Steve Deckert
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I'm pleased to see so much positive feedback on the ZROCK2. Sales are strong on it, and I'm getting to that comfort zone now with all the feedback and a year of use in my own universe that if I were going to spend money promoting one of our products, this would be it.
For myself, I have used it with several DACs, Streamers, my vinyl rig, and my tape rigs. I have only used the bypass twice. I find that at least over here it imparts a midrange presence with all the correct underpinnings, that I can't live without it. Adjusted just past half way on the brighter EQ, it simply makes everything sound better, regardless of equipment, or speakers. This was my fantasy goal... that magic black box that you simply can't live without. Didn't know it was going to go here, would have been perfectly satisfied if it just made streaming internet radio enjoyable which is what originally motivated it.
I find it interesting when comparing it to the ZSTAGE, it's closest relative, that the ZSTAGE transparently adds slam and presence, but the ZROCK2 adds ear candy tonality and tangible musicality that once you've had it, your pretty much unable to do without it.
Makes me realize that I could have built this into our amps and cheated my ass off, but I'm too much of a purist for that, plus I like a fair fight.
I think about the guy who buys overpriced isolation feet, or the guy who way overspends on cables hoping for a big change, and I want to tell him, yea it will make a big change for the better no doubt, but for the same money or less we could transform your stereo from mediocre to superior with just a flip of switch. I mean after all, why buy a high performance sports car and run cheap gas in it? Same thing.
Another interesting observation is that the ZROCK2 is proof that the source equipment and or recording is always the weakest link, meaning most have never heard how good their stereo can be, only glimpses from time to time. This seems to be a way to "make it happen" nearly 95% of the time instead of waiting for it to happen 15% of the time.
Enough rambling, time to listen. Last night it made a grand piano sound far more real than I've ever heard one recorded and much more like I remember my own grand piano sounding like in years past.
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