It's always great to read about someone trying out Atma-sphere gear for the first time. I went from user to NYC dealer.
My journey with Atma gear has been over twenty years. I like to think what they do best is not necessarily a frequency thing or a staging thing, nor are they warm, or for that matter cool. I just always felt they gave a tremendous amount of shear musical gestalt - that quality of vitality that imbues recorded music with the essence of the performer that got me closer than anything else I listened to, tube or SS, in my system or others I have heard.
It's true I have heard some other amazing systems, but the gear sells for many many multiples of what Atma sells for.
Absolutely try the Zero's . You can get them on a trial basis I think.
Having used them on a number of speakers, the Zero's can make things better on 8 ohm and under speakers, especially if the bass seems a little uncontrolled. If there is no benefit you'll hear it, but I'd suggest having a set around just so you could try your OTL's with other speakers at friends, stores, etc. Especially as the S-30 is compact compared to my MA-1's.
You can get the OTL to work well with almost any speaker using Zero's to get to the optimum impedance.
Also there is an amazing synergy between their amps and pre's if you get a chance to borrow one.
The latest versions of both the amps and the preamps have elevated the gear to that afore mentioned echelon. Ralph Karsten's continued discoveries in Vacuum tube circuits has now created (with the M-60's and above with an Atma pre) I believe, "set for life components."
Anyone (save for those that just truly enjoy playing with electronics rather than playing music,) can now rest assured that they are getting such a high degree of realism and enjoyment, that any further desired upgrades in sonics are really now about tube rolling, ac cords and conditioning, cables (and a few other things I've discovered), and about the other gear in one's system, not their electronics.
