Tekton Double Impacts

For Mac48025,

After I reviewed the ZOTL-40 amplifier I bought it and it became my reference amp being driven by the Micro-ZOTL.  It's a wonderful piece, like Eric, David Berning is a true genius.  I found out recently I like the 40 even more with EL-34's instead of the stock KT-77's.  The DI's allowed me to go back to one of my first loves, SET amps, along with experimenting with the 2A3 tube.  As you know I'm quite enamored with the Micro-ZOTL preamp with the Triode Lab 2A3 amp driving the DI's and now the Ulf's.  This is just based on my personal taste, however, I'm still keeping the ZOTL-40 for my stable of amps because it's great and provides higher power for my reviewing assignments.

For Vitop,

I'm very spoiled in that I have heard just about all the most highly rated speakers either in people's home systems, my house, high-end store settings, or audio shows and to be quite honest I'm starting to come to the conclusion that Ulf's might be the all time best I have ever heard regardless of price!  Let me fully burn them in to get all their possible maximum performance.  Right now the theme that keeps coming up in my mind is you get all the "pop" of the DI's (with a much more room pressuring foundation to the music) along with a much higher level of "polish" of more pure tonality, soundstage layering with precise location of the players on that stage, and this buttery/liquidity ease of music just felling your room effortlessly.  

Since you brought up a warmed cast iron pan with melting butter....

Add sugar and cinnamon, banana liqueur, bananas, rum. Flambe'

Serve the banana pieces with scoops of ice-cream and the warm sauce.

A Brennan's of New Orleans original!

Please Stop!  :)

Kenny, I didn’t realize you were already using the ZOTL 40, good job! Great tubes also. I love how the LTA gear showcases each tubes qualities.

Thanks for the update teajay. 333jeffrey mentioned the same thing as you.....the most realistic piano he’s ever heard. That’s quite an accomplishment as piano notes are difficult to re-create. I can only imagine how good the Ulfberhts will sound when fully broken in. I’m very familiar with your pre, amp, speaker preferences and I’m following in your footsteps. While I absolutely love driving the DI’s with the MZ2 using Marconi BL63(with adapters).......they sound even better than my TungSol round plate 6SN7’s......and Brimar yellow T label 12AT7’s I’m looking forward to adding the Triode Labs 2A3S III FFX when I’m able, I was suggesting the ZOTL 40 for those wanting more power. After that I hope to add the mini Ulfberhts or DI SE’s to my system. Thanks for all your suggestions as they’ve been spot on to my ears. I’m hoping to thank you personally when I visit Mike at Audio Archon to hopefully hear the Ulfberhts and/or DI SE’s later this year.

Mac,

Yes the LTA gear showcases different tube combinations more than any other Tubed pre or amp that I have ever owned,borrowed or heard.Quite remarkable in MHO,I did try the gold lions,kt77's,12ax7's and 12au7's that came with my Zotl 40 but that sounded very lean in the mids and like some SS amps to my ears,just not my cup of tea.

I was going to get some bl63 tubes for my MZ2S but they do require a higher current for the heaters and they are very hard to find especially the Marconi's.

I hope your budget allows you to get the triode labs 2a3 amp in the near future,they make some very good gear and I think you will really like it,just wouldn't be enough pwr for me overall.

Kenny.

Thank you, teajay, kdude66, david_ten for the insightful opinions!!!!