Sniperpr5
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 4, 2017
- Posts
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- 503
I got in some Sophia 6SL7 and polished the bases... I really like this tube so far.
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
So it looks like the ZDS is being retired. Sad
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
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.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.
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.