[seeberg]

It's been a while since I got the upgrade to one of Zemo's Z-Audio Mu amplifiers, and the wait to review was well worth it(despite its lateness among other things). If anyone reading this has read my review on the Z-Audio Epsilon, here, you might want to keep in mind that these two amps are very similar. Everything that I found was great about the Epsilon carries up into the Mu- the compact chassis is the same rock solid Hammond extruded aluminum, and the amp uses the same thumb screws to access the same 9V battery(BTW, both amps get great battery life and can be customized if need be to run on wall current).
So what's so great about the Mu?

Well, like Zemo says on his site about the Mu, it's what's under the hood that
counts. And what's under the hood is souped up and floored me when I
heard it! For $110, the Mu steps up with dual rollable self-buffered AD823 opamps, class A bias, Panasonic FC 470uf 25V caps, and Jung multiloop feedback topology. All this in such a minute package for a $30 premium over the Epsilon- the value is not to be underestimated as well as the performance IMHO.

So how does it sound? Awesome. Bass is full bodied, mids are warm and smooth, and highs are sparkly clear. And the frequency spectrum is very balanced between all three, with gobs of power to spare. Driving my SR60's, KSC75's, ER6i's, or HD580's through this amp is nothing short of a pleasure. With the Mu, resistance is no longer an issue- it drives even the hungriest of headphones with authority (although users should note that headphones with impedance lower than 32 might get an audible noise floor and a litte bit of hiss- the Xin or ER4-S adapters can remedy this, and it's nothing to really
worry over). But it's common knowledge that I don't know squat about how to accurately describe how things sound or should sound, so perhaps its best to drop a line over to Z-Audio and get yourself a Mu to audition for yourself. Then you can give the Mu amplifier the proper misuse of poetry it needs to be described properly

I imagine that this amp will keep my upgraditis at bay(amp wise) for quite a while, at least until I can afford something really insane, and at that point I believe Zemo will already have his upcoming line of home amps out. When this happens, I will definitely be giving him another ring- I can't wait to see what he's got up his sleeves. Until then, The Mu is my amp of choice, and will be the benchmark upon which I critique other headphone amplifiers. After experiencing it, it makes me curious to see how comparable amps stack up, like the Ray Samuels' Hornet, HeadRoom Total AirHead, Xin Supermacro-3, stuff of that sort.

Also, I am going to post a graphic illustration soon of what I find would be a great set of visuals to go with the amps, it'll be a little bit of my art towards what would be some great logo work should Zemo find a use for it.

,
Abe

 

[Cyrilix]

Nice review! So how do these compare with most portable Pimetas that go for around $100-$130?

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyrilix Nice review! So how do these compare with most portable Pimetas that go for around $100-$130?

Thanks! I haven't heard a Pimeta in that price range, but I'm sure the Mu either competes with it or beats it. If I had access to one I'd gladly do a heads-up comparo, but sadly I'm a one amp man

If you mean a JMT built transportable Pimeta, that was compared to the Mu in the 6-18-05 Portland, Oregon meet, and was found to sound very similar, with the Mu being the smoother of the two, while the JMT Pimeta was quite detailed. If there is to be another meet in Oregon later this year, you can count on me reviewing and comparing what I can with the Mu.

,
Abe

 

[Andrea]

Very interesting read, thanks!


Do you know for sure if the Lambda also has 'rollable' opamps?

And, if you need a DC jack added, do you have to add something to the total cost?

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrea Very interesting read, thanks! Do you know for sure if the Lambda also has 'rollable' opamps? And, if you need a DC jack added, do you have to add something to the total cost?

You're welcome!
I'm not sure if the Lambda does or not, but the less expensive Epsilon and Mu do, so I imagine that the Lambda would carry over the feature to change out opamp chips. Also, Zemo will add a DC jack for $5 at the buyer's request I believe. I may do this myself if I find a nice power supply (anything good under $50?), but I can get by on rechargeable 9V batteries for now.

,
Abe

 

[Andrea]

Thanks again! You've brought me to update my shortlist of "hot" amps to choose from. Nearly an impossible task

 

[twc5964]

Seeburg,
I am so glad you posted here as I have a very keen interest in this amp and the Lambda.I'm really wanting something like the sr71,however,The $400 price tag is very steep and I realize that is a superior amp so I'm looking for something more within my budget and hopefully not sacrficing too much in sound quality.

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by twc5964 Seeburg, I am so glad you posted here as I have a very keen interest in this amp and the Lambda.I'm really wanting something like the sr71,however,The $400 price tag is very steep and I realize that is a superior amp so I'm looking for something more within my budget and hopefully not sacrficing too much in sound quality.

In the June Meet thread, here, many reviewers compared the Lambda and the SR71 as quite close in sound. There is a difference in build which was the opinion of several at that meet(the SR71 has the build, but you get a very close sound for some $200 or so less with the Lambda), but one might keep in mind that neither 'transportable' amp is necessarily going to see alot of movement or other activity. The Epsilon and Mu on the other hand have excellent build quality for portable amps, hence my preference for the Mu- it bridges the gap between portablity and high sound quality.

In any case, Zemo's amps, as well as the competition, all worth a try.

,
Abe

 

[twc5964]

I'm very interested in the Lambda to use with an mp3 player.I'm not really concerned with it's size.Currently,I'm using a Gilmore Lite trading it back and forth between my computer and an mp3 player so I want something more portable.Honestly,it's not something i'll be taking outside with me much but rather the convenience of the Lambda and battery power is what strikes my fancy formy personal use---not to mention the $180 price tag.Even better,your review of the "Mu" which is a very strong consideration at such an affordable price !

 

[Zemo]

Thanks for the review Abe! As far as the home amps go, I've run into a bit of a roadblock...the PCB for the prototype Psi amp has been misplaced! I've been moving around a lot lately, and despite UPS having it confirmed as being delivered, I can't find it! I'm sure it'll turn up eventually, and when it does....watch out!

 

[Gigabomber]

I should noted that, on our way home from that june meet, Zemo and I discussed the fact that his amps were comparable to the higher end portable amps though they are priced well below the competition, though I suppose some customs and even some designer builds (such as the hornet) are creeping ever closer.

 

[AudioJunkie]

HI: I have had the Mu for a couple of days now, and I'm liking it very much! With my Alessandro MS1 and cdplayer/ipod, I find the sound balanced, the bass is very nice, tight and well defined. It works well with my MS1's, it is not too bright, just right for me, but it is quite energetic. Overall, it sounds good and I am very pleased.

Thanks Zemo

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zemo Thanks for the review Abe! As far as the home amps go, I've run into a bit of a roadblock...the PCB for the prototype Psi amp has been misplaced! I've been moving around a lot lately, and despite UPS having it confirmed as being delivered, I can't find it! I'm sure it'll turn up eventually, and when it does....watch out!

No prob! I should have posted the review earlier but I managed to keep myself too busy to do it

That sucks that your proto PCB is missing, because I'm sure the Psi will kick some serious booty when you bring it out.
Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigabomber I should noted that, on our way home from that june meet, Zemo and I discussed the fact that his amps were comparable to the higher end portable amps though they are priced well below the competition, though I suppose some customs and even some designer builds (such as the hornet) are creeping ever closer.

Hmmm, I wonder if at the next meet anyone might have some competition amps I can do a comparo against?

,
Abe