Forums - ZZZZ - box....

Lon Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #30 - 03/01/06 at 23:33:35 Alright!
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stone_of_tone

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Re: ZZZZ - box....
Reply #31 - 03/02/06 at 00:14:59

Yes! When I lost my Audio Alchemy Digital Drive System (DDS-III) Transport 28 months ago it was a very sad day. IT of course, was designed/voiced to process/play in concert with DTI-Pro & 3.0 DAC.....an that it did. Analog sounding to a degree... .

The DTS-III died after 9.5 years of service. I found out real quick what and important part a transport plays in a system. With all do repect to my Pioneer DVD Player outputing the binary code for the last 28 months....it is no DDS-III. The system would still image well; but I lost the depth, ambience of venue, tighter low end and some edge crept back in to the system (just a little less musical / back to hifi sounding on some discs).

Decfest was a blast and I bought a pair of Parker Crusaders which now alternate with my Polk LS90's. Two very different speakers that both will benefit greatly from the ZBox. I bought the Parkers in Nov/05....now the budget allowed to get the Zbox.

I got to hear the ZBox at Decfest and I new, to get back to what I had with the DDS-III (or better).....the Zbox needed to join my family of magic boxes. My DAC outputs a little over 3 volts (which is adjustable too) and it will be nice to attenuate my DAC (it has a volume control with remote/albeit in the digital domain) with Zbox attenuater and the Select wide open.

It is nice not to have to go down the path of a single box player/modded or transport/modded at three times + the price of a ZBox. I love my Audio Alchemy gear/and as long as it holds up=in comes the ZBox.....to make the most of things again. All due respect to the new Rega Apollo; but the addition of the ZBox at 60% less in my mix should put the whole musicallity back in my room. Decfest was well worth the trip to hear the ZBox alone....not to mention all of whom I met.

It be comin'
Stone of Tone

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« Last Edit: 03/02/06 at 00:21:37 by stone_of_tone »

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veryoldcat Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #32 - 03/02/06 at 02:28:53 Very cool. Hopefully you will enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. It's made a giant difference in tolerability of cd playback, at least given the stuff I listen to. I'm anxious to hear your comments on it, once it's in the system. Happy listening, Karl
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stone_of_tone

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Re: ZZZZ - box....
Reply #33 - 03/02/06 at 15:46:21

Will do Karl. I have some different interconnects to roll with it (Kimber KCAG, Kimber Silver Streak & Hero....with my 1030). I will read again and ask for some advice on tubes to roll from you guys....great informative posts on the ZBox here for sure/thanks. I think it will be the right fit too, as you say, and I agree; making CD playback more tolerable thus musical. It ain't vinyl....but we can massage it and make it more involving.

Stone of Tone

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« Last Edit: 03/02/06 at 15:47:14 by stone_of_tone »

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EZ_Angus Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #34 - 03/02/06 at 16:10:04 Hi Karl: just to be sure I am following, you have the following chain in use? dec685 - ZBOX - CSP - dr84cs are you using the tubed output stage of the decware source? so there are 5 tube stages (counting the amp as having 2) and three sets of interconnects? which volume control(s) do you use? Kevin
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stone_of_tone Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #35 - 03/10/06 at 20:40:24 THE EAGLE HAS LANDED! (Zbox in the house)! However, I won't get to hook it up and warm it up for another 3 hours (still at work) . Stone of Tone I'll report back in a week or so.
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Lon Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #36 - 03/10/06 at 21:26:22 Hope you love yours even more than I love mine!
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Sam in CR Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #37 - 03/10/06 at 22:27:57 [quote author=stone_of_tone link=1119443490/30#35 date=1142023224]THE EAGLE HAS LANDED! (Zbox in the house)! However, I won't get to hook it up and warm it up for another 3 hours (still at work) . Stone of Tone I'll report back in a week or so. [/quote] I wonder if you got the new version ???
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veryoldcat

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Re: ZZZZ - box....
Reply #38 - 03/11/06 at 17:12:56

[quote author=EZ_Angus link=1119443490/30#34 date=1141315804]Hi Karl: just to be sure I am following, you have the following chain in use?

dec685 - ZBOX - CSP - dr84cs

are you using the tubed output stage of the decware source? so there are 5 tube stages (counting the amp as having 2) and three sets of interconnects? which volume control(s) do you use?

Kevin [/quote]

Yes, Kevin, as above. (Delayed reaction posting as I've been hugely buried in work).

Dec685 (the tubed out is way beyond the stock outs) > zbox > CSP > se84cs.

It's a lot of stages and ic's, I know, but it makes cd's ever so much more tolerable, which are between C- and B- anyway (so, what's to lose?). Not as nice as vinyl, but not so annoying with less ear fatigue.

The volume on the zen is backed off about 10%, which is where it sounds the best in my system. The zbox is turned up pretty high and the major volume control in my system is the CSP.

What makes the zbox work for me is a BB 12au7, by a long shot. IC's and other tweaks make a difference, but the difference in the valves is really the biggest thing.

So, Sam, is there a revamp of the zbox you know about? I hope you will report some on differences you get with the Schottke diodes you installed in yours (or maybe I missed a post somewhere).

Karl

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Sam in USA Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #39 - 03/11/06 at 23:17:03 [quote author=veryoldcat link=1119443490/30#38 date=1142097176] So, Sam, is there a revamp of the zbox you know about? I hope you will report some on differences you get with the Schottke diodes you installed in yours (or maybe I missed a post somewhere). Karl [/quote] Zbox tweak thread has been updated :)
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ado420 Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #40 - 04/12/06 at 02:35:00 yes, what is this updated version of the Zbox? I've heard ppl talk about it here before; do I have it? should I? when did it come out is the damage done? cause I'm very happy now and something just seems to be waiting in the wings to ruin it.
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Lon Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #41 - 04/12/06 at 11:05:57 As far as I can tell the one difference is that a shield has been added to a length of wire to stop the hum.
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ado420

Ex Member

Re: ZZZZ - box....
Reply #42 - 04/12/06 at 17:45:41

oh....well, maybe I got it, maybe not, I could always do it myself.
I don't think it'll help my hum/buzz problem, but I'm pretty sure i know why I'm getting it...I think.

the 60 Hz wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the 2nd harmonic being many times louder (120 Hz). That makes sense tho based on what I know of multi-phase AC transformers.

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Sam in CR Ex Member	Re: ZZZZ - box.... Reply #43 - 04/12/06 at 18:05:53 [quote author=ado420 link=1119443490/30#42 date=1144860341]the 60 Hz wouldn't bother me so much if it wasn't for the 2nd harmonic being many times louder (120 Hz). That makes sense tho based on what I know of multi-phase AC transformers. [/quote] In the zbox, the power supply hum is 120Hz because of full wave rectification
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ado420

Ex Member

Re: ZZZZ - box....
Reply #44 - 04/12/06 at 18:29:58

yes, thank you, I was already well aware. But I think the reason is the problem as well.

ya, full wave rectification doubles the fundemental, and since most devices use full wave rectification, you'll always get 120 Hz and its' harmonics being problematic. But then you get a device that is quite microphonic, like tubes, and it'll constantly oscillate at said harmonics and introduce its' own into the mix. It tends to get messy with all the PS's I have in my house.

It's sad when you stand between two motors and can hear the phase shift between the two harmonics. It can even create a new fundemental depending on where you stand. I think that's called the missing fundemental, it's what SRS uses in their TruBass thingy. Comes from pipe organ makers, trying to get lower octaves without the cost and structural problems they introduce.

Oops, rambled a little too much there

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