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Lon,

You might have "lucked out".  I'm not a big believer in expensive power cords and IEC connectors.  After all, it's yet another set of mechanical connections.

FWIW, my hypothesis is that fancy power cords are beneficial, when they keep EMI/RFI out of the electronics.  If heavy duty wire on its own actually helps, it's an indication of insufficient energy storage in the PSU.  You can go to the bank on Mr. Deckert not cutting that corner.  ;)

Eli, you're probably right, though I've had great experiences with both PS Audio and Decware power cords on Decware components, including the DEC685 (spliced it in to the captive cord).

Don, I'm playing it.  I'm also going to try to do the "unplugged" thing for break in too, I always do this after Steve first mentioned it years ago: on about five hours, off about five hours, etc. for a while.  I think it works. With this unit "off" means pull the plug!  

Nice machine indeed.  Sounding very nice right now.

Well, here's some additional comments from Lon. . . .

So far this is a very nice player. . . . Hasn't quite blown me away.  I think I like the DEC685 better and I think the Blu-Ray player sounds better. . . though both are different.  The Sony ES Blu-Ray cost an additional 400 dollars or so so sure it SHOULD sound really good.  And maybe I'm just more used to the DEC685. . . .So far the ZCD is the most "forward" of the three and I'm not a big fan of "forward."  (On the flip side my friend Shawn who relocated to Austin and is staying with me thinks the ZCD sounds fantastic!)

So. . . I can definitely say this is a great cd player. . . but whether it becomes my MAIN cd player or if I keep it remains. . . undecided til further breakin occurs.

Don, good to have that information.

Did you get the IEC option and are you using another power cord?

Randy: Somewhere around a month/six weeks (?) played 3-4 hrs. per day.
Just one of those things, you know, where quite suddenly it just seemed to really 'open up', and you look up from whatever you were doing and go "Gee this is sounding REALLY great"!
FWIW, I've had no urge to fool with tubes, cables etc. Just buy more music
Lon: I do have the IEC connector, and have installed a modestly priced power cord from DIY cable. I think Eli's point re. attached power cord is a good one, though
Keep us up to date on your impressions, Don

Hi Lon,

To this point, my observations match your own.

I have been playing the ZCD two to five hours every night since around the 4th of this month ..... so it has about 60 to 80 hours on it.  Following your lead, I unplugged it every night for the first couple of weeks to help with the break in process.

It is definitely more "forward" than my CEC / Digital Lens / Channel Islands DAC combo ..... but there is plenty of depth to the soundstage as well.  I have it sitting on a Mapleshade Isoblock / maple slab / brass footer sandwich with heavy hats on top.

Over the last couple of days, the focus and bloom have increased greatly, which up to that point were lagging behind my combo rig ..... and I expect it to get better still.

If someone is looking for a "tubey" sound from this player, they will be disappointed.  It is extremely neutral, and as you said, a bad CD will not sound like anything but a bad CD on this player.

Fortunately, I have collected a good number of fine sounding CDs which are served well by the ZCD.  

Bobaloo paid me a visit last night and when we played the disk "Magic and Loss", Lou Reed was in the room with us .....  8-)

I think we are both in for a situation where "the best is yet to come" .....  :)

Best wishes,

Randy

Lon,

Have you done any tube rolling in the ZCD ..... ?

I am running an Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7 at this time ..... and Parker Audio Dave will be bringing over a nice selection of 12AU7s tonight to check out ..... Mullard, Telefunken, Siemens, etc.

Should be interesting,

Randy