Forums - How would you order a Zbox ?

donovan

Verified Member

Posts: 48

How would you order a Zbox ?
10/19/19 at 09:03:54

1. Standard
2. Poly bypass cap mod
3. Beeswax bypass cap mod

I'm currently running an amp that uses Class-D Hypex NC500 modules and I strongly suspect the Zbox will help with longer listening sessions. Plus I just plain miss having some Decware in my system!

There was a Zbox on offer in the classified last week but I was too slow. :'( There is also an old Zsla-1 up on ebay but it looks to be in rough shape.

edit - If I was buying an amp, I would automatically spring for the jupiter upgrade, but with this being a buffer I'm not sure how important the caps are? They are directly in the signal path, correct?

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Lon

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Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #1 - 10/19/19 at 14:29:37

I didn't realize that the ZBOX now has a tube regulation option and am not surprised it has poly and beeswax caps options.

I have a ZROCK2 with the beeswax caps and tube regulation mods and though it took a long time to break in, longer than any other product I've had from Decware, it sure sounds fantastic so I do think the mods are worth the cost when using the component with a really good front end. But the ZBOX is usually used with less stellar front ends and the poly bypass may be just the cat's meow? A good question for Steve to answer.

I have an early ZBOX bought early in my Decware journey to use between an HK CD player (the very first 1 bit commercial product) and a Decware Select. Then I bought a CSP2 and eventually sold it to a fellow Decware forum member who told me it had a bad hum and sold it back to me. I hadn't had a bad hum with it, and I put it on a shelf and moved it twice in this decade. But I set up a headphone only system using my Denon flagship universal player and a CSP3 with the Anniversary mods and one day recently it dawned on me that I might benefit from a ZROCK2 or a ZBIT but I have a ZBOX, why not try it out. So I popped it in and yes, it had a hum. I had a dead quiet system til I popped it in. I tried different cords and cables and tubes and it was there. .. I could get around it to listenable levels by lifting the ground on the ZBOX and playing about with the gain, and I definitely enjoyed good sound. Then last week I popped in an Amperex 5814A tube and there was practically no hum. I think it was sort of a coincidence, but I'm not touching anything!

The ZBOX does improve my listening experience in that system. I've toyed with the idea of sending it in for mods. . . I'd possibly do the poly and the tube regulation, but would talk to Steve and see if he would recommend the beeswax.

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Dominick

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Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #2 - 10/19/19 at 17:08:08

My first piece of Decware gear was the ZSTAGE. It was originally a toss up between that and the ZBOX. After a 1/2 hour call with Steve, it was decided that ZSTAGE was for me. I decided to go with the beeswax caps after reading posts about the upgrades.

If you plan on buying more Decware gear, I would say that whatever cap option you plan to go with, you will probably want to stay with that in all of the other pieces of your Decware gear.

When Steve came out with the bypass mods, the majority of guys have sent their gear in for the upgrade. Hence...I plan on sending my ZSTAGE in for the upgrade.

Just another thought...the ZBOX and ZSATGE use the same input tube. With the ZSTAGE set 1/2 way up, it essentially has no gain, thus acting in a similar fashion as a ZBOX. I think the ZSTAGE will be more versatile down the road, so if you have not placed a call into Steve, I would talk to him about your long and short term goals. He may sway you into the ZSTAGE. I’m not trying to complicate your question, just trying to give you an option.

The following excerpt is taken directly from the ZSTAGE owners manual...

Quote:

BUFFER STAGES
The ZSTAGE differs from a buffer stage. Buffer stages like our ZBOX, do not have any gain. When turned all the way up, a buffer achieves just below unity gain. That means that if the voltage going into the buffer from your CD player is 2 volts, the most you’ll get out of it is around 1.8 volts. Buffers typically relax and balance the sound so it’s typically warmer, smoother or less aggressive. A buffer stage will typically have a lower output impedance than a gain stage making it better suited to driving long cable runs without signal loss.

When I first joined the Decware forum like 5 years ago..I did a ton of reading from seasoned veterans like Lon, Will, the Lonely Raven, Palomino, and others. Definitely take their advice since they have been in the game for a long time now.

Hope this helps.

Dominick

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ScottNC

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Posts: 335

Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #3 - 10/19/19 at 19:50:22

Donovin,
I completely agree with Dominick, I’ve been reading and learning from all the posts here for over a year and half and hundreds of hours, the information available is invaluable and the more you do before you talk with Steve the more you’ll benefit from it all. Good luck on your decisions...it surely won’t be your one and only DecWare purchase, that’s a guarantee.
Best,
Scott

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Lon

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Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #4 - 10/19/19 at 20:06:46

I won't disagree. . . except to say I had a ZSTAGE and didn't like it, but that's just me and my systems.

For me the ZBOX is a perfect fit for the headphone system I'm using it in as Steve wired a glass resistor directly to the input of my CSP3 with the Anniversary Mods and bypassed the input controls. So just a little twist of the knob gives me a lot of volume with efficient headphones. The ZBOX allows me to lower the incoming voltage and get further into the amplification range of the CSP3 which is most often a good thing for sonic output.

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Donnie

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Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #5 - 10/19/19 at 23:18:00

How would I order a Z Box?
Exactly as I wanted it and with a credit card!
Do what makes you feel good, pay the bill and enjoy.
It will sound great no matter how you order it and unless you had one ordered with each combination available, you will never know that you ordered wrong.
Life is too short to wonder about all of the what if's, get what you think is right and enjoy.

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ScottNC Seasoned Member Posts: 335	Re: How would you order a Zbox ? Reply #6 - 10/20/19 at 01:03:14 Nicely put, Donnie!
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donovan Verified Member Posts: 48	Re: How would you order a Zbox ? Reply #7 - 11/06/19 at 23:14:15 Well, I ordered my Zbox. I got antsy and couldn't wait for the black friday sale! :) I went with the standard configuration after talking with Steve.
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Lon

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Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #8 - 11/06/19 at 23:50:47

Congrats Donovan! My trusty old ZBOX has really helped my headphone system, in between my Denon flagship universal player and my CSP3 with the 25th Anniversary mods. The input gain controls on my CSP3 are bypassed, so being able to use the ZBOX and lower its gain helps me get into the higher output gain/volume level of the CSP3 and as a result body and imaging are excellent, and the tonal balance with the right tubes is just right. I was thinking of sending the ZBOX in for some mods, but just don't think that's necessary, will only do that down the line if I have a lot of money and want a new rush. Wink

Now comes the wait, but rest assured you'll find it worth it when you have it in hand.

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donovan

Verified Member

Posts: 48

Re: How would you order a Zbox ?
Reply #9 - 11/07/19 at 04:52:36

Thanks Lon. The Hypex based Class-D I mentioned in the first post is gone. Now I am running a Schiit SYS passive preamp and a Schiit Vidar amp. The Zbox will be placed in between the two, or at least that's the plan.

As it is now, the gain comes on way too quick through the SYS so this robs the Vidar of body and weight. I'll try a lower gain tube like a 12AU7 or 12BH7 and I'll bet this restores some headroom and, along with it, dynamics. Plus it will add in the pleasant harmonics which is the reason to add a tube buffer in the first place (which is mainly what I'm longing for).

Down the road I would like to try a TVC based passive preamp in place of the SYS. But those things get expensive. There is a nice one in the classified right now, but I'm thinking of something simpler.

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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 23459	Re: How would you order a Zbox ? Reply #10 - 11/07/19 at 06:17:48 It should work great. You should also try it between your source and the preamp. One way might work better than another! May the wait not be too long.
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