Worst amp you've ever heard?

[Guest sacd lover]

You wanted a ZD.

If you ever want to send an amp that you think sounds better than the ZD my way for a week or two, I'll cover the cost of shipping. You may convert me because hearing is believing.

I wanted one until I heard the high frequeny issues my last audition. I obviously can order one now. Will I .... I doubt it. I like the new hd30 better for the money. I just got four 7233 tubes today .... interesting tube. But apparently GE is the only manufacturer that made them so no tuberolling. The construction is a little sloppy as a couple have plates that arent perfectly straight inside the bottle; and one has a tilted top mica spacer. But the tube has very rugged looking plates.

[philodox]

I have something in the pipeline for around that price .... if I control myself. A Zana killer for sure .... 50% of the price, 30% more power, more refinement and really inexpensive tubes. I have been having a blast buying tubes for this amp. I have a hundred already!

You're not buying my new amp are you?

EDIT: My bad, you didn't say balanced, did you?

[recstar24]

I wanted one until I heard the high frequeny issues my last audition. I obviously can order one now. Will I .... I doubt it. I like the new hd30 better for the money. I just got four 7233 tubes today .... interesting tube. But apparently GE is the only manufacturer that made them so no tuberolling. The construction is a little sloppy as a couple have plates that arent perfectly straight inside the bottle; and one has a tilted top mica spacer. But the tube has very rugged looking plates.

Last time I checked with Craig he ditched the 7233's. They weren't working for him and in his words the sound was unengaging. He rewired for 5842's and that did not work out. Where the hd30 at is right now is using the exact same circuit topology as the zana, just different output tubes and output capacitors. 6sl7 for the input. And yes his hd30 proto sample is on its way to me to check out, should be here next week. From the picture he sent I couldn't see exactly what the output tubes are, but instead of 4 7233's there is now only 2 output tubes with the 6sl7 as the input. Will fill you guys in once i have some time with it.

As a side note, a couple of weeks ago Craig wanted to send me the hd30 initially to compare with my hd25. Apparently he doesn't even have an hd25, as there are only a couple out there, maybe 5 total. He held it off sending it to me because the 7233's and the old topology wasn't satisfying him. Now with the new tubes and using the zana circuit topology he says its back in "goosebump" territory. I offered to send him the hd25 to him so he could listen to it and compare with the hd30 and he told me "don't bother, I already know which one I prefer"

[Guest sacd lover]

Last time I checked with Craig he ditched the 7233's. They weren't working for him and in his words the sound was unengaging. He rewired for 5842's and that did not work out. Where the hd30 at is right now is using the exact same circuit topology as the zana, just different output tubes and output capacitors. 6sl7 for the input. And yes his hd30 proto sample is on its way to me to check out, should be here next week. From the picture he sent I couldn't see exactly what the output tubes are, but instead of 4 7233's there is now only 2 output tubes with the 6sl7 as the input. Will fill you guys in once i have some time with it.

As a side note, a couple of weeks ago Craig wanted to send me the hd30 initially to compare with my hd25. Apparently he doesn't even have an hd25, as there are only a couple out there, maybe 5 total. He held it off sending it to me because the 7233's and the old topology wasn't satisfying him. Now with the new tubes and using the zana circuit topology he says its back in "goosebump" territory. I offered to send him the hd25 to him so he could listen to it and compare with the hd30 and he told me "don't bother, I already know which one I prefer"

Are you sure he said 5842? Thats a very low power tube usually used for gain stages.

I see you say five hd25's .... it was always my understanding that there were very few of them. But mikey01 .... the EC expert .... has said there were as many as 50 out there. Why dont you find out for sure?

[recstar24]

Are you sure he said 5842? Thats a very low power tube usually used for gain stages.

I see you say five hd25's .... it was always my understanding that there were very few of them. But mikey01 .... the EC expert .... has said there were as many as 50 out there. Why dont you find out for sure?

He tried the 5842's, they didn't work the way he wanted them to. The output tubes that are in the proto and what will be in the final production I will see next week when it gets here from its transit.

Pretty sure about my number, 50 seems a bit over the top. The last one to sell was the tube rectified version in Russia. Craig didn't sell a single hd25 for a year. So my number of 5, at most has a margin of error of about +/-1

[Guest sacd lover]

He tried the 5842's, they didn't work the way he wanted them to. The output tubes that are in the proto and what will be in the final production I will see next week when it gets here from its transit.

Pretty sure about my number, 50 seems a bit over the top. The last one to sell was the tube rectified version in Russia. Craig didn't sell a single hd25 for a year. So my number of 5, at most has a margin of error of about +/-1

I must be tired ..... what you wrote didnt register. Either that or I must have been surprised he even tried a 5842 .... the 5842 is an Ear Max pro type flea powered tube.

[Guest sacd lover]

I must be tired ..... what you wrote didnt register. Either that or I must have been surprised he even tried a 5842 .... the 5842 is an Ear Max pro type flea powered tube.

Actually the 5842 is not flea powered once I rechecked. But still seems better suited as a driver tube than an output tube .... high mu of 40+.

[granodemostasa]

I think they are seriously biased against Ray. I am certainly not a big fan, but I don?t think his amps could be considered the worst I?ve heard. And I liked the Gilmore Lite. I don?t like the cute amp and the little dot II amp those are pretty bad.

i am not biased against ray. this is what happened: i loved the b52, i really did, on his music. I put on Mahler and later Dvorak and it was screechingly bad.... like that mpx slam i just heard when we got the wrong set of tubes in... but this was the HD600 set up... and the tubes that he thought were best for it.

the gilmore light because it sinned.... made things colder, not warmer, and gave me no soundstage.

[recstar24]

Actually the 5842 is not flea powered once I rechecked. But still seems better suited as a driver tube than an output tube .... high mu of 40+.

Just got the hd30 in today - it is using 2 7233's for the output tubes and 1 6sl7 for the input. uses different polypropelene output caps than the zana, solid state rectified, but same circuit topology as the zana. And it sounds killer

[philodox]

Solid state rectification is just as good if not better. Sounds like the HD30 is a real winner.

[humanflyz]

Just got the hd30 in today - it is using 2 7233's for the output tubes and 1 6sl7 for the input. uses different polypropelene output caps than the zana, solid state rectified, but same circuit topology as the zana. And it sounds killer

I demand more impressions!

[n_maher]

I demand more impressions!

Agreed and I'm sure they don't belong in this thread.