[abhishekSPS]

 

  Well, while you had it, how did the ZDS compare to the AGD Master 11?
 

As for the amp itself. ZDS drives 800 and 900 better than M11 while M11 drive HE1000 better.

I would really appreciate if you could elaborate a bit the differences between the amp section of Master 11 and ZDS for HD800 especially.

 

[bazelio]

Hi folks!  A soon to be new member of the ZDS club here.  I put a deposit on a new ZDS a couple weeks ago and am expecting delivery before Christmas (fingers crossed).  I had a short audition already and was immediately smitten with the modern neutral tube sound.  I had to get the all-black version due to unavailability of the standard face plates.  Any feedback on how much sound improvement I should expect with black facias?    Well, it was either that or wait until next year some time, and I'm impatient.  So black it is!!  Weeeee.......
 
PS. I pre-emptively chose a new forum avatar.  

 

[jzono1]

 
There's something about this amp.
 
That intangible "better" thing that I felt like my speakers did that my T1s couldn't match when powered by a Mjolnir... the ZDSE has it. What makes me forget everything else and lean back and enjoy, when I'm in the right mood. 

 
 
Can't wait to hear what happens when I move beyond a silly excuse of a soundcard. Not sure what more I could ask for in a headphone amp. 

 

[bazelio]

 

 
There's something about this amp.
 
That intangible "better" thing that I felt like my speakers did that my T1s couldn't match when powered by a Mjolnir... the ZDSE has it. What makes me forget everything else and lean back and enjoy, when I'm in the right mood. 

 
 
Can't wait to hear what happens when I move beyond a silly excuse of a soundcard. Not sure what more I could ask for in a headphone amp. 

 
 
JCAT?  My next project involves a JCAT, personally.  

 

[bazelio]

Well I just heard some good news.... Zana Claus is coming to town any day now!!!

 

[jzono1]

I don't believe in "better" usb output for audio, it'll always be a compromised way of doing digital audio - and anything done to fix that is usually best done by a well-designed usb input on a dac (or soundcard, for that matter.) The JCAT isn't something I'd even consider. No matter what you throw at it, usb is fundamentally terrible for audio. 
 
I'd look carefully at serious pcie soundcards with good digital outputs before throwing 397.00 € at an usb card. Can get an ESI Juli@ XTe for half that. (I miss my old pci Juli@.)
 
Personally I'm aiming for a Lynx Hilo, with thunderbolt input. But then I'm weird, and I need something with a high quality input, a mixer and more than one pair of outputs.

 

[bazelio]

  I don't believe in "better" usb output for audio, it'll always be a compromised way of doing digital audio - and anything done to fix that is usually best done by a well-designed usb input on a dac (or soundcard, for that matter.) The JCAT isn't something I'd even consider. No matter what you throw at it, usb is fundamentally terrible for audio. 
 
I'd look carefully at serious pcie soundcards with good digital outputs before throwing 397.00 € at an usb card. Can get an ESI Juli@ XTe for half that. (I miss my old pci Juli@.)
 
Personally I'm aiming for a Lynx Hilo, with thunderbolt input. But then I'm weird, and I need something with a high quality input, a mixer and more than one pair of outputs.

 
 
Well I don't agree, or should I say that my ears don't agree.  USB is much less flawed without power and data running in parallel, and one of the advantages of a card like the JCAT is that you can totally disable bus power.  So for (good) USB DACs which don't rely on bus power, this does make a difference.  I recently heard JCAT and SoTM side by side, and could even hear a difference between those.  If I were to try quantifying it, then I would estimate the stock USB port on my Macbook Pro gets about 75% of the way there and then maybe only a 5% difference between those two.  So at that point, yes, kind of small.

 

[bazelio]

Pics or it didn't happen, right?
 
I'll keep this short and sweet for now.  I unboxed this beauty just 30 minutes back, and immediately went to Tidal and dialed up a live performance by my favorite artist of all time.  Within 90 seconds ... quite simply, I was moved to tears.  Right now I'm just having difficulty describing what I'm hearing through this amp.  
 

 

[TomNC]

It looks great! Congratulations. What headphones are you using? Looking forward to more of your impressions.

 

[bazelio]

  It looks great! Congratulations. What headphones are you using? Looking forward to more of your impressions.

 
 
10 year old HD600s, sadly.  That'll change soon
 
This NOS R2R + ZDS combo....  Simply, wow.

 

[TomNC]

HD600 is great. I heard one ZDS owner say that the amp sounds somewhat dry when driving HD800. How about imaging? Do you think it is pinpoint precise with ZDS and HD600? I also have this amp on my search for purchase list. Imaging, compatibility with HD800 and power for HE6 are among things I am looking at.

 

[bazelio]

I'm strongly considering the HD800S as an upgrade, next month when it's released.  The HD650 I have heard too, and it is definitely step up from my HD600, but maybe not enough of a step.  Although if I didn't already have the 600, I'd definitely chose the 650 as a new purchase.
 
ZDS: This is a modern neutral/accurate tube sound, not a warmer vintage sound.  It's tight and controlled.  Imaging is precise without being analytical.  The presentation is spacious and layered.  You hear the harmonic subtleties of the instruments and room acoustics.  Truth of timber is an understatement.  A lot of this is also owed to the DAC I'm using as well, and the pairing of the Mojo Audio Mystique V2 with the Zana Deux S is simply fantastic.  If you're ever looking at DACs in the neighborhood of Yggy, I strongly suggest the Mystique as an alternative having now heard both.  I'm thinking I might not get to sleep tonight....  I can't stop listening.  I didn't know my HD600 phones were capable of this, after all this time with them.
 

 

[TomNC]

Good to hear ZDS' imaging capability. Yes. HD600/650 scale well with better DAC/amp. And also consider some mods for your HD600 if you have not done. I am happy with my HD650 with mods. Both good DAC/amp and mods open up the HD600/650 amazingly.

 

[bazelio]

  Good to hear ZDS' imaging capability. Yes. HD600/650 scale well with better DAC/amp. And also consider some mods for your HD600 if you have not done. I am happy with my HD650 with mods. Both good DAC/amp and mods open up the HD600/650 amazingly.

 
 
 
I should look in to that.  I've never done any mods.

 

[BournePerfect]

Not sure how the new ZDS is, but the old ZDSE took about 150 hours to really sing. Was kinda "meh for the price" OUT OF THE BOX, but came into it's own and became my favorite amp after proper burn in. If the ZDS is similar in that regard-you haven't heard anything yet.
 
-Daniel