The newly released Dye DSR+ is one of the hottest mid-end electronic paintball markers out right now.  For this reason, we felt it necessary to compare the Dye DSR+ versus the Shocker Amp which is a tried and true performer for those players looking for a marker in the $1000 price range.  

Purchase the Dye DSR+:

 

 

Purchase the Shocker Amp: 

 

Check out what Keegan & Joel have to say on YouTube: 

Build Quality:

Overall, both the Dye DSR+ and Shocker Amp are very well built markers.  There are a few distinct difference between the two that we would like to mention.  First, the Dye DSR+ does have a portion of the marker that is plastic while the Shocker Amp is fully aluminum construction.  The DSR+ battery housing is plastic which could possibly make the DSR+ fore grip susceptible to breaking if the marker hits the ground hard during a dive.  In the Shocker Amp, the regulator is housed in the fore grip which is fully aluminum so bending the frame is much less likely to happen upon a bad dive.  Another thing to mention between the two is that the DSR+ OLED screen has a plastic cover which was shown to crack sometimes with the Dye DSR.  The power button of the Amp OLED screen cover has also been noted to fall off sometimes so for this reason, both plastic portions of the OLED Screen have issues with build quality.  Overall, we must give build quality to the Shocker Amp due to the fact that it is all aluminum construction.  Both markers otherwise are built very well with very minimal issues in machining quality, etc. 

Features & Electronics:

The Shocker Amp brings some amazing features to the market.  Mainly, the Shocker Amp offers the ability to convert to Amp CC (classic conversion) mechanical frame with one screw.  The solenoid latch system is a feature that is only offered in the DLX Luxe TM40 and makes it extremely easy to switch between electronic solenoid and Amp mechanical valve.  The Shocker Amp also offers many different firing modes and makes it very easy to change settings such as fire mode, max rate of fire, dwell, and more.  The LED light behind the power button also makes it very easy to tell the status of the marker in the sun.  

The Dye DSR+ features definitely win over the Shocker Amp.  Although switching to the soon-to-be-released mechanical frame will be more difficult than the Shocker Amp, the DSR+ has many features that make it superior to the Shocker Amp in the electronic form.  First, the DSR+ battery exchange is tool-less.  The bottom of the fore grip features a twist knob that you turn 180 degrees to remove the fore grip and access the 9V battery housing.  The Shocker Amp requires 3 Allen screws to do the same.  The DSR+ also features the Edge2 trigger which is a unique trigger that is a 2 stage flat trigger face allowing for increased leverage and faster firing.  Another thing that makes the DSR+ unique is the Flex SFR Bolt solenoid.  The SFR of the solenoid allows players to adjust the crispness of the shot.  All the way forward (towards th + sign allows for a fast, crisp shot.  Moving the SFR knob back to the - position allows for a smoother shot.  This is not offered with the Shocker Amp. Lastly, the DSR+ features the 4th gen eye pipe system.  This eye pipe protects the eye wire harness from paint by creating a plastic barrier which never allows paint to come into direct contact with the eye.  A few shots with the flex face bolt allows the eye pipe to clear the ball break and keep the eyes clear of obstruction!

 

Upgradability:

As of the time of this blog, the Shocker Amp definitely has more upgradeable features.  Infamous and other companies offer an array of triggers to get a different feel if you're not a fan of the Amp blade style trigger.  Not only can you upgrade the Shocker Amp trigger, there are other bolt options for the Shocker Amp including the Super Stanchy Customs Amp / Luxe X Super soft tip bolt  as well as the Adrenaline F-16 bolt which are both designed to improve the shooting performance of the Amp.  Lastly, you can purchase more Freak XL inserts or an entire another barrel since the Shocker Amp is autococker barrel thread.  

The Dye DSR+ has just been released so it is hard to tell what all will be available in the future for the DSR+ like triggers, aftermarket bolts, and more.  We suspect that Dye will release aftermarket triggers such as the BWing 21 Deuce trigger that was available for the Dye DSR and Dye M3+.  The DSR+ Arc+ bolt has already been upgraded from the regular DSR including a stock flex face bolt which has one less dynamic o-ring on the bolt itself to improve reliability and arguably overall performance/shot quality.  There were other DSR aftermarket bolts including the NASA bolt from Vintage Paintball but not sure if this bolt is cross compatible or if there is any performance advantages to switching from the already great Arc+ bolt.  Lastly, we have heard from Dye themselves that we should be seeing an available ASA upgrade for the Dye DSR+ similar in design to the SLAP ASA which is arguably one of the best ASA available.

Shot Quality / Bolt System : 

Both the DSR+ and Shocker Amp have great bolt systems with awesome shot quality. The Amp core has great paint handling capabilities as well.  Multiple players of our factory team shoot the Amp at national tournaments with very few to zero ball breaks throughout an entire tournament.  

The Arc+ bolt system of the DSR+ has been refined and now offers better reliability with 1 less dynamic (seeing motion) o-ring.  The flex face bolt allows for great paint handling. 

Overall, both of these markers are known for having a wonderful shot quality, paint handling, easy maintenance, and efficient.  The Shocker Amp has been shown to be more efficient but the DSR+ has a quieter shot profile.  With that said, we have to give the DSR+ the better bolt design due to its

Kick:

Overall, both guns do not have a lot of kick.  However, we feel that the DSR+ may have less barrel rise than the Shocker Amp.

Efficiency: 

The Shocker Amp definitely wins when it comes to efficiency.  

The Amp core is highly efficient.  Here is the efficiency video of the Amp: 

That's 12 pods from the Shocker Amp while the Dye DSR+ only got around 1400 shots (1 hopper and 9 pods) on our efficiency test. The DSR+ efficiency is still good but the Shocker Amp is in a league of its own. 

Dye DSR+ Efficiency Test:

Reliability:

Both markers have been shown to be very reliable when it comes to the bolt system.  However, the DSR+ has already had some minor issues when it comes to small leaks from the HPR (regulator) in the trigger frame.  The DSR+ regulator is sensitive to the output pressure of the tank while the Shocker Amp does not have this problem.  For this reason, we have to give the reliability to the Shocker Amp by an ever so slight advantage. 

Value & Summary:

Neither of these are cheap paintball guns.  The Shocker Amp comes in at a price point of $900 for the base colors while the Dye DSR+ starts at $999.95 for base colors.  The DSR+ does offer more base colors as well as some PGA colors including the PGA Slick and PGA Blackout Bronze.  The DSR+ definitely has some of the better features compared to the Shocker Amp including the Edge2 Trigger and toolless battery removal.  While these features set the DSR+ apart, it makes the DSR+ more expensive.  The Shocker Amp currently is also more upgradeable compared to the DSR+ as there has yet to be a mechanical frame released for the DSR+.  

So which one would we take if we were you?

The Shocker Amp for a few reasons.  Overall, the Shocker Amp is cheaper, lighter, and more efficient.  It is just as reliable as the Dye DSR+ and most likely will be easier to covert to mechanical use even when the DSR+ mechanical frame is readily available.  Another thing to consider is that Freak XL inserts are only $15 extra per bore size while purchasing extra backs for the DSR+ core barrel will be $50+ for each bore size leading to an even larger separation of price between these two mid-level contenders.