AudioCircle
The Commercial Zone => Industry Introductions => Topic started by: LTAmark on 8 Nov 2018, 02:35 pm
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Hello, my name is Mark Schneider. I started Linear Tube Audio, LTA, 4 years ago. Here is my story.
I had met David Berning through a friend, who had him make some custom amps for some homegrown electrostatic speakers. I had retired from my engineering director life and had spent a couple years reading the paper, then learning some board layout software, and then re-animating a Eico HF-81 integrated amp design from a schematic on the internet. I guess back in the 60s, there were no metal film resistors and they used an excess of ceramic disc caps. Using modern parts, this amplifier came to life and sounded better than anything I had hooked to my Magnepans previously. I was drawn like a moth to the flame to making tube amplifiers.
So, I took may little amp to David Berning’s house, not really understanding that he was one of the leading tube amplifier designers in the world. I told him that I was thinking about starting a company making this tube amp, because it provided such high quality sonics for a few hundred dollars worth of parts. He laughed and looked closely at my amp design. He made some slight corrections, and asked what was the maximum input voltage. I said 2 volts and he said, lets try 5..then he proceeded to put several combinations of resistors and capacitors across the output to make the amplifier oscillate. He adjusted the feedback so that it would never oscillate. I went home and made the mods and came back. I asked if he wanted to be a partner in my little hobby company I was going to make. He laughed again and declined, but said he would license me some designs. I said I wanted to make some products that would provide high end audio sound at reasonable prices. Davids’ least expensive amp at the time was over $8K. So, he mentioned he had been playing with a low cost 10 watt amp design and he had this product he used to make, the microZOTL, a headphone amplifier.
So, I don’t much now, but I knew far less then. I said ok, let me license your designs if you teach me how to make them. He suggested the microZOTL should be my first product, not my Eico knockoff amp, and he had a pile of letters from people begging him to make them a microZOTL. He was using Chinese tubes, the switching supply was in the box and you could hear the hum, and he mentioned that people had asked for more inputs and one guy used it as a preamp. So, I thought I would move the supply to an external supply, get some much nicer Russian tubes, lose the battery input, and put it in a better case.
My background was 20 years in a complex manufacturing environment, and I knew how to breakdown complex processes into smaller subassemblies, using detailed instructions and sub assembly testing. So, I gave him a pile of cash, and proceeded to spend a year and a half learning the microZOTL, making manufacturing instructions (taking a lot of phone pictures of David’s fingers winding things)…getting my friend to make a sheet metal case, and making 50 units myself. I made a website and put the microZOTL on the site. I shipped a unit to one of the people who sent a letter to David. The amp arrived with half the screws undone and the tubes reduced to a pile of broken glass.
I went back to David and he told me about where he got the foam rubber factory to custom cut 3 inch foam scraps into amplifier packing material. I received my order a few days later and shipped a new amp to the guy who had sent the letter. He had one of David’s original microZOTL headphone amps. He compared the new one to the old one. It turns out he is the highly respected guy on Headfi. He writes this two page review raving about the sonics of the new microZOTL and starts a thread on Headfi. The next week we get 5 orders, the week after 10….and we were off.
So, after learning about thicker cases, front panels, external power connection schemes, NOS tubes, long lead parts, linear power supplies, whether looks matter, dealers vs direct, etc., we continued to improve the product in many, many ways. We sold a bunch, and decided to try a couple more products. Working closely with David we came out with the ZOTL10 and the ZOTL40 power amps. Making the first 5 ZOTL40s and taking a month to do so, and then having only 2 work, I really understood how complex and difficult David’s designs were. Then he tells me we were the 3rd company to attempt to make his ZOTL amplifiers. The first two failed and gave up…thanks, David….
So, now it is 5 years later. I have 5 employees, most have been with me building the amps for more than 3 years. We are very comfortable making David’s designs. We have worked everyday to understand how we can enhance his unique approach to operating the tubes that creates the magical realism and reproduction of the original performance.
We have partnered with Fern & Roby to design some cool cases and have paired David’s designs with the best components and parts, to bring out as much performance as possible, and tried to provide the features and configurations that we are asked for. Our newer products are more expensive, but are chock full of the best components that we can find… as long as they provide true product improvement.
We have developed our own control system of remote stepped attenuators, displays, input control, etc. to wrap around David’s amplifiers. We want to provide even more connectivity in the future.
David’s stuff all requires much more labor than other designs, as many components are unique and not available to buy, and must be hand-made. We do not mark up our products as much as many others, as we are still very committed to providing components that punch well above their weight. We get much satisfaction from the happiness that our customers express…and we sell direct, so we don’t have to raise our prices to accommodate dealer margin.
Our biggest issues are that few people know of us, and it seems in audio, if its less expensive, people tend to not believe it can be better than something much more expensive. We are hoping that getting more involved in a forum such as Audio Circle will give more visibility to our products. I am happy to answer any questions about anything. We are looking forward to engaging in this community of positive audiophiles and discussing technology topics and hopefully becoming a site sponsor. Thanks very much for reading this.
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Cool...welcome Mark and looking forward to hearing more from you! Your products have received many favorable reviews. :thumb:
Glenn
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Welcome to Audio Circle.
LTA was very impressive in Daedalus room set up. It matched up very well with the Zeus and Lampi. Sounds like you are based around DC. I had dinner with David a few years ago during CAF. I am in Vienna. I am sure I probably talked to you at some point. Looking forward to learning more abut your products.
Ciao,
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Welcome!
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Hi Mark,
Welcome to Audio Circle. Glad to see you here.
It was a pleasure to speak with you at CAF! Thanks so much for taking the time to discuss product.
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Nice you are here. Fun read.
A friend who is extremely hard to please in high end audio was raving about the microzotl. He brought it over and we hooked it up to a pair of 98db eff. GR Research Super Vs. Expecting nervana we got what sounded like a broken amp. Just sounded completely stressed and broken. Don't know why. My only experience with your company.
Rocket Ronny
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Hey Mark,
Glad to see you're making an introduction and implementing David's designs. That guy is an audio savant.
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Auspicious 1st post! :thumb:
Welcome to AudioCircle, Mark
I hope I get the chance to hear your amps.
Rich
PS, don't forget to add your company website to your member profile. That will put a web icon under your username to make it easy for AC members to visit your site. https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/
Rich
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Welcome aboard!
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Nice you are here. Fun read.
A friend who is extremely hard to please in high end audio was raving about the microzotl. He brought it over and we hooked it up to a pair of 98db eff. GR Research Super Vs. Expecting nervana we got what sounded like a broken amp. Just sounded completely stressed and broken. Don't know why. My only experience with your company.
Rocket Ronny
Sometimes efficiency does not translate well into easy to drive. From
What I remember of the MicroZotl is that it is a very low powered amp and on top of it being transformerless...it might not have the juice to drive certain loads.
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Greetings & Welcome to AC Mark :thumb: Thanks for the background on your work & company. 8)
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Sometimes efficiency does not translate well into easy to drive. From
What I remember of the MicroZotl is that it is a very low powered amp and on top of it being transformerless...it might not have the juice to drive certain loads.
Yup. A set of speakers can be efficient, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily a benign or non-complex load. Context of the efficiency rating is really important. :wink:
Welcome, Mark. I enjoyed the read.
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Ok, my second post...this weekend I will try to talk about some of our products, as we also have some new ones about to appear.
Thanks for the tip about updating my profile with our website link. For some reason, clicking on my profile takes me to an not-allowed area error. Maybe I have to get through the intro period first.
Regarding this posting from yesterday:
"A friend who is extremely hard to please in high end audio was raving about the microzotl. He brought it over and we hooked it up to a pair of 98db eff. GR Research Super Vs. Expecting nirvana we got what sounded like a broken amp. Just sounded completely stressed and broken. Don't know why. My only experience with your company. "
The microZOTL or MZ2, is a headphone amplifier, a preamplifier and a 1 watt speaker amplifier. In this case, the relevant info is the 1 watt.
1 watt will adequately drive 107db speakers (typically horns). We were at the NY audio show a couple years ago with Sadurni Acoustics 105db sensitivity horns with monoblocked microZOTLs (2 watts per) and had lines in the hallway and had to play the same 3 songs over and over so people would leave. Many people buy a microZOTL and pair of old console horns or used Klipsh Cornwalls for a gorgeous cheapo system. Some people operate the Tekton Double Impacts at moderate volume with acoustic music in smaller rooms with the microZOTL, but anything more complex than that quickly runs out of gas. The microZOTL can be overdriven and clip like any other amplifier. With 98db speakers, 1 watt is just not enough for critical listening. Its going to distort if you just put anything on and turn it to a loud listening level. You can operate on your desktop and get adequate results at office sound levels, with even lower sensitivity speakers. It is primarily used as a headphone amplifier and a preamplifier.....
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Hi my name is Mark (too) and here is my story (as it relates to LTA):
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-linear-tube-audio-lta-ultralinear-amplifier
Glad to see you posting here, Mark. I hope you will consider becoming a site sponsor so we can follow developments with LTA. Those of us who already know and love your gear are a happy bunch and we will be cheering you on as LTA brings new products to the market based on David's peerless designs. I had the opportunity to meet him at CAF last weekend--what a kind, unassuming guy. I have always dreamed of owning David Berning amplification and now, thanks to LTA, his designs are within my grasp. Thanks for the back story on how this came to be and for pushing ahead with LTA so that folks like me are able to enjoy top tier equipment at real world pricing!
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Welcome to AC Mark. For decades David Berning's designs have offered valuable alternatives and it is good to have you on AC with details on LTA's implementations.
As someone who also works in manufacturing and grapples with the differences between design engineering and production engineering this quote from Mark's top post made my day:
"I really understood how complex and difficult David’s designs were. Then he tells me we were the 3rd company to attempt to make his ZOTL amplifiers. The first two failed and gave up…thanks, David…"
Oh yeah, been there, done that, got the T-shirt. :D
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Welcome Mark. It was a pleasure sharing The room at the NY show last year. Say Hi to David.
charles
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Welcome. Interesting story Mark. The mention of the Eico integrated brought back fond memories. It was the heart of my first real hifi setup. It replaced a Magnavox suitcase stereo I got as a gift in 1962. My audio business mentor was the late Bob Crump, so I know how important it has to have a veteran take you under their wings. I look forward to your input here.
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I have one of your microZOTL 's and will try to get a listen to one of your amps soon. Great sounding products! Thanks
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Hi Mark
Enjoying my MZ2 very much. Thank you.
For those already owning your wonderful preamp and considering the Zotl10 or Zotl40, I don't see an option
to purchase those fine amps without the Alps Blue velvet volume control. I would assume the cost would be less. What gives? :D
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With 98db speakers, 1 watt is just not enough for critical listening. Its going to distort if you just put anything on and turn it to a loud listening level.
My friend had used them on way less sensitive 2 ways. Even at the lowest sound levels the amp was stressed out. It had nothing to do with sound levels.
Rocket Ronny
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Rocket Ronnie,
Perhaps the unit was broken and needs repair. Or needs a tube replaced.
I own both an MZ2 and the Microzotl Preamp. I tried the MZ2 on my 89 dB sensitive Usher Mini Dancer 2 in my large room. It wasn’t worth repeating. Not broken, just not enough drive.
Used as a preamp, either unit does justice to my system which is in the $40-50k range.
I have no reservations in recommending these units in the right environment.
Greg
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The amp was not broken. Certainly deserves another try at sometime. Have to say it got me off the scent of the higher powered amps for these speakers.
Rocket Ronny
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Thanks for the tip about updating my profile with our website link. For some reason, clicking on my profile takes me to an not-allowed area error. Maybe I have to get through the intro period first.
Yeah, the site will open up for you after you have 3 posts. One more to go!
I have been reading about your amps, they are very exciting to me! I have them on my audio to-do list. I think they will compliment my next speaker build.
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Hello Mark S.,
Your new Z10 integrated looks like an interesting piece - a combination of the ZOTL10 amplifier and what is described as a Berning designed preamplifier section. A couple questions.
Is the amplifier section a mk. II like your current stand alone ZOTL10 mk. II?
Is the preamplifier section like any of your current offerings - MZ2, MZ3, Microzotl Preamp - or is it something altogether different. If it is different, could you compare it with your current offerings?
Thank you,
Greg
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Mark - I sure enjoy my MZ2!
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Jarbs,
You asked about the new Integrated ZOTL10: "Is the amplifier section a mk. II like your current stand alone ZOTL10 mk. II?"
Yes, the amplifier section is the ZOTL10 Mk II power amplifier. The preamplifier is a circuit used in David Berning's QuadZ for balanced to single ended conversion (using tubes of course) that also has some gain. When added as a gain stage on the front end of the power amplifier, the ZOTL circuitry cross couples to it. The microZOTL preamplifier has its own ZOTL circuit, which is costly to build, and you can get the same result when you cross couple to a gain stage as having a ZOTL preamp and a ZOTL amplifier. The gain stage really pairs well with the Z10 power amp. It is hard to tell the difference comparing the integrated to a MZ2 and a Z10 power amp.
However, the MZ3 and new Preamplifier are significantly better than the MZ2 and also the Integrated, but that's why they cost more.
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Great intro story, welcome! The pre-amp review by terry london was OTT.
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LTA Products
Our first product was the microZOTL headphone amplifier, preamplifier and 1 watt speaker amplifier. It’s a Class A push pull with a very liquid sound. You can turn it all the way up and not be able to tell it is turned on. We have sold nearly 1000 of them. We use 12SN7 tubes as they are 1/10th the cost of 6SN7s and sonically identical. We can provide premium tubes at a very reasonable $60 cost. We made many improvements in case strength, wiring, umbilical cable connectors, linear power supplies and remote controls. We have many pretty good reviews.
We will continue to produce it no matter what other products we have as it has become one of the few deals in high end audio. People have replaced their $15K preamps with it, but more important it allows the less flush with cash individual to experience the high end audio experience every day for only a $1235 investment.
We try to balance our commitment to providing affordable high end audio and also stay in business. Most audio manufacturers mark up their products twice as much as we do. So we have to sell direct. We would have to double our prices to sell through dealers.
Our second and third product were power amplifiers. The ZOTL10 12 watt EL84 push pull amplifier and a 46 watt ZOTL40 EL-34 amplifier.
The ZOTL10 is the most affordable Berning designed power amp ever offered. It has a linear power supply and the EL-84s provide the magic of ZOTL with the sweet sound of the EL-84s. It can drive anything from the low 90s in sensitivity. All the ZOTL advantages, 3 times tube life, 1/3 the heat, protection circuitry, no hum.
The ZOTL40 is a pentode amplifier and pairs beautifully with electrostatic speakers, maggies, Quads, Jensens and Martin Logans. It has a very sophisticated protection circuit. It can use EL-34s, KT-77s, 6L6s…all autobiased. It is actually 46 watts at 8 ohms and 51 ohms at 4 ohms. Easily handles complex impedance loads like a Quad speaker. Can be easily mono-blocked for 80 watts. This amp likes low efficiency speakers, high efficiency speakers not so much.
Last summer David Berning developed an amplifier designed for high efficiency speakers. The Ultralinear Power Amplifier is 20 watts per channel and is specifically designed to provide a premium listening experience. The combination of ZOTL and Ultralinear is a less forward presentation than a triode amp, and as David says “more pleasing to listen to”. The remarkable characteristic of this tube amp with it’s uniques topology, is the detail. You can compare the detail provided to any solid state amp. It has just as much. This amplifier provides a combination of the detail rivaling any solid state with the liquidity and imaging of tubes. Realism, wide soundstage with lots of air, and 3D musicality. One of David’s best pieces of work. In a Fern & Roby designed case.
And speaking of Fern & Roby, we have been collaborating with them for about a year now. Over the last 3 years we have been discovering new ways to improve the sound of the microZOTL. Packaging all these improvements in an aluminum case with front and back panels hogged out of single pieces of aluminum, along with brass touch buttons, LED array dimmable display and Apple TV remote control, our new microZOTL Preamplifer was shown at Axpona 2018 and started shipping in August. It turned out a bit better than we expected, but we are not complaining.
Another new product and a result of the F&R collaboration, is the Integrated Z10. The ZOTL10 Power Amplifier gets a preamp stage, a stepped attenuator, 5 inputs (1 true balanced), and headphone outputs. In a case similar to the Preamplifier with capacitive brass touch buttons and a LED array display, and even a phono stage. An all in one package that can drive any speaker 90db and above.
About to come out (any day) is the same technology improvements of our microZOTL Preamplifier in a headphone amp with an external power supply. It will be the MZ3. It is similar to the MZ2 as it has 3 inputs and the same size and tube complement. Adding ceramic boards, stepped attenuator, much bigger, better power supply and other technology improvements provides a significant improvement in the sound quality over the MZ2.
We also just released an upgrade to our lower priced microZOTL MZ2 LPS power supply called the LPS plus. Some of the technology that was developed for our new premium products can be applied to the current population of linear power supplies to dramatically improve the sound stage. Only $200. We always try to provide an upgrade path for our older products whenever we can.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=187530)
We continue to improve our products and have a couple of other products that are close to completion that we hope to tell you about soon.
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Hey Mark, any suggestions on how to implement your technology in a home theater setup? I am considering getting a tube buffer for my blueray player. I don't use 2 channel anymore. I prefer auro-3D (auromatic) for both music and movies. If you aren't familiar with auro-3d check out the reviewers description here. Thanks
https://www.stormaudio.com/media/wsr_stormaudio_iisp_3d1612_review_december2017lowres__067250400_0949_22122017.pdf
https://www.avnirvana.com/threads/svs%E2%80%99s-prime-elevation-and-marantz%E2%80%99s-sr7012-avr-tackle-auro-3d-an-exploratory-review.3737/
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Witchdoctor,
Interesting hardware. Sounds like a very immersive experience.
quote author=witchdoctor link=topic=160603.msg1717156#msg1717156 date=1543851495]
Hey Mark, any suggestions on how to implement your technology in a home theater setup? I am considering getting a tube buffer for my blueray player. I don't use 2 channel anymore. I prefer auro-3D (auromatic) for both music and movies. If you aren't familiar with auro-3d check out the reviewers description here. Thanks[/quote]
Our interface to home theater varies a bit by product.
The IntegratedZ10 and the microZOTL Preamplifier, as well as the forthcoming MZ3 HeadphoneAmp/Preamp/1watt speaker amp have what we call "Home Theater Mode". Any of the inputs can be selected to be a high fixed volume input. The idea is that you can calibrate your home theater source to the fixed volume and the source then controls the amplifier volume.
The Stormaudio receiver has only XLR line level outputs. Balanced XLRs are supported by the Integrated ZOTL10 and the microZOTL Preamplifier with optional input transformers. You can use the microZOTL Preamplifier standard in lower output not true balanced. The Stormaudio also has a stereo downmix outputs that uses RCAs.
Most Surround receivers support preamp out, which can be used with all of our power amplifiers easily. And our new products have the selectable fixed volume Home Theater Mode.
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Thanks Mark, the Home Theater mode should work. Here is a pic of my Auro 3D layout. I am using active speakers so the pre-amp looks like the best solution:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=152962)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=161765)
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Anything else you can share about the forthcoming MZ3 yet?
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Mark: I love that you are working with David to design products that respect the importance of the amp-speaker interface. So often audiophiles debate the merits of this amplifier versus that amplifier without regard to the speaker pairing. That the ZOTL 40 is designed to play well with more difficult loads like electrostatics while the ZOTL Ultralinear is super happy with high efficiency designs means that more listeners are able to enjoy the benefits of ZOTL technology while enjoying a wide array of speaker options, depending on their listening preferences, room, etc. When I heard that the ZOTL Ultralinear was designed specifically with speakers like mine (Daedalus Audio) in mind, I had a strong feeling that it was going to be the proverbial match made in heaven. The moment I heard the amp in my system I learned something very important about matching the amp and speakers--a lesson I am reminded of every time I drop the needle and hear my system the way it is supposed to sound!
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Mark, will there be an upgrade path for MZ2? stepped attenuator, etc.,?
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The MZ3 has almost all of the sonic improvements of the recent new microZOTL Preamplifier, the full size preamp/headphone amp. It is in a package like the MZ2...an external power supply and smaller, headphone amp size case.
With regards for an upgrade path from the MZ2, lack of space in the MZ2 case and power supply is the biggest issue. We took some of the preamplifier/MZ3 power supply improvements and fit them into the existing MZ2 LPS case, and for $200, you can get your linear power supply greatly improved with more storage and an output choke, which nets a much wider sound stage. And we incorporated the improvement into the current LPS product, now called the LPS plus at the same price. At this time we have no solution for adding a stepped attenuator, although there are a couple ways it could be done, and its something to look into. The ceramic board upgrade unfortunately has no possible solution as you cant take the parts off and put them on another board.
We just put the MZ3 up on the website.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=187743)
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Thanks Mark, it looks fantastic and I'll bet it sounds even better. :thumb:
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Has this review (WARNING - it's a full-on rave will make-you-want-it-bad) of the LTA MicroZOTL Preamplifier been mentioned in this thread?
https://hometheaterreview.com/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-preamplifier/ (https://hometheaterreview.com/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-preamplifier/)
I really like this photo of the MicroZOTL Preamplifier as it shows how in addition to the circuit goodness on the inside that actual industrial designers were involved in the design of the casework.
(https://hometheaterreview.com/assets_c/2018/10/MicroZOTL_Preamplifier_hero-thumb-800xauto-19766.jpg)
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Definitely a big step-up in the cosmetics. :thumb:
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Dear Santa,
I have been a very, very good boy this year. If one of these show up under my Christmas tree this year, I will be most grateful.
Signed,
Ozarktom
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I would want to pair this preamp with a set of JBL active studio monitors.
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I would want to pair this preamp with a set of JBL active studio monitors.
Until you buy one, try that $56 Nobsound passive pre from Amazon. It will floor you on the detail and clarity it has. Don't let the cheap price scare you away,
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Until you buy one, try that $56 Nobsound passive pre from Amazon. It will floor you on the detail and clarity it has. Don't let the cheap price scare you away,
Great idea, perfect for my set-up, thanks
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Definitely a big step-up in the cosmetics. :thumb:
The cosmetics are courtesy of Chris Hildebrand of Fern & Roby, and yes it is a nice improvement.
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Been hearing some rave reviews of the LTA Preamplifier and the MZ2. Would love to try one of these someday with my Line Magnetic. Mark was very helpful and quick to respond to my questions via email too. Great guy.
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We continue to improve our products and have a couple of other products that are close to completion that we hope to tell you about soon.
Hi Mark, I hope all is well with you as I have not seen any posts from you since a few months ago. I'm a fan of David Berning having owned and still own a few of his amps; I did buy a Microzotl from you a while back as well.
Curious, to hear of any new offerings from LTA. I might suggest selfishly, that (I would like to see) there is a need for a more powerful Microzotl, say around 4 watts or so. As much as I like the Microzotl, it is just underpowered when compared with more powerful headphone amps and with some newer planer headphones. For example, the Hifiman He1000 sounds fine with the Microzotl, but when compared to more powerful headphone amps the soundstage opens up and dynamics increase.
Please keep us updated as to any new improvements or products.
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Hi Raiderone,
I apologize for my absence, but I am back and recommitted to being very responsive to the Audio Circle.
We have a couple new products we are about to launch.
One is an Integrated 10 watt amplifier. It combines our ZOTL10 power amp with a preamp/balanced to single ended converter circuit using 2 12AU7s borrowed from David's $30K Quad Z amplifier. It also has two headphone outs. There is a switch between headphones and speaker outs, as the resistors protect the headphones from the 12 watts. We could easily set the high output to 5 watts and have the low output be 1 watt (same as microZOTL). The sonic quality is pretty much equivalent to the MZ2. It has some of the same improvements we put in the MZ3/microZOTL Preamplifier, so it is even more liquid and musical. It costs $4600, so its a lot more than the MZ2, but sounds gorgeous with any speakers 90db sensitivity or higher. This is in production, but we are finishing up the optional phono preamp, and we want to get a couple reviews before we start advertising it.
We are announcing at Axpona our new electrostatic headphone amplifier. Its a ZOTL output transformerless electrostatic headphone amp, has regular dynamic and planar headphone outputs (a high and a low suspiciously like the Integrated 10 watt), and also has 12 watts for speakers.It will be in the high $6K range, similar to Blue Hawaii.
We have a bunch of other stuff for much later in the year.....a couple of those or 2.5 - 6 watt Berning amplifiers for super efficiency speakers and inefficient headphones...but the timeframes are at least 6 months....
Thanks for asking..
Mark
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Great news Mark on your continuing development of new products! What will we see in Chicago?
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At Axpona, we will be in 4 places.
With Daedalus Audio and Lampizator's best stuff in the top of the line category, with Spatial Audio and their brand new series in the high price performance category, with Fern & Roby and their new high design speakers and turntables.
We will also be in the headphone hall with our new MZ3, an MZ2 to compare with, and the new electrostatic/regular headphone amp.
In the rooms will be Ultralinear power amps in stereo and monoblock setups, driven with either an MZ3 preamp/headphone/1 watt speaker amp, or the new microZOTL Preamplifier. We are still figuring out how to get an Integrated 10 or updated Z40 in one of the rooms..
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=192014)
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Did not expect that many new products(!). Now there might be too many to choose from, even for my specific needs. Even still I'd like to listen to that amp for electrostatic headphones; something tells me that it is going to be really special.
Really looking forward to those low powered amps to drive my power hungry headphones and as a bonus drive some of my efficient speakers (actually the MZ2 does some magic with my 15" full rangers). Any hints as to what types of output power tubes it will/might be using???
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Raiderone,
None of those amplifiers are we committing to. We are trying to decide which would be the best one to do in which order.
We are "considering" them and again at least 6 months out, if not longer.
One has 6LU8 compactron 3 part tube, one uses EL-95s, and one uses 300Bs....
Mark
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Hey Mark. What's the amount of LPS+'s volt-amps (VA)? Thanks.
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Dear Viggen,
The LPSplus for the microZOTL MZ2 is 12Vdc at 2.5A. You need about 2 amps to operate the MZ2.
This is a great supply for DACs with external power supplies (instead of their external supply). We can provide it with connectors that match the DACs and any voltages 12V or less...
Mark
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So, the LPS+ is about 30va? (12v * 2.5 amp) I dug the VA calculation up from google somewhere. Hopefully, it's correctly applied.
You're actually shipping me a LPS+ upgraded from LPS soon. But, am curious whether a PSU with larger VA would benefit the MZ2 even further.
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Viggen,
Having a larger VA only helps you when you need more power. You will never go over 2 amps, so more VAs will not provide any improvement.
Best,
Mark
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I really dig the MZ2S!
Love the aesthetics of the new stuff, so sleek. This little stereo brings me audio-nirvana
Thanks Mark and team and David B.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=192552)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=192553)
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Nice looking system!
Are those Omega speakers?
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^ thank you. yes, I love them
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Yes, Louis of Omega's 3.5 inch drivers are very special...
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I agree mark. If you ever want to send over that new integrated, you know for kicks, I'll give it a spin :D
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Yes, we have the hi-output monitors in our listening room. The integrated pairs beautifully with them...although you could probably drive them pretty well directly from the microZOTL. I wish we could have a bunch of amps that we could just send out for people to try....maybe someday...
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There has been some late night listening sessions with just the microZOTL and they are magnificent
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Linear Tube Audio will be at Axpona next week in Chicago.
We are showing in 3 rooms and have a variety of new products:
In the Daedalus Audio room, we will be showing dual mono-block Ultralinear Amplifiers and the new last year Preamplifier paired with Lou Hinckley's flagship speakers and Lampizator and Wywires.
In the Spatial Audio room we will be pairing a Preamplifier and a single Ultralinear with Spatial's new X series speakers with horn loaded AMT drivers.
In the Fern and Roby room, we will have the MZ3 operating as a preamp. along with their Maverick turntable, their new Raven speakers and a surprise amplifier, the ZOTL40 Power Amplifier. Although, it has been in production for 3 years, David Berning revisted the design and dramatically improved it. The ZOTL40 excelled with low efficiency electrostatic speakers, but not so much with high efficiency speakers. By changing the damping, high efficiency speakers have much more texture and timbre. It sounds the same with electrostatics, but it is like another amplifier with sensitive speakers. Come by the Fern and Roby room and see for yourself.
Then, last but not lease, we will be in the Ear Gear room with our modest table. We are featuring the new MZ3 headphone/preamp/1 watt speaker amp in a headphone amp configuration. We will also have a 2nd MZ3 with an A/B switch attached to a MZ2, so one can experience the difference by switching in the same song.
We will also have our newest product, the LTA Electrostatic Headphone/Regular Headphones/12 watt speaker amplifier....the Z10e.... An integrated amp, a headphone amp and an amp for Mr Speakers Voce and the Stax headphones.
Our products are different than all other amplifiers. We operate the tubes at up to twice the voltage and half the current. At radio frequencies, and oh yeah, no output transformers. The magic of tubes with detail that rivals any solid state amp. And we finally understand its also about looks, so come see our new Fern and Roby casework.
Hope to see you at Axpona.
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Very good review on the gon for the Z10 integrated. I want one so bad!
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-linear-tube-audio-z10-integrated-amplifier
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Congratulations Mark & LTA Team for winning one of David W. Robinson's Audio Oasis! Awards from AXPONA 2019
https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-my-audio-oasis-awards-from-axpona-2019-part-the-fifth-final/ (https://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/impressions-my-audio-oasis-awards-from-axpona-2019-part-the-fifth-final/)
(https://positive-feedback.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Daedalus_LTA_Lampi_LTA_Ultralinear_Power_Amp_6x9_200ppi_DSC_2692-768x1152.jpg)
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Good is as good does. Keep up the good work Mark.
cheers,
charles
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Congratulations Mark, David and LTA Team!
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Hi Mark, congratulations on all the incredible developments at LTA! I was wondering about the relative merits of adding an MZ2 or MZ3 to a ZOTL 10 mkII running direct with the stepped resistor option. My source is a Lampizator Atlantic TRP. Super curious about your thoughts on this matter. Any input truly appreciated! Also, I've heard the Ultralinear; it's a masterpiece – dynamic verve, no perceptible grain, no perceptible noise, beautiful soundstage. Wow.
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unitygain
Thanks for your post and sorry for the late reply.
As long as your Z10 has the linear power supply (MarkII version with external transformer), the MZ2 as a preamp is about the exact same sonically, so adding a MZ2 doesnt bring any improvement.
Upgrading to the MZ3 or MZPreamplifier would provide an improvement, but the MZ2, not much.
We are adding the MZ3 power supply improvements back into the Z10 linear power supply, which does bring a very nice improvement. It does require replacing 2/3 of the power supply and we are working on a upgrade path (under $600) and will send out a notice to all of our Z10 customers in 3-4 weeks...
Thanks again for your question...
Mark
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Mark, I so appreciate your considered and candid reply. Your customers are lucky to have not only great sounding components but also ones that improve over time!
My personal wishlist item is an Ultralinear integrated, if one ever eventuates; have enjoyed every LTA product I’ve heard!
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Very good review on the gon for the Z10 integrated. I want one so bad!
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-linear-tube-audio-z10-integrated-amplifier
Thanks! Steve Guttenberg also reviewed the Z10 Integrated and liked it...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aezxC_OeYZw
https://www.cnet.com/news/this-high-end-amplifier-sounds-equally-great-with-speakers-and-headphones/
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Hello... We have been sporadic in posting here, but we are committed to being more active in this community and thread. To that end, we will be posting soon about what we're bringing to Capital Audio Fest.
In the meantime, here's a recent in-depth review of the microZOTL Preamplifier and ZOTL40 Reference power amplifier in Positive Feedback: https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-preamplifier-zotl40-reference-amplifier/
Includes mention of our friends in real life and on AudioCircle, Daedalus. Enjoy...
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LTA will be hard to miss at Capital Audio Fest. We're in four rooms and will also be running an "LTA Headphone Lounge" featuring our headphone amps and a curated selection of some of the best headphones on the planet.
It's a lot to keep track of, so here's a cheat sheet to what you'll find in each room. Hope to see you there!
Room 526
- LTA Z10 Integrated Amplifier
- Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire Loudspeakers (New!)
- LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC (New!)
- ANTICABLES Cables
- Audience Power Conditioner
Room 323
- LTA Z10e Integrated Amplifier
- Fern & Roby Raven II Loudspeakers
- Fern & Roby Montrose Turntable
- Fern & Roby Maverick Phono Preamp (New!)
- Setsuna by Black Cat Cables
Randolph
- LTA microZOTL Preamplifier
- LTA ZOTL Ultralinear Amplifiers (monoblock)
- LTA ZOTL40 Reference Amplifiers (monoblock)
- Daedalus Apollo11 Loudspeakers
- Daedalus BOW Subwoofers
- LampizatOr Vinyl Phono 1 (New!)
- VPI Prime Signature Turntable
- WyWires cables
Room 312
- LTA microZOTL Preamplifier
- LampizatOr KT150 Single Ended Amp (New!)
- LampizatOr Pacific DAC SE
- AudioNec Evo 2 AS Loudspeakers (New!)
- Final Touch Audio Cables
LTA Headphone Lounge
Amps & Sources
- LTA MZ2
- LTA MZ3
- LTA Z10e Electrostatic Headphone Amp
- LTA Z10 Integrated Amp
- iBasso DX220 DAP
- iBasso DX160 DAP
- iBasso DC02 USB DAC / Headphone Amp
Headphones
- MrSpeakers VOCE, Ether2, & Aeon2 (New!)
- STAX SR-009S & SR-L700 MKll (New!)
- ZMF Vérité Closed (New!), Auteur, & Atticus
- Meze Audio Empyrean (New!)
- Klipsch HP-3 (New!)
- Focal Stellia (New!)
- More to come...
DACs
- Border Patrol SEi
- Denafrips Ares II
- Kitsune Holo Audio Spring 2
- MDHT Lab Istanbul
And here's a pretty image for some eye candy...
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=199772)
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Mark, will you also be using the MicroZOTL preamp in the Randolph Room? Scott D.
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Mark, will you also be using the MicroZOTL preamp in the Randolph Room? Scott D.
Yes! Thanks for the heads up that we left that out. Post modified...
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Good to know that you and Clayton are confident that the Z10 can handle the 4ohm load of the Spatial M3 Sapphires. I have a pair of M3 Sapphires on order and LTA is on my shortlist for future amp upgrade.
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Good to know that you and Clayton are confident that the Z10 can handle the 4ohm load of the Spatial M3 Sapphires. I have a pair of M3 Sapphires on order and LTA is on my shortlist for future amp upgrade.
Clayton's recommends 8W or above, and we recommend 90db or above for critical listening, so 4ohm 92db sensitivity with 12w is a great match.
We have been listening to the M3 Sapphires with the Z10 Integrated all week at the shop, and it sounds incredible. Volume for critical listening is in the 30-40 range (out of 99) and the bass... thunderous is the word. It brought our technicians out from the back saying, "we could feel it back there."
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Wow! I can't wait to get my M3 Sapphires. And to know your beautiful integrated drives them like that will put the LTA integrated on my short list.
Actually upgrading from the M3 Triode Masters which I know you are familiar with.
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Wow! I can't wait to get my M3 Sapphires. And to know your beautiful integrated drives them like that will put the LTA integrated on my short list.
Actually upgrading from the M3 Triode Masters which I know you are familiar with.
Excellent. We appreciate that very much. Hope you can come to CAF to hear the combo for yourself.
Yes, we had the M3 TM's for the last year+ before getting the new M3 Sapphires. You'll be very pleased with the upgrade.
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Alright! Looking forward to hearing feedback on all these rooms, especially with the Sapphire’s
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Probably the most comprehensive review to date of the Z10 Integrated is up at 6moons, including lots of great photos of the insides for those into gear porn. :)
https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/lineartubeaudio2/
For those of you wondering whether 12 watts is enough for you, read closely. Srajen hooks the Z10 Integrated up to 85db speakers (below what even we recommend), and: "Despite the apparently poor fit on specs, this was a categorically great fit on the ears."
Proud to say the Z10 Integrated excelled to the point of receiving a Blue Moon Award.
Nicholas from LTA
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I read the review this afternoon.Congrats on the award!
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Congratulations Nicholas, Mark, David, and the entire LTA team!
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Capital Audio Fest Sunday Show Deals
Email nicholas@lineartubeaudio.com if you're interested in any of the below.
microZOTL MZ2 Headphone Amp / Preamp / Integrated Amp - Retail: $2140 // Show Special $1750
MZ3 Headphone Amp / Preamp / Integrated Amp - Retail: $3700 // Show Special: $3100 SOLD
Z10e Electrostatic Headphone Amp - Retail: $6950 // Show Special: $5900
Z10 Integrated w/ Optional Phono Stage - Retail: $5400 // Show Special: SOLD
Z10 Integrated (no phono) - Retail: $4900 // Show Special: SOLD
MicroZOTL Preamplifier (w/ input transformer balanced XLR inputs) - Retail: $4750 // Show Special: SOLD
MicroZOTL Preamplifier - Retail: $4450 // Show Special: SOLD
ZOTL40 Reference (3 available) - Retail: $6800 // Show Special: $5700
ROOM 526 BUNDLE:
Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire Open Baffle Loudspeakers
Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier
LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC
Retail: $11,850 // Show Special: $9,995
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=200440)
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Worth every darn penny.
charles
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The hardworking audiophile press are starting to publish their CAF coverage. I'll post the links here as they come out.
- Herb Reichert liked the LTA Headphone Lounge: https://www.stereophile.com/content/linear-tube-audio-headphone-lounge
- And thought 526 (Spatial Audio, LampizatOR, Anticables, Innuos) could be Best In Show: https://www.stereophile.com/content/spatial-m3-sapphire-loudspeakers-linear-tube-audio-z10-integrated-amplifier-lampizator-amber
- Grover Neville from Inner Fidelity of course spent some time in the LTA Headphone Lounge: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/capital-audiofest-part-2-aurorus-audio-and-linear-tube-audio
- Part-time Audiophile on Room 526: https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/11/10/spatial-audio-lta-lampizator-anticables-caf-2019/
- AV Show Rooms gave Room 526 a "Best Sound" award: https://www.avshowrooms.com/capital-audiofest-2019-awards-show-report.html
More to come...
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Nicholas, Mark, Clayton, and Fred,
I liked the sound we were getting in Room 526 so much, that I'd like to add a FREE set of AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires (up to 8 feet long), to anyone that purchases the full bundle. An 8 foot pair of AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires was exactly what was used in that great sounding room, so I wan't to make sure anyone that buys the bundle gets as good of sound as we were getting. Here is what the new bundle looks like:
NEW ROOM 526 BUNDLE:
Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire Open Baffle Loudspeakers
Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier
LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC
AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires with optional Banana plugs
Retail: $12,150 // Show Special: $9,995
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=200636)
Thanks!
Paul Speltz
(AntiCables)
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Nicholas, Mark, Clayton, and Fred,
I liked the sound we were getting in Room 526 so much, that I'd like to add a FREE set of AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires (up to 8 feet long), to anyone that purchases the full bundle. An 8 foot pair of AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires was exactly what was used in that great sounding room, so I wan't to make sure anyone that buys the bundle gets as good of sound as we were getting. Here is what the new bundle looks like:
NEW ROOM 526 BUNDLE:
Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire Open Baffle Loudspeakers
Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier
LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC
AntiCables Level 3.1 Speaker Wires with optional Banana plugs
Retail: $12,150 // Show Special: $9,995
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=200636)
Thanks!
Paul Speltz
(AntiCables)
Wanted to chime in here and just say that this would no doubt be an amazing system and a bargain at that price. I have had my M3 Sapphires for about a week and a half and I already love them. I gave early impressions on them here:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=166219.msg1765726#msg1765726
Plan on upgrading amplification down the road and LTA is on the short list.
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Hello everyone. We just made a page on our website for this bundle to grease the wheels of commerce. 8)
https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/spatial-m3-lampizator-amber3-lta-z10-integrated-caf-system
Let me, Paul (Anticables), Fred (LampizatOr), or Clayton (Spatial) - all on Audiocircle - know if you have any questions.
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Very cool to see a few manufactures coming together to offer the show from the system. I wish more people presented things like this, especially at this price point where it makes more sense.
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And yet another rave review for the MicroZOTL MZ3 Headphone Amp.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amp.24032/reviews#review-22865 (https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amp.24032/reviews#review-22865)
Posting a link to the picture because I am unaware of a way to resize pics in AC posts: https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/10378737.jpg (https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/10378737.jpg)
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^ Nice review. And it is also one of the best damn integrated amps if your speakers are up to the task and your ears like to listen at a more modest volume. Well done LTA!
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Very cool to see a few manufactures coming together to offer the show from the system. I wish more people presented things like this, especially at this price point where it makes more sense.
Thanks! Couldn't ask for a better group of guys to team up with.
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And yet another rave review for the MicroZOTL MZ3 Headphone Amp.
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amp.24032/reviews#review-22865 (https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amp.24032/reviews#review-22865)
Posting a link to the picture because I am unaware of a way to resize pics in AC posts: https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/10378737.jpg (https://cdn.head-fi.org/a/10378737.jpg)
Thanks for posting this review! In all the recent news about the Z10 Integrated, the MZ3 will not be forgotten! :)
^ Nice review. And it is also one of the best damn integrated amps if your speakers are up to the task and your ears like to listen at a more modest volume. Well done LTA!
Thanks! We hooked an MZ2 up to the Spatials the other day just for kicks, and while we had to turn the dial up quite a bit, of course, it sounded great! Small AND mighty, we like to say. :)
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Hey everybody. We just pushed the go button on our Black Friday sale.
Now through Cyber Monday (December 2nd), get 10% off all LTA amps.
Use the discount code THANKS10 at checkout.
https://www.lineartubeaudio.com (https://www.lineartubeaudio.com)
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What about the source. Seems forgotten.
charles
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What about the source. Seems forgotten.
charles
The source on the "room 526" bundle...? In order to hit our neat and tidy price of $9995, that's not included. We can include one at MSRP ($1249), though.
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Rafe from Inner Fidelity just posted his MZ3 review: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amplifier-review (https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amplifier-review)
Here's an excerpt of his conclusions (emphasis mine):
"I can say without hyperbole that in my experience this is a headphone amplifier with few peers at this price point: it is an honest and forthright amp that does that unique job of bringing warmth to music without sacrificing resolution. It excels at balance in its frequency response, does clean, tight bass without exaggerated tube bloom and has flesh-and-blood treble and midrange reproduction capabilities that should leave both solid-state and tube-amp fans feeling satisfied that they’ve dropped their hard-earned coin on a piece of gear that has the flexibility to drive pretty much any headphone you can throw at it, thanks to its ZOTL circuit design. The fact that it can run as a preamp or even an integrated amp with proper speaker-matching only adds more to its value. Highly recommended."
Reminder that the MZ3, and all of our amps, are 10% off now through December 2nd...
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Quick note of heads up that we're extending our 10% discount on all amps and iBasso portable audio products.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201654)
https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/
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We aimed to raise the profile of headphones and personal audio at Capital Audiofest this year, and this event wrap up from InnerFidelity proves we did just that.
Thanks to all the headphone enthusiasts and newbies alike who stopped by the LTA Headphone Lounge.
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/capital-audiofest-2019-wrap-and-final-thoughts
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Happy to report that Part-time Audiophile has given the Z10 Integrated Amplifier an Editors' Choice Award.
"There’s a delicacy and authenticity to the Z10 Integrated that can’t be ignored. You’ve probably heard reviewers say how sorry they are to see certain components leave, but I feel like I have a hole in my heart where this equipment once made its home for a few brief and worthwhile months.
Highly recommended."
Read the full review here: https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/12/08/linear-tube-audio-z10-integrated-amplifier-review/
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=201864)
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Attention headphone enthusiasts and the headphone-curious... Join LTA and a bunch of others THIS SUNDAY (December 15th) for a headphone meetup in Arlington, Virginia.
The selection of gear that you'll be able to sample is mind-boggling.
Headphones from STAX, Dan Clark Audio (fka MrSpeakers), Meze, Focal, Sony, Sennheiser, Shure, Audeze, Klipsch, ZMF, Audioquest, and others...
Headphone amps from LTA (of course), Headamp, Schiit, McIntosh, Chord, and others...
The great majority of this gear is brought by community members and fellow enthusiasts, and it's a great way to lay your ears on a bunch of great stuff.
All details can be found here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dc-area-meet-december-15th-2019.919067/
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AVShowrooms just published their interview with Clayton (Spatial), Fred (LampizatOr NA), and Mark (LTA) from CAF 2019.
https://youtu.be/uoHakZ7yhvs
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Hi Mark - very excited to see the Z40 integrated! Will there be an inboard phono option? Thanks
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Hi Mark - very excited to see the Z40 integrated! Will there be an inboard phono option? Thanks
Glad you noticed. We haven't officially announced these yet. :)
Yes, we'll be offering the same MM phono stage option as in the Z10 Integrated when this is officially launched.
For those wanting to step up (see what I did there) to a MM/MC phono stage, a new collaboration with Fern & Roby on a line of external phono stages is forthcoming very soon...
~ Nicholas from LTA
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Happy New Year, everyone!
LTA announced a couple new integrated amplifiers recently, based on the Ultralinear and ZOTL40 power amplifiers. We're very excited about these and initial response has been fabulous.
Ultralinear Integrated Amplifier: https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/zotl-ultralinear-integrated-amplifier
Z40 Integrated Amplifier: https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/z40-integrated-amplifier
As the names suggest, these new integrated amplifiers are based on their award-winning power amplifier siblings. They offer the same sonics of their predecessors, incorporating a Berning-designed preamplifier and LTA’s digital control system–beautifully packaged in a Fern & Roby-designed case.
If you follow the Daedalus Audio circle here, you may have seen a bundle that we put together as part of the launch. You get an Ultralinear Integrated + Daedalus Muse speakers for a great price. Worth checking out: https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/bundle-ultralinear-integrated-amplifier-daedaulus-muse-loudspeakers
~Nicholas @ LTA
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We’re excited to make our first visit to the Florida Audio Expo! Who's ready for Florida in February?!
We’ll be in three rooms with three of the most unique and innovative speaker companies we know, as well as a some other fun partners.
More details, including show specials, to come, but for now here are the basics:
Suite 605
This is a redux of the room at CAF that had many people, including Herb Reichert, saying things like “Best Sound at Show.”
- LTA Z10 Integrated Amplifier - https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/z10-integrated-amplifier
- Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire Loudspeakers - http://www.spatialaudio.us/m3-sapphire
- LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC - https://www.lampizator.com/amber-3
- ANTICABLES Cables - http://anticables.com/
(We still have a bundle going on this system, BTW: https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/spatial-m3-lampizator-amber3-lta-z10-integrated-caf-system)
Suite 404
- LTA Ultralinear Integrated Amplifier - https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/zotl-ultralinear-integrated-amplifier
- Vaughn Loudspeakers Zinfandel Line Array speakers with all three tweeter options, horn, air motion transformer, and plasma tweeter. - https://www.vaughnloudspeakers.com/
- MJ Acoustic subwoofers - https://www.vaughnloudspeakers.com/mj-acoustics-subwoofers
Suite 1009
- LTA microZOTL Preamplifier - https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/microzotl-preamplifier
- LTA Ultralinear Power Amplifier (top end) - https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/zotl-ultralinear-amplifier
- LTA ZOTL40 Reference Power Amplifier (low end) - https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/zotl-40-reference-amplifier
- MC Audiotech Forty-10 Loudspeaker - http://mcaudiotech.com/
- Wolf Audio Systems Music Server - https://wolfaudiosystems.com/
A look at the very unique MC Autotech Forty-10 speakers... They sound even better than they look.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=203253)
Let me know if you'll be at Florida. Would love to meet in person.
~Nicholas @ LTA
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=203304)
Hello
I have had the pleasure of owning the Zotl 40 Mark II amp for about 6 months now. Best amp I have ever heard in my home. What I wanted to share with anyone that owns this amp, is to consider trying the Tung Sol 7581A reissue power tubes. I have compared it to almost every new production EL34 and GL Kt77. This Tung Sol 7581A power tube is also considered a KT66 variant, so not a EL34 tube. I believe it will lower the watts per channel to 35, but I have noticed I keep the volume knob the same as with the other tubes..so no issue for me. What I have found is this tube has a very well behaved manner without sounding boring. Sometimes I have found newer production tubes to inject a thin or glarey aggressive character at times. This 7581a has great dynamics with a natural smooth spacious sound.
Compared to the GL KT77 reissue, I found from top to bottom, the 7581a are much better balanced. The bass was more articulate, punchier, mids are clear but with weight and great natural tone, that is never forward or too laid-back. It's just right. The highs have decent extension but is more refined and smoother compared to the KT77. Another great thing about these tubes are the price...you can find them for as little as $90 for a quad. The GL KT77 are a good tube, but overall in my system a little too bright and messy. Overall this 7581a tube sounds like the best aspects of a KT88 (Bass) and EL34 (Mids) mix together, but with great refinement. Dynamics and musicality.
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Hello
I have had the pleasure of owning the Zotl 40 Mark II amp for about 6 months now. Best amp I have ever heard in my home. What I wanted to share with anyone that owns this amp, is to consider trying the Tung Sol 7581A reissue power tubes. I have compared it to almost every new production EL34 and GL Kt77. This Tung Sol 7581A power tube is also considered a KT66 variant, so not a EL34 tube. I believe it will lower the watts per channel to 35, but I have noticed I keep the volume knob the same as with the other tubes..so no issue for me. What I have found is this tube has a very well behaved manner without sounding boring. Sometimes I have found newer production tubes to inject a thin or glarey aggressive character at times. This 7581a has great dynamics with a natural smooth spacious sound.
Compared to the GL KT77 reissue, I found from top to bottom, the 7581a are much better balanced. The bass was more articulate, punchier, mids are clear but with weight and great natural tone, that is never forward or too laid-back. It's just right. The highs have decent extension but is more refined and smoother compared to the KT77. Another great thing about these tubes are the price...you can find them for as little as $90 for a quad. The GL KT77 are a good tube, but overall in my system a little too bright and messy. Overall this 7581a tube sounds like the best aspects of a KT88 (Bass) and EL34 (Mids) mix together, but with great refinement. Dynamics and musicality.
Thanks for posting about this. The ZOTL40 runs its power tubes very near the max operating voltage of 800V for EL34/KT77 tubes. The 7581 has a significantly lower max voltage rating. Given the design of the amp circuit, this may not hurt the 7581, but it is not a tube we can recommend and we have not tested it in the amp.
~ Nicholas @LTA
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Thanks for posting about this. The ZOTL40 runs its power tubes very near the max operating voltage of 800V for EL34/KT77 tubes. The 7581 has a significantly lower max voltage rating. Given the design of the amp circuit, this may not hurt the 7581, but it is not a tube we can recommend and we have not tested it in the amp. The ZOTL40 sounds incredible with the 7581a. This tube is NO JOKE!
~ Nicholas @LTA
Hey Nicholas
I do recall talking on the phone with you before purchasing the 7581a to see if LTA gave the "Green Light" on this. If I remember correctly you asked Mark also Mr Berning (who was in the house at the time) and you said that it "should be ok", but I was warned that the watts per channel would decrease. If you feel this could now be a concern after about 3 months of daily use, please let me know. The last thing I want to do is potentially damage anyone's equipment or mine. Why can't LTA test these? The upside for LTA and customers are a less expensive tube with better sonics compared to the pricey less impressive GL KT77.
Regards
Tom
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Hey Nicholas
I do recall talking on the phone with you before purchasing the 7581a to see if LTA gave the "Green Light" on this. If I remember correctly you asked Mark also Mr Berning (who was in the house at the time) and you said that it "should be ok", but I was warned that the watts per channel would decrease. If you feel this could now be a concern after about 3 months of daily use, please let me know. The last thing I want to do is potentially damage anyone's equipment or mine. Why can't LTA test these? The upside for LTA and customers are a less expensive tube with better sonics compared to the pricey less impressive GL KT77.
Regards
Tom
Hey Tom. I was wondering if this was you. 👋
Since it was tentatively approved by David and has been operating without an issue, it seems that there's no reason for you to change. Since the amp was designed for EL34 tubes and the specs for the 7518a are notably different, it's not a tube we can pursue as a manufacturer. We have our hands full with EL34 varieties already! :)
Since you like the sound and there have been no operational issues I don't see a reason that you shouldn't continue using those tubes.
Sorry for any confusion, and thanks again for posting for us and others to know!
~Nicholas @ LTA
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Hello again and happy friday
So I wanted to mention something that I don't think is talked about regarding the LTA amps. That is...the Protection Circuitry. So the story goes like this. My friend just acquired a NEW quad of the Original Wing =C='s EL34. He lent them for me to try. (Can you say Guinea pig lol) The date is 2011...that year is very hit or miss with quality control . So I plugged them in, started the amp up and within a minute, I heard what sounding like a distorted explosion. :(
When I heard this, I ran to the amp and saw a LED light blinking on the circuit board. The text underneath the light said "Left Channel Protection" or something like that. So I then quickly turned the amp off. As you could imagine, I am thinking how much is this going to cost to fix. Well I am happy to report..NOTHING! This tube had a major meltdown and did not take out even a fuse on my Zotl 40.
So my hats off to the Team LTA for creating what I consider to be the ultimate modern tube audio equipment. Its not just the great sound they produce, but the advancement of great techniques to prevent issues. Thank You LTA!
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One more thing! I am currently testing a New Production EL34 tube that is sorely never mentioned. The price is ridiculous low. This tube might just be the best power tube I have heard on my ZOTL 40. I am continuing to test and will report back next week. :thumb:
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One more thing! I am currently testing a New Production EL34 tube that is sorely never mentioned. The price is ridiculous low. This tube might just be the best power tube I have heard on my ZOTL 40. I am continuing to test and will report back next week. :thumb:
(Drum Roll) The new tube that is without question the best new production powertube for the ZOTL40 IMHO is the JJ EL34L. Most people shy away from this tube because of the price, which is crazy. These tubes on the ZOTL 40 are amazing. If you can't swing the $600-800 for a quad of XF2's...these are the next best thing at only $63 a Quad (fully tested) from VIVA Tubes. I have read that some actually prefer these to the Mullards XF2, but I am not hear to say they are, because I have not heard them in my amp. Just thought it was interesting.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=203620)
Compared to the Tungsol 7581a...they don't have as much high end extension, bass is very comparable, but the midrange is king on the JJ's.
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(Drum Roll) The new tube that is without question the best new production powertube for the ZOTL40 IMHO is the JJ EL34L. Most people shy away from this tube because of the price, which is crazy. These tubes on the ZOTL 40 are amazing.
Good stuff! We'll have to pick up some of these and try them out. Thanks!
Nicholas @ LTA
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Since I have a new Z40 Integrated, I am interested in possible alternative tubes to the GL KT77 that come with the Z40i. The amp sounds great but I have been looking at the Sophia Electric EL34ST as a good option. It would be helpful if anyone has any experience with this tube, especially compared to the GL KT77. Thanks
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Since I have a new Z40 Integrated, I am interested in possible alternative tubes to the GL KT77 that come with the Z40i. The amp sounds great but I have been looking at the Sophia Electric EL34ST as a good option. It would be helpful if anyone has any experience with this tube, especially compared to the GL KT77. Thanks
Hey! We haven't tried these, but make sure the wider body of the Sophias will fit in the Z40 without touching the metal plate that sits right next to the tubes - and especially the impedance converters on the other side.
Nicholas @ LTA
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Hello again and happy friday
So I wanted to mention something that I don't think is talked about regarding the LTA amps. That is...the Protection Circuitry. So the story goes like this. My friend just acquired a NEW quad of the Original Wing =C='s EL34. He lent them for me to try. (Can you say Guinea pig lol) The date is 2011...that year is very hit or miss with quality control . So I plugged them in, started the amp up and within a minute, I heard what sounding like a distorted explosion. :(
When I heard this, I ran to the amp and saw a LED light blinking on the circuit board. The text underneath the light said "Left Channel Protection" or something like that. So I then quickly turned the amp off. As you could imagine, I am thinking how much is this going to cost to fix. Well I am happy to report..NOTHING! This tube had a major meltdown and did not take out even a fuse on my Zotl 40.
So my hats off to the Team LTA for creating what I consider to be the ultimate modern tube audio equipment. Its not just the great sound they produce, but the advancement of great techniques to prevent issues. Thank You LTA!
THANKS! The secret in all of our amps is that David Berning designed power supplies before he ever got into audio. :)
Nicholas @ LTA
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For you electrostatic headphone fans, Audiophile Style has just published a review of our Z10e electrostatic headphone amp. For the curious, it also drives regular headphones and has speaker outputs as well. Another in the line of triple-threat products from LTA. :)
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/review-linear-tube-audio-z10e-integrated-electrostaticmagnetic-headphonespeaker-amplifier-r873/
Nicholas @ LTA
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FYI, we have just posted a page offering a 10% discount when you buy both a preamp and a power amp together.
https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/lta-preamp-power-amp-bundles
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=205847)
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I'm posting about this here before anywhere else to give our AC friends a head start.
During a recent inventory check, we found some face plates that have minor blemishes on them. We are offering these in build-to-order units at a discount. That is, the audio board, power board, wiring, and all other parts will be brand new and built for you after you order. The only difference between these units and a "normal" one are the minor blemishes shown below.
Here's what we have:
3 x microZOTL Preamp - Price: $4,000 (Retail: $4,450) - add $300 for balanced input transformer upgrade
1 x Z10/Ultralinear/Z40 Integrated amp - Z10 Price: $4,400 (Retail: $4,900) // Ultralinear or Z40 Price: $6,800 (Retail: $7,650)
Here are photos of the front plates so you can see their condition. Each photo is a separate front plate.
MZ Preamp - inside of front plate - not visible from front of unit:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206047)
MZ Preamp - side of front plate
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206048)
MZ Preamp - side of front plate
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206049)
Integrated amp front plate - two small "bubbles" near power button
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206050)
Email me at nicholas@lineartubeaudio.com if you're interested. These will be posted on our website soon, so grab them before they are released to the general public.
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Hope everyone out there is doing well and taking care of themselves - and others!
An interview I did with Ron at New Record Day was posted over the weekend, and it got such a good reception that I am posting it here.
Meet the Manufacturer - A conversation with LTA's Nicholas Tolson: https://youtu.be/Aowd-9KGQVc
Ron also recently reviewed the MZ3 and Ultralinear. Here are those links as well:
MZ3: https://youtu.be/6SJwxEmHeog?t=906
UL: https://youtu.be/zvis5aNcr88?t=801
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Hello all. As before, I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected given the current situation.
I'm here with some more LTA-related Youtube links that I hope will at least be a distraction from all of the bad news out there. I hope you come away having learned something...
1) We've started a Youtube channel, and our first interview was with Clayton Shaw of Spatial Audio. It's long, but worth a watch if you're info open baffle speakers or want to learn more about them: https://youtu.be/vYHjNc3kWAQ
2) We followed that up with a recording of a live event I did with David Solomon of Qobuz. He's a great guy and this was a really fun conversation. Again, very long, but put it on in the background and have a listen: https://youtu.be/E3fDf2mG-DQ
3) If the MZ3 has been on your shopping list, you might want to check out this review from NBT on Youtube: https://youtu.be/L8nwQRx6NSg
More videos to come on our channel. If you have any ideas or suggestions or requests, I'm all ears. Coming this week is an interview I did with Lou from Daedalus Audio, another AC supporter. We'll be posting new videos weekly (at least), so subscribe to get them all: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM_4zHesnAIK_yH6qm18ssw/
Thanks and be safe...
~Nicholas @ LTA
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As I mentioned in the previous post, here is our latest video, part 1 of an interview with Lou from Daedalus Audio : https://youtu.be/GHsxadrnBAA
Enjoy!
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It's been a while since we posted here, But I have a feeling you're going to want to read this one...
We weren't going to have a sale this year, but then we figured... of all years this is a year we need good news and something to smile about.
So, we are celebrating saying GOODBYE to 2020 with some GOOD BUYS on LTA amps!
Use the code GOODBUY2020 to receive a 10% discount on any amp listed on this page (which is basically all of our amps): https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/goodbye-2020-sale
This isn't getting announced publicly until next week to give the AC community a chance to get in before the rush...
~Nicholas @ LTA