Review: ZERO 24 BIT/192KHz DAC/Headphone Amp/Pre-Amp - Page 65

Heheheee! I knew that was coming! Well, I'll tell you what I have observed and maybe that will be ok. I have several old plastic based optical cables floating around here. I also have a couple of newer "Python" plastic optical cables around here. The older ones I have already tossed into the trash, and I'm keeping the Pythons as a back up. What I noticed was a difference in the brightness of the light between cables. It made me curious, so I checked all the cables I have. The older ones were pretty dim. The Pythons were better, but not bright. The ones that came with the Zero were much brighter than the Pythons, but shorter length.

After just observing for a while, I decided to look around and see what other's thought about the real glass optical cables. Big mistake. Bla,Bla spend a thousand Dollars, Bla,Bla. Then I was told by a trusted HeadFi'er that the Glass Optical Cables on eBay, for much less than the Bla, Bla, were indeed worth the money, due to better cable, better connectors and overall construction and appearance. This sold me on the idea, because they weren't making claims about sonic this and that, they were commenting on the USE and construction of the cable.

When mine came in, the first thing I did was compare the actual cable build to the others I have. Much better construction and looks. Made to last. Then I compared the brightness of the light and the new glass ones are so much brighter than any of my others! That may not mean any kind of improvement musically, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that the brighter signal is better, looking from a "transport" point of view. I ordered three of the new glass optical cables, two are 6 feet and one is 3 feet in length. When I compare the new six foot cable to the new three foot cable, the brightness is the same, so it appears the "transport" of the signal is not degraded easily by length, with the glass instead of plastic. The other thing noticed was the actual connectors, when they "click" in place. The old ones, even though not frequently used, did not connect as solid as the new glass ones.

All these observations combined makes me feel that the $80 I spent was worth it. They should last indefinitely, and I will not have to worry about plastic becoming less clear with age. The advertisement for the glass ones on ebay pretty much sums up the advantages I have seen. The two six footer's are going to be connected all the time, and the three footer is for hooking up portable optical things, like my Sony PCDP. One thing is for sure. Spending $80 is much better than $1000 for the same known advantages!

Sorry if I went on a bit.

They sound wonderful.

Too soon to tell any musical advantages (if any exist). I have tried coaxial from my computer to the Zero. I have a pretty decent coaxial cable, that cost me about the same amount as the glass one I just bought, a few years ago. It works just fine. Here in my home office, the big worry is interference from other devices. I have too much Vintage solid state crammed in here, plus computers and other devices. Optical eliminates interference worries completely, so logic dictated its use here. If I hear any advantages to the music, I'll let you know.

Ok, you must have it all hooked up by now! How is it coming along???

I put my spare LT1364 in my MK1. WOW! What a nice change! That is one nice Opamp for sure! Do you suppose LT would give me more if I requested it? Also, it makes me want to try the LT1469 in there too!

Ya, I think I'm going to. No more pop at power up than the LM4562 had. Seems the same.

So, tell us about your Zero! Tell us about your Zero! Tell us about your Zero!

:e ek:

I agree 100%

Mine took the full 100hrs to really mature to a "stable" plateau. The changes were NOT subtle. Run the heck out of them, then do critical listening.