[Jozurr]

Has anyone compared different 6SL7 with the HD650? If yes, what tube pairs best with the HD650?

 

[Yourmomm]

I realise this thread is not that active atm, but does anyone have any experience with the Eddie Current ZDS with the Mrspeakers Ether Flows? They don't sound great through my Woo audio WA2, but the ZDS is meant to handle lower impedance cans, than the WA2...(6 ohms, vs 25 ohms)...

I know OTL isn't the best for Ethers, but I just love the OTL sound, for everything else, and ideally, I don't want to have to get different amps, for different cans...

Thanks for your views, if you've heard this combination...

 

[sheldaze]

My ZDS does not travel much - only had experience with LCD-X, which was excellent. Though DNA amplifiers use SET (not OTL) I would say these work well with easy, low impedance planar headphones too.

 

[Yourmomm]

My ZDS does not travel much - only had experience with LCD-X, which was excellent. Though DNA amplifiers use SET (not OTL) I would say these work well with easy, low impedance planar headphones too.

Very low impedance clearly not a problem for the ZDS, then! Anyone heard the Ethers on it? I know it suits orthos better, but you would swear it couldn't play planars at all, judging by this thread!

 

[sheldaze]

I know it suits orthos better, but you would swear it couldn't play planars at all, judging by this thread!

Not knowing what you read? I saw a couple of Google-search responses:

@atomicbob in post #1708 explains the impedance of the ZDS. It is actually the SE version and I have the S version, but both have very low output impedance when run at low gain.

@songmic in post #2212 talks about some of the harder to drive planar headphones, such as the HE1K. I personally tried the LCD-4, and found the output just acceptable. It is not good for headphones that requires lots of current to drive.

But for easy, low impedance planar, you should have no issue.

 

[ericfarrell85]

Recently, I have spent some time with the Zana Deux + Utopia, after spending months with the ECBA > Utopia. It should be noted that the ZD is the amp I am most fond of, despite the bevy of gear I have owned over the years. Unfortunately, I discovered that the ECBA is to the Utopia, what the HD650 (and to a lesser extent the HD800) is to the ECZD. That enchanted synergy is missing in the ZD, which has a tendency to bring the Utopia to fatiguing places. Also, the more diffuse staging and the thinner body (particularly bottom end) disturbs what I love most about the Utopia; that full bodied, grounded and yet still quick footed presentation that is ever so balanced. Add in the ultra-realistic tone and you have a very delicate sound, easily displaced or uprooted. The ZD is a little too quick, a little too etched and staged a little diffused, IMO; where the ECBA just nails it remarkably. Perhaps the best pairing since the HD650>ZD that I've heard.

 

[mysticstryk]

If anyone is looking to sell their ZDS, I'm looking to buy.


Does anyone have any recent impressions (as in the last couple years) of the ZDS vs DNA Stratus? I've read one or two, just interested if there are any more. I know it's rare to hear just one of these boutique amps, much less two.

 

[Yourmomm]

Oops. 2y/o just broke one of my original stock 6C33C-B tubes, before I could even settle down into my first evening of ownership, and listen to my new ZDS, for the first time. I suspect he has now learnt what 'don't touch' means, more fully...

Anyhow, given that opinion seems to be that the exact flavour of these tubes doesnt make a large difference to the sound, will any similarly aged NOS 6C33C-B tube do as a replacement? My broken stock one had 'viii 76' printed on it, and the Mig fighter logo; the replacement pair I'm eyeing up at USD46 for the pair, have 'v 75' printed on them, with the same Mig fighter logo... So, I'm assuming sound should be the same, as long as the tubes themselves are OK?

Sorry to ask such an idiot question, but I don't know the first thing about tubes... I just know I liked the sound of this amp, when the seller played it for me...and, until I replace this tube, I can have no sound from it, at all...

 

[mysticstryk]

Joined the club

Oops. 2y/o just broke one of my original stock 6C33C-B tubes, before I could even settle down into my first evening of ownership, and listen to my new ZDS, for the first time. I suspect he has now learnt what 'don't touch' means, more fully...

Anyhow, given that opinion seems to be that the exact flavour of these tubes doesnt make a large difference to the sound, will any similarly aged NOS 6C33C-B tube do as a replacement? My broken stock one had 'viii 76' printed on it, and the Mig fighter logo; the replacement pair I'm eyeing up at USD46 for the pair, have 'v 75' printed on them, with the same Mig fighter logo... So, I'm assuming sound should be the same, as long as the tubes themselves are OK?

Sorry to ask such an idiot question, but I don't know the first thing about tubes... I just know I liked the sound of this amp, when the seller played it for me...and, until I replace this tube, I can have no sound from it, at all...

Yep, just go with stock. People whose ears I trust (including Marv) say that anything other than the stock ones are pretty much garbage.

http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/Big-Power-Tubes/6C33C-B

 

[B1ll]

I must say I'm beyond impressed with how resolving this system is, great for personal listening.

Currently running Tidal -> DR Acoustics Red Fire USB -> Schiit Yggy gen 3 USB (upgrading to gen5) -> DR Acoustics Silver Alliance RCAs -> Zana Deux Super (Serial 125) (Running 1950 brown base Phillips Miniwatt ECC35) -> Cardas Clear cables -> HD800.

Considering upgrading to a pair of HD800S and picking up a pair of HD650's for giggles, and I still need to get an appropriate high current AC cable to go from my furutech outlet -> Nordost Thor, and Thor -> Yggy (currently using Dynamic Design Spirit AE15, but stock on the rest).

I've found a lot of recordings have a noticeable noise floor that I don't hear on high-end speaker systems. Is this something that can be avoided?

Cheers

 

[SleepyOne]

Maybe worth trying hd800 without the cardas cable with your EC amp. On my setup I like the cardas with just Hugo but prefer standard wire with my EC amp

 

[B1ll]

I don't think the cable is the source of the noise floor.

 

[sheldaze]

In an experimental setup, a Bimby source and a Magni 3 output. I compare this against a higher end NOS source and a Sonett 2 output. I am forgetting the song (something off YouTube), but the noise, of the room in the music recording, is definitely noticeable when switching to the higher end system. It makes me think initially there is some external source of noise in the system, such as tubes. But the system goes back to dead silence when the song ends.

I've found a lot of recordings have a noticeable noise floor that I don't hear on high-end speaker systems. Is this something that can be avoided?

I also use a Yggy feeding into my ZDS. Yggy is simply going to pull out all kinds of details from the source material. One of the local members called it tape hiss. I've never heard noise come from the ZDS, though the headphones. But the album I was listening to was surprisingly noisy. Again, the tell-tale is between tracks, when it goes back to silence. No tape hiss, but definitely sound picked up by a microphone. I generally spin discs, so I do know the album:

I've tried to listen to this album on my speakers, but I cannot get into the same "mental" space. It is particularly difficult to hear the haunting nature of the guitars in the track Alvar. I just accept that there will be more grit and gunk heard, along with the outstanding intimacy of a good headphone sound.

 

[B1ll]

In an experimental setup, a Bimby source and a Magni 3 output. I compare this against a higher end NOS source and a Sonett 2 output. I am forgetting the song (something off YouTube), but the noise, of the room in the music recording, is definitely noticeable when switching to the higher end system. It makes me think initially there is some external source of noise in the system, such as tubes. But the system goes back to dead silence when the song ends.



I also use a Yggy feeding into my ZDS. Yggy is simply going to pull out all kinds of details from the source material. One of the local members called it tape hiss. I've never heard noise come from the ZDS, though the headphones. But the album I was listening to was surprisingly noisy. Again, the tell-tale is between tracks, when it goes back to silence. No tape hiss, but definitely sound picked up by a microphone. I generally spin discs, so I do know the album:

I've tried to listen to this album on my speakers, but I cannot get into the same "mental" space. It is particularly difficult to hear the haunting nature of the guitars in the track Alvar. I just accept that there will be more grit and gunk heard, along with the outstanding intimacy of a good headphone sound.

This is what I've noticed as well. Is it just that the ZD+Yggy is -so- resolving that I don't notice the "room noise" of whatever particular recording I'm listening to at the moment. There's a few songs that I can turn up the volume until it hurts my ears, without any noise floor (Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood "Shadow"), so it's clearly not an issue with the equipment producing the noise.

 

[B1ll]

Does anyone leave the ZD on for days at a time? Going on 52+ hours of continuous power and it seems to sound better each day.