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AUDIO FORUMS >> Reviews >> Zen Select
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Message started by Sysygy on 05/28/09 at 02:20:05

Title: Zen Select
Post by Sysygy on 05/28/09 at 02:20:05

I've had this amp for a few days now. I bought it used so I am assuming that it was reasonably broken it. At first I did not like this amp. It couldn't seem to do anything right. The bass was terrible, very loose and one notey. Odd. The amp came with a few extra tubes so the first thing I did was figure out which were the stock tubes. That was a major improvement. Now when I drive some JM Reynaud Trentes with the Select the bass is astonishing. Low and tight and clean. Not super loud of course, but wonderful and completely unexpected.

But: I didn't buy this amp to drive the Trentes. I bought it to drive the Horn Shoppe Horns and they were so far only ok playing together. I thought about buying a second amp as a mono block and run the Trentes but I dismissed that idea. I have a Manley Stingray for those.

So, I get a little depressed and I start to think about selling the amp and trying something else.

Once upon a time, I way overpaid for a Sony Blu Ray player that could decode internally and output good analog sound. Tonight I hooked the Select up to the Horns and the Sony and gave it a whirl.

I almost cried. Every single syllable is crystal clear and perfect. It is what I have wanted for years. Is the combination going to make your shake during action movies. Nope. But that is not what I wanted. I want to be able to understand what they are saying. The dynamics are pretty darn good too. It handles the shotgun scene in Ratatoullie and the early attack scene in Valkrie easily.

Bass is good but a little light because I am not using the Horns in the corners where they should be.

This is killer home theater.

Title: Re: Zen Select
Post by Sysygy on 05/28/09 at 03:43:56

One additional note about the Blu Ray player that I have. Blu ray sounds incredible, regular CD's do not sound so hot.