[zachawry]

I'm under the impression it provides "better power," not "more power," but I'm sure others here are about a million times more knowledgable than I....

 

[MojoAudio]

  Would an upgraded power supply add headroom? Or would it only lower the noise floor?

 
Yes.
 
For example, when you lower your noise floor by 6dB, you would increase your dynamic range by the same 6dB.
 
You also would uncover the lower level detail hidden by the noise, so you would no longer have to turn up the volume as high in order to hear the subtleties and nuances of the recording.

 

[saidentary]

   
Yes.
 
For example, when you lower your noise floor by 6dB, you would increase your dynamic range by the same 6dB.
 
You also would uncover the lower level detail hidden by the noise, so you would no longer have to turn up the volume as high in order to hear the subtleties and nuances of the recording.

So adding such a power supply to the chain would be almost synonymous with having more power from the amplifier itself?

 

[MojoAudio]

 
So adding such a power supply to the chain would be almost synonymous with having more power from the amplifier itself?

If you like to play music so loud your ears bleed, no.
 
If you only turn up the volume to be able to hear more detail and dynamics, yes.

 

[saidentary]

 
If you like to play music so loud your ears bleed, no.
 
If you only turn up the volume to be able to hear more detail and dynamics, yes.

No, I'm not interested in ear hemorrhaging.  Even having them ring is too much for me.  Some day stem cell treatments for cochlear hair cell replacement may become available.  Or not.  In any case, I plan caution in the interim.  I'm sure that sentiment "rings" true for you also. 

 

[MojoAudio]

I'm sure that sentiment "rings" true for you also. 

 
That's how/why I got into ultralow-noise power supplies. No need to turn up the volume to enjoy everything that's on the recording.

 

[mourip]

   
We installed both the V24-2 and the V47-2 for customers, but I think the 47-step is a bit of overkill.
 
I use a V24-2 in my personal mZ2.
 
And we've discontinued our Joule v5 power supply...and all the used trade ins have been sold off.
 
These days the only power supply upgrades we can offer for a mZ2 is our Illuminati.

 
What value Goldpoint did you choose? 50K, 100K?
 
Did you need to modify anything to make it fit? Seems tight in that spot....
 
Thanks!

 

[MojoAudio]

   
What value Goldpoint did you choose? 50K, 100K?
 
Did you need to modify anything to make it fit? Seems tight in that spot....
 
Thanks!

 
For lower Miller Effect we use 10K attenuators.
 
And in order to fit Goldpoint and many other brands of attenuators in the mZ2 you would need to machine the inside of the face plate to allow the larger diameter bolt that holds in the attenuator to fit.
 
So this is not a job for a complete amateur and it is not as easy as removing wires from the stock volume pot and re-soldering them onto your new attenuator.
 
BTW, with some years/vintages of mZ2 you could always not put the face plate back on. For example, my early production mZ2 has all the same holes in the chassis as the face plate and even has screen printing on the chassis that matches the face plate printing.

 

[mourip]

   
For lower Miller Effect we use 10K attenuators.
 
And in order to fit Goldpoint and many other brands of attenuators in the mZ2 you would need to machine the inside of the face plate to allow the larger diameter bolt that holds in the attenuator to fit.
 

 
Thanks! Sorry to be dim but are you saying that the existing hole for the threaded shaft assembly just needs to be enlarged or that there is an inset on the inside of the face plate that needs to be widened?

 

[MojoAudio]

   
Thanks! Sorry to be dim but are you saying that the existing hole for the threaded shaft assembly just needs to be enlarged or that there is an inset on the inside of the face plate that needs to be widened?

 
There has been a bit of an evolution process with the mZ2's chassis, so I can't be certain of which incarnation anyone may have.
 
On most that we've upgraded the area on the rear of the face plate that allows space for the locking nut on the threaded shaft of the stock volume pot is not sufficient for the locking nut on the Goldpoint attenuators.
 
We use a milling machine to enlarge this space.
 
There have been earlier incarnations that did not require any machining and there are other brands of attenuators that may have locking nuts that fit in the existing space.

 

[mourip]

   
There has been a bit of an evolution process with the mZ2's chassis, so I can't be certain of which incarnation anyone may have.
 
On most that we've upgraded the area on the rear of the face plate that allows space for the locking nut on the threaded shaft of the stock volume pot is not sufficient for the locking nut on the Goldpoint attenuators.
 
We use a milling machine to enlarge this space.
 
There have been earlier incarnations that did not require any machining and there are other brands of attenuators that may have locking nuts that fit in the existing space.

 
Thanks. Got it now and much appreciated!
 
...Mine is about three weeks old.

 

[kendavis]

One available upgrade to the MicroZOTL is to replace the stock power supply with a higher-quality third-party replacement. I've recently had the opportunity to audition the Mojo Audio Illuminati (http://www.mojo-audio.com/illuminati-power-supply/) power supply, an external power supply that is often paired with the MicroZOTL but can be used with many other devices as well.
 
I had purchased a MicroZOTL2S through the recent Massdrop opportunity and was very happy with the sweet but detailed sound it brought to my music. This version already included an improved linear power supply (LPS) and I couldn't see how much difference a third-party power supply could make. Nevertheless, when the opportunity to audition the Illuminati arose, I signed up. It was several months before my turn came around but I did eventually get a chance to listen and compare.
 
I spent a week with it--it was already broken-in--and then brought it to a small listening session on the weekend with several other DC area Head-Fiers. We all tried switching between the two power supplies--we found that we could just unplug one and plug in the other (with the amp on) and that seemed to work okay. All (myself included) agreed that the Illuminati was a noticeable improvement, with greater 3-dimensionality, wider sound stage, greater impact, more control, and a firmer low end. I listen mostly to Redbook Classical CDs of recordings from the 50s, 60s, and 70's. One of my favorite recordings is this pairing of two live performances, (http://www.jacquelinedupre.net/discographies/cd16.htm). Compared to the stock LPS, I found that with the Illuminati, the the instant of contact of the bow striking the cello was more clearly resolved with percussive detail. The overall tone of the cello (an instrument whos sound alone can bring me to tears) was vivid and sweet. The orchestral sound had greater clarity and impact across the frequency spectrum.
 
When I listen to music, I am seeking an experience of engulfing delight that precludes me thinking or doing anything else--I can't listen while I'm working like some other people do. (This, of course, makes it harder to find time to listen. ) I should mention that the other equipment included a NAD CD player, a Schiit Yggdrasil, and a pair of Focal Utopias--all very resolving and detailed. For me, through this chain, the Illuminati enhanced that experience sufficiently to persuade me to buy an Illuminati for myself.
 
PS - Here's my recently acquired understanding of why a power supply can make such a difference. An amplifier does not actually magnify a signal. Instead, it uses the signal to control another. In the case of vacuum tubes, the input voltage controls an output current. It's like a voltage-controlled valve (which is what the English call them). That output current is what the power supply provides. No matter how good the input voltage, if the output current source isn't clean, the output will be affected.

 

[zachawry]

How do the Utopias sound on the MZ2? I've been lusting after those....
 
I see you have a Yggy. I have one of Mojo Audio's DACs, the Mystique 2+, and I love it. I'd really like to hear the impressions of someone who has heard both. 

 

[kendavis]

 
How do the Utopias sound on the MZ2? I've been lusting after those....
 
I see you have a Yggy. I have one of Mojo Audio's DACs, the Mystique 2+, and I love it. I'd really like to hear the impressions of someone who has heard both. 

The Utopias are amazing. I let my wife listen to them at a meet and compare them to my then HD800 and she immediately heard the difference (more open and present) and she (perhaps grudgingly) accepted that I was going to buy them. I saw that you just ordered them. I think that you will be happy.
 
As for the Mystique versus the Yggy, I haven't heard both so I can't compare. I will say that the Yggy is the best DAC (to my ears) of any that I have listened to. Very crisp and detailed.

 

[zachawry]

  The Utopias are amazing. I let my wife listen to them at a meet and compare them to my then HD800 and she immediately heard the difference (more open and present) and she (perhaps grudgingly) accepted that I was going to buy them. I saw that you just ordered them. I think that you will be happy.
 
As for the Mystique versus the Yggy, I haven't heard both so I can't compare. I will say that the Yggy is the best DAC (to my ears) of any that I have listened to. Very crisp and detailed.

Yeah, I love my Ethers, but lately I've been thinking that they aren't quite up to the level of the rest of my system. So, they and a few other items are going up for sale. 
 
(Also jealous that you have a wife who would actually accompany you to a meet!)