In this article
Updated September 18, 2026. Written by Chaos Audio, maker of Stratus.
Stratus combines NAM captures with effects you can create for the music you play. Up to three A2-Lite blocks can run in one preset, alongside other effects as CPU allows, and FX Builder 2.0 gives you a way to refine a particular delay, modulation, or texture. Dimehead takes a different approach, pairing dual A1/A2-Full playback with physical controls and stage connections. The model count is only one part of that choice.
For example, arrange pedal captures before an amp capture, then create a delay or texture that responds the way you want. Stratus saves the result as a preset, with the entire chain sharing the available CPU. Dimehead’s physical controls and separate output paths serve a different set of rig requirements.
What changed for Stratus
With the latest Chaos Audio app and Stratus firmware 1.0.100, you can run up to three NAM A2-Lite blocks simultaneously in one preset. Each NAM block uses roughly half the CPU it used before this update; every other effect in that chain still shares the processing budget. The same release brings FX Builder 2.0 to the iOS and Android app, alongside the released web builder.
Read the full Stratus and mobile FX Builder 2.0 release notes.
Side by side
| Feature | Chaos Audio Stratus | Dimehead NAM Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299; power supply sold separately | €535.50 including 19% VAT on the checked sale page (regular €595); listed non-EU checkout price €450; shipping/tax treatment varies |
| NAM and amp sounds | Native NAM A2-Lite; up to three simultaneous NAM blocks with firmware 1.0.100 and the latest app; total chain CPU still applies | Two simultaneous NAM models; NAM A1 and A2-Full supported |
| Effects and routing | 19 free effects covering all effect categories; reorder the chain and add custom FX Builder 2.0 effects within the CPU budget | Gate, EQ, cabinet IRs, convolution reverb, and additional effects including delay and tremolo |
| Creating effects | FX Builder 2.0 generates editable FAUST effects from a description; 30 free AI builds every month | Load compatible captures/IRs and adjust the supplied processing |
| Finding and loading sounds | Chaos Audio app for iOS/Android; install any of TONE3000’s 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures or your own supported uploads over Bluetooth | Transfer models, IRs, and firmware using a USB flash drive |
| Live controls | Multiknob and footswitch; 14 directly accessible presets, up to 128 through MIDI; app editing | Physical knobs, four footswitches, display, and 128 presets |
| Looping | Built-in five-minute looper with overdubbing | No phrase looper advertised in the cited product specifications |
| Audio connections | Mono 1/4-inch input and output; no headphone output, stereo audio, or effects loop | Instrument input, line output/switchable effects loop, XLR output, and headphones |
| Computer and MIDI | USB-MIDI; a USB host is needed with conventional MIDI controllers; USB-C is not a recording audio interface | MIDI control; USB flash-drive file workflow |
| Power | 9V DC, center-negative, at least 400mA; compatible USB-C power is another option | 8–24V operation, maximum 4.5W; maker specifies a 9V center-negative supply rated at least 500mA |
| Size and weight | 5.5 × 3.125 × 2.125 inches; 11.6oz | 188 × 120 × 56mm; 0.9kg |
Full and Lite are processing choices
A2 models contain both Full and Lite modes. Dimehead uses Full mode for dual-model playback; Stratus uses Lite mode to run up to three NAM blocks alongside other effects. All 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000 have been retrained to A2 and work on Stratus. Capture settings, cabinet treatment, and the surrounding chain still shape the finished sound.
Dimehead’s output arrangement is useful for a conventional live rig. Its documentation describes sending a cabinet-treated signal through XLR while using a different line-output path for onstage equipment. Stratus has one mono output, so comparable routing requires external equipment. Dimehead also includes effects; describing it as an amp-only box would undersell its actual feature set.
Dimehead quotes under-one-millisecond operation on its current overview. Stratus lists 5.8ms. Those are manufacturer figures rather than a level-matched, identically configured test performed for this article. Dimehead’s repair offer is lifetime repairs with free service in the first two years, not an unconditional promise of free repairs forever.
Building an effect with FX Builder 2.0
Start with a musical behavior: a delay whose repeats darken and drift, with useful time, feedback, tone, and mix controls. Describe it in FX Builder 2.0, audition the result, ask for a change, and install it beside captures. Source access is available if you want to edit at that level, but the workflow does not require coding. Hear FX Builder 2.0 examples for an idea of the results; these demonstrations are software-rendered.
Generation and installation use online services. Once an effect and preset are installed, Stratus processes your instrument locally and can play without the phone or an internet connection. A generated effect is an interpretation of a prompt; it is not a promise of an exact circuit clone or an artist’s recorded sound.
Libraries, limits, and ongoing cost
Stratus is US$299 with 19 free effects covering all effect categories, 30 free AI builds every month in FX Builder 2.0, and access to all 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000. See the product page for configuration, regional pricing, and shipping estimates.
Distinguish an amp-only capture from one that already includes a cabinet before adding an IR. All 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000 work on Stratus in A2 Lite mode. Stratus’s storage and total chain CPU limits still apply. See the linked FX Builder 2.0 page for generated-code terms.
Which fits your rig?
Choose Stratus to combine captures, create a missing effect, and save the result as a preset you can recall while playing. Choose Dimehead when its Full-model support, knobs, XLR, effects loop, or headphones are central to the rig. Their model counts and manufacturer latency figures do not represent a matched hardware test.
Explore Stratus · Try FX Builder 2.0
Sources and current specifications
- Dimehead NAM Player: current price, formats, power, and repair terms
- Dimehead overview: processing, effects, routing, and manufacturer latency claims
- Chaos Audio Stratus specifications and current offer
- Chaos Audio September release: three NAM blocks and FX Builder 2.0 on mobile
- FX Builder 2.0: workflow, code rights, and installed effects
Comparison notes: product images are scaled for visibility, not to physical scale. This article compares published specifications and workflows; it is not a controlled listening test. Check current regional offers and shipping estimates before ordering.
