Massdrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr. (Official Thread)

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Hands, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    OT, but are Nichicon caps not very good quality?
     
  2. Olor1n

    Olor1n Friend

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    Appreciate the impressions but comments like this push things in hard shilling territory. Sorry.

    Why not wait until those expected delays are past before announcing it or even opening the drop?
     
  3. Dotard

    Dotard Acquaintance

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    IIRC Sennheiser and Massdrop did the 6XX in July with orders promised to be fulfilled in December. If a giant company like Sennheiser can be afforded a 6 month lead time in fulfilling large scale massdrop orders, I think it's not too much to ask for a relatively tiny company to be given some time to put together the logistics of a deal that is likely unprecedented for them.

    The massdrop model is a bit unnatural for manufacturers in the best of times, who are expected to deliver a large scale number of products in a combined order, relying on a supply chain that is optimised for just in time fulfilment. Getting a mass drop order is like a whole order Christmas season being added to the production schedule, and imagine that times a billion for a small manufacturer like Laconic.

    I think a little understanding here goes a long way.
     
  4. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I will have to strongly disagree with you on that point. The amp is genuinely very good regardless of price. Would you rather I recommend people wait for hypothesized better products for the price that might not materialize in that few month's time span? Or perhaps let people pick up random amps on a whim in the interim, rewarding impulses and impatience while never really being satisfied with what they have? The chances something better comes along, of its type, class, and specialty, in the next year anywhere under $1K is slim enough for me to confidently say folks should not turn away from this because of a wait. That's just reinforcing the bad, wallet-draining behaviors that are all too common in this hobby. Unless they are truly ready to take that step and go for a super nice amp of this sort (tube, OPT coupled), which will easily cost them north of $1500, this is the next best thing that will get them 90% of the way there.

    I was super f'ing excited about this amp when it was just the NBM (remember, this goes back long before Massdrop had this on the table), and I was saddened that something so good for so little was not in more hands. Now I'm even more excited because a large group of people actually have the chance to get one now without essentially smuggling one in. I want more people to hear amps like this, and along comes this. It's genuine excitement and happiness for the community that these things are becoming a reality in the market. So, that's why I disagree with your assessment.

    Regardless, I'm also not so blinded as to think this amp is for everyone and all setups. The people mentioning shrugging it off due to wait times seem interested in these sort of products and have the right gear to match with it. I'm not going to try to lead someone to this amp if I know it won't fit their tastes or sound like shit with their headphones. And I know some will hear this and hate it, and call me an ass for making them wait for something they think is bad. It is what it is, and everyone should know that going off what others recommend has an inherent risk. (Obviously I have a strong favor towards good tube + OTL coupled tube amps for headphones like the HD650...just look at my post history. This amp at this price gives me a hard on just for what it is, regardless of who it's coming from. It's worth the wait.)

    Because the sooner they can put the order in to have these made, the sooner they'll be able to ship them? Doing it now regardless of possible future delays could still get it into people's hands at least a couple weeks or month earlier than if they waited, I would have to assume. (Talking out of my ass here, but it's the best guess I have.)
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  5. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    • Dimensions, W x D x H: 6.3 x 4.3 x 8.7 in (16 x 11 x 22 cm)
    Do these dimensions seem a little mixed up? The photos don't have it looking taller than it is wide or long.
     
  6. mkozlows

    mkozlows Friend

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    Because then they would have to front the capital to order all the parts and build it, and would be on the hook if all the product they lined up didn't sell. The crowdfunding model really shouldn't be so surprising to so many people in 2017.
     
  7. Olor1n

    Olor1n Friend

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    Glowing early impressions and a limited initial run of 375 units. I'd expect them to be very confident of meeting targets, unless I'm grossly underestimating how niche this product is.

    @Hands

    I get that you and others are impressed with this thing and the intentions are well placed but "shoving" a view down throats does more harm than good imo. It makes "us" just as guilty of the practices on other sites frowned upon here. Impressions lose weight and good intentions are mired in doubt and suspicions.

    Sorry for the sermon. I'll stfu now.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  8. thesoundapprentice

    thesoundapprentice New

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    I'm a bit surprised this drop is still open. I feel like the initial pricing bug and complaints and long wait may have ended up being deterrents for potential buyers. I also think the EC brand might be a bit obscure to the typical Massdrop consumer, although I could be totally off base there.

    As for me, I am excited to hear this amp. I wish it was a "true" EC amp in design and build, but if Craig is willing to attach his name and brand on this little guy, it has to be worthwhile. Having owned and loved both the Super 7 and Balancing Act, I'm very curious to hear how this stacks up.
     
  9. kida

    kida New

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    @Hands Maybe a newb question.
    How does the RCA pass-through on this amp work?
    I mean, if I run music through the amp when it's off, would it goes straight off to whatever I attached it to?
    How about when it's on? Does the sound only go straight to the headphones attached?
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Why are you asking me this? That's Massdrop's or their customers' problem, not mine. I'm not calling people dummies because they don't want to wait.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  11. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Nope. And forget the $399ish senns. Both Marv and I busted out the HD800s. That does not happen unless the amp is resolving as hell. The amount of detail coming out in Thrace and Sacrificium last night was just amazing.

    Because he thinks this is olor1n.blogspot.com
     
  12. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    As @Cspirou so apted noticed from the internal photos, it's not a loop through. It's a pre out.

    Users should be extremely careful of which RCA to plug the source into. Oh boy. I can see this being a customer service issue.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  13. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    @Olor1n I'm not sure how encouraging people to be patient in this hobby and just wait a bit for a really nice amp at a low price is anything like what other sites recommend. Or, at least, it's counter to the revolving door of product buying and selling sites tend to empower. That and I am rarely this enthusiastic about a product, so A) I'd like to be able to show my enthusiasm fully in these rare cases and B) I would ask people to trust me on this one if they're at all interested in this sort of product. I have the community's best interests in mind, know I'm strong willed about it, and know some will regret listening to me and my advice at some point. It happens.

    And I did specify dummies being those seriously considering buying but backing out cause of a wait. I say to them, just have some patience!
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
  14. jexby

    jexby Posole Prince

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    Exit stage left....
    yes Indeed, we all need to embrace in @Hands We Trust!
    Q: besides, what's a 7 month wait between friends? A: a Tube Rolling thread for ZDT Jr!

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    I suppose we view patience differently. Paying $399 for a product that only a few people have heard that you won't receive for 6+ months seems like the opposite of that to me.

    I'm very interested, personally. But, I'll wait until a larger variety of impressions are available, the hype has had time to die down, and I've been able to hear it for myself.

    THEN, I'll hop on the next drop if there is one, or pick one up used for cheaper.

    Patience.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Exactly. Good things happen to people who wait. Heh heh heh.
     
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    P.S. Last minute micromeet at my place tomorrow if anyone wants to hear the ZDT Jr.
     
  18. Hammy

    Hammy Friend

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    What is the soundstage depth of the ZDT Jr like? Does it do a headstage thing where the back of the soundstage is out in front of your forehead?

    I've only heard the ZD Super once at a meet. What most impressed me was the depth of soundstage. Tone was also neat and very tube like (I like that). But the depth and tube sonic holography is what I most remember. Wow. Even listening to a Green Day recording revealed crazy depth that I didn't realize was in the recording. Does the ZDT Jr do any of that depth, or is the comparison to the ZD all in terms of tone?
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Nope. Only the big boy EC stuff pushes the stage in front of you.
     
  20. microCuts

    microCuts Acquaintance

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    Very looking forward to the comparison of NBM vs this. I already have the NBM please stop my itch from getting the EC one.
     

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