Is the Berning ZH270 revalatory?

Gee. This has turned out to be a more provocative exchange than I had anticipated. I can't say that I regret having generated it, particularly because it has served to raise interesting philosophical questions well beyond the immediate issue of the quality of a piece of audio gear. With regard to my original post, I would like to note again that had I left out the parenthetical reference to the seller (the parentheses truly were an attempt to background rather than foreground this information, but I do recognize that that very gesture was itself subject to misconstrual) then no one would have taken issue with my inquiry. That inquiry was based upon my own sad experience of having been too often infatuated with a piece of equipment only to experience disappointment over the long haul. I really was looking for some reassurance that that would not be the case with the Berning.
My conclusions are twofold: one, that the Berning is as good as it initially appears to be; and two, that this exchange has ended up by bringing out the best in all who participated in it.

Mew when I first got the Berning prior to making a committment to purchasing it, I did exactly the same thing for exactly the same reason. I was so taken back by its performance that I had to question that what I was hearing was maybe too good to be true? This was posted on Audio Asylum for anyone interested in reading the comments from other listeners. One compared a Berning to Atma-sphere system with a comparatively favorable result, equally good but different. After reading the kudos from several owners, all were happy, I purchased the amp and have been thrilled ever since. Of course its performance is much better now with the upgrades. Based on what I have heard and this includes among the best Lamm ML-1's, Tenor, Joule Electra, BAT, Conrad Johnson, Audio Research and a few SS amps including Halcro albeit in different systems and audio show conditions, the intrinsic virtues of the Berning is there. While I would hesitate to say it is at the top tier until I listened to all the contenders in familiar systems, I am confident enough that it will provide long term musical satisfaction to all but those that can and are willing to pay considerably more without the itch rearing its ugly head as is often the case in this hobby.

For the record, the only reason I replaced my previous amp, a Transcendent T-8 LN 25 watt OTL was the power issue. I was quite satisfied otherwise. Not only did the Berning give me more power but freed up space, lowered the heat in the room and proved a major improvement in every area of performance.

Has anyone tried this amp with Proac 3.8s? I'd like to try one but am not sure if it has enough power. The impedance of the 3.8 hardly falls below 8 ohms, so I am thinking an OTL might work well.

Greetings all,

Although this might not be my first post - I can't remember if I ever posted - it certainly is one of only a few. Generally speaking, I watch from the sidelines on these matters. I enjoy the passion that we bring to this hobby, and occasionally, the wisdom from our experience. I'm compelled to post a response because I've owned a ZH270 for almost a full year. My amp is currently receiving the full wire cap upgrade, provided by Allan Bhagan. It also sports Allan's ERS kit, cryo'd output tubes, and Stillpoints. This amp drives a pair of Merlin VSM-M with single ended BAM. All cables are Cardas Golden Reference. My source is a DPS/Schroeder 2/Dynavector XV-1s. Preamps are by Tom Evans (Vibe/Pulse and Groove Plus).

This is basically my first serious system. I don't have lots of experience with other equipment. My only benchmark for my system are those deeper memories from both the recent past and long ago when a record or the radio or a live instrument struck me as so fundamentally important and true that everything before and after that moment faded out of space and time. And the only thing that matter was the music. You don't have to believe me, but this system hits the mark frequently. At least, for me. I think the most important aspect of this hobby for me has been knowing my objective for the system. Without that, I have no means of evaluating the effectiveness of the system. And I could easily see myself being swept away -- along with my money - from one revelatory product to the next.

So, yes, the Berning ZH270 is "revelatory." But the caveat is, "revelatory" for me when weighed against my objective/benchmark.

Sincerely,

MDT

Mew,
Thanks for starting this thread. I am now among the believers having aquired a ZH270. I went through an agonizing decision to replace my Air Tight amps with the Berning, but in the end am keeping the ZH270 mated with the First Sound Deluxe MK2 preamp and Genesis 500 speakers. My next step is cable & interconnect upgrades. Cardas is mentioned in the above posts, and Allen suggests Audience. Any other recomendations? And how do the Cryo tubes upgrade the sound??

I agree that there are many shills in A'gon, but they are recognized and ignored.

Zaikesman - post the review without hesitation. It is important that A'gon continue to be the Forum for honest reviews ( and critisism ).