I have posted just now in the MrSpeakers Voce thread about the Z10e but would like to say more here. I apologise for this being quite a lot, but the Berning/LTA amplifiers are no ordinary product.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mr-...headphone-thread.887301/page-12#post-15414113
The Z10e is a valve (tube) amplifier as far as the audio amplifying devices are concerned. However it does not produce a lot of heat, and is not large and heavy. It drives the Voce ES easily with very good musical results. I have used many very good ES amps and the Z10e competes with all that I have used including the Blue Hawaii and Grounded Grid.
The amp has plenty of power. The attenuator has 100 steps. Using the balanced input sufficient volume on the Voce was achieved at around 10 on the volume setting with say, 20 used sometimes.
I have previously used the Stax L700, SR-007 and 009 and expect the Z10e would drive these easily.
Using a sensitive dynamic such as the A-T W3000ANV only a few steps on the LO output are needed.
From previous experience with LCD2 I would expect that it would have no trouble with a planar of this level of efficiency on the LO or HI outputs.
As it has plenty of power for loudspeakers, I expect it would drive the power hungry planars well, but am not able to personally confirm this.
The great delight to me was discovering how well music sounds from my speakers. (Zingali Overture 2, part horn loaded and 91dB efficient.) I have very good 20W class A SS and KT150 SETs for the speakers but the smaller, cooler Z10e has a special charm of its own. The music is attractive and totally without listening fatigue.
It is possible that some enthusiasts who look at the LTA may think that it is just another valve amplifier. This is not the case; this amplifier is built around David Berning designs, and the power amplifier utilises Berning’s patented Zero hysteresis output transformerless technology (ZOTL) which eliminates the output transformer used in almost all valve power amplifiers.
Generally we have not heard a valve amplifier driving a loudspeaker – because they can’t. We have heard a valve amplifier
connected to a loudspeaker by a transformer. This is a big distinction. A transformer was a necessary choice when no other technology existed but the transformer is far from ideal for this task. Berning’s impedance converter uses modern electronic techniques and devices to more efficiently couple the tubes to the loudspeaker load. It eliminates magnetic hysteresis of the iron based transformer, it achieves a higher turns ratio so the valve runs in a preferred way at a high voltage and low current.
What gains does this technical solution bring to the performance? The amplifier has a fast response and a flatter more extended frequency response. The output impedance is lower and the damping factor better. The valves are running at lower current and run cooler for longer life. The size and weight is also much less than the OP transformer alternative.
Listening to it driving my loudspeakers I just enjoy the music but can’t help feeling this is what a tube amplifier is supposed to sound like.