Have you actually compared the two?
It is great you like it it, whatever you claim it is.
I happen to dislike it and do not suggest it as a fix for poor sounding CDs.
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I was ordering one. But 107 is the Deposit…i soon realized its a grand and 6 months for a tube EQ device. Silly me. I think ill just pick out my pre carefully… be fun to play with though
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Cool. I don’t.
Interesting. I have never heard anyone who had extensive experience with the component take this stance. Vive la difference.
I think a duel at high noon is in order.
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The unit did not go over well with a significant group of us in multiple systems. The hype had me, and others, curious.
It was worth checking out, but disappointing. Again, it is great you love it and it does something for your system you enjoy.
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Yeah sorry, I had a bit more to say. I wanted to correct its being deemed repeatedly a buffer amp, as by definition those do not incorporate gain. And unlike the Spacetech unit it does not have adjustable bands (I’ve used a fine example of those recently and it paled in effectiveness to achieve what I love about this unit) but two fixed curves that can be applied with adjustment with increasing gain incorporated with increasing treble diminishment as adjusting ensues. I honestly think this would help @straightwire and possibly @onehorsepony with his described issue.
It would be wonderful if system details and participant impressions of that demo could be added to the Decware forums as a counterpoint/varied information.
Space tech has a unit that does that, but only for 2 bands in the bass region.
Are you referring to the “Virtual Subwoofer?” Not the same thing at all. Otherwise I see nothing similar in their stable.
How is it not similar? The original Zrock is a bass enhancement unit.
It’s a totally different machine in design and operation. The original ZROCK2 and 3 are not solely bass (or in the case of the Spacetech sub-woofer zone) enhancement units. Take a look at the ZROCK3 page and you can see it shares no real similarity in circuitry. The entire spectrum of the signal is influenced by the Decware component, especially in my system the midrange and lower treble. These components are very different. I’m just certain that they will yield very different results, as certain as I can be without comparing them directly. And I have no intention of doing that–my problems have been solved by the ZROCK2s and I’ve no further budget for experimenting along these lines.
I do not know what you mean by a buffer amp, but a buffer does not mean increased gain.
Along these lines, Decware unfortunately does not spec the outout impedence of the unit.
The unit changes the frequency spectrum, increasing the bass and midrange, or increasing the bass and midrange, and also rolling off the highs depending on the setting. Decreasing 2k to 4k in relation to the bass and midrange sweetens the sound and reduces perceived harshness.
It makes perfect sense some would very much like this sound and that some systems would benefit. The OP might very well be pleased. That is, YMMV
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It’s NOT a buffer amplifier because it is not unity gain, it is a gain stage. It’s that simple, by definition.
I do not think we disagree. It is a gain stage as well as tilt EQ. That is, tonwaage.
As I posted, I do not know what you mean by a buffer amp. A buffer as a piece of audio equipment can be unity gain or include gain from input to output. However, the buffer circuit itself is an “amp.” This may be the source of the confusion.
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That’s how I always thought a buffer was described.
In electronics I have always seen that a buffer amp was defined as not a gain stage, but a unity gain, that’s how wiki describes it. When I have seen a device called a “buffer amp” it does not exceed the incoming gain, if it can and does it is called a “gain stage.” In this case it’s the shifting (and in the 3 version adjustable) gain is what “makes” the component so useful and satisfying for me, and I didn’t want someone to see “buffer amp” and think it did not provide gain.
I’m sorry you did not like it. I can’t wait to get the ZROCK3 I ordered some months ago as it’s further adjustability will be useful for me.
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A buffer amplifies current. It does not amplify voltage.
To make a system sound louder we increase voltage. For example, to listen to the tiny signal of a turntable we amplify the voltage with a preamp and an amp so that it is louder and we can listen to it.
A buffer is a current amplifier. It provides increased “drive”. For example, increasing an audio amplifier’s ability to drive a difficult speaker load. Increasing current does not make a system louder. That is, it is unity gain as to voltage.
It is akin to horsepower and torque for us car people.
A piece of equipment can both be a buffer (current amplifier) and a gain stage (voltage amplifier) - two different things.
The Decware device appears to be both, but interestingly the specs do not include output impedance. Thus we cannot determine whether it is a buffer as well as a gain stage. My educated guess is yes.
As an interesting aside, I suspect I do not like the unit for the same reasons you like it.
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I think it’s funny when someone is against the use of a tube buffer, but they have a tube preamp with a cathode follower.