[bearwise]

Acidtripnow:
What tubes do you feel make the ZOTL sound more lush? I've seen other threads on this but would like your opinion.

 

[Hirsch]

IMO the sound of the ZOTL is a very complex interaction of source, interconnects, and headphones, as well as the 12AT7 and 6SN7's themselves. The sound of any particular tube can change if any of the other components change also.

 

[acidtripwow]

Quote:

Which type of music are you saying the ZOTL is good for and why? Or are you saying that you'd be more tempted to tube roll to better suit each genre of music? And when you do, does the ZOTL then become better to you for that genre than the RKV?

I really liked the Zotl with softer music like female Jazz vocalists or pop vocalists. The Zotl didn't have the dynamics needed for harder music like Rock. The basic signature of the Zotl just made it more suitable for softer music.


It's been a while since I had the Zotl, but the tubes I really liked were the RCA 6SN7GT. These tubes made the Zotl sound really lush which made female vocals sound very nice. I also had some Sylvania Gold Pin tubes both 6SN7GT and 12AT7. The Sylvania's made the Zotl sound clearer but you loss some warmth.

 

[kelly]

acid
So for you, the ZOTL was always better than the RKV for soft female jazz vocalists?

 

[acidtripwow]

Yes.

 

[grinch]

okay, so i've heard from kelly that the rkv has the best bass of any headphone he's heard. i'm very interested (as my rkv is practically on the way from jan, i just have to pay for it..) as to how this bass compares to the cary 300sei i heard at the convention (sorry for you west-coasters, you missed out on some glorious tubed sound).

to me, the cary has the fattest bass i've ever heard. when i say fat, i don't mean phat, i mean FAT. that bass reminded of a tub of jello. it's the kind of thing you want to jump into once in a while, and just flop around in. the bass was encompassing and banging, but not boomy. it was just one hair under boomy, that's what made it so fun to listen to. listening to my etys with this amp was just freakin great. it really picked up on their visceral bass and kept it moving.

so, my original question is.. is the rkv's bass anything like that?

p.s. i'm thinking about doing some tube rolling in my zotl. i think markl's tubes are starting to edge on me a bit. i really think that whatever they are, they're rolling off the top and bottom of the sound and it's beginning to bother me a bit. after the wonderfully powered signature of the sugden, it's tough to switch to the zotl and be totally pleased. i think i'm going to go looking in that thread.. i want something that will make my rs-1's sing.. and the damn hex size i need to crack the thing open.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by grinch okay, so i've heard from kelly that the rkv has the best bass of any headphone he's heard. i'm very interested (as my rkv is practically on the way from jan, i just have to pay for it..) as to how this bass compares to the cary 300sei i heard at the convention (sorry for you west-coasters, you missed out on some glorious tubed sound). to me, the cary has the fattest bass i've ever heard. when i say fat, i don't mean phat, i mean FAT. that bass reminded of a tub of jello. it's the kind of thing you want to jump into once in a while, and just flop around in. the bass was encompassing and banging, but not boomy. it was just one hair under boomy, that's what made it so fun to listen to. listening to my etys with this amp was just freakin great. it really picked up on their visceral bass and kept it moving. so, my original question is.. is the rkv's bass anything like that?

I hate to tell you to "read the review", but I did go to some length to describe the bass of the RKV in the review and as mentioned, the only real similarity between the RKV and the Cary SEI is the large soundstage. The Cary SEI *IS* boomy and overstated to me. If that's what you're looking for, you're probably better off going straight for the Cary or one of the other amps that use those tubes.
For my taste, I did not care for the Cary SEI at all. I would not care to own one at any price.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly I hate to tell you to "read the review", but I did go to some length to describe the bass of the RKV in the review and as mentioned, the only real similarity between the RKV and the Cary SEI is the large soundstage. The Cary SEI *IS* boomy and overstated to me. If that's what you're looking for, you're probably better off going straight for the Cary or one of the other amps that use those tubes.

thanks for the reply. i did read and enjoy your review (and actually, about halfway through typing my last post i thought i should've put it on your review thread but it was too late since i already started typing heh), i was just wondering about a comparison to the cary. i found the big mushy bass to be quite fun to listen to, but i definitely would want more than just that one amp to satisfy my sonic needs. sadly, i cannot afford such an item but it's fun to dream anyway. either way, i'm sure i'll enjoy the rkv.

 

[kelly]

grinch
Man, to be honest, it really amazes me that you'd want that sound on purpose... but here's the thing, you have the HD600 already which to me has sloppy overstated midbass and you have both an MG Head and a microZOTL. Why don't you read some of the tuberolling threads and try to mimic that mushy sound with one of those amps? Granted, you might have trouble getting as much authority as the Cary SEI, but Hirsch seems pretty convinced that the ZOTL can turn the HD600 into subwoofers.

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by kelly grinch Man, to be honest, it really amazes me that you'd want that sound on purpose... but here's the thing, you have the HD600 already which to me has sloppy overstated midbass and you have both an MG Head and a microZOTL. Why don't you read some of the tuberolling threads and try to mimic that mushy sound with one of those amps? Granted, you might have trouble getting as much authority as the Cary SEI, but Hirsch seems pretty convinced that the ZOTL can turn the HD600 into subwoofers.

it's not that i'd want it constantly.. just once in a while. to me, it's so relaxing and engulfing. the mg head is mushy and sloppy enough to make me want to slap it off my desk, i really don't want to try and make that thing any worse. i'm sure the zotl can make the hd600 give that kind of sound, but that's quite a stance to try and get to. first off, the chasis is fragile as all hell. i feel like handling it and yanking tubes in and out will break the damn thing. it also isn't my main amp at the moment and because of its whacky styling, it's a bitch to setup in my system. if i had a simple desktop and no other components other than my cd player, it'd be great. but instead it's quite a pain in the ass to work with. nothing can go on top of it, etc. sometimes it makes me not want to bother with it much. however, when i actually sit down and listen to it, it's a pretty nice amp. i already mentioned i think i may need to do some tube rolling, as the highs and lows seem to be rolled off quite a bit with both rs-1's and my hd600's at the moment. the question is just getting bored enough and wanting to risk that kind of money on it. oh well, all in good time..