Help me Choose BW VS Zana Deus VS DNA Stratus

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by kirayamato, Jan 13, 2016.

  1. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    On this point, I couldn't disagree more. I've compared the BW and the Rag on my Yggdrasil and the BW was the more resolving amp. The Rag has a thin, sharp sound to it that can be confused with resolution. I'd have a BW over a Rag any day.

    It takes a bit to realize, but thin sounding things can tend to sound resolving, when they aren't any more resolving than a properly full sounding thing.
     
  2. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

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    TMoney, I don't agree with the second part. I think if anything the black widow is the more resolving but only just. I'm not a fan of the rag either. It is technically good, but for me it is too smoothed over in the highs and doesn't pair exceptionally well with any headphones. At least the bw has attitude. We tried A LOT of headphones through it(the rag). Best pairing I found was with the hd800 and hd800s. I'm paraphrasing but Dr. Higgs put it best "the rag doesn't do any headphone any favors but it works with all headphones." And yea, those clicks.
     
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2016
  3. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    The T3 can sound bright when the caps aren't burned in. Also, I found that I prefer Amprex 7062s over the stock tubes, but I bet you heard caps that were a little young.
     
  4. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

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    It's possible. We have two torpedos in the new york area and they sound basically identical to me, both a bit bright. I've had mine for a few weeks and dr. higgs has had his for a bit longer. How long before you noticed a difference in brightness?
     
  5. TMoney

    TMoney Shits on SBAF over at Head-Case to be cool

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  6. drfindley

    drfindley Secretly lives in the Analog Room - Friend

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    Not sure, I thought it was because of the tubes I swapped in, but then people described cap break-in somewhere and it was exactly the problem I had. Maybe 50 hours?
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Or transistor break in.
     
  8. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

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    Hmm...my torpedo will be going on a mini tour in ny. I plan on lending it to sphinxvc for a couple days and then thegunner100. Maybe it will sound different when it gets back. I hope we get to hear their opinions too, positive or negative.
     
  9. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    We should do another shootout once you get it back so we can compare CCS mod vs non-CCS mod.
     
  10. Dr. Higgs

    Dr. Higgs Boson - Member

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    Not to turn this into the Torpedo thread, but mine should be at well over 100 hours by now and I'd still classify it as slightly on the bright side. Not painfully bright by any means, but I don't think the HD800/S pairs as well with it as the HD650 (I like the synergy so much I'm afraid of modding it). It has softened up quite a bit since I built it, so I think that could be attributable to the cap/transistor break in as you described. I'd probably attribute the rest to the stock Electro Harmonix tubes, since the tubes we rolled with Steel's torpedo did seem to have a small effect in minimizing the treble bite. I'm getting some GE 6072's in tomorrow, so I guess I'll find out...
     
  11. SteelCannon

    SteelCannon Friend

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    sounds good, but I might be too busy oogling at your classic signature XD
     
  12. Drifterxny

    Drifterxny Friend

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    Hi all, going through the same dilemma, kind of torn between a bw and zds. Hope you guys can answer some noob questions for me.
    A bit of background, I have the HD800S, am extremely satisfied and don't plan on getting anything else for a long time, except for maybe a pair like thx00 down the line. Dacwise, I plan on getting a Gungnir Multibit or Yggdrasil. In terms of music, I tend to listen to all the genres. I don't know anything about tubes, and it seemed rather daunting, but the more i'm reading here, the more intrigued I've become.

    Purrin stated that BW has more bass than ZDS. How big of a difference is there, is it a small difference or would you say it's a big deal? I'm not a basshead, but do like some thump for the occasional hiphop and edm.
    I have very limited space in my apt, is it possible to stack the ZDS on top of Gungnir Multibit or Yggdrasil, or would the ZDS generate too much heat to do so?
    How long would the stock tubes last under normal conditions if let's say avg daily usage will be around 1-2 hrs?
    Is there such a thing as better synergy between a pairing of Gungnir Multibit with bw, Gungnir Multibit with zds, Yggdrasil with bw, or Yggdrasil with zds?
    I saw p&g pot mentioned as an upgrade option for ZDS, what exactly does the upgrade do? any idea what the increase in price will be?
    I'm currently on wait list for a BW, but being that i only sent in the form in late Feb, chances are i'm way outside of the first batch of 50. Anyone have any experiences on how long the wait is for a zds from order date?

    thx
     
  13. bobmysterious

    bobmysterious Facebook Friend

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    I just got mine, took about 5 weeks.
     
  14. Afghan Vet

    Afghan Vet New

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    That is good to hear.....mine may be next :) I'm hopeful!
     
  15. Koth Ganesh

    Koth Ganesh Friend

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    You have the HD800S...My 0.02$, get the ZDS. I own both and my BW1 (PS separate) has a smaller footprint hence stackable atop the DAC...The way I hear the ZDS, this has slightly better extension at both ends than the BW (which is a little warmer no doubt). Don't stack the ZDS, please...it gets hot hence more amenable in a rack/stand.
    In terms of synergy its Yggdrasil + any of these amps, with the Gungnir Multibit slightly below but this should really be no surprise. If you are budget conscious, get the Gungnir Multibit and be done with it. All these IMO of course. Good luck.
     
  16. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    Gungnir Multibit + ZDS + HD800S.... should be endgame material.
     
  17. GUTB

    GUTB Reddit rejected: Audiophile; SBAF rejected: Poseur

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    Does anyone have experience with the Balancing Act? I've continually heard great things about that amp. Would it be "reference"-worthy?
     
  18. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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    From what I gathered, it definitely is a step up from the Zana Deus, which can be considered reference worthy. That said, there are amps that go into the tens of thousands.
     
  19. slankoe

    slankoe Tongue tastes of LH butthole

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    Man I am rly thinking of getting a Gungnir Multibit with either a Stratus or a ZDS for my HD650, HE-560, and Focal Clear. If it is really such an improvement in soundstage, I will be all over it. Soundstage is on of the things I value highly, while tonal balance is just as important. Those two factors relate mostly to my ability to enjoy music. The fact that it is often the "true-"est frequency-response to a recording is a bonus, as I also value that feature.

    Too few high-end headphones are designed for tonal balance and the necessary volume/gain-accros-frequency-range/live-performance-accuracy fit for a professional recording studio. As a musician who is traveling often, I require headphones more often than studio monitors (JBL LSR305 Massdrop version). I also understand how the shape of our ears effects our perception of sound

    I mostly enjoy the fact that a good headphone or 2-channel set up can throw a give soundstage or offer a sense of realism when given high quality audio source, vinyl or digital (can't speak for the tape recording folks, I've never heard an audiophile tape rig).

    Often the sense of realism is due to a well-represented stage and tonal balance which gives every recorded instrument the benefit of accuracy- to-real-life and another feature I value in any sound reproduction system -- the 'liquid mids,' which to me means a flat frequency response in the midrange to low treble, and a high end that is not over-pronounced.

    Treble spikes for the sake of revealing imbalances in source and upstream gear are not as interesting to me, but treble spikes don't bother me too much, in comparison to an alarmingly common trend of upper- midrange to lower-treble dip in the freq response present in many so-called "mid-to-high end," headphones. That's not my idea of high-end. Being young between 20-30 years old range, my hearing isn't damaged too much. I feel like the Beyers and Grados of this world are probably a good deal for older folks with more hearing loss. Especially elder males.

    Having said all that, along with the fact that I am closer than ever to outright purchasing the Focal Utopia while suspecting the something truly greater is in the works. I find Focal's Clear to be a good match for my ears (with a Bottlhead S.E.X.) And I know that it could probably scale more with an even better amp, which brings me to this dilemma...

    ZDS, or Stratus?
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2018

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