Forums - ZTPRE Impressions

NormD Seasoned Member Posts: 254	Re: ZTPRE Impressions Reply #50 - 12/28/18 at 15:26:00 Great to hear. I have been running the Russian 6N5P's in my ZTPre without a thought.
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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 25750	Re: ZTPRE Impressions Reply #51 - 12/28/18 at 15:33:38 Yes! Norm, Do you prefer them to the Amperex 7308? I imagine that would be the only set that would really compete with them--I never had enough on hand to try them and I can't pry the 7308s I have loose from my Monoblocks and my CSP3-25. . . .
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NormD Seasoned Member Posts: 254	Re: ZTPRE Impressions Reply #52 - 12/28/18 at 15:56:43 I have 10 7308's and I may try a swap during the holidays. I'm not sure if there is any benefit on matching tubes to locations just as long as they are the same tube type. Now that I have changed my power cables and XLR cables, it may be time to revisit the 7308's. What would you expect to hear vs. the 6N1P's or 6N5P's?
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Lon

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

Posts: 25750

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #53 - 12/28/18 at 16:00:21

To my ears in my system the 6N1Ps have more warmth, a mid-bass "glow" so to speak, and the 6N5P have a bit more of an open sound, the midrange being remarkably clear and unfettered. That's the big differences I hear. For some material the 6N1P are PERFECT, but overall the 6N5P fit everything so nicely. Compared to the 7308s I think that what I would hear most would be what Steve mentions as "FOCUS." There's just a deep inside the sound feeling I get from 7308s that I don't experience with the other tube types.

If you do roll in 7308s fill me in on your experience. I agree that matched brands etc. with the ZTPRE may not be necessary as long as the tubes are all the same type.

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NormD

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Posts: 254

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #54 - 12/29/18 at 21:04:43

Lon:

You put the bug in my ear, so to speak. I took my collection of Amperex JAN 7308's to a friend's and measured them all. I installed the ones that were best balanced with the highest output. I then swapped out my Russian 6N5P red-tips and I'm not going back. The 7308's seem to have crisper cleaner highs and a more transparent midrange. The bass is still excellent. The 6N5P's were excellent, but the 7308's are better.

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OPPO Sonica DAC
Technics SL-1200M3D Turntable
SoundSmith The Voice cartridge
JRMedia Center running on a MacMini
Panasonic DP-UB820
Marantz AV8802a Pre/Rotel RMB-1585 Surround
ZTPre & ZMA Stereo
Focal Sopra No. 2 speakers (91 db)
2 Hsu ULS-ULS-15 MK2 Subs

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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 25750	Re: ZTPRE Impressions Reply #55 - 12/29/18 at 21:08:32 Okay, good to know. I'll see if I can swing a set of six 7308s in the new year, we'll see. I figured they would sound the very best. I had six Amperex 6DJ8s in and they were very close to the red-tipped 6N5Ps but the latter were new and the Amperex were a bit tired.
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Lon

Seasoned Member

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

Posts: 25750

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #56 - 01/02/19 at 16:11:02

Darn it Norm, your changing out the 6N5P for 7308 and the results kept bouncing around in my brain and finally last night I realized that I had three matched pair (one was in my Torii Mk III, another in my Magnum Dynalab tuner, and the third in the driver positions in my CSP3-25. I am not currently using the Mk III and the CSP3-25 and I had a pair of Telefunken 6922s that also sound really good in the tuner, so I swapped out my wonderfully selected 6N5P from Steve and put these 7308s into the ZTPRE. (That means I now have Amperex 7308 in the ZTPRE, the Taboo Mk IV and the SE84UFO3 25th Anniversary Monoblocks, and an Amperex 12AU7 in the ZROCK2, I love that family sound).

I think Steve is absolutely right that with 6N1P (and I'll add 6N5P) the ZTPRE is a perfect vehicle to transfer signal clearly and without a strong character of its own. These Amperex 7308 however do have a character that enhances digital playback. As you say a clearer (I think slightly less grainy) treble, and a very open midrange (I find that true of the 6N series as well) and there's just a touch of classic tube mid-bass grease to the bass sound that I miss when it's not there.

So yes, I don't think these 7308 are coming out. The main system is sounding SO good. I have a few more weeks before this system gets moved upstairs and a new one set up downstairs . . . . May be the best time to send one of my Taboos back for 25th Anniversary mods to be thte amp for the second system, I'll probably do that after I get an ongoing sale of my Torii Mk III completed.

What did I do before Decware came into my life 21 years ago? I do know that my music collecting accelerated like a bat out of hell because music suddenly sounded right! I have storage issues now, but no real regrets as I have this incredible system to hear music on hour after hour. . . .

Wait until you get all those AC-12s in the system Norm!

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NormD

Seasoned Member

Posts: 254

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #57 - 01/02/19 at 17:37:43

Lon:

Glad to have someone validate my observations; sound memory in a 65-year old is always suspect.

You now have me thinking about putting my remaining 7308’s in my ZMA inputs.

But that will have to wait. My AC15 Power regenerator arrives today and more AC12 cables next week. I also have 7027’s waiting to be tried in the ZMA. So much listening and so little time!

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OPPO Sonica DAC
Technics SL-1200M3D Turntable
SoundSmith The Voice cartridge
JRMedia Center running on a MacMini
Panasonic DP-UB820
Marantz AV8802a Pre/Rotel RMB-1585 Surround
ZTPre & ZMA Stereo
Focal Sopra No. 2 speakers (91 db)
2 Hsu ULS-ULS-15 MK2 Subs

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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 25750	Re: ZTPRE Impressions Reply #58 - 01/02/19 at 17:42:49 Oh boy, you're going to have a great time with the P15 and those cords. And yeah, the 7308s should work really well in the ZMA. Brace yourself. . . you'll do fine with the listening and new equipment, years of experience!
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Lon

Seasoned Member

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

Posts: 25750

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #59 - 04/16/19 at 18:51:13

Now that the fully 25th Anniversary modded ZROCK2 has settled in and its signature is pretty much a "known," I began wondering about the three pairs of Amperez 7308 that I have in the ZTPRE. They are three different pairs likely of different vintages, one with green ink, one with white, one with orange. I notice a certain "wash of warmth" that though great with thin or harsh recordings is a bit occluding of the better, more neutral recordings.

I had some 6N6P tubes on hand that Johnny talked to me about off the board and I bought to try out, a very cheaply priced batch of nine, and I put six of these in the ZTPRE. There was an appealing "relaxed" sound to the system as a result (in comparison to the focused, rich Amperex sound) and I liked it quite a bit at first, but as the tubes broke in they began to seem a bit too diffuse and indistinct, with a bland tonal balance. Just wasn't a very involving listen.

So I put in the six red-tipped 6N5P that I bought from Steve for the ZTPRE. I know Steve took great care matching and testing these and previewing them in his own ZTPRE, and I had been very impressed with them even if preferring the Amperex 7308 in the system with the original gangster ZROCK2. With the 25th Anniversary modded ZROCK2 I like these even more and their very open, fast sound really complements the change in sound the modded ZROCK2 brings. So I'm enjoying these now. . . . The system sounds amazing this week.

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Lon

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

Posts: 25750

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #60 - 04/17/19 at 15:44:38

I'm definitely enjoying the sound with the wonderful red-tipped 6N5P in the ZTPRE today.

The Amperex 7308 offered a deeper focus on the individual elements giving them a meaty body and a rooted presence, at the expense of a bit of a closed in stage and compressed "atmosphere." These 6N5P are giving me a good share of body and presence but a more "fleet-footed" feeling to the entire presentation which actually presents a slightly more dynamic sonic landscape and a more defined sense of instruments in place, more separation and width.

I can and will live with either complement of tubes, I can see myself coming back to the Amperex soon, but with the fully modded ZROCK2 being all it can be the sound today with the 6N5Ps is really drawing me in.

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Lon

Seasoned Member

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

Posts: 25750

Re: ZTPRE Impressions
Reply #61 - 02/24/22 at 14:22:02

It's been over four years now that the ZTPRE has been in my main system and I just love this component.

This week as my source has recently been significantly upgraded and I added some isolation feet to the system, changed isolation feet on my speakers and have Purple fuses from Synergistic Research all seasoned in I decided to roll six tube complements in the ZTPRE to see if I have any on had that would better the 6085s with converter bases that I have enjoyed for months and months now.

I rolled 6N1P from Steve, 6N5P from Steve, Amperex 7308, and both Sylvania and Philips 6922 types, and National 5963 with the converter bases. Some interesting differences and sounds.

But. . . the 6085 are back in. There's a special resonant clarity they offer and an ease with the tonal balance. Lesson learned.

Too bad they are very expensive but they're long-living.

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