I have been waiting like you for someone to chime in about them.
....just for fun

....I'm good with my ZMA


https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1464566312/15#15

Well, I will say, ....I want more recent reports....CoffsKids was cool... .
....and neac1976 owns them too.

https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1365130519/91#91

Quote:

I'm curious about what the Monos offer at that price compared to the other amps at this point.  Has Steve made them obsolete or is the marginal gain just not worth it unless money is really not an issue?

What are folks using for interconnects between their upstream devices (PreAmp or other) and the ZMA?  I’m using Voodoo Evolutions but I have a pair of Morrow MA6 I can put in line. Other suggestions?

Norm, you're running pretty good stuff already. You can see what I prefer below, for my ears.

Very profound for me is the simpatico of the KS1030 with the all copper KS6063. Not hyperbole, to say it is stunning.

Room treatment is so extremely important too ~ in an dedicated Room.

....and yes, this particular Transport I use....and I have two new/in their boxes/on the shelf......no need for the high dollar stuff....that yes, I have had in my Listening Room.

Furthermore, great Speaker's....and you own a great pair. My modified Acoustic Zen Adagio's.....have crushed all the competition that have entered...and that has been quite a few.

....and of course, Tube Rolling the best on the Planet/still available....as you know Norm.








Listening Room:



Room Treatments from Michael Green & my Home Brew


Sony as Transport (DVP-NS57P)
Illuminati D-60 Digital Coax IC ~.5 meter


Shunyata Research Zitron Alpha Digital Power Cord to ZDSD {Significant}


Decware ZDSD DAC / Recorder
***************************************************************
W/Steve's Output Transformer's/kicking to the Curb quite a few superb DAC'S
***************************************************************
(@ -20 Ref Level, 0.0 Input volume and @ 16/192)



WBT-0102Ag RCA Kimber Select KS1030 ~.75 meter


Decware Zen Mystery Amplifier
~BIASED at *56* mA~
NOS/Platinum/Mullard E188CC/7308's in my A12 an B12 Input positions Cryogenic~NOS/Platinum/Telefunken 6922/E88CC for Inverter Tubes~NOS RCA 0A3's & matched Quad/Tung-Sol KT66's or 6P3S-E's




***************************************************
Kimber Select KS6063 Speaker Cable 8ft WBT-0681-Ag Spades
***************************************************



Acoustic Zen Adagio - Black Pearl (Modified)
.....enjoying from 8 ohm ZMA Taps


Caintuck Audio Eminence Alpha 15" OB BASS Unit
at 43Hz, with my Velodyne CHT 130 watt plate amp and 0 degree phase
Plate Amp....regen'd clean ~ plugged into P3
Auralex Subdude (a must)
(NOTE: Only needed when the recording calls for...Open Baffle Bass has been the best integration I have witnessed when needed and called on)







Acoustic Zen Adagio's x-over's Modified/Full Range with Mundorf MCap Supremes-single Cap to each Tweeter/4.5k cross
(Gutted: 3kHz/18dB/Octave, Linkwitz/Riley Crossovers....with all crappy parts = gone)


ZMA, updated with robust Western Electric Bias/Balance Meter's and new Resistor's ~ Feb/17

XLO Pro Power Cord to ZMA
Shunyata Research Zitron Alpha Digital Power Cord to ZDSD {Significant}
PS Audio P3 Power Plant / Pangea AC-9SE from wall to P3
(Transport and ZDSD, Regenerated/*120*~ Multiwave off...ZMA on High Current Output)
System configured on Floor ~ Townshend Audio CD Seismic Sink deployed.

The ZMA is its own animal in power and finesse....Steve will visit it one day in bypass of its own doing/(ZMA). Furthermore, their is a Mundorf power film cap experiment going on too.

If it does not work out....my ZMA is fine....and it will save me $

....and yes, as mentioned above/with mention of you Lon...the magic of the SV83 Amps....undeniable.

Norm, I forgot to mention in my reply #9...if the P cord to your Oppo DAC is detachable... .  Upgrading it is worth the time.

I went with the Cable CO's loaner library and the Shunyata I have (now replaced by newer model)....brought Steve's ZDSD with output trannies of his topology...to another level. My 2 cents.

Too funny! I was again considering the Mono's vs. my ZMA and was wondering if anyone on these forums had asked the question. Well, it turns out I had! I'm just shaking my head in disbelief. I'm glad I found this thread again. As an update, a while ago I sent in both my ZMA and ZTPre for the 25th anniversary mods and I'm very pleased. But we are all bitten by the upgrade bug now and again. I'll stick with what I have - betides, finding the room for the mono's is a big challenge.

Thanks everyone!

Norm

Well . . . I may be a loon. I acquired a pair of Carver Amazing Line Source speakers. Before I took them up to my main listening area. I stopped them in the living room. I hooked up my Zen Torii MkIV and drove it with my iPhone through an Audioquest Dragonfly Black and it was awesome.

I took the speakers upstairs and hooked them up to my Holo Audio Spring KTE edition through a Pass XP-32 preamplifier to PS Audio BHK monos. And the speakers didn’t sound nearly as good. So I thought 24 watts won’t be enough for my home theater setup which is in the same room.

I spoke with Steve about the ZMA versus the Monos to drive my Carver Amazing Line Source speakers. 91dB sensitivity.

Steve said the monos aren’t really happy unless they are working hard.

So in a fit of insanity, since the ALSs are setup to be bi-amped. I ordered a pair of ZMAs with the anniversary mods to bi-amp the ALSs.

So does anyone think I’d be better off with the monos??

Yes. Steve said the monos are happier when the peaks take them to 1/2 of rated power or more. It doesn’t matter if that is from inefficient speakers or playing loud.

So I guess I’d rather have 40 watts to each speaker’s woofers and 40 watts to each speaker’s tweeters than 60 watts to drive all the drivers in each speaker. Particularly if the 40 watts is just as good at 1 watt as 40 and the 60 watts isn’t as good at 1 watt. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯