[NickT23]

Let me throw this question out here…

What’s the absolute best OTL one could buy today (any budget) for ZMF headphones?

QuickSilver. From what I heard.

 

[goldwerger]

thanks! Keep them coming..

 

[NickT23]

QuickSilver. From what I heard.

Hi sorry, ignore my message. I thought I read budget. I prefer Solid state.

 

[goldwerger]

no worries

 

[gonintendo]

Quicksilver is transformer coupled not OTL. It has a pretty low output impedance so while it’s a great amp, it doesn’t give you any of the benefits of having a higher output impedance on a ZMF

 

[Bkido]

Finally had the motivation to redo my desk setup incl. cabling etc.. Still not perfect but so much better than before. Gonna treat myself with some tunes on Atrium now

 

[skhan007]

Let me throw this question out here…

What’s the absolute best OTL one could buy today (any budget) for ZMF headphones?

The best I’ve ever heard with my two ZMF cans was the Linear Tube Audio MZ3.

 

[goldwerger]

The best I’ve ever heard with my two ZMF cans was the Linear Tube Audio MZ3.

That’s a tube pre line stage with a solid stage output stage.

I’m looking for the best possible OTL tube amp for ZMF (any budget).

I already have a transformer coupled amp (the Auris Nirvana, which is outstanding). I’m just curious about potentially also adding an OTL for the ZMF cans.

 

[skhan007]

That’s a tube pre line stage with a solid stage output stage.

I’m looking for the best possible OTL tube amp for ZMF (any budget).

I already have a transformer coupled amp (the Auris Nirvana, which is outstanding). I’m just curious about potentially also adding an OTL for the ZMF cans.

Interesting- I don't believe so (but I could be wrong). LTA has their product as MicroZOTL (MZ2 and MZ3) and the OTL in the name, is output transformer -less. Everything I've been told (visiting the LTA shop) or read suggests that this is an OTL amp. Is that not correct? Maybe LTA could chime in @willsw and help us out.

 

[goldwerger]

Interesting- I don't believe so (but I could be wrong). LTA has their product as MicroZOTL (MZ2 and MZ3) and the OTL in the name, is output transformer -less. Everything I've been told (visiting the LTA shop) or read suggests that this is an OTL amp. Is that not correct? Maybe LTA could chime in @willsw and help us out.

Perhaps you are right and I misunderstood their web page. I’ll wait to learn more

 

[erics75]

Let me throw this question out here…

What’s the absolute best OTL one could buy today (any budget) for ZMF headphones?

Decware make killer OTL amps like the CSP3. Zach has a collaboration in the works for a ZMF optimized OTL amp. I'm sure it's going to be more expensive than the CSP3 though. I really enjoyed the Feliks Echo MK2 with my ZMFs. I preferred my Kenzie though, which is OTC. The Bottlehead Crack w/Speedball is a classic OTL and sounds great with ZMF. The Valhalla 2 is quite good for it's price, though IMO it can't compete with the other amps listed.

 

[Monsterzero]

Out of topic, the same could said with HD250 Linear 1 and K240 Sexttet right ? Atrium for both solid state and tubes ?

The Sennheiser HD250 came in both 300 and 600 ohms, so it is already a winning option for OTL amps, and its my 2nd favorite closed back. The sub bass is absolutely killer and made me forget about my pre fazor LCD 2.2, which I sold to finance my first ever ZMF (Atticus) way back when.

The K701 doesnt have a high impedance @ 63 ohms, so I was shocked as #$*@ when I heard it out of my former GOTL

The K240 sextett is 600 ohms and pretty ineffecient @ 91 sensitivity. While its high impedance works well with OTLs, I actually prefer the sextett out of vintage solid state receivers rather than my OTL amp. I keep a vintage receiver in my system and it's only duty is to drive my sextetts. All of my other headphones go thru the Airmid.

Let me throw this question out here…

What’s the absolute best OTL one could buy today (any budget) for ZMF headphones?

I have not heard every single OTL out there, but in my experience some of the best ones are being made by individuals, many of whom have their own threads here on Head-Fi. Unfortunately both the Glenn and the Airmid are no longer being made by their respective creators, but a few builders are still plying their trade and producing great sounding amps. Of course there are commercially available amps that can sound very good, but I prefer a bespoke custom amp, that often times can be customized to suit your individual needs by the builder, whether it be to incorporate unusual tube types, or in my case with the Airmid to have it built using a dual mono attenuation and a passive double output, as well as it uses an obscure( to most) but vastly superior sounding tube type.

On the downside of going with a custom built amp, you typically have a wait time for a build, but you should be ok with that considering we are discussing this in a ZMF thread. Great things come in time.

 

[NickT23]

The Sennheiser HD250 came in both 300 and 600 ohms, so it is already a winning option for OTL amps, and its my 2nd favorite closed back. The sub bass is absolutely killer and made me forget about my pre fazor LCD 2.2, which I sold to finance my first ever ZMF (Atticus) way back when.

The K701 doesnt have a high impedance @ 63 ohms, so I was shocked as #$*@ when I heard it out of my former GOTL

The K240 sextett is 600 ohms and pretty ineffecient @ 91 sensitivity. While its high impedance works well with OTLs, I actually prefer the sextett out of vintage solid state receivers rather than my OTL amp. I keep a vintage receiver in my system and it's only duty is to drive my sextetts. All of my other headphones go thru the Airmid.

How about solid state for both HD250 and Sexttet ? Atrium, you prefer both solid state and tubes ?

 

[LCMusicLover]

I find most amp/dac sound exactly the same regardless which headphone.

Well, your ears/my ears I guess.

To be clear, you're saying that if you plugged my Utopia and my Ether 2 into my TT2, they would sound the same to you, right (adjusting for volume matching of course)?

Your ears/my ears.

 

[Monsterzero]

How about solid state for both HD250 and Sexttet ? Atrium, you prefer both solid state and tubes ?

I prefer tubes for all of my high impedance headphones, except the K240 Sextett and the K240DF, but I never listen to that one.
Tubes just sound better to my ears and offer a 3D stage that ive been unable to recreate by using solid state.

All high impedance headphones sound great out of a vintage receiver, which are a fantastic and versatile bang for the buck alternative to a dedicated solid state headphone amp, but a well made OTL with great tubes takes these headphones to the next level of awesome.