Linear Tube Audio Introduction

OzarkTom · « **Reply #40 on:** 13 Dec 2018, 04:20 am »

Quote from: witchdoctor on 13 Dec 2018, 03:24 am

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,

witchdoctor · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 Dec 2018, 04:37 am »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 13 Dec 2018, 04:20 am

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

KLH007 · « **Reply #42 on:** 15 Dec 2018, 03:36 am »

Quote from: OzarkTom on 12 Dec 2018, 11:31 pm

Definitely a big step-up in the cosmetics.

The cosmetics are courtesy of Chris Hildebrand of Fern & Roby, and yes it is a nice improvement.

freesole · « **Reply #43 on:** 28 Dec 2018, 06:10 am »

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.

Raiderone · « **Reply #44 on:** 24 Feb 2019, 06:53 pm »

Quote from: LTAmark on 3 Dec 2018, 02:50 am

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.

LTAmark · « **Reply #45 on:** 13 Mar 2019, 10:41 pm »

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

KLH007 · « **Reply #46 on:** 13 Mar 2019, 11:07 pm »

Great news Mark on your continuing development of new products! What will we see in Chicago?

LTAmark · « **Reply #47 on:** 14 Mar 2019, 01:38 am »

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..

LTAmark · « **Reply #48 on:** 14 Mar 2019, 01:50 am »

Raiderone · « **Reply #49 on:** 14 Mar 2019, 08:33 am »

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???

LTAmark · « **Reply #50 on:** 14 Mar 2019, 03:14 pm »

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

viggen · « **Reply #51 on:** 25 Mar 2019, 10:34 pm »

Hey Mark. What's the amount of LPS+'s volt-amps (VA)? Thanks.

LTAmark · « **Reply #52 on:** 26 Mar 2019, 01:29 pm »

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

viggen · « **Reply #53 on:** 26 Mar 2019, 04:06 pm »

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.

LTAmark · « **Reply #54 on:** 26 Mar 2019, 05:46 pm »

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

jmolsberg · « **Reply #55 on:** 26 Mar 2019, 10:30 pm »

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.

LTAmark · « **Reply #56 on:** 27 Mar 2019, 12:23 am »

Nice looking system!
Are those Omega speakers?

jmolsberg · « **Reply #57 on:** 27 Mar 2019, 12:32 am »

^ thank you. yes, I love them

LTAmark · « **Reply #58 on:** 27 Mar 2019, 12:44 am »

Yes, Louis of Omega's 3.5 inch drivers are very special...

jmolsberg · « **Reply #59 on:** 27 Mar 2019, 01:20 am »

I agree mark. If you ever want to send over that new integrated, you know for kicks, I'll give it a spin