Eddie Current Zana Deux S

I can't help you with how ZDS + F4 would sound, but I can predict technical performance from the mfg specifications.



A typical DAC single ended output is 2 Vrms which is +8.3 dBu, rounded down to 8 dBu.
ZDS specifies 8 dB gain for Low gain setting and 18 dB gain for High gain setting.
With F4 having unity gain final output for 0 dBFS will be +16 dBu and +26 dBu respectively.
For an 8 ohm load this results in approximately 3W and 30W. Since the F4 delivers 25W at 1% distortion for an 8 ohm load, the ZDS has more than enough gain in the High gain setting. A Bottlehead Moreplay has 9 dB of gain and would be approximately similar to ZDS in Low gain for technical drive capability, maybe 3.75W output from the F4.

 

I've got a weird situation here. The ZDS is my favorite amp for my modded S-12 ortho iems. But I currently own 2 ZDS' and they sound totally different. Even with the same tubes.

The first one can be a bit smoothed over texture wise and can get a bit mushy. But there is something clearly wrong with this ZDS, some brands of rectifier pairs only light up one tube while the other stays completely cold (though the amp plays music fine) and it ruins 6SL7 tubes, they develop static in the right channel and if I leave them in it damages the tube. I'm trying to find someone to repair the amp, but haven't been successful. This one has silver plates on the top and bottom with black in between,

So another ZDS came up for sale here and I bought it because I really missed it and I figured I could resell one when I got the first one fixed. But this one is the polar opposite. TONS of texture and detail and slam, but it's incredibly bright. It's way brighter than the Stratus and the Magni Piety for 2 examples that everyone knows, and the Piety is not known for its smooth treble. And I'm using the warmest tubes I can find and I have a ton of 6SL7 tubes. This tube combo in the first ZDS would be complete mush. But in this one, it's tight, has tons of grip, texture and is super bright. This unit is all black.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be going on here? It's a bit nutty having one ZDS with an issue and both sounding totally different. Neither one sounds ideal TBH, one is overly smooth and the other fixes that but is incredibly bright. I just can hear the potential in both of them and was hoping this black one would be my endgame RD-S12 amp.

 

ZDS is anything but mushy. It does give tons of details and may sound bright in some setup. Never enjoyed it with Verite but pairs incredibly well with Atrium and Auteur classic, 650. which DAC are you using ?

 

Yggddrasil A2 and MIB

It’s REALLY bright. I can’t imagine it working with any headphone. But I guess synergy could change its signature.

 

Could be due to different capacitors and other components. Are you in a position to open both the units to take a picture of the innards?

 

I could do this, but I don't build amps and I'm not sure how to open the top given that the tube sockets are all wired to the boards. I thought maybe I could remove the bottom of the amp, but there are no screws on the bottom.

And I'm just guessing the screws to take off the top panel are the larger flat head screws around the edge- 3 in front and 2 on the sides.

it would be interesting if there were different versions of the ZDS!

Thanks

 

If I remember correctly, you need to unscrew the feet. It wasn't difficult to remove the bottom. Don't mess with the top screws.

 

Here are some internal pictures of both of my Zana Deux Super's. Can anyone see any differences?

I'm thinking either there is variation somewhere in the parts used, or the silver one has some parts that have gone bad and this is causing both the issues and the difference in sound, and maybe the ZDS is supposed to be this bright and maybe it's not bright sounding with other headphones, though that seems unlikely to me but synergy is real.

Here is the black one that is super bright in the treble, but has tons of detail and texture and grip to the sound and has no functional issues - works fine

IMGUR LINK FOR MORE IMAGES IN HIGHER QUALITY





Here is the silver one that won't light up the left rectifier of certain brands of tubes and destroys 6SL7 tubes, is not bright, but is also smoothed over sounding, lacking grip and texture. and fine detail.

LINK TO IMGUR GALLERY WITH MORE IMAGES IN BETER QUALITY