Forums - New Super Zen vs. Zen Select

Rivieraranch

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Posts: 2126

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #50 - 12/03/12 at 00:29:18

Some of the SV83's have 6P15P-EV printed on the other side of the tube. I think they are essentially the same tube. You can find some interesting 6P15P-EV variants, such as the gold grid versions seen on ebay. I have both SV83 and 6P15P-EV tubes. I have not done a comparison. Maybe I will when my SUPER ZEN comes in next week.

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MINI TORII & ZROCK2 both anniversaried; 'Lil Audio F-15; TECHNICS SL1200MK2 KAB MODDED TT; ONKYO 6 DISC CD; MARANTZ 2226B; SCHIIT MULTIBIT DAC; SENNHEISER HD-580s

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jameskk

Seasoned Member

Posts: 206

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #51 - 12/03/12 at 12:31:11

AH Rivieraranch could'nt resist huh!!!!!!!LOL Like I said not really showing me anything super yet , however thats what I thought with the zcd for a long time .. then almost overnight , it changed to OMG!!!!! think the super is going to be more subtle. Yes I'm talking about that round label thats on the 6p15eb/ev, I bought 2 dozen on Ebay with the vendor showing the large label ,well I got 1 of the 24 with a large label . Neddless to say they were told about it !!!!!!!!Good price though !!!!!!!

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jameskk

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Posts: 206

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #52 - 12/13/12 at 14:02:12

I want to say further now with bias switch on the superzen towards the tubes. the stock tubes still installed after using different rectifier tubes . the voices or vocals are revealing every cyllabel , with ease . the cymbals are becoming a round piece of brass ,rather than just a random crash of brass. the upright bass has body and height ,and depth . multiple voices are understandable and have air and body. I'm getting a sense of the a large presentation ala the torii from this amp also. taking awhile . about fourty days into breakin. :) WOW

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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 23518	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #53 - 12/13/12 at 15:00:36 It always surprises me how these amps blossom after a certain amount of use. . . open up like a flower. These amps just keep on giving!
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jameskk Seasoned Member Posts: 206	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #54 - 12/24/12 at 22:14:04 And Christmas keeps on coming . Merry Christmas to All!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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jameskk

Seasoned Member

Posts: 206

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #55 - 01/04/13 at 13:28:47

Just for the Holiday I went back to my white #018 select for the week of Christmas into new years , Happy New Year. Last night I switched back to the Superzen And again in my 9x13 roomwith the zcd200i and common sense audio 2.8's with 10"cast frame audio nirvana's. The dynamic was such that I thought I switched over to a much more powerful amp. Just amazing with both amps volume at around 9 O'clock. normal listening level here . The only thing I did do was run a dedicated circuit to my breaker box . Highly recommended.........So The superzen has come to be truly super compared to past zens, which I have 4 of in various vintages.

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jameskk Seasoned Member Posts: 206	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #56 - 01/07/13 at 11:53:33 Did everybody agree that the superzen runs cooler , and can we expect the older moded superzens to run cooler also , or is it the characteristic of the new transformer thats in the superzen??????
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jameskk Seasoned Member Posts: 206	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #57 - 12/14/13 at 11:35:15 has anyone had the older Zens updated to a superzen and the results?!?!?!???
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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 23518	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #58 - 12/14/13 at 13:02:12 I can not speak from personl experience. I can only imagine the only negative results would be. . .to the wallet.
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DBC Seasoned Member Posts: 423	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #59 - 12/14/13 at 13:10:12 I can't comment on the upgrade of an older unit but I did replace my 10 year old Zen with the CKC. It was a big step up, way beyond my expections. My old unit was bone stock, no mods.
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Lonely Raven

Seasoned Member

Jack of all Trades,
Master of None

Posts: 3567

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #60 - 12/14/13 at 15:48:39

I had my 15 year old Zen updated. Steve said because of the layout and design of the original Zen amps (mine), that he couldn't update it to the Super Zen without completely gutting the amp and starting fresh...which wasn't going to happen.

At the Decfest, I put my modified amp up against the Super Zen, and the Super Zen came out on top. The bass was tighter and the presentation was cleaner.

Still my amp was at least 85% of what the Super Zen was, and now that I've re-broken it in, it's suddenly blossomed in the past week or so. Which is a good thing too, because I was getting upset with it for a bit, then suddenly it came back twice as nice!

The Super Zen I'd have to say, is worth every penny. I really enjoyed listening to it, and if I didn't have my heart set on one of the bigger amps, I'd probably have put an order in on one.

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Lon

Seasoned Member

"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 23518

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #61 - 12/14/13 at 16:09:28

Yes, I was seeking to have my Zen amp #27 upgraded to a Select years ago. It had been upgraded to a Rev. A, but not B and then the C and Select came out and I wanted this to become a Select. Steve said it made more sense to get a Select. I did. Leant my Rev.A to a friend who had it for more than a decade, and then bought a Taboo. He loves the look of the Taboo and some things about it but he swears he prefers the Rev. A. Shows what seasoning can do! And what a powerful juju even the most basic Zen amp has.

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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1

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Rivieraranch Seasoned Member Posts: 2126	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #62 - 12/14/13 at 18:41:19 I was there at the Fest when we A/B'd Lonely Raven's old Zen against a new Super Zen. You could definitely hear the difference in resolution right away.
Back to top	MINI TORII & ZROCK2 both anniversaried; 'Lil Audio F-15; TECHNICS SL1200MK2 KAB MODDED TT; ONKYO 6 DISC CD; MARANTZ 2226B; SCHIIT MULTIBIT DAC; SENNHEISER HD-580s IP Logged

jameskk

Seasoned Member

Posts: 206

Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select
Reply #63 - 12/15/13 at 12:23:04

Well that sets me straight ,I have a really nice white select , that I lent to my cousin while his Mini tori was being upgraded and was thinking about upgrading it to superzen status not superselect . may just leave it alone . The se84C+ I have that was in my fire is pretty beat up externally (chassis wise), however that sounds terrific also, so will keep everything as is . Thanks for the feedback.

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jameskk Seasoned Member Posts: 206	Re: New Super Zen vs. Zen Select Reply #64 - 09/09/14 at 20:03:12 of the massive AB comparisons I and my friend Jeff have done , theres just something about the small super Zen amps. youll have to spend a lot of money to better IT. But there is another !!!
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