Review: ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp

[Penchum]

Originally Posted by cafe zeenuts

I also brought a ZERO from Lawrence on Saturday, I'm looking foward to listening to it. I wasnt planning to buy this but i have manage to cooked my ibasso D1 while upgrading blackgates caps to the board. So i needed something to replace it.

Sorry to hear about your D1. I think you'll like the Zero. It is making new friends daily!

[Fremen]

Originally Posted by Penchum

Sorry to hear about your D1. I think you'll like the Zero. It is making new friends daily!

Hi there,
I hope I will like mine: I just ordered it today
ZERO will have another friend ! (Lawrence is going to love this forum ...)

Thank you Penchum for starting this thread. You did a great job!
I'm a complete newbye in this field.
I have a PC with coaxial output, a HD280 pro and I think I just found today the missing link between them
I am still reading this thread (p22 now) but I couldn't wait any longer to say how excited I am!
Just have to wait now ...

[IceClass]

Originally Posted by Fremen

Thank you Penchum for starting this thread.

Yeah, I'll second that; nice one Penchum. Thumbs up, mate.

I've just finished an intensive listen to Groove Armada's Goodbye Country CD and I'm getting some lovely extra depth and texture to the Bass and anyone who knows this CD knows it's got some seriously deep sounds going on.

I'm wondering if a tiny touch of harshness I'm hearing in the otherwise nicely detailed highs is perhaps the zero revealing the limits of my CD player or maybe it's something an opamp might help. ??


So far, my only criticism is that after switching off the power the selected input resets itself to the optical input and I'm currently using the coaxial.
It just means that I keep starting my listening sessions with a three second bewildering panic as the vu meters pulse and no sound is forthcoming...followed by the inevitable and increasingly annoying realization... *doh*.

On first listen, I didn't care too much for the headphone amplifier section.
With my K701s it all just came across as too harsh, forward and generally over solid state sounding but I switched back and forth with my ATH-A700s and gave it some time and have come to appreciate it.
I think that my initial reaction may have more to do with switching from the Firestone Cute Beyond which I run through the Tube Head preamp which give everything a slight warm and furry touch to everything.
So, far I'm digging Me'Shell Ndegeocello's Cookie:Anthropological Mixtapes and Chris Whitley's Living with the Law.
The amp section handles itself nicely and it'll be interesting to see if it shifts in sound at all over time.
I still greatly prefer my Firestone amp to the zero's but the zero's is by no means a slouch and I intend to give it further listening. By now I'm even enjoying it with my K701s.

It is however too bad it doesn't allow for use of the RCA out and headphone amp use at the same time. I didn't realize you couldn't until I tried to jack a friend into the Zero while I listened through the Firestone Kit.

[fault151]

I tell you what, Lawrence must have made some serious cash from the zero dac and fair play to him! Id like to know how many people in total have ordered or already have the dac? It must be 20+ at least!

[Penchum]

Originally Posted by IceClass

Yeah, I'll second that; nice one Penchum. Thumbs up, mate.

I've just finished an intensive listen to Groove Armada's Goodbye Country CD and I'm getting some lovely extra depth and texture to the Bass and anyone who knows this CD knows it's got some seriously deep sounds going on.

I'm wondering if a tiny touch of harshness I'm hearing in the otherwise nicely detailed highs is perhaps the zero revealing the limits of my CD player or maybe it's something an opamp might help. ??


So far, my only criticism is that after switching off the power the selected input resets itself to the optical input and I'm currently using the coaxial.
It just means that I keep starting my listening sessions with a three second bewildering panic as the vu meters pulse and no sound is forthcoming...followed by the inevitable and increasingly annoying realization... *doh*.

On first listen, I didn't care too much for the headphone amplifier section.
With my K701s it all just came across as too harsh, forward and generally over solid state sounding but I switched back and forth with my ATH-A700s and gave it some time and have come to appreciate it.
I think that my initial reaction may have more to do with switching from the Firestone Cute Beyond which I run through the Tube Head preamp which give everything a slight warm and furry touch to everything.
So, far I'm digging Me'Shell Ndegeocello's Cookie:Anthropological Mixtapes and Chris Whitley's Living with the Law.
The amp section handles itself nicely and it'll be interesting to see if it shifts in sound at all over time.
I still greatly prefer my Firestone amp to the zero's but the zero's is by no means a slouch and I intend to give it further listening. By now I'm even enjoying it with my K701s.

It is however too bad it doesn't allow for use of the RCA out and headphone amp use at the same time. I didn't realize you couldn't until I tried to jack a friend into the Zero while I listened through the Firestone Kit.

Hi!
I don't know if you made through the entire thread, but the Zero will change a lot during the first 100hrs. Any roughness will clear up and the bass will become more detailed. I've "matured" two of these Zeros and both matured the same way, so it is a real change you can count on. If the DAC out sounds pretty good, then I would suggest leaving the Zero on, with phones plugged in and running while you sleep, work, etc... and clock some additional hours this way. At the end, the headphone amp will sound very, very nice!!
Keep letting us know how things progress!!

[Penchum]

Originally Posted by fault151

I tell you what, Lawrence must have made some serious cash from the zero dac and fair play to him! Id like to know how many people in total have ordered or already have the dac? It must be 20+ at least!

I'm pretty sure it is close to the 50 mark. Great audio at a bargain price may be something new, but I hope we find more bargains like it!

[fault151]

Originally Posted by Penchum

I'm pretty sure it is close to the 50 mark. Great audio at a bargain price may be something new, but I hope we find more bargains like it!

I hope so too! I just want to know why other companies can;t do the same, why do they have to charge such a huge amount. I know they put alot of time in to research and testing, but some of the gear is ridiculous in price!

Im still waiting on mine. Cant wait to hear it.

[ilgello]

Is there anyone that did some comparisons with higher dacs?

[bada bing]

Very nice and informative thread, thanks a bunch for the effort.

I'm waiting on my zero - paid for it on 12-28 so it shouldn't be too long till delivery. I'm looking forward to getting it settled and then rolling through my chip collection. There will probably be a question or two and maybe some observations from me in the weeks to come.

thanks again for the efforts and keep it up

[Penchum]

Originally Posted by ilgello

Is there anyone that did some comparisons with higher dacs?

Well, directly, I have against my Hi-Res Entech 205.2 and the Zero won easy.
There should be more very soon from other folks.

[Penchum]

After 3 hours of comparing Opamps in the Zero, keeping in mind I wanted to use the OPA627's on the main board (it sounds great RCA out to my amp), I started swapping everything I have into the headphone board, looking for a great sounding pair. It turns out the LT1364's in the headphone board really sounds excellent. Also, keep in mind, this was using my HD-650s.

I additionally verified the quality of sound coming out of the DAC by running it to my MKIVse tube headphone amp, to see how that was going to sound! I haven't taken my HD-650s off of my head yet!! It sounds great!

So, we have our first Combo that works well with HD-650s and pre-amp duties!

[fault151]

Wahoo my parcel has arrived in England! Parcel force thought it got lost so im pretty pleased it hasn't!

[IceClass]

I've got a weird one for you fellahs. I started listening to my Sansui SS-100s through the Zero last night and it's the best I've ever heard the SS100s sounding...ever!
I switched back and forth between my Zero and the Firestone kit and the Zero wins hands down. Waaay more headroom, soundstage and heaps of really good deep bass. Frankly they sound pretty crap on the Firestone kit. I have to crank the volume to high hell to get anything out of them and it's a bit thin and compressed sounding with snare drums sounding like cardboard boxes *thwap*. But plug them into the Zero and they suddenly open right up.
Awesome! Prior to this fortuitous discovery I'd mainly kept the Sansuis for chamber music (they do crazy things to harpsichords) but I'm now listening to Groove Armada and seriously digging it.
This is not the case for my dynamics however.
While my K701s and ATH-A700s sound great on the Zero in their own distinctive ways they are outclassed by the Firestone rig.
Anyone have any theories?

Either way, I'm happy; I just got new sounds and new uses for my treasured SS100s.

[dsmudger]

Originally Posted by fault151

Wahoo my parcel has arrived in England! Parcel force thought it got lost so im pretty pleased it hasn't!

Yep must've been the same delay - got mine just now/got it sitting under the desk at work - just counting the minutes 'til home-time now

(wow am I glad that's over - was absolute torture waiting since Dec. 8th! )

[Fremen]

Originally Posted by Penchum

After 3 hours of comparing Opamps in the Zero, keeping in mind I wanted to use the OPA627's on the main board (it sounds great RCA out to my amp), I started swapping everything I have into the headphone board, looking for a great sounding pair. It turns out the LT1364's in the headphone board really sounds excellent. Also, keep in mind, this was using my HD-650s.

Did you compare the stock opa2604, the LM4562 et the OPA627's with your HD280pro? As it is the only decent headphone I have (don't laugh ), I was wondering if the differences between those OP's you noticed with your HD-650s where also the same with the HD280pro.
I already have some LM4562's to try but I was wondering about getting some OPA627's before my Zero arrive. I would be glad to have your opinion.