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