, making CDs sound better than they did with the Teac. It has only one physical flaw - why couldn't they put the flash drive socket on the front? The case is metal. The remote apparently doesn't have a one-for-all code - I reached out to them and checked. If you want to use a different remote you need one with a learning function. The remote is small but I've seen worse - at least it has proper buttons. One other rather important caveat: the electronics of class D amplifiers operate at frequencies that interfere with nearby analogue signals in cables. When the Douk is switched on, I get visible artefacts in a TV picture coming in via an RCA composite video cable (phono lead), and this is not avoided by trying a high quality co-axial RCA. No interference with nearby digital signals of course: digi-coaxial, optical and HDMI are all clean, as is antenna digital TV and Bluetooth.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic quality in a small package

C. · 18 October 2024

I bought this amp based on its quirky appeal and the previous reviews. It has not disappointed! Fantastic quality in a tiny package, I can hear my music again after struggling with a 44 year old JVC amp. Really easy to set up, had to buy banana plugs but that was a minor point. Already had the AAA batteries needed for the remote, and now I can sit and marvel at this cute machine delivering power to my 100w Monitor Audio speakers. Sublime! Wish I’d invested in one before.I haven’t tried the Bluetooth connectivity yet, but pleased that it has that so I can play the music off my iPhone. I was drawn to the quirky looks and the usb slot aswell as allowing connection to my CD player.Previous reviews comment on the valves -these were relatively easy to attach once I’d ensured that each of the prongs were straight. I’m too much of a chicken to test whether having them or not makes a difference, as I’m so pleased to getting my sounds back that I don’t want to rock the boat.Instructions for connection were excellent.