Eddie Current Zana Deux S

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Luckbad, Apr 5, 2016.

  1. LauSing2

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    @Koth Ganesh I really want to do that, but end up not doing so most of the time since I try to keep the room as quiet as possible. I end up using an electric fan almost every time. How warm does it make your room?
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2016
  2. Artasia

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    I live currently in eastern Tennessee of the United States (a southern though entirely tropical climate), which is far from my northern origin, and the ZDS does contribute to the heat of the room during the summer. During the majority of the year, however, it is not a problem for me, and I consider the sound benefits worth it even during the hotter days. I think the amp is worth buying, particularly if you are driving the transducers for which it is tailored. It drives the Utopia (and of course the HD650) brilliantly.
     
  3. LauSing2

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    Speaking of the HD650 & Utopia, what if you you don't plan on doing tube rolling, and only have these headphones to drive, what would the most ideal setup?
     
  4. Artasia

    Artasia Friend

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    You should know by research that tube rolling is limited thankfully to a single tube, the driver, for this amp. And you can do all of the tube rolling you want for many amps and still not achieve the sound of which the ZDS is already capable. It is stupid to buy an amp and spend 4K on tubes to hear a sound that barely approaches that of the ZDS. This is also information available on this site. I learned the hard way and by reading Changstar.
     
  5. LauSing2

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    @Artasia sorry, i did not mean to irritate you or something. I completely understand what you're trying to say. Your thoughts were very helpful, thank you. :)
     
  6. Artasia

    Artasia Friend

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    I am not irritated by your question at all but I am by the context that contributes to the mindset that produces such questions which I myself once struggled with.
     
  7. LauSing2

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    What would be the best way to get informed when the next run of these start? Also, aside from the P&G knob, are there any possible upgrades that can be done?
     
  8. bazelio

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    There are "runs" of the ZDS? I thought they were mostly made to order after deposit. Anyhow, there aren't really upgrades needed. I finally felt the P&G pot on another ZDS, and while it's much smoother and luxurious than the Alps, I certainly can't say whether or not it affects the sound.

    Tubes... Yeah mostly stick to the 6SL7. I tried the smooth-top power tubes out of curiosity, but for my preferences, the horny tubes shipped with the amp are keepers. I'm going to send the smooth tops to @Mikoss to see what he thinks. Lastly, I've found that the rectifiers do actually have a sound, but thus far have not found improvements over the stock - only downgrades.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2016
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Usually a few are made at a time. We know there's demand and are working on this, but I don't want to say anything because volumes will likely be very low and we are taking our time given the time of year. However, it would not hurt to send Judi an e-mail to express interest. Tell her that that Marv / SBAF sent you.

    The smooth glass power top tubes are supposed to be the "audiophile" version of the 6C33C, but they sound like shit. So bad that it's not even worth of me to describe how they sound like shit. The real tubes with the horns, which are the "military" ones used on the radars of the Russian MiG jets, are the way to go.

    Stick with 6SL7. It's a great sounding tube. A huge selection where we can get very different results. Rectifiers do change the sound very slightly, but not enough for me to worry about it.

    The Alps pot provides the most flexibility for a variety sources, especially sources with low source impedance. The P&G has a better feel and tracks better at the ends, but the tracking shouldn't be an issue because the gain isn't that high on the ZDS - the volume knob will need to be turned up a bit.

    Generally, my advice is to DO NOT ORDER the P&G unless you know that you want it. If you have to ask me if you need it, then it's already a bad idea.
     
  10. LauSing2

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    I've sent 5 emails to Craig in the last 10 days, but has not received any response which led me to think that i might be done in runs and that Craig only responds to emails when a run is going on. Thanks for shedding some light into it, turns out, he might just be very busy at this time. I'll go ahead and send an order form, since I already got all the answers to my questions, and then some, by reading stuff here everyday in those 10 days! Lol

    Thanks for the advice on the tubes and P&G! Since I'm having it shipped overseas, I just want to make sure that I get everything right from the getgo. I'll be going to Taiwan next month though, so I'm hoping they have one I can audition, but doesn't seem like it based on their website.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2016
  11. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I think he's on vacation hiding in a cave in the Mojave Desert. I've been having difficulty getting a hold of him too. PM me for Judi's e-mail. Judi is a bit more responsive.
     
  12. LauSing2

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    @Marvey if one intends to use it solely with an Yggdrasil, would the benefits of the P&G outweigh the flexibility of the Alps pot?

    Any thoughts regarding the use of different fuses like the Synergistic red fuse, et al?
     
  13. beemerphile

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    How could a $90 fuse that has had its crystal structure realigned by quantum tunneling with 2 megavolts of electricity NOT dramatically improve the SQ?
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I do not recommend the P&G with the Schiit, at least not with the current iteration of the output stage. And again, if you have to ask, then you shouldn't be using it. I'm using an Alps for my custom tube amp.

    If you want to roll fuses, the best way is to bypass the fuse. Just solder wire around it. Not my problem if you or your pets die though. This being the obligatory warning and all so people don't sue me.
     
  15. PoochZag

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    A few questions on the ZDS, I think I've read most of the internet in regards to this amp, but there's not tons out there for such a rare product. I'm thinking about getting one this year since I'm done with the full size headphone game and I have all dynamics (HD800, AD2000, Eikon, maybe another 650 in future).

    -Can anybody comment on how the ZDS does compared to Mjolnir 2? In general or with HD800. I'm particularly interested in bass levels/impact, treble smoothness, and overall sense of staging, and I'm a tad worried I may give up some bass slam and depth, even if it's all around an improvement in other areas

    -I often have shorter listening sessions, 35min to 1 hour, does this amp make sense for that? Or does it take so long to "get going" it's not worth it for a shorter duration?

    -Are the line-outs controlled with the volume knob? I recently asked Craig this, but I may have phrased my question poorly and got a confusing (to me) answer. I feel like I've seen people imply both yes and no in the forums
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    You won't lose anything. Slam and staging are the last things you need to worry about with ZDS. The line outs are actual pre-outs on the ZD, controlled by volume.
     
  17. Mr.Sneis

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    Should be tons of info on the ZD all over the web, the amp has been on the market since forever afaik.
     
  18. PoochZag

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    Yeah there kinda is, I've read the last couple years of the ZD HF thread, every mention here (this, songmic's, HD800 amp thread, random mentions....etc) and some older "professional reviews" that I'm not sure I can take too seriously. But it seems sparse in the context of Super version of ZD only being 2 years old, as is my current amp which I'm looking for comparisons (Mjo 2). But with unit numbers only in the 100's, it's not like trying to read about a Schiit product.

    If I'm missing a good well of knowledge let me know
     
  19. Mr.Sneis

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    Ahh, well I can't answer for E.C. but as I know it the S model is the same overall Zana Deux design but with some slight tweaks, parts changes, and build quality improvements. You can google/search HF for inner shots but you can spot some of the differences in parts pretty easily even. I guess what I am trying to say is, the older reviews and impressions shouldn't be valued any less compared to what they would be today; the latest model is likely better but it's largely the same amp at the end of the day.
     
  20. PoochZag

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    I've had my Zana Deux for a few days now, couldn't be happier. Just wanted to share some quick thoughts, my experience with desktop amps isn't that expansive, certainly not compared to many of you guys. But I figure any impressions are good impressions for an amp this awesome and relatively rare.

    It's #80, between ZDSE and newer Super revision, as it does have capacitors of the latter. I’ve ended up with all dynamics, and coming from Mjolnir 2, wanted something a little more ‘specialized’ for them, and to settle down. Below are some quick thoughts after a few days, both in general and in the context of coming from Mjolnir 2 with HD800’s. DAC is Gungnir Multibit, HD800 is SDR +cork.

    -Bass has good texture and presence, but does not slam excessively hard, especially in comparison to Mjo2.

    -Thicker sound in midbass, not excessively so, but there is warmth. Does a better job at not muddying the lower mids than Mjo2, which has a lot of warmth and slam almost regardless of LISST/tubes.

    -VERY resolving with the HD800’s, lots of detail to take in.

    -The stage is WIDE. Like holy shit WIDE, deep, and convincing. Stuff is happening above me, apparently? Immediately obvious in comparison to most other amps I’ve heard, even with the already wide HD800’s.

    -Smooth presentation into the treble, but not necessarily laid back. The treble has a very effortlessness to it, but it’s not quite magic, it can still be a bit fatiguing if listening for too longer at higher volumes.

    -Overall it has a somewhat thick, yet effortless presentation. It’s a very detailed and easy going listen, without sounding too rolled off, soft, or lacking authority in the lower registers. Just sit back, relax and take it all in.

    I still think Mjo2 is a good amp, and I will probably always miss its epic dynamics, slam, and general versatility. However it’s immediately apparent to me, maybe even surprisingly so, that the Zana is a full step up in most other ways as described above. I couldn’t be happier and am looking forward to many more late nights.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2017

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