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Zen TABOO Review
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Re: Zen Taboo Amplifier Beta Test
Circle « Reply #105 on: 03/15/05 at 4:00pm
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I really enjoyed listening to the Taboo amp with my
Radial 1.5s. As Scott described, we first listened to his CS-EX. He had not
heard the Radials before so there was some time when we both were acclimating to
each other’s equipment. Anyway, after about an hour we switched to the Taboo. It
defiantly needed Scott's Bottlehead Foreplay pre-amp to have enough power to
play my 2mv CDP at reasonable levels. Without the pre, we needed to turn the
Taboo volume to about 3 o’clock to reach a listenable level and it sounded like
the Taboo was straining. But, with the Foreplay pre, we generally listened
between 10 and 12 o’clock with the ease at which the Taboo sounded best. (The EX
drove the CDP just fine.) The Taboo was very smooth, went deep, and
presented the highs with a clarity and sparkle I hadn't previously heard on the
Radials. Of course, the imaging, focus, and soundstage were very detailed and
accurate; bring out the best features of the Radials. One thing I
noticed was that there was a noticeable heaviness in the lower male vocal range,
which seamed to smear the vocal accuracy. Also, there was a distinct distance to
many recordings I previously had enjoyed as having a more up front or closer
presentation. Well, with a change from the Mapleshade speaker wires to some
traditional 10-gauge speaker wire both problems cleared. This is not to
discredit the Mapleshade speaker cables. For me, I just don't think they were as
compatible with the Taboo and/or the Radials. This will take more investigation
by others. I also want to acknowledge Scott's generosity in sharing the
Taboo experience with me. Thanks. Gary
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