Massdrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr. (Official Thread)

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

  1. numbercube

    numbercube Acquaintance

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    The Laconic NBM gets warm, but not hot. Do not touch the small tubes though.
     
  2. starence

    starence Facebook Friend

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    This amp is very tempting, but I can't shake the feeling that I might be better off waiting to see what new Schiit is around the corner.
     
  3. obsiCO

    obsiCO Thai Fish Experiment Gone Wrong

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    Could it be because the HP-3 has the nominal impedance of 25 ohms IIRC? Not sure about the OI of NBM/ZDT Jr., though.

    Very interested in this amp, although I have a hunch that I will not get in the drop in time. Wonder if this will affect the order of regular NBMs in any way...
     
  4. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    No please do speak up. This place is better with dissenting views so long as they're sincere.
     
  5. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Fwiw I don't like the original Laconic NBM with bassy or dark cans.
    Even modded HD650 was sometimes too much for me.
    The amp was dark and a bit veiled (as in lack of grip) by itself, add dark or bassy headphone and it gets emo/goth levels of dark.
    I felt that HD800 or even MSR-7 were better pairings than HD650.
     
  6. techboy

    techboy New

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    How does CTH compare with this? For the HD 650?
     
  7. Decomo

    Decomo Almost "Made"

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    I see that it is 110v or 220v only. Not sure if it is okay to use in Australia or UK where do use 240v. The difference is 20v but may affect lifespan in a long run? I am not sure how voltage works os any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
     
  8. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Maybe @Hands or @Marvey can help me with this. I'm using the Bottlehead SEX 3.0 and it's working nicely with my set of hd660, hd800 and AFO/AFC. It doesn't sound like this amp will work well with the Aeons. But I have magni 3 to power the Aeon.

    So... Magni 3/zdt Jr > bottle head SEX 3.0?
     
  9. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    I believe that Australia is 'officially' 230V.

    But really, the way voltages are around the world is more like: North America/Japan vs Rest of World. The 110 vs 220 is roughly what the transformer can take as an input, it's output will be much more precise. You can read the thread that covers the Laconic from Russia, and samples are being sent to people in Oz. I've taken the same 220V electronics all over the world with me, as long as I'm not in NA/Japan everything is fine.
     
  10. AppleheadMay

    AppleheadMay Friend

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    What they call 230V in Auistralia is the same as we say 220V here in Europe.
    It means an voltage ranging between 220 and 240V.
    Although we call it 220V here I can see on my computers UPS I usually get around 235V.
     
  11. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    It's fine- regard 220v as an approx placeholder. I'm willing to bet that you don't get exactly 240v out of the wall either- stuff is built with a little wiggle room.

    (I used to have an NBM, it was perfectly happy on UK power, and sounded nice, for confirmation.)

    Incidentally, this version of the NBM omits my favourite feature- the 80s brutalist scifi power switch. Every time I switched that on, it felt like a prop from "Aliens".
     
  12. MattRG

    MattRG Facebook Friend

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    @Priidik sums up why I ultimately sold my NBM. It just didn't have great synergy with my ZMF Eikon mostly due to the way it handles bass. It did get a long well with the Hifiman HE-400S but even then it was more of a "I like this but I don't love it" kind of situation. The Vali 2 is still my current favorite all around tube amp under $500, not because it does everything better than the NBM (it doesn't) but because of the way it synergizes with all of the headphones that I own and use on a regular basis.
     
  13. Decomo

    Decomo Almost "Made"

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  14. AppleheadMay

    AppleheadMay Friend

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    In any case, everything is fine until it starts to smoke. :D
     
  15. ButtUglyJeff

    ButtUglyJeff Stunningly beautiful IRL

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    Why, is it a Darkvoice in disguise?
     
  16. WNovizar

    WNovizar Facebook Friend

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    Sigh, there goes my chance to sell NBM. FWIW, I have NBM since last year November, and have been using it with low z cans. They sounded good with Z7 and Z1r, also with SA5K (these three are around 65-70ohm). They sounded bad with CD3K i.e, bloomy bass, ear piercing treble. And as @Hands said, for some reason MA900 sounded fine with this amp even though they are very low z cans (8 ohm?)
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2017
  17. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Anyone try these with DD IEMs? Obviously the Andromeda would be a poor match but some of the DD IEMs our there might do nicely with the low Z output on this.
     
  18. WNovizar

    WNovizar Facebook Friend

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    Good question. I also tried NBM with EX1000 and EX800ST, and there is a slight hiss that can be heard
     
  19. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    I found the noise floor a little much with most IEMs with my NBM- assuming no substantial changes to build/design.

    Edit: Sorry, @Merrick - I mostly ignored the "DD" part.. though I did try with Shure SE215. Otherwise, I mostly tried with SE535, Noble-X and UM Martians, which are BA (though the Martian is a hybrid with DD bass). That obviously makes matters a bit worse that it should be.

    It didn't sound bad, but once you notice the hiss, it's hard to unhear it- even with the SE215.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2017
  20. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

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    Damn, okay. Thanks for the warning! Guess I’ll skip this and a few used ones will probably pop up down the line if I really want one.
     

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