[Kieran Comito]

I'm trying to decide between these two amps. I have Audio Technica A 1000s on the way and will also get the Sony CD 3000 in the near future. These are both low impendence phones, right? I currently own the MG Head OTL and the Sugden Headmaster for amps. I'm pretty sure neither of these are a good match for the two headphones I have on the way. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Actually... I heard the microZotl goes well with the CD3000's.

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by TimSchirmer Actually... I heard the microZotl goes well with the CD3000's.

And so does the Earmax Pro.

 

[puppyslugg]

Quote:

Originally posted by joelongwood And so does the Earmax Pro.

That was really helpful, joelongwood.

 

[Hirsch]

I don't have enough time with the Earmax Pro to really compare it to the ZOTL. I can, however, recommend the ZOTL without reservation.

 

[Gopher]

totally off the topic:

out of curiosity joelongwood; do you teach at SWR or as your alias implies 'the lions den'?

 

[Xtop_sg]

I have to agree with Hirsch about the zotl

My Red zotl has arrived recently and I am in the process of "cooking" it. Pretty good for initial take but I'll put together my impressions of the zotl after the Christmas break...
[size=small]MERRY[/size] [size=small]CHRIST[/size][size=small]MAS[/size], e v e r y o n e

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by Gopher totally off the topic: out of curiosity joelongwood; do you teach at SWR or as your alias implies 'the lions den'?

The "lion's den".......but I live in SWR. How about you?

 

[joelongwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by puppyslugg That was really helpful, joelongwood.

I aim to please.

Seriously, though, of all the amps I have, the Earmax Pro pairs up incredibly well with the CD3000s. The sound is, to my ears, just about perfectly balanced, without the brightness that the CD3000s exhibit with other amps. I haven't had the pleasure of trying the Zotl, though.
I hope this has been even more helpful.

 

[Matt]

...an EarMax Pro with ATH-W100's and it was really nice. Better, to my ears, than the RS-1/RA-1 combo (more detailed, more musical, etc.) But even that comment requires qualification: they are fickle, depending on the type of music you like (I am assuming here that the W1000's are at least vaguely similar to the W100's). The EMP/ATH combo was a bit "slow" and hard-driving music with intense dynamics simply was not rendered well. It was relatively compressed in dynamics and transients were slow enough to be annoying and, frankly, unmusical.

However, the soundstaging was great...that is, until I heard Stax.

Can't vouch for the CD-3000's, but I heard them at the WOH Tour and, to me, they were nothing special. At all. Can anyone offer any insight on this? I know some people have been calling for the discounting of all reviews of tube gear from that tour...perhaps the CD-3000's weren't on that great of an amp...I am thinking they were hooked up to a HeadRoom product, one of the mid-end ones...isn't that right?


Regards,
Matt

 

[dave-the-rave]

As a former owner of W100's, I found that they just didn't rock, period, and that was with a Creek OBH-11. Soundstaging and musical timbre were amazing, but they couldn't keep up with the Allman Brothers at Fillmore East.

I listened to the EMP/Sony 3000 combo at the recent NYC area meet and was quite taken with it; both pieces are on my "Next" list. To my ear, the 3000's kind of split the difference between Senn 580 and Grado 325. I'd call them closer to the Senns, but with a livelier (but not at all grating) high end.

As JoeLongwood told me there, everything sounds good through the EMP. I agree; the EMP is like a wide tap through which the music smoothly flows. And unlike the RKV, the EMP doesn't impose its own signature on the music. The RKV says, "Look at me... I'm big, deep and impressive." The EMP says, "Here's your music."

BTW, my experience at the Headroom exhibit at the 2001 Hi-Fi show in NYC (similar to the WOH Tour), was that the set-up made it very hard to hear the differences between amps.

Just my $.02.

 

[Gopher]

I was a Ward Melville student...

Remebering my days on the wrestling team, I think I'm supposed to hate you.

 

[markl]

Quote:

the EMP doesn't impose its own signature on the music

Wow, I disagree with this. I found the EMP to be very lush and by far the most "tubey" headamp I've heard, and definitely "colored" but pleasantly so. the ZOTL on the other hand, was much closer to neutral to my ears.

Mark

 

[joelongwood]

I tend to agree with you there, mark. The EMP is definitely "tubey" in its sound, much more so than the MG Head. I think that what dave-the-rave may have meant (and feel free to correct me dave) was that the RKV has a very powerful sound.....huge soundstage with a lot of breathing room to strut its stuff, whereas the little EMP is just "there", allowing the music to shine through, without drawing attention to itself, aside from its tubey smoothness.
I'm anxious for my RKV to get here so I can do a more thorough side by side.

 

[dave-the-rave]

Nicely said, Joe. And MarkL's comment re: the Zotl is consistent with everything I've ever heard about it, that is, its essential neutrality.