Lon
Seasoned Member
"Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick
Posts: 24285
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I'm going to start with the cons. And really there's just one: expense. It's not a cheap component, especially with the stepped attenuator and I always have preferred that in other Decware models. And . . . it's a very transparent component, window scrubbed clean. . .which in practice has meant for me that I can hear the differences in cabling before and after clearly, and I had to spend a few too many dollars to get an XLR that works really well with the single-ended cable I use to the amp. I tried three different ones (and thanks to bottlehead for lending me a VooDoo Cable XLR) and I like what I have settled on (Take Five Audio cryo'd ones) but they cost nearly as much as the ZBIT (the cabling coming out of the ZBIT cost even more, list). I even find that the ZBIT reacts favorably to isolation components, and luckily I have four different possible ones on hand to try and have found a really nice setup. In short, there's a lot of money added here, I bet my total cost to do this was as much as your Oppo, or more.
So as for level usage. . . I didn't do TOO much experimenting. The main reason that I went for this and the main benefit it provides for me is to give me just a bit more "oomph" from my DirectStream DAC. I got used to the higher output of it's predecessor, the PS Audio PerfectWave DAC. It had what subjectively seemed about a third or a bit more output. One of the sources that I run into the DirectStream, my DVR, at it's best sounding setting (Normal) was just a bit anemic via the DirectStream before the ZBIT. It was perfect for me, but my wife usually wanted it louder. . and it ran out of juice for her for many of her channels and moods. The ZBIT gives this lowest output plenty of headroom. So it fixed that problem for me without adding the heavy compression that putting the DVR in the Narrow mode does. My system is both audio and visual, and the TV gets a lot of use, so this was something I am happy to have fixed. So after some experimentation I can use the ZBIT in two different ways. I can use the DirectStream volume control to control the different volumes for the three sources it is fed (Perfectwave Transport --soon to be DirectStream Memory Player-- DVR and unversal player for Blu-ray and DVD sound). In that instance if I leave the ZBIT in the upper quarter of its range (clicks 15 to 20 or so) the system can be silly loud and I can regulate via the remote to the right volume for each source. But to be honest I like to get up and fiddle with things so what I generally do is control the volume with the ZBIT. So for Redbook the ZBIT is generally at about 12 to 14 clicks (depending on the loudness of the cd) and for DVR and universal player about 14 to 17 clicks. I think the difference is subtle, but I find a tiny bit better dynamics and clarity with the DirectStream and the Torii at max volume, and "riding the gain" with the ZBIT. It may just be my imagination though. Leaving the ZBIT wide open and controlling the volume on either other end or both is great sound too and when I do it this way I'm perfectly content with the minor differences I hear.
Hope that helps. I would not have gone this route if it weren't for the inclusion of the DVR in my system. It sounded kick-ass to me with the DirectStream straight in to the amp. It sounds different now, there is a more full-bodied sound and I've gotten used to it in comparison to the slightly more delicate and slightly more open-seeming sound without the ZBIT. But having the DVR be loud and dynamic and making Lucy happy is worth it for me. . . though I wish it weren't as high a cost as it turned out to be.
So to put it in "percentages" I'm using the ZBIT mostly betwen 60 and 90 percent and am adjusting it according to sources (and music, though that is more according to the loudness of the disc I think when using the Transport, or the loudness of the channel output from the DVR, it's wild how some are louder than others). And to address one last queston the only downside to having this one more component and cabling in the system is that it is so passive and transparent that you need to be very selective with cabling. At least you don't need to choose a power cord!
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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