[jamato8]

As Blue mentioned, the ZOTL is more about clarity and detail in the mids, and an open wide soundstage. It is like solid state, but more open, less grain, if you will.

Having used tube equipment and solid state for years, to me, the micro takes the best of both. I would agree with you, no grain, to my ears, and a very large natural soundstage. Very transparent. I am using the Mojo V ps. 

 

[richard51]

more i read about the ZOTL more i want one....i had read everything on the net...

  if you had money its simple you buy for example a viva egoista amp...its not possible for me... I dream of a battle between the two...I can afford a microzotl in some months...

perhaps a year...

 

[saidentary]

  more i read about the ZOTL more i want one....i had read everything on the net...

  if you had money its simple you buy for example a viva egoista amp...its not possible for me... I dream of a battle between the two...I can afford a microzotl in some months...

perhaps a year...

The MicroZOTL 2 appears to be a phenomenal value.  The egoista appears to be a phenomenal amplifier, based on the one review I read.  As you know, there is generally a positive correlation between increasingly priced components and performance.  However, that correlation is not linear.  Sometimes the correlation doesn't even exist.  While the egoista would be EXPECTED to outperform the MicroZOTL 2, there are no guarantess of ANY of the following:
 
1. That you, personally, would prefer the sound of the egoista (again, considered likely but not guaranteed)
2. That if you did prefer the egoista, you'd feel the price difference was justified, even if you could easily afford it
3. That after purchasing the egoista, you still wouldn't wonder about a different amplifier like one of the Eddie Current models, or a Wells Head Trip, or a Pinnacle, or something else.
 
You may find that, once a certain threshold of "magic" has been reached, there isn't that much room for improvement.  You may reach a point where, yes, there may be better, but what you have is SO good that it's good enough, and that feeling of satisfaction lasts well beyond what would be typical for the "new toy" phenomenon. 
 
Maybe I'm unusual among audiophiles, but generally my pattern has been to wait until I encounter something that blows me away when I hear it personally.  I have tended to recognize that phenomenon when it occurs for me, which has been about 4 times over the last 30 years or so.  Maybe this will happen for you.  And it might be less expensive than you think.  If I may be so bold as to offer this piece of (unsolicited, yeah I know) advice:  Don't automatically assume that the most expensive item is the best.  Nowhere have I seen this point exemplified more starkly than with high end loudspeakers.  Once I found myself shocked at the sound quality of an expensive pair of loudspeakers when listening to them at their company headquarters--but I wasn't shocked in a good way.

 

[richard51]

 
The MicroZOTL 2 appears to be a phenomenal value.  The egoista appears to be a phenomenal amplifier, based on the one review I read.  As you know, there is generally a positive correlation between increasingly priced components and performance.  However, that correlation is not linear.  Sometimes the correlation doesn't even exist.  While the egoista would be EXPECTED to outperform the MicroZOTL 2, there are no guarantess of ANY of the following:
 
1. That you, personally, would prefer the sound of the egoista (again, considered likely but not guaranteed)
2. That if you did prefer the egoista, you'd feel the price difference was justified, even if you could easily afford it
3. That after purchasing the egoista, you still wouldn't wonder about a different amplifier like one of the Eddie Current models, or a Wells Head Trip, or a Pinnacle, or something else.
 
You may find that, once a certain threshold of "magic" has been reached, there isn't that much room for improvement.  You may reach a point where, yes, there may be better, but what you have is SO good that it's good enough, and that feeling of satisfaction lasts well beyond what would be typical for the "new toy" phenomenon. 
 
Maybe I'm unusual among audiophiles, but generally my pattern has been to wait until I encounter something that blows me away when I hear it personally.  I have tended to recognize that phenomenon when it occurs for me, which has been about 4 times over the last 30 years or so.  Maybe this will happen for you.  And it might be less expensive than you think.  If I may be so bold as to offer this piece of (unsolicited, yeah I know) advice:  Don't automatically assume that the most expensive item is the best.  Nowhere have I seen this point exemplified more starkly than with high end loudspeakers.  Once I found myself shocked at the sound quality of an expensive pair of loudspeakers when listening to them at their company headquarters--but I wasn't shocked in a good way.

thank you i appreciated very much your remark.... your words sound very wise to me, and its interesting for me if the ZOTL is one of this 4 moments in your life....Do you know if the he6 is well driven by the microZOTL ?

 

[saidentary]

 
thank you i appreciated very much your remark.... your words sound very wise to me, and its interesting for me if the ZOTL is one of this 4 moments in your life....Do you know if the he6 is well driven by the microZOTL ?

I'm glad you didn't take my remarks as preachy.  That wasn't my intent at all.   The other three moments were:
1. Audio Physic Caldera (the OLD, 3 box model), sometime in the mid to late 1980s. (My Audiogon name is mdhoover)
2. Intuitive Design Summit Loudspeakers.
3. HiFiMAN HE-1000s.
 
With respect to the driving the HE6, here's a cut and paste of what kiertijai said, with a link to his original full post on this thread:
 
"I tried the headphone out of microzotl2 today.  To my surprise the microzotl2 can drive the HE6 and Abyss AB1266 very well.
I only used 1-2 o'clock for Abyss AB1266 and 2 o'clock for HE6 playing DSD file of Dana Winners.
However the headphone out of microzotl2 can not drive AKG K1000 well enough even at 3 o'clock and if I turned on more volume nothing changed. I could drive the AKG K1000 very well with significantly wider soundstage only when I used the speaker out." -kiertijai

 

[richard51]

youre very interesting ... thank you very much... to all this information and foremost your personal experience...i appreciated that very much...

best regards to you

 

[doctorjazz]

I didn't think the speaker taps had more power than the headphone out, just that you could run 2 speakers off them (seems logical there wouldn't be extra power hiding somewhere). Could be wrong, of course.

Easy to get caught up in the Rat race, get better stuff, then want and get better stuff than that-hey, sounds like my life! Good to stop and smell the tubes (????+) sometimes

 

[richard51]

I didn't think the speaker taps had more power than the headphone out, just that you could run 2 speakers off them (seems logical there wouldn't be extra power hiding somewhere). Could be wrong, of course.

Easy to get caught up in the Rat race, get better stuff, then want and get better stuff than that-hey, sounds like my life! Good to stop and smell the tubes (????+) sometimes

i look not for the better gear in the absolute sense, i look for the better gear for the price.... i smell that the microZOTL is that....And like wise Saidentary said : «You may reach a point where, yes, there may be better, but what you have is SO good that it's good enough, and that feeling of satisfaction lasts well beyond what would be typical for the "new toy" phenomenon.»
Like you i want to smell the tubes..... 

 

 

[jamato8]

I didn't think the speaker taps had more power than the headphone out, just that you could run 2 speakers off them (seems logical there wouldn't be extra power hiding somewhere). Could be wrong, of course.

Easy to get caught up in the Rat race, get better stuff, then want and get better stuff than that-hey, sounds like my life! Good to stop and smell the tubes (????+) sometimes

Or to buy more expensive power supplies. lol I think the micro, compared to other amps is up there with some of the finest. 

 

[richard51]

 
Or to buy more expensive power supplies. lol I think the micro, compared to other amps is up there with some of the finest. 

its a virus... I trust you too

much....i want to buy the supply with the Zotl in one year i hope....

 

[jamato8]

Ok, with the Mojo V power supply and some VT99 tubes, the micro just does it right. Excellent sound and I truly doubt there is anything better. Maybe different but I get it all. I get depth, solid bass, as deep as it is recorded, transparency, width and depth. The frequency extremes all are there and to my ear, perfect. I am using the Whiplash TWau cable, which also upped the sound quality but that means it is only delivering what the micro is putting out. I am feeding the micro with the Hugo doing everything from 16/44 to DSD. Anything that is well recorded, and even some that is not, comes across as the most important thing. . . music! 

 

[doctorjazz]

OK, (grudging sigh...), I guess I'm going to have to sell something (or risk divorce ), and check this out myself, sounds promising.

Ok, with the Mojo V power supply and some VT99 tubes, the micro just does it right. Excellent sound and I truly doubt there is anything better. Maybe different but I get it all. I get depth, solid bass, as deep as it is recorded, transparency, width and depth. The frequency extremes all are there and to my ear, perfect. I am using the Whiplash TWau cable, which also upped the sound quality but that means it is only delivering what the micro is putting out. I am feeding the micro with the Hugo doing everything from 16/44 to DSD. Anything that is well recorded, and even some that is not, comes across as the most important thing. . . music! 

 

[drbluenewmexico]

I didn't think the speaker taps had more power than the headphone out, just that you could run 2 speakers off them (seems logical there wouldn't be extra power hiding somewhere). Could be wrong, of course.

Easy to get caught up in the Rat race, get better stuff, then want and get better stuff than that-hey, sounds like my life! Good to stop and smell the tubes (????+) sometimes

WELCOME to the Oasis of Personal Satisfaction, an Island between Past Purchases and Future Desires, where the gear disappears into
the music and your wishes have been granted, the Genie is back in the lamp, and you are Satisfied!! 
enjoy your hiatus from if only i had...or could try...or maybe that new one...dat new technology.... and listening, totally relaxed, you are
happy where you are. yes, stop and smell the tubes....
But then you open head-fi and you are streaming some music and they play the Stone's I can't no Satisfaction...and then.......

 

[drbluenewmexico]

  Ok, with the Mojo V power supply and some VT99 tubes, the micro just does it right. Excellent sound and I truly doubt there is anything better. Maybe different but I get it all. I get depth, solid bass, as deep as it is recorded, transparency, width and depth. The frequency extremes all are there and to my ear, perfect. I am using the Whiplash TWau cable, which also upped the sound quality but that means it is only delivering what the micro is putting out. I am feeding the micro with the Hugo doing everything from 16/44 to DSD. Anything that is well recorded, and even some that is not, comes across as the most important thing. . . music! 

Congratulations JAMATO 8 and on reaching a Nirvana level of SQ!  I'm listening to through the MicroZotl2  fed by a MOJO AUDIO NOS direct coupled DAC, MOJO AUDIO interconnects and a MOJO Audio JOULE 1 power supply and high current power cable from MOJO. all feeding ATH W1000 cherry wood phones..
Streaming blues on Tidal, Buddy Guy NEVER sounded this good before except live...im ignoring my Apogee Planar DIVAs and ZU audio soul superbly speakers with Krell reference electronics to immerse myself in the MicroZotl glorious sound quality!!!

 

[drbluenewmexico]

  Ok, with the Mojo V power supply and some VT99 tubes, the micro just does it right. Excellent sound and I truly doubt there is anything better. Maybe different but I get it all. I get depth, solid bass, as deep as it is recorded, transparency, width and depth. The frequency extremes all are there and to my ear, perfect. I am using the Whiplash TWau cable, which also upped the sound quality but that means it is only delivering what the micro is putting out. I am feeding the micro with the Hugo doing everything from 16/44 to DSD. Anything that is well recorded, and even some that is not, comes across as the most important thing. . . music! 

Benjamin, head of Mojo Audio suggested that if your Hugo can be powered from the second  power output on the JOULE V you could boost
your level of performance of the system even higher.  I have no idea if this is possible or not or electrically feasible for the Hugo, but its an
interesting possibility since the JOULE V power supply has two outputs......