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Article: Review: Linear Tube Audio Z10e Integrated Electrostatic/Magnetic Headphone/Speaker Amplifier


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I think that there is another valve based integrated amp that powers electrostatics and dynamic headphones and will also power hi efficiency speakers called the Audiovalve Solaris https://www.audiovalve.info/shop/headphone-amplifier/verto-kopie-2/

 

I think you can even specify it with a DAC too!

 

I haven't heard one but they seem well regarded. I chose a slightly different path and went for a DHT headphone amp that can power speakers too and its is a wonderful thing and the 300Bs make up for not having an electrostatic output.

 

 

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Excellent write-up!

I recently got the Z10 integrated and I'm head over heels with its balanced and wholesome presentation of practically any composition you throw at it.

This is no ordinary tube amp and the way it combines speed, detail and timbre is unique and engaging.

Needless to say, I consider it an "endgame" piece!

 

 

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On 1/28/2020 at 9:20 AM, Dadracer said:

I think that there is another valve based integrated amp that powers electrostatics and dynamic headphones and will also power hi efficiency speakers called the Audiovalve Solaris https://www.audiovalve.info/shop/headphone-amplifier/verto-kopie-2/

 

I think you can even specify it with a DAC too!

 

I haven't heard one but they seem well regarded. I chose a slightly different path and went for a DHT headphone amp that can power speakers too and its is a wonderful thing and the 300Bs make up for not having an electrostatic output.

 

 

It’s a nice looking piece, and cheaper than the LTA as well. One thing that concerns me though is the power output specs for the speakers. 12 Watts at 200 Ohms? I have it on good authority that there aren’t many 200 Ohm speaker systems out there. What’s the power at, say, 8 Ohms?

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15 hours ago, Sonis said:

It’s a nice looking piece, and cheaper than the LTA as well. One thing that concerns me though is the power output specs for the speakers. 12 Watts at 200 Ohms? I have it on good authority that there aren’t many 200 Ohm speaker systems out there. What’s the power at, say, 8 Ohms?

I saw that too so am thinking it must be a typo. Its interesting and I am puzzled why there aren't more of these.   

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Thank you for the article,  i dont know how many purely headphone users there are on AS. Or see headphones as a second best to full speaker systems, as secondary addition to a well made DAC.

But there are a hell of headphones all the same, so its lovely to see some higherend jewellery and one of the rare dual systems as well.

Id love to see more headphone amps on AS and not left to just headfi impressions. Ive always felt the scope is to large to ignore with real interest when threads posts and articles appear.

 

This and Austinpops Bartok review are great additions to the knowledge here and much appreciated by myself at least.

Well at least add to my dream wish list.

Personally i took Dan Clarke's advice in my price range and went for The Gilmore HEADAMP MK2. It works for me with a Qutest and MS Ether and now the Ether 2 thats nearly burned in.

Clean and resolving.

 

Waiting to see what the new Rupert Neve Fidelice reviews say. Ironically i had the chance to buy the original reduced in cost when it came out at my first headfi meet in the UK. Same day i heard the Beta Voce.

Cant win them all..

 

Thanks and look forward to more of your work..

 

Cheers

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Great review. I heard this integrated amp at the last Capital Audio Fest and thought it sounded superb too. I slightly preferred some HiFi Man electrostats as I recall, but not significantly. 
 

Are there any well regarded very small high efficient speakers (stand mount monitors preferred)?  My reference Boenike W5 need vastly more power. 
 

Also, the balanced input pictured looks different from what I’m used to?? Is that a standard balanced input?

- Mark

 

Synology DS916+ > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > Netgear switch > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > dCS Vivaldi Upsampler (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 Dual 110 Ohm AES/EBU > dCS Vivaldi DAC (David Elrod Statement Gold power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > Absolare Passion preamp (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > VTL MB-450 III (Shunyata King Cobra CX power cords) > Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker > Kaiser Kaewero Classic /JL Audio F110 (Wireworld Platinum power cord).

 

Power Conditioning: Entreq Olympus Tellus grounding (AC, preamp and dac) / Shunyata Hydra Triton + Typhoon (Shunyata Anaconda ZiTron umbilical/Shunyata King Cobra CX power cord) > Furutec GTX D-Rhodium AC outlet.

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7 hours ago, MarkS said:

Great review. I heard this integrated amp at the last Capital Audio Fest and thought it sounded superb too. I slightly preferred some HiFi Man electrostats as I recall, but not significantly. 
 

Are there any well regarded very small high efficient speakers (stand mount monitors preferred)?  My reference Boenike W5 need vastly more power. 
 

Also, the balanced input pictured looks different from what I’m used to?? Is that a standard balanced input?

I’m sure there are more than a few high-efficiency speakers out there including many Wilson’s. But it’s not something I pay a lot of attention to. When you’ve got 150 WPC at 8 Ohms, speaker efficiency just isn’t an issue. 
thanks for your feedback of the review, though. It’s always appreciated.

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On 2/2/2020 at 5:29 PM, Middy said:

But there are a hell of headphones all the same, so its lovely to see some higherend jewellery and one of the rare dual systems as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed about seeing more HP amps and integrated amps.

One nice thing about LTA is that they but their money where the music is. No "audio jewelry" or bling.

 


"Don't Believe Everything You Think"

System

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8 hours ago, MarkS said:

Great review. I heard this integrated amp at the last Capital Audio Fest and thought it sounded superb too. I slightly preferred some HiFi Man electrostats as I recall, but not significantly. 
 

Are there any well regarded very small high efficient speakers (stand mount monitors preferred)?  My reference Boenike W5 need vastly more power. 
 

Also, the balanced input pictured looks different from what I’m used to?? Is that a standard balanced input?

Omega Audio specializes in small, crossoverless, high efficiency speakers. I have owned two pair and they are ideal for the LTA amps. I have used the LTA Z10 amp and the Ultralinear amp.


"Don't Believe Everything You Think"

System

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16 hours ago, Sonis said:

I’m sure there are more than a few high-efficiency speakers out there including many Wilson’s. But it’s not something I pay a lot of attention to. When you’ve got 150 WPC at 8 Ohms, speaker efficiency just isn’t an issue. 
thanks for your feedback of the review, though. It’s always appreciated.


Agree 100%. My main rig is similar to yours, but I’ve always wondered about a system built on horns or other high efficiency speakers with an integrated like this and a dac. Such a system would only require one balanced input, just like the review unit. 

- Mark

 

Synology DS916+ > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > Netgear switch > SoTM dCBL-CAT7 > dCS Vivaldi Upsampler (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 Dual 110 Ohm AES/EBU > dCS Vivaldi DAC (David Elrod Statement Gold power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > Absolare Passion preamp (Nordost Valhalla 2 power cord) > Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr > VTL MB-450 III (Shunyata King Cobra CX power cords) > Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker > Kaiser Kaewero Classic /JL Audio F110 (Wireworld Platinum power cord).

 

Power Conditioning: Entreq Olympus Tellus grounding (AC, preamp and dac) / Shunyata Hydra Triton + Typhoon (Shunyata Anaconda ZiTron umbilical/Shunyata King Cobra CX power cord) > Furutec GTX D-Rhodium AC outlet.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/4/2020 at 2:17 PM, MarkS said:


Agree 100%. My main rig is similar to yours, but I’ve always wondered about a system built on horns or other high efficiency speakers with an integrated like this and a dac. Such a system would only require one balanced input, just like the review unit. 

In the FWIW column, my inefficient Magnepan 1.7's sound better with the 1 watt of the MZ2 than they do with the 100+ watts of a MC Hafler DH200. So quality of the amplifier counts for a lot. Granted a large room will demand a bigger amp

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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  • 2 weeks later...
Quote

If I were to offer any criticism at all, it would be that an amplifier advertised as being an electrostatic headphone amp, should have two electrostatic headphone ports and not just one. Most of this amp’s competition in this area from companies like Woo, Stax, HiFiMan, and Headamp.

 

This is Nicholas from LTA. One reason we did not include two electrostatic headphone ports is that all the major electrostatic headphones on the market are open back. This means that you can hear other headphones in the vicinity if they are also playing music. This seems less than ideal from a sound quality perspective even if you do happen to own more than one pair of electrostatic headphones.

 

I suppose only having one limits listening in tandem with a partner, but we see this as a limited use case. And in this case, you have speaker outputs with the Z10e to share the music, which most others do not have.

 

Also, in our customer research, most of our customers have only two ears. When we expand to other galaxies, we'll look into adding a second port for more advanced lifeforms. 😉

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  • 1 month later...

A very fair review and I agree entirely with the remarks about sound quality. I have owned an LTA Z10e for about 6 months now and I look forward to every time I am going to use it. I have Dan Clark Voce ES, A-T W3000 anniversary dynamic phones and Zingali Overture 2 part horn loaded speakers which are at least 91dB efficient.  Whichever outlet I use the results are very musically enjoyable, the tonal and dynamic qualities so involving.  During the time I have owned it there has not been a moment when the LTA amp failed to engage and please me. 

It is a great all round product.

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  • 11 months later...
On 2/15/2020 at 9:50 PM, davide256 said:

In the FWIW column, my inefficient Magnepan 1.7's sound better with the 1 watt of the MZ2 than they do with the 100+ watts of a MC Hafler DH200. So quality of the amplifier counts for a lot. Granted a large room will demand a bigger amp.

 

 

 

Hey Dave - I'm new to the forum. But I saw ur comment on Magnepan and LTA Z2.. Are you talking about the 1 watt headphone/intergrated amp... that I happened to own.  Alway thought Maggies need lots of power/ current. U think magnepan LRS would work in my 10x12ft. room say 80-85 db peaks.....

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1 hour ago, PR-F said:

 

 

 

Hey Dave - I'm new to the forum. But I saw ur comment on Magnepan and LTA Z2.. Are you talking about the 1 watt headphone/intergrated amp... that I happened to own.  Alway thought Maggies need lots of power/ current. U think magnepan LRS would work in my 10x12ft. room say 80-85 db peaks.....

They do, but with a good PS for the MZ2 that 1 watt class A can be pretty nice if you avoid Mahler and Fender bass guitar 😁 I have discovered that as a pre the MZ2

was throttling dynamics, I've put the Hafler back into the system with a passive pre, the Hafler is far better without the MZ2 as pre.

 

The problem with maggies is they are so transparent and current hungry it can be easy to hate your electronics.

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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WOW.. .that's very impressive for this little amp.   Unfortunately I don't quite have the room space to try the small Maagie...  one day I might have to pull out my  old Pass Alph 3' ....right now I have the MZ2 running Caintuck Betsy's open baffle's 92db... I think my little Ifi nano DAC   is is a bit underpowered for the situation.   Thanks for your input Dave! 

 

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