[zachawry]

I just auditioned the ZOTL40 power amp, and I thought I would write my impressions here in case they're of value to anyone.
 
First, my story: I am planning on buying a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1 bookshelf speakers. These are actually relatively hard to drive, with most people on the net recommending at least 100-200W of power. Therefore, though I was interested in the ZOTL40 (since I love the sound of my MZ2 so much!), I had pretty much written them off. I was in AudioVision in SF, where I'm planning on buying the C1s, and mentioned this to the guy, who said, "We've got the ZOTL40 here; why don't you take a listen?" So, I came back the next day with my portable set-up, and had a great extended listening session. 
 
My setup is an AK120II strapped to a Chord Hugo. They plugged this into a stock MZ2 with LPS, which fed the ZOTL40. They didn't have any C1's around, so I listened to a pair of C2's, which are bigger but have pretty much the same sound signature. After listening to the MZ2/ZOTL40 for about half hour, they let me switch to a Naim 200 and Naim pre-amp, a solid-state set-up. 
 
Basically, the ZOTL40 sounded a lot like the MZ2, a sound I have grown to love. It's pure and pristine to the point of being dry, almost totally transparent, with a definite sense of air. The amp just totally disappears. I felt like I could listen to that setup forever. 
 
Next, we switched to the solid-state Naim. In some objective sense, the Naim drove the speakers better. There was more speed, greater dynamics, and in general more "authority." But...I didn't like it. I mean, I would love it off the street, but I didn't like it in comparison with the ZOTL40. The sound from the Naim was definitely more dynamic, but also more "in your face," and while I felt like they actually showcased what the speakers are capable of better than the ZOTL, they didn't make the music sound as good to me. The ZOTL40 just got out of the way, while the Naim was an impressive, imposing presence. 
 
In the end, I switched back to the ZOTL40 and decided what I liked about it was a sense of delicacy. It's just a pristine, delicate sound that washes over you, as opposed to the solid-state amp, which kind of grabs you by the lapels and makes you sit the hell up. My impression was that most people would prefer the Naim. I really, really liked the ZOTL40, and came away determined to buy it. 

 

[willsw]

  I just auditioned the ZOTL40 power amp, and I thought I would write my impressions here in case they're of value to anyone.

 
I'm glad you got a chance to listen to the 40. Given that both the audio board and power board are unique Berning designs involving a lot of custom parts, the ZOTL40 is by far the most difficult product we produce. 9 out of 10 of our power boards worked on the first try yesterday. We told David and he said, Yeah, that's pretty much my rate too.
 
I'll also mention, since I've mentioned it on Audio Asylum (or Audiogon or somewhere else), that next weekend we're doing a big ZOTL40 tube shootout. We've been burning in a variety of of tubes and may decide that the Tung-sol EL34s are not the right one for the circuit, given how much a tube's individual character influences the ZOTL sound. We also have a few different 12AX7s and 12AU7s we'll try. I think the 40 with the new tube complement is going to be even better than the current iteration. We may also slip in some other things, but I won't mention them. None of this will affect the price. It's going to be a very exciting Saturday eight days from now. 
 
I just wish these low-current designs burned in faster! 

 

[zachawry]

   
I'm glad you got a chance to listen to the 40. Given that both the audio board and power board are unique Berning designs involving a lot of custom parts, the ZOTL40 is by far the most difficult product we produce. 9 out of 10 of our power boards worked on the first try yesterday. We told David and he said, Yeah, that's pretty much my rate too.
 
I'll also mention, since I've mentioned it on Audio Asylum (or Audiogon or somewhere else), that next weekend we're doing a big ZOTL40 tube shootout. We've been burning in a variety of of tubes and may decide that the Tung-sol EL34s are not the right one for the circuit, given how much a tube's individual character influences the ZOTL sound. We also have a few different 12AX7s and 12AU7s we'll try. I think the 40 with the new tube complement is going to be even better than the current iteration. We may also slip in some other things, but I won't mention them. None of this will affect the price. It's going to be a very exciting Saturday eight days from now. 
 
I just wish these low-current designs burned in faster! 

Yeah, as I mentioned to the guy at AudioVision, I have to include some tubes in the price of the amp, because no matter what I tell myself, there is no way I'm not going to experiment! (Too bad it doesn't use any of the same tubes as the MZ2!)

 

[zachawry]

 

 
Yeah, as I mentioned to the guy at AudioVision, I have to include some tubes in the price of the amp, because no matter what I tell myself, there is no way I'm not going to experiment! (Too bad it doesn't use any of the same tubes as the MZ2).
 
Let me ask a question, though: There was a hum from the ZOTL40 that I could hear with my ear 1-2 feet away (coming directly from the amp, not the speakers). Is this normal?

 

[zachawry]

sorry double post

 

[willsw]

   
Yeah, as I mentioned to the guy at AudioVision, I have to include some tubes in the price of the amp, because no matter what I tell myself, there is no way I'm not going to experiment! (Too bad it doesn't use any of the same tubes as the MZ2).
 
Let me ask a question, though: There was a hum from the ZOTL40 that I could hear with my ear 1-2 feet away (coming directly from the amp, not the speakers). Is this normal?

 
A hum directly from the amp? I have two 40s here with their covers off, and I can't hear any hum with my ear to them. I vote: not normal. And probably not good. Audiovision is kind of babysitting that amp for us, in case anyone like you came along, but maybe baby should come home. 
 
We've got a handful of premium current production and NOS tubes we're going to be running through the 40, so ideally you'll trust that we did the experimenting for you and that invisible expense can be done away with. 

 

[yukihasi]

  I just auditioned the ZOTL40 power amp, and I thought I would write my impressions here in case they're of value to anyone.
 
First, my story: I am planning on buying a pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1 bookshelf speakers. These are actually relatively hard to drive, with most people on the net recommending at least 100-200W of power. Therefore, though I was interested in the ZOTL40 (since I love the sound of my MZ2 so much!), I had pretty much written them off. I was in AudioVision in SF, where I'm planning on buying the C1s, and mentioned this to the guy, who said, "We've got the ZOTL40 here; why don't you take a listen?" So, I came back the next day with my portable set-up, and had a great extended listening session. 
 
My setup is an AK120II strapped to a Chord Hugo. They plugged this into a stock MZ2 with LPS, which fed the ZOTL40. They didn't have any C1's around, so I listened to a pair of C2's, which are bigger but have pretty much the same sound signature. After listening to the MZ2/ZOTL40 for about half hour, they let me switch to a Naim 200 and Naim pre-amp, a solid-state set-up. 
 
Basically, the ZOTL40 sounded a lot like the MZ2, a sound I have grown to love. It's pure and pristine to the point of being dry, almost totally transparent, with a definite sense of air. The amp just totally disappears. I felt like I could listen to that setup forever. 
 
Next, we switched to the solid-state Naim. In some objective sense, the Naim drove the speakers better. There was more speed, greater dynamics, and in general more "authority." But...I didn't like it. I mean, I would love it off the street, but I didn't like it in comparison with the ZOTL40. The sound from the Naim was definitely more dynamic, but also more "in your face," and while I felt like they actually showcased what the speakers are capable of better than the ZOTL, they didn't make the music sound as good to me. The ZOTL40 just got out of the way, while the Naim was an impressive, imposing presence. 
 
In the end, I switched back to the ZOTL40 and decided what I liked about it was a sense of delicacy. It's just a pristine, delicate sound that washes over you, as opposed to the solid-state amp, which kind of grabs you by the lapels and makes you sit the hell up. My impression was that most people would prefer the Naim. I really, really liked the ZOTL40, and came away determined to buy it. 

Thanks for the ZOTL40 impression, gotta love the transparent sound signature. Somewhere in the future I will start investing speakers and the easy part is I won't have to look around for amps 

 

[Maxx134]

Whats the source? Sorry of I missed this already.

I just don't recall having to go past 1 pm much if ever on the zotl. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the input level.

Im using the DAC-19. Using the same cables out from the MZ2 into the LG/LC and both of those amps seem to have enough power half way on the pot.

I am thinking why do you have multiple amps tapping off the same source..

A line level output is only about 2v, and so regardless if the other units sound fine in this configuration,

Each amp has it own input impedance so will respond differently in sensitivity,
and it seems to me like the problem is you should try the amp direct with your source without any other units tapping into it..

Edit if the other units are not tapping into the source, but are connected to amp outputs, then they are a simultaneous load on that amp.

Either way just try source and amp without any other gear connected.

 

[nephilim]

Today I got a HDPlex 100W linear power supply, replacing the SBooster PSU which replaced the stock switching PSU that came with the non-deluxe mZOTL. The HDPlex adds bass authority, detail and enhanced dynamics - definitely an improvement over the SBooster, which itself was above the SMPS. Highly recommended for those looking for a "budget" LPS ($395).

 

[Jozurr]

The AGD DAC-19 is one I've used. It sounds like your listening level is just higher than average, and the MicroZOTL2 just might not be powerful enough to make things loud enough for you. Separately from that, I'm not sure why you're equating output power with the quality of the amp, but if that's your measure, that's your measure. I can't really say anything else about it. This is why we offer (if you bought it from Urban HiFi) a 15-day return policy. 

One final, very unlikely thing, is to make sure the input switch on the front is set to the correct input. 

I just use power as an initial benchmark because I cannot appreciate an amp regardless of how good it sounds, if I cant even get it to go loud enough. Im travelling but once I get back ill try a few different combos and see if things improve.

Is it possible that something isnt functioning as intended in the amp? what would be the best way to rule that out?

 

[jamato8]

I just use power as an initial benchmark because I cannot appreciate an amp regardless of how good it sounds, if I cant even get it to go loud enough. Im travelling but once I get back ill try a few different combos and see if things improve.

Is it possible that something isnt functioning as intended in the amp? what would be the best way to rule that out?

What is the voltage output of your source to the mZ2? 

 

[willsw]

I just use power as an initial benchmark because I cannot appreciate an amp regardless of how good it sounds, if I cant even get it to go loud enough. Im travelling but once I get back ill try a few different combos and see if things improve.

Is it possible that something isnt functioning as intended in the amp? what would be the best way to rule that out?

 
We've not encountered a malfunction that affected the volume like that or the power output of both channels equally, though it could be something unlikely, like a faulty part. If you've put certain pin-compatible tubes in you may experience less power, but it seems like you just like a higher than average volume and like headphones that need a bit more power to get to that high of a volume. I'd follow the advice of making sure you only have one amp connected to your source, so you're not sharing output voltage. I think that's all the troubleshooting I can offer without having one of our techs look at the amp. 

 

[sling5s]

Just wondering if there are two versions of MicroZotl 2.0 (like a premium version). I see some selling for 1,100 (urban hifi) and most others for 1,695 (audio vision).

 

[kendavis]

  Just wondering if there are two versions of MicroZotl 2.0 (like a premium version). I see some selling for 1,100 (urban hifi) and most others for 1,695 (audio vision).

One includes their linear power supply: http://www.urbanhifi.com/collection/microzotldeluxe

 

[sling5s]

Missed that. That's what I was assuming. I'm sure it's talked about in the thread. Is the upgraded power supply worth the extra price?

  One includes their linear power supply: http://www.urbanhifi.com/collection/microzotldeluxe