will
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Chris,
I don't think the amp matters much in my experience, at least with Decware amps and Decware "pres." I have heard the Rachael and SE34 with each, as well as a Taboo and several Torii models. They of course work within the differences of the amp signatures and setups, but then their character is Decware also, and like the amps, individual but within the "family character." And all are user tunable in pretty big ways I think.
I had both the Zstage and CSP3 with "stock caps" that were later changed to Jupiters. I like both better with Jupiters, a little more so the Zstage, probably because I liked the CSP3 stock caps better than the Zstage's. Not sure what is in the Zstage now, but after the Jupiters "woke up" I realized part of the transparency I was craving was limited by the original Auricaps. They could sound really good, but finally had a darkish veil that I suspect was associated with the idea of "warmth" by Auricaps and that limited the potential of the tubes used for me. Jupiters take a long time to burn in, but sound pretty good fresh, and in the end, less "there," more like music...more spacious, open, more fine detail, and with a nice smoothness.
The benefits of a Zstage I can think of are: very simple and small...less in the signal path, so more transparency; only one tube to roll, but you can do a lot with that one tube being able to use both 12AT7 and 12AU7 types, quite a difference in type sound, as well as individual tubes in each type being pretty variable tonally; the bias switch is a useful tuning tool also.
The benefits of a CSP3: more tubes for greater tonal complexity and for tuning to tastes; volume pots additional to the master volume...two for the input and two for the output tubes. This allows side to side volume adjustment, but more importantly for me, the pot levels are great for tuning. The balance of tone comes from the balance of how much comes from the input tube and how much from the output tubes. Additionally, the level at which the output tubes are powered has a pretty big effect on the overall sound character; two source inputs; ability to use as a headphone amp; the OTL flavor that is like nothing else.
Both are dependent on good cables, power and feet if transparency is a priority, the CSP3 more so.
I really like both. Considering the rest of my system is very transparent, that I have made very transparent ICs, and I have nice tubes, if I had to use only the Zstage or CSP3, I would choose the CSP3. But if I had only the Zstage for my recording fine tuning tool (gain riding) I would be quite happy, that is if it were modded with two outputs like mine!
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