How does Berning ZH270 compare to Cary Cad211 AE ?

I can safely say the Berning is more than up to par with any of the Cary products I've listened to. While I haven't heard this particular amp there is a general sound to Cary that is enamouring, full, rich, voluptous, large stage. I always found their amps a bit lacking in extension at the frequency extremes. Certainly a taste issue.

The Berning is a much different animal. It doesn't have that palpable midrange to the extent that SET amps do but to my ears seems more natural, a taste issue more than anything else. Where it excels is in top to bottom performance. Lovely extended highs and deep controlled bass with an effortlessness in complex musical passages that never unravels.

If your question is pertaining to noise and nothing else, please disregard the above, I wouldn't want to give an opinion that is unsolicited! :) Seriously think of it from this perspective, the Berning has no power transformer, it uses an advanced switching power supply and it also has no output transformer. The sum total is about the quietest tube amp I've encountered. The only noise is the rush of the power tubes when you put your ear next to the speaker. Hope this helps but I expect anything I say will not measure up to the suprise in store for you on first listen.

Enjoy!

One more thing, I would be a bit suspect in your choice of cabling with the Merlins, this would be more of an issue than either of the amps. I have tried this cable with my VSM-M and the high frequencies were too overemphasised bordering on etchy. This combo threw the sound out of balance. It could be easy to blame the amp for this. The Berning might highlight this more than the Cary would.

Thanks a lot for the nice information. Witch cabling do you recommend then?

I agree with Tubegroover, the Berning ZH270 should be more than a match for the Cary Cad211, especially if you are sensitive to noise and hum. The Berning does not have a power transformer or a heavy output transformer (the amp weighs less than 5 kilograms!) so there is absolutely no transformer buzz at all. Furthermore, the tubes in the Berning -- 2 pairs of 12AT7/ECC81 tubes for voltage gain, 1 pair 12AV7/5965 tubes for driver tubes, and a quad of 6JN6 sweep pentodes (wired as triodes) for output are heated with radio frequency AC. The two voltage gain stages and the driver stages are single-ended, without interstage coupling capacitors. In fact, there is only one input capacitor in the entire signal path, otherwise the amplifier would faithfully amplify DC. The Berning ZH270 is the quietest tube amplifier I have owned and the most transparent amplifier I have owned period.

The Berning ZH270 also has three feedback settings -- normal(a low 12 dB), medium (a lower 7 dB), and low (3dB); which you prefer will be a matter of taste and the impedence of your speakers. Without the conventional output transformer in the way, the first thing you will notice about the Berning ZH270 is the bass extension and the high frequency extension, relative to the Cary. The Berning also has two sets of inputs as well as internal volume control -- I run my DAC straight into one set of inputs and bypass my preamp altogether. There is no preamp, like no preamp, I know ...

As for the palpable mid range of SET amps, you can achieve that sound in the Berning with a judicious choice of input tubes. If you like the rich mid range of single ended amps, then using richer sounding NOS input tubes such as the mid 1960s (or earlier) Mullard Blackburn ECC81 or the 1950s RCA black wing plate 12AT7 at the lower feedback settings will give you this style of sound, plus keep the bass and high frequency extension of the Berning.

:-)

One strong tube recommendation I would offer would be to purchase a quad of the matched, cryo-treated output tubes from Allan Bhagan (info@zotl.com) as well as getting the internal silver wire and capacitor upgrades from Allan too. At least with the output tubes, you can listen to the amp while you wait for the tubes to arrive.

If you prefer an extremely transparent, live sound then the Berning ZH270 works very well with any of the top 12AT7/ECC81 types known for their transparency -- e.g. Siemens, Telefunken, etc. -- exactly which one is a matter of taste. The Berning is so transparent that you can easily hear the (not always subtle) differences between the different highly regarded vintage 12AT7 tubes available from top NOS tube dealers such as Tubemonger (here on Audiogon) or Andy Bowman at Vintage Tube Services. The Berning ZH270 autobiases all of the tubes and tube sections separately using servo cicuits to keep the DC plate current constant. This means that the Berning ZH270 will find the correct negative grid voltage bias for each dual triode section independently so that they stay in their correct operating points over their entire lives. This feature alone makes the Berning ZH270 one of the most user-friendly tube amps in existence.

I’m very pleased with the important information you have submitted me with. I’m looking forward to receive the Berning amplifier and maybe mach up with new cables. Thanks again… I have heard that the new units are supplied with better cabling and capacitor. Do you know anything about this?