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Zana or Beta


Upstateguy

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Outside the typical SS vs. tube debate, the Zana is freaking ridiculously good with the 650's. Gives it just the right amount of damping factor. The luxman was a fine amp when I heard it in TTVJ's room at the Chicago meet and really liked it with the grados though.

My GS-1 doesn't seem to be a slouch in that regard either... :D

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The only things that you may or may not think are relevant are: 1) the the fact that service for a P1 purchased through Audio Cubes will require you to send the unit back to Japan and I don't know if they effectively act as the purchaser to submit it to Luxman for service; and 2) the voltage is not user-switchable so they provide you with a shitty transformer box that converts to the proper voltage for the unit. If you buy from TTVJ you get a US voltage model that is serviced through the US distributor and pay a thousand dollars more.

I don't know those Stello units very well, but I would think that the Onix Ref. 1 has a better analog output than the Stello. I cannot compare them but the Onix when new was a $1200 CDP that was known for its analog output stage.

All good points.....

I'll have to think about this some more.

USG

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  • 1 month later...

I actually am very interested in the ZD now that I've just found out it can be used as a preamplifier as well as a headphone amp.

I'm not sure the question was really answered in this thread in regards to how the ZD compares to the B22 it seems to have digressed into conversation about the ZD's and B22 individual performance and the new Luxman amplifier.

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I'm not sure the question was really answered in this thread in regards to how the ZD compares to the B22 it seems to have digressed into conversation about the ZD's and B22 individual performance and the new Luxman amplifier.

Well the truth is I am not sure how many people have had the chance to directly compare the two, if your looking for the spoon fed answer your probably not going to find it. However, we have enough people who have heard one or the other, and have given their impressions as they see fit. You can try head-fi if you feel that would be a more appropriate forum.

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Well I mean I've heard them both pretty extensively and I'd say there's a little bit weight/fullness to sound with the Zana Deux. That's the principal difference. There may be differences in presentation/soundstaging/imaging/dynamics but it's probably more subtle and would require a true side by side to really say and would probably vary between beta22 implementation (2/3/4 boards) and headphones.

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Amplifiers

Balanced β22 (compuryan)

Eddie Current Zana Deux (Absorbine_Sr)

Millett Hybrid MiniMAX (bperboy)

Woo Audio 6 PDPS tube amp (danmagicman7)

Aikido 24V (digger945)

Single Power Platinum (Happy Camper)

AMB Labs M^3 (seanohue)

Xin Macro 4 (8610 & 634x2) (Happy Camper)

Headroom Bithead (schalliol)

Headroom Ultra Micro Amp w/Astrodyne Power Supply (schalliol)

TTVJ Portable Millett Hybrid (Absorbine_Sr)

Fiio E5 (thatwunguy)

AMB Labs Mini M^3 (seanohue)

Will be at this local meet if anyone is interested. Mid-Indiana Meet - March 21, 2009 (Noon - 5pm)

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