Glad you've got everything dialed-in, Lon!
Now, back to the 10k +/- cd collection--- !
(green with envy) Don

Well ..... last night, my ZCD player attained a higher level of excellence (for the second time) .....

I was pleasantly surprised to hear the following :
Greater depth of soundstage (beyond the already very fine depth)
More space between the instruments and vocalists
A greater sense of the 'recorded space"
An increased sense of "clarity" and resolution.

Without having my previous digital front ends to compare side by side, it would not be prudent on my part to rate the ZCD against them in terms of absolute performance ..... but I can safely say that this player will not have to hang its head in the best of company ..... it's that good.

To anyone looking for a very musical and resolving digital front end and who has been sitting on the fence concerning which way to jump, the ZCD should be on your very short list.  With some break in time and judicious system setup, this player will give many hours of enjoyment .....

Highly recommended,

Randy

Long time since posting.    I've long settled on a power cord for the ZCD: the IEGO L70530 cable with the silver-plated 8065 connectors.  After 10 months of use and comparison with the MAC HC during that time, it has all the jump, clarity, and tone of the MAC, with a smoothness and chime thats hard to describe.  The MAC sounds better with my Carina.

I've since moved away from the Mullard CV4003 tube which, along with a Siemens 12AU7 I've had for several years, were the flavors I've prefered.  In experimenting, I've puchased a RCA 12AU7 Cleartop, an RCA 12AV7, and an Amperex 7062.  The 7062 expands the depth and width of the soundstage, with great tone and a "dynamic smooothness" (hard to describe).  Its both comfortable and spunky.  The 12AV7 seems to do the same thing, on a slightly smaller scale.  The Cleartop seems more detailed, but slightly tipped up to me.  None of the tubes sound are bad...just different flavorings. The CV4003 has the richest, warmest midrange, although a touch veiled in longterm listening..  The Siemens is the clearest and most detailed, and really exposes average to poor recordings.