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25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions! (Read 15844 times)
will
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #150 - 05/16/19 at 01:40:57
 
Nice post Lon.

Isn't it interesting how we all "use" music in similar, but different ways! Thanks for explaining your challenges and solutions. The questions you present relative to reality make sense, but also set me on an exploration of thought. I hope this "sidetrack" is interesting to some folks.

For me, as I seek to experience our virtually unexplored energetic aspects of self, this is seeking reality.

Historic evidence consistently implies that “reality” is often skewed by a long progression of culturally held beliefs that are often only part real. "Consensus" views, often stimulated by a natural interest in reality, this supports a feeling of seeking reality. But at the same time, "reality" tends to be "adjusted" by influences like unresolved fears, hatred, desires.....and a multitude of partial truths cultured conditioning progressively develops and holds as true.

Empowering the pattern, to gain a sense of "comfort," we tend to "hold tightly" to beliefs we think we can “count on,” making them static. The question this presents for me: When a fundamental activity in all nature is transformation, and we are aspects of nature, how can we believe we can make static that which innately cannot be static? Yet we do this with our beliefs! I think this is a good illustration of how tricky delusion can be.

Luckily, our more insightful aspect of self is uncomfortable with partial truths, and seeks clarification. We find we can’t quite resonate with a lot culture describes as true. I think this creates "seekers" of reality, partially explaining lots of creative people. If conditioned reality does not feel right, we need to step a little out of the box to seek clarification. Creative practice, like playing and listening to music, can nurture our confidence in "self exploration," and exploration and discovery opening the mind, creative practices can potentiate uncovering and refining reality.

An example of how reality can be easily skewed: Scientifically we have discovered that we are both energetic and mass. Yet conditioning tells us we are mainly flesh and blood...or mass, leaving energetic awareness and utilization under explored.

For most of us, we “know” intellectually that cells are made of sub-atomic particles, but being outside our “cultured” experience, the energetic remains foreign and mysterious, even scary. And even for more adventurous explorers, cultured beliefs are so deep, they tend to overwhelm and/or limit our ability to perceive and utilize the energetic nearly as fully as we capable of.

Confused, and with little supportive guidance from culture, seekers of reality tend to get tired, often falling back to various degrees on variations of collective belief patterns. In process, seeking comfort in the norm, attaching to beliefs as “truths,” beliefs tend to become relatively unchangeable. Strengthening the pattern, by forming a static reality with defined outer boundaries culture can accept, most anything outside our conditioned reality is felt as suspect, even dangerous...we learn to fear and even fight the "unknown."

Seeking reality in this confusion, it appears the main difference between the energetic and mass, is how we perceive things. And conditioning causing us to believe we are mass and not energy, we miss out on much of what we truly are, energetic! How can beliefs that leave out a large part of our perception, abilities and nature be real?

Even more odd to me, statically held beliefs are resistant or opposed to fundamental transformational patterns of nature...the driving force of nature. And since we are aspects of nature, aren't static beliefs opposed to our own nature? A closed circuit, by limiting our energetic potential, we limit our exposure to transformative nature, in turn, limiting our potential for exploration of our broader energetic consciousness and insights.

Sealing the deal, our natural cautions about unknowns get mixed up with indoctrinated fears, turning off potential to more articulately utilize innate energetic perception and discernment...impeding potentially powerful tools for helping us better define reality.

Under these cloudy preconditions it is hard to know what is real and what is not….and it can be scary or unhealthy to go very deeply into energetic exploration without care. So I think approaching it with caution, and seeking to know our own limits is wise. And I agree, there are malevolent energies. Even if we only look at the collective energetic patterns of hatred, fear, contempt, belligerence... energetic signatures we inadvertently learn to pass around to one another and broadcast into the air.

So I attempt to explore unknowns of energetic awareness and perception with safeguards of consciously aligning with healthy, life supporting energies, while consciously attempting to stay clear of those that are not supportive of harmonic life.

I find, calm, open-minded consciousness, that is intentionally aligned with life-supporting energetic patterns, is innately less biased by conditioned ideology and beliefs. So I try to find safe ways to explore this aspect of consciousness as a means of uncovering and refining reality. Being more relaxed and objective, open mind seems more capable of experiencing unexplored aspects of our reality, leaving us more open to insights that support reality. I hope this explains part of why I cultivate my becoming deeply absorbed and interactive with the music. In that open state of mind absorption with the music can support, I experientially learn more about our subtler, more complete nature.

But no two have the same life-experience and genetics, so our lives and needs unfold in different ways. All “original,” hopefully our individual observations through our experiences with our gear and music are useful to others.

Lots of ways to explore!
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Lon
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #151 - 05/16/19 at 02:01:18
 
Interesting post. I too seek deep interaction with music, and feel a clear distinction between deep interaction while creating music (alone and with others) and while experiencing music reproduction. And the two are clearly different in nature to me, which is evidenced strongly when I combine them by say playing along to a recording -- even an overdubbed or looped bit of music I played myself.

My life was drastically changed when I was 11 living in a modern American city at sea level and one day our entire family got on a plane and ended up living two years in a very different culture in a much more ancient and undeveloped African city that is 2400 meters above sea level. I had to rethink reality, consensus, individual, and identities of race, culture and nationality. And there was another complete environmental and cultural shift for three additional years before I returned to what was a normal reality before in America, and was now another reality mashup to decipher and get a grip on.

I've been a student of perception and perspective since. I value reproduced music most for getting me out of myself and into an accepting attitude of information and emotional input, and it has a specific gravity as sound waves and vibrations, different from the same factors in "real music" and ne'er the twain has really met for me. And at this stage unless something truly alters my consciousness in untold new ways I don't think it ever will.

Doesn't mean I don't enjoy the heck out of it, analyze the hell out of it, some days LIVE for it. I love music. I am thirsty for more to experience and study. If I had to choose getting more music to handle and listening to it on humble equipment to having incredible equipment and a few hundred "playlists," I'd choose the former. The lucky part of my life has led me to having an amazing collection that grows and teaches and fantastic equipment to reproduce it.

Regarding energetic being: I get that is a part of our very nature, and I do experience it though I don't think of it that much. I feel the energy of people I'm my life--especially if it is a negative force. I've a fresh batch of family members in my life now with a new marriage and boy. some of them present a type of negative energy that I have not had to interact with as intimately as I do ever before. It's a huge challenge to surmount. And I do feel the presence in my life of several who have passed, and one who is 1400 miles away but sometimes seems as if they have their arm around my waist.
These are fascinating things to experience and ponder. But I really haven't felt a "presence" when listening to the Anniversary Monoblocks.
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Steve Deckert
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #152 - 05/16/19 at 04:33:08
 

Quote:
I have learned over the years how NOT to torment myself.


There is a real art to that !!!  

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Lon
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #153 - 05/16/19 at 11:57:44
 
Steve Deckert wrote on 05/16/19 at 04:33:08:



There is a real art to that !!!  


Indeed. I think I learned the basics via the means I used to quit smoking cold turkey nearly 29 years ago; readjusting my situations and habits to reinforce that "quitting" helped me begin to learn how to avoid torments and temptations.
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Dominick
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #154 - 05/16/19 at 18:35:11
 
Will...your post was very well composed and refreshing to read. I think too often we tend to become complacent and put ourselves on auto pilot. While that may be ok in the short term… It wreaks havoc on our well-being and growth in the long term.   I often try to check in with myself every so often to see if I am happy… and if not what do I need to do to change it.  

Along time ago when I was doing martial arts… It opened me up to experiencing not only the dynamics of fighting, but the meditation and awareness that goes along with it. Talk about some fascinating stuff.  

How does this relate to music… Well depending on one’s mood, it will invoke the thought process of the meaning behind the songs that we listen to.    There are times when I want to listen to rock ‘n’ roll music, and there are times when the only thing I want to enjoy is classical music.  

I recently saw one of my favorite artists John Mellencamp at the Beacon Theater in New York City. With sitting only 4 rows from the stage, you are totally forced to connect yourself with the artist and his music.  For 2 hours there were no distractions just pure enjoyment.

At one point during the show he had an accordionist and a violinist up on stage doing a duo. It was phenomenal!! Even my wife who is not a huge fan, was totally blown away.
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will
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #155 - 05/18/19 at 20:28:50
 
Thanks Dom.

I think active efforts to make our life happier, and the martial arts are both nice pointers as we look at how Decware and music in our rooms can be enjoyed.

It's fun for me to imagine life thousands of years ago, the origins and results of developing the martial arts. Touching back to my earlier "brain storm," I think these arts emerged as early “mind” explorers discovered that the energetic and cellular are “different sides of a the same coin.” And cultivating awareness of our energetic makeup, they learned we can use it to become healthier, happier, and more capable. In time, they became known as Taoists, students of Tao ("the Way")... though I think "explorers and practitioners of the Way of Harmonic Nature" is more descriptive of their motivations and practices.

Captivated by looking into how we are made and function, and also everything else...plants, animals, rocks, mountains, streams... they were basically early physicists. They learned to recognize and interact articulately with source energies that drive everything, in turn noticing how fundamental energy morphs and conglomerates into activity, form, and consciousness. The “language” of energetic nature being discovered, by consciously integrating our cellular and energetic "languages," they uncovering ways to become more coherent, complete and able.

Associated,  they noticed that our personal energetic body/consciousness can consciously interact with the energetic configurations of others, leading to practices that increase, concentrate, and move energy in specific ways. More “conversant” with the energetics of the plant world, and discovering the meridians, sophisticated healing methods began to develop.

Further cultivating meridian therapy, they discovered movements that empowered, harmonized and expanded wellbeing and consciousness. The basis of Chi Gong, Tai Chi, and Kung Fu, healing/meditative practices morphed into "martial arts," uncovering more skills for focussing and utilizing energy articulately. “Intuition,” being an aspect of our energetic language, we can practice to cultivate it. Without thought, we can “know” the moves of our fellow practitioner milliseconds before they happen, and respond accordingly. We can "learn" to concentrate energy, “grounding” so powerfully we can't be moved. Or...in an instant, before thought, we can spring faster, higher, further and more articulately than we could ever imagine. They discovered that by cultivating “hidden,” but innate perceptive functions and consciousness, we can access and interact with the all-inclusive, interactive overlays of energy all around us...martial arts becoming a practice to cultivate these skills.

These practices revealed “collective consciousness,” consciousness inclusive of all energy and the information it carries. Each of us, as aspects of the collective consciousness, it is “ours” and can be accessed by us. Realizing that each activity conveys energetically, influencing all adjacent energetic patterns (things and actions), they saw that everything influences everything...They noticed that energetically, all things interact either directly of indirectly. Collective energetic patterns, particle configurations more multi-dimensional and overlaid than linear, it is vast, but they began to notice that with mind opened and clear, we could experience many levels of energetic “consciousness” as it exists, at once.

”Collective Wisdom” contains too much information for linear, "word-time" thinking mind to take in. And being trained that linear consciousness, is consciousness, the countless overlays of energetic consciousness literally boggles our thinking mind. It is way too much information to linearize. At the same time, from our culturally biased thinking mind, rife with semi-real beliefs and associated confusions, countless multi-dimensional energetic patterns are difficult to even imagine, much less perceive and use.

But finally the barrier appears to be more a matter of training and perception than reality. We all experience collective consciousness, it is just that most have not explored it consciously!

Like when we think of a person living across the country, and then get a call from them. Or, without thought, we can "know" how to roll as we fall, protecting ourselves...or sensing the strong emotions a person is feeling as they walk into a room before “knowing” anyone is there...Like the sense of a presence behind us as a wild animal turns its attention our way, we often “know” energetically before it becomes thought. So energetic consciousness is not as foreign as it appears, more “uncharted.”

The “study” of consciousness developing further, as it became clearer that Mind covers all levels of consciousness and perception, the early Taoists noticed that association with broader harmonic consciousness could also harmonize and enhance thinking mind. On its own, thinking mind doesn't have a complete tool set and can become pretty twisted and confused, even toxic...resulting in greed, wars, theft, lies…..Unsupported by harmonic insight, it has serious limitations and can easily get caught in its static stockpile of part-real beliefs (delusions) and machinations. We all know those “loops” of trying to figure things out...lying in bed, similar patterns of thought looped over and over, burning loads of energy with no end in sight unless we finally have an insight.

Yet thinking mind, when naturally integrated with other aspects of our consciousness, is very useful, a great tool for sorting things out linearly, it can help us "understand" and communicate. So explorers of consciousness learned to calm habitual thinking mind dominance as a means to expose and cultivate awareness of our broader consciousness. They noticed “gut feelings” were manifestations of subtler and more inclusive “consciousness.” Terms like “gut mind,” and “Heart Mind” pointed to consciousness being interactive with the brain, but not confined to it. For millennia, different pathways of creative exploration of "the language" of Mind have revealed the same results, a subtler, more complete and effective broader consciousness that makes thinking mind a lot smarter.


With carefully developed Decware based system/rooms, especially using “current” tech, the 25th and other new modifications, it seems consciousness altering experiences are reported more and more. To me, this is saying that the music can be a catalyst to broadened, more complete consciousness. If we can relax the differentiating controls of thinking mind, our energetic makeup is more easily interactive with spectrally and harmonically authentic music. These amps can apparently support this. Feeling close enough to how we experience natural music, we can more easily relax habituated thinking mind activity, potentiating shifting perception and consciousness.

Finally, with an optimized setup, brilliant audio with a beautiful soundstage, seems we can become "captivated" by the experience. I am thinking "lost in the music," or “players in the room,” are descriptors of Mind assuming its more natural state, open and receptive, allowing more complete interaction with the music. Seems a good/system room can potentially be transformative and supportive of well being in many ways!
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Dominick
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Still like that old
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #156 - 05/21/19 at 06:31:16
 
Quote:
It's fun for me to imagine life thousands of years ago, the origins and results of developing the martial arts. Touching back to my earlier "brain storm," I think these arts emerged as early “mind” explorers discovered that the energetic and cellular are “different sides of a the same coin.” And cultivating awareness of our energetic makeup, they learned we can use it to become healthier, happier, and more capable. In time, they became known as Taoists, students of Tao ("the Way")... though I think "explorers and practitioners of the Way of Harmonic Nature" is more descriptive of their motivations and practices.


I totally agree Will.  When I did Ninjitsu, it was made up of the 5 elements, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Void.  Without going into details about the philosophy, each element invokes a certain feeling, which then transfers into its own fighting style.  Really good stuff.  

The takeaway...there are different style songs that invoke deferents feelings in us.  When I listen to the Gregorian Chant or Singing Bowls, it really hits you at your inner core and I correlate that with Earth philosophy of the Ninjutsu fighting style....etc, etc.  Some of the meditation that we did helps you reflect on your feelings and emotions.  

I think that’s why music is so important to me....I can appreciate it on multiple levels ...especially since I played the guitar growing up.  

Quote:
Finally, with an optimized setup, brilliant audio with a beautiful soundstage, seems we can become "captivated" by the experience. I am thinking "lost in the music," or “players in the room,” are descriptors of Mind assuming its more natural state, open and receptive, allowing more complete interaction with the music. Seems a good/system room can potentially be transformative and supportive of well being in many ways!


I agree 100%.  Very well stated.



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Lon
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #157 - 05/27/19 at 16:24:01
 
It's astonishing how these amazing amps let us hear so much.

I came to the conclusion that one of the less explored areas of my system that might yield improvement was the HDMI cable that connects my transport and DAC and tried a number of cables I had on hand and one that I purchased that was purpose built for digital audio via I2S which is what is happening in my connection and not video.

Very interesting experiment over a few weeks. I ended up unseating my PS Audio AC12 HDMI cable with one of my PS Audio AC10 HDMI cables. I think the PCOCC copper in the latter trumped the silver in the former. The Harmonic Technology cable I used for two weeks was very good, but ultimately the AC10 was just a bit more relaxed and natural sounding. And as a result I tried swapping voltage regulation tubes of the output tubes in my Monoblocks and am now enjoying Sylvania 0B3. With the ZROCK2 I can enjoy either 0B3 or 0D3W and am enjoying the touch of warmth the 0B3 are bringing to the presentation.

With the transparency and liveliness these amps instill in playback we interact with the system and each session is an exchange that we hate to end.
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Tubecan
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #158 - 07/23/19 at 15:03:12
 
This 25th amplifier is seriously addictive…1000 hours and this combo is staying,yes the best sound ever out of a pair of PP shoebox' or any ls3/5a ever! maybe even any system ever, never owned a subwoofer but this amp digs deep!walking down a side street i stumble upon a box of beaten up used tubes,first one i grab is a smoke GE 280 radiotron,so i home it and this tube is magic…the imaging in another room is better the a mac275 while in front of one.LOL.really,i'm in the kitchen making a cup of sheng and there's that cymbal playing over there"in the kitchen"
If this amp ain't voted the bestest amp ever by someone than i don't understand.
Every tube change,and i visad plenty, is a new amp..sick.
I'll try posting a photo of the magic tube..ma' didn't change from the supplied psvane,so this tube may be new.
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #159 - 07/23/19 at 15:31:26
 
If that was an 8 pound rack of beef ribs cooked for 12 hours+ with pecan-cherry wood and 4 different pepper corns it would probably show up…gotta go.This tube looks like an RCA..so after digging looks like GE bought out rca and there's that magical tube in my amp.
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Ace-Tone
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #160 - 07/26/19 at 16:50:45
 
I hear ya Tubecan....UFO25 is sick good!

11 months in for me and I continue to be surprised and amazed with what this amp does (don't forget that good sources are a key factor in this).

Listened to Focus "Hamburger concerto" last night. I've heard this on CD dozens of times over the years and because it is a dated recording I was not getting my hopes up for sonic bliss with the used LP I found for $8 at the local record store. Damn, I was wrong. I was captivated as much as I am with other great recordings I've experienced with the UFO25. It's like hearing the album for the first time when this happens....wonderful!

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Lon
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #161 - 07/26/19 at 18:18:41
 
Thelonious Monk "Monk's Dream" Mobile Fidelity SACD.

Did a brief comparison between this and the ORG SACD. Both sound good. I think I'll be letting the ORG go though.

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Thomas
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #162 - 07/26/19 at 18:54:02
 
Love this album.  I have the ORG.  What do you like about the MFSL?
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Lon
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #163 - 07/26/19 at 19:07:21
 
The MFSL is just a bit mellower and a bit less forward sounding, with wonderful micro-detail of the piano and drum resonances. Suits my taste and system just a shade more. Both are excellent. Having one or the other one doesn't really need both.

Right now
Hank Mobley "Soul Station" XRCD. Been a long time since I spun this one; last time it was the mono version on Platinum SHM-CD

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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #164 - 02/08/21 at 14:40:09
 
I’m 10 months into my Heresy IIIs, my SE84UFO25 has about 50 hours,  my new Mapleshade Double Helix V2 cables are in place, and my new DSRs are plugged in to my new CXN V2.

“Take a Walk on the Wild Side” takes my breath away.  “Houses of the Holy” is religious.  I know “The Lady Wants to Know” with new intimacy.  Friedemann’s “Queen Bee” thumps my bowels.  Acoustic guitars arrest me, making me wonder in Shakespeare talk, “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, [ears]! For I ne'er [heard] true beauty till this night.”

OK, that last may be over the top, and I’m no seasoned audiophile with lots to compare, but Oh My.  Thanks, forum, for your guidance.  And thanks Decware for your watts, all 2.3!
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #165 - 02/08/21 at 17:42:32
 
duaneh it only gets better!  How good this amp really is was impressed on me in the last two weeks, and I've had it for some time now.  I had to send my ZR2 in for repairs and was wondering if I could listen without it... and yes I can, non stop.  That's not to say that the ZR2 isn't going back in, it most definitely is.

But, with couple of adjustments on the gain structure... I found that the UFO 25 exceeded my expectations by a long shot.  The only down side is that I've also realized that I have to add some bass traps when the ZR2 gets back.

Also thinking about pulling the trigger on a pair of Cornwall 4's (the S3HOXRS are going nowhere).
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MrDerrick
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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #166 - 02/08/21 at 21:28:34
 
The Herb Reichert review of the SE84UFO & SE84UFO25 is now out in the Stereophile March issue.

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Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #167 - 02/13/21 at 00:43:09
 
I've posted my impressions of the ZR2 that I sent in for repairs and came back repaired with a Mundorf bypass cap and that I had to spend quite some time to come to grips with the difference that it made.  

Earlier I stated that listening to the UFO25 without the ZR2 impressed upon me just how good the UFO25 is.  So is a ZR2 with the Mundorf bypass cap recommended? YES, emphatically YES!  Especially so if you have a UFO25.

Does it make the UFO25 better? No it does not.  What it does is give the UFO25 a better input signal to work with, in turn the UFO25 is of such caliber that it is more than capable of letting it all through.  The UFO25 is as good as it gets, IMO.  

By the way, I would suggest that when you do make changes up stream, as I have, that in themselves are an improvement... sit down before you turn it all on.  You most likely will not expect the resulting change that the UFO25 will let you hear, and you won't be caught standing half way between the speakers and chair looking somewhat confused, as I was.

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Steve Deckert
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If the 1st watt
sucks why continue?

Posts: 6234
Re: 25th Anniversary Zen Triode Amplifier Impressions!
Reply #168 - 02/14/21 at 01:28:36
 


Talking about source quality...

A man wrestles for years with the concept of spending three times as much on a new source and then he gets well outside his comfort zone one day and pulls the trigger on one.  Let's say it cost $2K above what he wanted to spend.  It arrives and he listens to it in awe.  You see, he didn't realize that this $2K investment would make his source sound better, and make his preamp sound $2K better and his amplifier sound $2K better and his speakers sound $2K better.  So he spent $2k, and got a return of $8K.  Had he realized that he would have gotten $8K worth of upgrades throughout his entire stereo by spending only $2K it would have happened way earlier.

With an amplifier like the SE84UFO25, big rewards come from small investments.

Steve
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