I'm curious to know more! It's all just an analog audio signal in the end, I'd think that so long as there is no clipping/distortion during recording or playback, it should accurately reproduce it, other than whatever minor coloring the extra ADC/DAC step adds.
Whenever Paul explains it to someone, he always uses the analogy of making cookies (i know it sounds strange, but bear with me). The core ingredients for every chocolate chip cookie recipe is fundamentally the same - flour, sugar, chocolate chips, etc. But, the proportion of ingredients you use, in what order you add them, the temperature you bake them at and for how long you bake them can all make a HUGE difference in the final result.
So in the case of SmartVektor, the core ingredients are pretty common - using amps, filters, etc. to add bass & treble. BUT, the types of filters used, the order in which they're placed in the circuitry, the characteristics of the amps employed, and the way in which the power is delivered are just a few of variables that make SmartVektor sound as it does.
When it comes to playback of a track recorded through the ZO, the most significant factor that affects the reproduced sound is the type of power used and how it's delivered. We've built prototypes using a wide variety of different amps, and each one sounds noticeably different. One of the reasons why is due to the amp's current drive capability. Good bass reproduction needs lots of current (see
http://digizoid.com/blog/zo-showdown-which-has-best-bass/ ). The damping factor (which is a function of the amp's output impedance), also has an impact. Not to mention many other variables like the process technology of the amp (whether it's CMOS or Bipolar), its slew rate... and I could go on and on. So long story short, the amplifier in the Smartphone or computer used for playback will make a big difference. The impact won't be there. This is also why we decided not to put sound clips on our website like we have in the past - because they may not have always given people the right impression. Now I'm not entirely sure of that, but that was just our general feeling based on some feedback we received. Who knows, maybe it did more good than bad...