[Sniperpr5]

I got in some Sophia 6SL7 and polished the bases... I really like this tube so far.

 

[RedBull]

Awesome tube for an awesome amp!
Welcome to the family.

 

[Sniperpr5]

I now also have a RCA 5691 Red base and a Sylvania VT-229... so far I like the Sophia the most.

Trying to get ahold of a Phillips 6SL7WGT green letter and a Mullard

 

[B1ll]

I have a spare 1950 phillips miniwatt brown base if you’re interested, best sounding tube for the amp, and the rarest.

 

[Sniperpr5]

So it looks like the ZDS is being retired. Sad

 

[B1ll]

This is a true end game amp. I’ve lived with it for about a year now and I don’t think I’ll ever upgrade. It’s too good.

 

[Sniperpr5]

Yea I thoroughly enjoy the ZDS... I feel no need to upgrade there either.

 

[Dubstep Girl]

this was one of the more interesting amps i owned, very transparent and open, but also quite bright, though in a tubey way, very very unforgiving of poor recordings, though could go deep into a recording and had crazy fast transients, resolution, and detail, an acquired taste, and not for all music or headphones, limited in that sense, but world class within its scope. i much preferred it to the more expensive 300b eddie current ba too

 

[B1ll]

this was one of the more interesting amps i owned, very transparent and open, but also quite bright, though in a tubey way, very very unforgiving of poor recordings, though could go deep into a recording and had crazy fast transients, resolution, and detail, an acquired taste, and not for all music or headphones, limited in that sense, but world class within its scope. i much preferred it to the more expensive 300b eddie current ba too

Paired with the Auteur, it is an amazing reference level rig. Dynamics are unbeatable, and only much more expensive electrostatics and their equipment provided better fidelity. But at those price points (WA33, etc) you might as well get an amazing 2ch system.

 

[mysticstryk]

So it looks like the ZDS is being retired. Sad

Yep, once the current run sells out, that's it.
http://eddiecurrent.com/zana-deux/

 

[Liu Junyuan]

this was one of the more interesting amps i owned, very transparent and open, but also quite bright, though in a tubey way, very very unforgiving of poor recordings, though could go deep into a recording and had crazy fast transients, resolution, and detail, an acquired taste, and not for all music or headphones, limited in that sense, but world class within its scope. i much preferred it to the more expensive 300b eddie current ba too

As a 2.5 year owner of the ZDS, I agree with your assessment. Concerning the last part, I am curious why you preferred it to the Balancing Act, which I would have thought supersedes the ZDS in many ways.

 

[sheldaze]

As a 2.5 year owner of the ZDS, I agree with your assessment. Concerning the last part, I am curious why you preferred it to the Balancing Act, which I would have thought supersedes the ZDS in many ways.

I know the question wasn't directed at me. But I do not prefer the BA universally to the ZDS. Most headphones, I would say BA is an upgrade. However I much prefer ZDS > Utopia.

I have used BA > Utopia during listening tests - say, trying to compare DACs where resolution was a must. But then I happily return to my ZDS. If I were to pick one aspect of the sound, I would say the BA is too calming. I need just a little clam, to make the Utopia listenable. But then I prefer the chain to get out of the way, and let Utopia play dynamically, and fast. I lose something each time I connect Utopia to BA. I use the same driver tube on ZDS and BA. I have not done a lot of experiments with the 300B (using JJ), so perhaps the tube is to blame.

 

[B1ll]

The SE design of ZDS powers massive 300ohm headphones like the HD800, ZMF, etc, extremely well, better than anything I've heard at AXPONA, which is virtually the entire market sans more expensive EC amps. I'll have to pay attention to the next Chicagoland meet, I'm sure other people have found great solutions for dynamics that I've not gotten ears on.

 

[mysticstryk]

The SE design of ZDS powers massive 300ohm headphones like the HD800, ZMF, etc, extremely well, better than anything I've heard at AXPONA, which is virtually the entire market sans more expensive EC amps. I'll have to pay attention to the next Chicagoland meet, I'm sure other people have found great solutions for dynamics that I've not gotten ears on.

Try and hear a DNA Stratus sometime if you can. An exceptional amp that trades blows with the ZDS.

 

[B1ll]

Try and hear a DNA Stratus sometime if you can. An exceptional amp that trades blows with the ZDS.

This was the other front runner when I was looking at tube amps. I went with EC having not heard either amp at the time, based on reviews, and after hearing DNA at AXPONA, while it sounded great, it wasn’t as great.