MARCH 1998 Tom Becherer

This is one of the only single ended amplifiers I have heard so I am no big authority. I can only trust the emotional impact I get from the music as rendered by the system.

When I initially heard Steve's floor model I noticed something very intriguing and captivating about the sound quality. Now that I have listened more to mine my initial impressions are confirmed. I never really comprehended what reviewers were referring to when they talked about grain, now I know.

With the Zen the music appears to made up of very fine particles instead of larger ones. Of course fine particles can render more detail and depict more separate objects than coarse ones. Just like pixels or printed halftones or comparing a drawing made with a blunt marker to one made with a sharp pen.

I always liked Vermeer and Durer more than any of the impressionists. For some people a rough sketch of the music is satisfactory, for me and others a focused rendition carries the emotion of the musical event with so much more impact.

This little maestro will scintillate you with waves of sensory drama upon demand.

-Tom Becherer