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New ZMA YouTube video out... (Read 2913 times)
Bluemage
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New ZMA YouTube video out...
05/20/22 at 17:03:01
 
I think the guy should have broken it in before review, but oh well. What a beautiful amp. Decware stuff looks great in pictures, but seeing one on HD video with proper lighting is something else. That internal p2p wiring looked like high art!

https://youtu.be/JTh4uyV5sBs
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Archie
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #1 - 05/20/22 at 18:15:44
 
Loved where he said there were like 100 people on the wait list.   Grin

He's way premature with his bass comments given the power tubes he used and the time he had on the amp.  Of course, a ZR2 would help.
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michaelG
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #2 - 05/20/22 at 18:46:04
 
I remember Andrew Robinson saying that reviewers are  on the same waiting list as regular customers. It seems that it is no longer the case in lights of most recent youtube reviews. I think it is a good thing given the new 300B is coming soon..
look forward to see the reviews about this one
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Bluemage
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #3 - 05/20/22 at 19:40:07
 
I was stunned at how seemingly little he knew about Decware, given that he bought their top of the line amp. Like how he seemed shocked about the flight case, and the 100 person wait list, etc.

Most of us on here could recite what Steve eats for breakfast, and this guy doesn't even understand break-in, Tube-rolling, ZROCK2, etc. It's cool that he's a fan, he just seems a bit ill-informed.
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Same Old DD
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #4 - 05/20/22 at 20:05:01
 
I can see how he would want to "get on record" as soon as possible, but, as already alluded to, his impressions are premature.

I'll watch for him to do an update soon.

I noticed he was talking about all the recent things going on (I have not gone through all his linked vids) and as mentioned about the break in of the ZMA, he lead me to believe his Sonus Faber speakers were newish as well.

... and he's not getting the sound he was looking for? Hmmm...



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Lin
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #5 - 05/20/22 at 20:40:40
 
The sticker indicates that he got it 5 months ago in December.

He loses me a bit when he starts talking about vintage vs new tube amp sound, this shows a lack of real knowledge/experience in this area.
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Bluemage
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #6 - 05/20/22 at 22:51:16
 
Agreed. Literally every Decware review I've ever read, here or elsewhere, said something along the lines of: if you're looking for a slow, thick, vintage sound, look elsewhere. The speed of this amp will blow your wig off...
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Kamran
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #7 - 05/21/22 at 01:44:53
 
Bluemage, thanks for sharing. Jay is one of the select Audio YouTubers I follow. I also agree that he should have either broken it in more and or used different tubes.  I hesitate to say different speakers since it’s really clear that he wanted the ZMA to work on his Sonus Faber speakers, even though he admitted the result would be much better with more efficient speakers and or those with a horn design.

That said, I’m not surprised or dismayed by him not knowing Decware as closely as some of the members on this forum.  I find that even in the Audiophile world, Decware is a boutique brand, outside the radar of most.  I am assuming the romance starts when one hears the amps and starts engaging on the forums.  Then, there are ppl like me who don’t own a single Decware product, but all in, given the countless hours of research, keeping up with forum threads, and reviewing the buildsheet every other day to see if we moved up a notch.
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Bluemage
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #8 - 05/21/22 at 03:54:09
 
Right on, I'm in your boat! I've read everything, but waiting for my order to ship. Which will be quite a while!
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JBzen
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #9 - 05/21/22 at 09:45:36
 
BJ,
At one point in the video he did show a shot of his built sticker on the bottom of the ZMA. It was built 12/21. Video uploaded 5/22.
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Same Old DD
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #10 - 05/21/22 at 12:30:22
 
I don't want to dis' the guy. I love his energy and enthusiasm.
I had to go back, skip forward to the sticker, to confirm what others had seen.

I also notice that his video was shot over a period of time with MANY takes and the mere editing portion could have taken a great deal of work to make something coherent out of all his collections of files recorded.

... and he had a fairly long vid to edit and publish. That's no small amount of work and time consumed, setting his actual "impressions" even closer to the time he received his amp.

I tend to agree with the group in that he needs to run things a while longer, flip some tubes through, burn those new-ish Sonus Fabers for a bit and report back to his fan base after some extended play.
But, he's cool ...
Smiley
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JBzen
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #11 - 05/21/22 at 13:41:54
 
Not sure about all the conjecture in this thread but how much bass can be expected out of a 7 inch woofer in a bookshelf box setting on pedestals crossed with a tweeter messing with timing?
He states that on more efficient speakers the bass does come thru well.
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johnnycopy
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #12 - 05/21/22 at 16:38:19
 
Beautifully shot.

His needs were obviously not met by his combination of components, listening space, and expectations, and that’s ok.
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Donnie
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #13 - 05/21/22 at 17:25:44
 
I watched the video this morning and came away with a couple of thoughts.

The first being that the combination that he is using just didn't work together. It happens.

Another thought was that as Danny Richie has stated, a lot of these YouTube reviewers don't know what the hell they are talking about. Again just a possibility....

Another thought is that the reviewer has different tastes and may just be a bass head.

Or, maybe the ZMA doesn't sound good? The times that I have listened to a ZMA, I liked it, but who am I to judge?

Overall, I took the review to be fairly positive. but it didn't suit his taste. I can respect that.
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Steve Deckert
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Re: New ZMA YouTube video out...
Reply #14 - 05/21/22 at 18:17:06
 

I found it a little puzzling that the speakers didn't have the mid bass bloom he was after, yet he gets it in spades with the sold state amplifiers... Solid state is high damping factor which means the woofer has a stiffer grip on it causing it to move less. This in turn tightens up the bass which usually also comes across as reduced bass. If he had no power issues with the ZMA, never clipped it, you would think with the ZMA having less damping there would be more midbass, not less. Is he just playing them louder with the solid state I wonder? I did drop him a note about trying different tubes since I would love it if he could get the sound he's after!

Steve

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