[Relaxasaurus]

Anyone have one of these for sale, or would be interested in letting me borrow one for a review?

 

[Powermankw]

Anyone use Utopias with the MZ2? I would be interested in pairing.

 

[Uguccione]

To the eye it should be a good match.

 

[skhan007]

I live near Urban HiFi and have listened to the Microzotl2 a couple of times and most recently, with my ZMF Auteur. Really considering buying one. Potentially dumb question- has anybody upgraded from the Bottlehead Crack and could comment on their impressions?

 

[Tralfaz]

I've been enjoying my MZ2-S mostly as a preamp driving Genelec active monitors with a subwoofer for a few months now, it's been quite a step up from my previous preamp.

The amp shipped to me with NOS RCA 12SN7s and Gold Lion reissue 12AT7s which sounded great but the Gold Lions had more gain than I'd have liked, so yesterday I replaced the Gold Lions with a pair of RCA 12AU7s with clear tops and side getters that I had used in another preamp. While it's too early to say miuch about the sound I will note that I appreciate the lower gain which gives me more flexibility with the volume knob.

For those of you who are running 12AU7s, what are you using and why do you like them? The RCAs I just put in are good in many respects but they may be a little light on the bass (I'm not certain about this yet since it's been less than a day of use). 12AU7 tubes in general seem pretty inexpensive so I'd consider trying something else (but not too many because unscrewing and replacing 14 screws can quickly become a pain in the neck).

Thanks!

 

[viggen]

I damaged my MZ2 and am wondering whether anyone has any clues as to what the damage might be and how to repair hopefully without sending it back to LTA.

I plugged the amp into a HDPlex 300's 12v 3a plug. After I power the MZ2 on, the power button still lights up but the tubes were not getting warm. And, of course, no sound. What I might've done wrong is not turning off the HDPlex when switching DC cords. The amp was definitely off.

Even after I plugged it back to the original PSU, same thing. Light turns on but tubes doesn't get warm.

 

[viggen]

Got a reply from LTA. Possible fuse replacement only.

 

[Uguccione]

I, on the other hand, have a question to ask, who will answer: in the MicroZotl the tubes all wear out in the same way or the power ones exhaust faster?

 

[mourip]

I, on the other hand, have a question to ask, who will answer: in the MicroZotl the tubes all wear out in the same way or the power ones exhaust faster?

I doubt that anyone here can answer that since different brands may also wear differently.

I can say that according to LTA literature the David Berning circuits are very easy on tubes and so prolong their life.

Why not email LTA? They have fantastic customer service.

 

[skhan007]

I, on the other hand, have a question to ask, who will answer: in the MicroZotl the tubes all wear out in the same way or the power ones exhaust faster?

If you do not drive the amp too hard, tubes should last a lifetime. Especially since these tubes apparently only receive a fraction of the current that is typical. I agree that you should contact the manufacturer for further details.

 

[Uguccione]

Thanks, it was just a curiosity, nothing important enough to disturb the LTA high echelons

Question number 2: do the tubes still wear out keeping the amplifier on and not running?
However, I always turn it on just before use; couple quickly.

 

[viggen]

in general power tubes wear out much faster than signal tubes... so if lta's circuit allows power tubes to last 10k hours... then signal tubes are 10k+ x hours

 

[Uguccione]

For some ten hours I have inserted a new NOS tube quartet. At first the sound was mediocre, plus there were various whistles and noises coming from the tubes. But now they are cooking well. Great sound. This amp is delightful.

 

[viggen]

so after i blew my mz2's fuse, i replaced it with a glass one cuz it has 1 day delivery via amz. afterwards, i plugged it in (correctly this time) to the HDPlex's 12v 3a output (i think i accidentally plugged it into the 19v last time). the HDPlex already has a SR orange fuse in it. i found the sound changed more to my liking. smoother, stronger, darker.

thinking the aftermarket fuse contributed, i started exploring more fuses and ordered an Audio Magic SHD for the mz2 and another orange for my dac, an orchid. the SHD arrived yesterday, and i inserted the fuse with the letters (on the fuse) "SHD" right side up. the box has a sticker on it that says "Burn in 100 hours" or something to that effect. but, i heard an immediate improvement. clearer, wider, more vibrating shimmering.

after 24 hours (or about 6 hours of listening time), i turned the fuse so the letters are upside down. the sound is now smoother and more enveloping. it's quite a bit softer too. i have to turn the volume up and turn the sub on to feel the lower octaves. however, the sound is now eerily good.

 

[DownToThis]

so after i blew my mz2's fuse, i replaced it with a glass one cuz it has 1 day delivery via amz. afterwards, i plugged it in (correctly this time) to the HDPlex's 12v 3a output (i think i accidentally plugged it into the 19v last time). the HDPlex already has a SR orange fuse in it. i found the sound changed more to my liking. smoother, stronger, darker.

thinking the aftermarket fuse contributed, i started exploring more fuses and ordered an Audio Magic SHD for the mz2 and another orange for my dac, an orchid. the SHD arrived yesterday, and i inserted the fuse with the letters (on the fuse) "SHD" right side up. the box has a sticker on it that says "Burn in 100 hours" or something to that effect. but, i heard an immediate improvement. clearer, wider, more vibrating shimmering.

after 24 hours (or about 6 hours of listening time), i turned the fuse so the letters are upside down. the sound is now smoother and more enveloping. it's quite a bit softer too. i have to turn the volume up and turn the sub on to feel the lower octaves. however, the sound is now eerily good.

I have a similar set up (LTA with MHDT), would you happen to have any pictures of your modifications? I'm not technically savvy so would be helpful to see where you put the fuses. Thanks