[granodemostasa]

oh no... the "moth" look is suppose to be vintage.. but not wood. it's perfect for my tastes...

I've been meaning to buy another one.. but not this time... maybe early next year...

Shameless ego-boosting picture of the Zana Deux:

 

[Zuerst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MWALK /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone signed up for the July run of Zanas?

I did.

 

[jp11801]

the last time I checked with Craig he still had a spot or two available in the run, had I not bought another amp of his the Zana would have been my next purchase

 

[MWALK]

Any news on the July delivery of the Zanas?

 

[MWALK]

What is the minimum time to fully "warm up" a Zana for best SQ? Do the different tubes have different times?

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MWALK /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is the minimum time to fully "warm up" a Zana for best SQ? Do the different tubes have different times?

My experience is that 15-20 minutes seems about right. It's been about the same with the different 6SL7's I've used.

A_Sr.

 

[MWALK]

Thanks, I'm eagerly awaiting my Zana.

 

[MWALK]

Any suggested sources for tubes, especially as related to S650's or K701s?

 

[granodemostasa]

I don't know about the best source. but the best tube for the HD650 is the 6su7 input tube. the best tube for the K701 is no tubes.... and probably the FS section (actually the RCA red base 6sl7).

 

[granodemostasa]

HI.
I would like to get in some quick impressions of various tube combinations with the Zana Deux. I've used the ZD as a Pre-amp to the F1 to the K1000, and as the headphone amp to the HD650. for the most part, my perceptions don't change that much... but there are little synergetic differences, as in the case of the RCA red base.

Input Tubes:
1. The Tung Sol GSU7GTY- This is a black glass tube with a maroon-brown base. It's sound is very clear, well textured, neutral, and completely without veils. the only thing i don't like about it is that it isn't the definitive source for bass impact or an "authoritative" sound.
2. Tung Sol GSU7GTY- This is a black glass tube and has the normal brown base. It does sound different from the more "maroon" version of it. It is far more authoritative, but doesn't extend into the treble or bass as much. It's texture is similar to that of a good SS amp, as oppose to the delicate nature of it's brother.
3. National Union 6sl7- this is a rare black glass version. It's treble extension and bass impact are the best of the group. It is a little veiled sounding, but it's the cleanest of them all. the sound stage is a little placed back, so it didn't synergize well with the K1000 or HD650. I would probably use this if I had a grado headphone. it's a very impressive tube, so i'll keep listening to it.
4. RCA red base 6sl7- this is probably the most famous 6sl7. Overall, it sounds clear, well defined. however, with the K1000 it presented a very "grado" like feeling. it was sharp, had frequency spikes. with the HD650 it seemed far more tamed, it didn't exhibit anything out of the ordinary, or anything extraordinary.
5. the Sylvania 6sl7gt-v229 This is the tube the Zana was built around. Overall, it's a rather good tube, mid-range centric in nature. If it had a drawback it was that voices became so up and center that other insturments didn't really get to shine. Overall, it is a little more veiled than the 6su7, but less veiled than the national union. It's a great tube, and I remember this thing having killer synergy with the Qualia. BTW, I've tested two of these and they sound identical.

rectifiers:
I've finally quit on the "international" since they are just way too muddy/tubey for my tastes. I'm strongly leaning on the Sylvania, despite their lack of strong bass compared to the standard GE. The Sylvania are just so clear and percise.

 

[ironbut]

Nice post David. The National is great with my AD2000's, perhaps because of the forward nature of the AT's midrange. I'm hoping that impressions of these tubes with Zana owners favorite phones will prove the ZD to be flexible enough to get the best out of the cans and not necessarily the " best amp " whatever that means.
BTW, I decided to use the ebony knobs on another piece of gear and have gone back to the chicken head knobs ( I have got to buy a digital camera!)

 

[Absorbine_Sr]

Excellent post granodemostasa, though it does show that for every different set of ears there is a different opinion. I personally found the Sylvania 6DA4A rectifiers less detailed than the provided International's. That was with the 650's and 701's.

But I did find a good use for a couple of tubes that had less bass overall - a Mullard 6SL7GT and a Sylvania 6SL7WGT - Darth Beyers. The massive bass of these cans was almost too much for me, but roll one of these tubes in and it becomes a much more well balanced experience.

A_Sr.

 

[MWALK]

Anyone received a July Zana

 

[granodemostasa]

some updates on a little shoot out.
1. the National Union is starting to look pretty good. It's bass is tighter hitting, more impacting, and faster than the 6su7. It has a great (if not well pronounced) treble. It has a larger and more accurate soundstage.
2. the brown base 6su7 is still great. The thing that I really don't like about the NU is simply it's lack of PRAT. For all of it's capability, it can't get my foot tapping, it can't make me believe that Vienna Teng is really singing there. This is what the 6su7 does best: it remove all veils between you and the music.

I think it's entirely possible I'm talking about priorities. Frankly, when it comes to particular music, one or two traits are going to dominate what I would consider to be the main priority. everything else is secondary.

On anther point: the F1-K1000 from the ZD sounds better than the HD650-ZD combo for piano.

impressions continued:
the maroon based 6su7 is far more liquid sounding. It doesn't hit, it's a little sweeter and not as "close" as the brown base 6su7, but unveiled nevertheless. Overall, it has a wider soundstage, and represents every part of the musical spectrum better than the brown base, but not quite as extended as the NU.

 

[granodemostasa]

Hi.
I did another Zana Deux experiment today... the Sure E500.

here is how it goes:
1. with the sylvania rectifiers, there is a small hiss that appears around 4x the normal listening volume and gets bigger as I increase the volume nob.
2. There was NO HUM in the entire amp, the only exception was when I put in the National Union tube, which did have a hum. But on the Tung-Sols, and the Jans, it was perfect.
3. I do detect a slight hiss with the Jan Syl (not tung sol) that sits there before I turn on the music, but for some reason, it goes away (or I can't notice it) when music is playing...

Overall, This was a far better result from a tube amp that I would have expected.