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General
Switching the LPS+ Linear Power Supply to work with 110V or 220V electricity is a simple process.
Look where the AC cord plugs in. You can see the voltage it is set to thru the window.
Carefully pry the little door open from above the red window.
Carefully pry the red fuse block out of the hole.
Turn red fuse block over and reinsert.
Close the door and it should say the proper voltage in the little red window.
You're done.
Here are photos to help you.
Yes.
Many of our customers describe the bass as “thunderous.” Steve Guttenberg of CNET described the bass of the Z10 Integrated this way:
Bass depth and definition were well-ordered... There's no muddiness down there of the sort I get from a lot of tube amps.
From a technical perspective, ZOTL amps have a linear frequency response below 10hz +/- 0.5dB.
To put that number into perspective, the lowest most full-range speakers go to is about 20hz, with most being closer to 28-32hz. Even REL, arguably the world’s top subwoofer manufacturer, their flagship subwoofer goes down to 14hz.
So, whatever is in the music, our amps will be able to deliver.
Considered to be one of the world’s foremost amplifier designers, David Berning is among the elite in his field. A formally trained physicist, David’s unique perspective has invaluably colored every solution he’s designed for classic audio problems.
After 20 years of designing and manufacturing tube amplifiers, David Berning turned the technology on its ear when he invented ZOTL (Zero hysteresis Output Transformer-Less) architecture in 1996. So radically different from anything around at the time, ZOTL was and still is considered the most significant improvement to tube amplifier technology since the 1960s.
Even out of production, Berning’s ZOTL amplifiers regularly collect accolades from the world’s top audio reviewers and publications. His ZH-230 amplifier has received Absolute Sound Magazine’s "Editor’s Choice Award" every year since 2011. His Quadrature Z amplifier won HiFi+ magazine’s "Product of the Year" award in 2009. His 211/845 ZOTL amplifier was introduced by Hi Fi One at the 2014 Munich High End Audio Show. Timeless examples of Berning’s audio genius, the ZH-270 and EA-2101 are still highly sought after by audiophiles everywhere.
David Berning plays an integral role in the development of LTA’s offerings. Currently these include LTA's reconfiguration of his original microZOTL personal headphone amp, the ZOTL10, a mid-to-high efficiency power amp, and the ZOTL40, David's latest ZOTL amplifier designed for LTA, which is in essence the successor to his own, much lauded, ZH-230.
Here’s what others in the industry have said about David Berning:
I have admired David Berning since the 1970s, when I enjoyed his EA230 tube amplifier. The EA230 was a sonically well-balanced variation on the classic Williamson circuit (a push-pull amplifier, made with carefully designed output transformers and using global negative feedback), which sounded especially good with electrostatic speakers.
Rick Becker in Enjoy the Music:
Those of us who get out into the world have probably met people whom captivated us with their accomplishment or their persona. David Berning is such a person for me. His reputation preceded my encounter with any of his amplifiers by an uncertain number of years. But I'll never forget the first encounter with the ZH270.
If there ever was a genius in home audio it would be David Berning.
The short answer is: sometimes, but not often.
The slightly longer answer is that we have an extremely low return rate for our products. Any demo units are usually brought back to the shop and used for testing or continued use in our on-site reference system or at future audio shows, events, etc.
You’re welcome to check out B-Stock page to see about what might be available.
In order to keep the cost of our amps as low as possible for our customers, we do not sell our amps through dealers or resellers. We only sell direct to our customers.
While LTA is a factory-direct manufacturer, but there are a few places you can visit to demo our products. See our Demo Locations to find one near you.
We also have a 30-day trial policy that allows you to audition any of our products in your home.
After purchasing an amplifier, you have 30 days after you've received it to return an amp for any reason and receive a refund, assuming the unit is returned in the same condition we sent it. Details here.
This allows you to listen to any of our amps in the familiar confines of your home, with the other components you are familiar with. This is a much better way to evaluate any new component than in an unfamiliar showroom with unfamiliar components.
Short answer: No.
Longer answer:
After an LTA amp is built, it is tested extensively and burned in. One of our amps, the ZOTL40 Reference, gets burned in for 168 hours, a full seven days–before it’s shipped out. The minimum burn in time for our amps is 48 hours.
Could we ship our amps out sooner without burning them in?
Sure, but then our customers would have to do this part of the process, and that just doesn’t seem right. We don’t make our customers do any other part of the build and testing process. Why make them burn the amps in?
Plus, we want our amps to arrive sounding their absolute best from day one, and we know from experience that our customers want this as well.
Getting a new product, especially a new amp for your sound system, is a momentous and exciting occasion. We don’t want to diminish that experience by shipping an amp that isn’t 100% ready for optimal enjoyment from the day it arrives.
Most orders will be fulfilled within 2-3 weeks after placing the order. That said, sometimes orders can take longer, and we will do our best to keep you informed along the way.
In the age of Amazon and same-day shipping, we realize that waiting multiple weeks to receive something can seem like a long time. Here are a few things to keep in mind about our amps.
All Linear Tube Audio amplifiers are built to order and made by hand. Our “simplest” product takes a technician two full days to build.
After an amp is built, it is tested extensively and burned in. One of our amps, the ZOTL40 Reference, gets burned in for 168 hours–a full week. The minimum burn in time for one of our amps is 48 hours.
Could we ship our amps out sooner without burning them in?
Sure, but then our customers would have to do this part of the process, and that just doesn’t seem right. We don’t make our customers do any other part of the build and testing process. Why make them burn the amps in?
Plus, we want our amps to arrive sounding their best from day one, and we know from experience that our customers want this as well.
Getting a new product, especially a new amp for your sound system, is a momentous occasion. We don’t want to diminish that experience by shipping an amp that isn’t 100% ready for optimal enjoyment when it arrives.
Other factors that can affect delivery time include order volume, component & tube availability, and shipping location.
Linear Tube Audio uses a standard Apple remote (silver aluminum model) to control volume and other amplifier functions. Your remote should be paired to your unit when it arrives.
If you need to re-connect the remote, or you’d like to pair a different remote to your LTA unit, follow these steps:
Turn the LTA unit on.
Point the remote control at the unit at a close distance, 3-5 feet is fine, ensuring nothing is in between the remote and the unit.
Press and hold the Play/Pause button on the remote for 20-30 seconds.
“Remote Programmed” will scroll across the LED display on your unit when pairing is complete.
All Linear Tube Audio amplifiers are built to order and made by hand. Our “simplest” product takes a technician two full days to build. After an amp is built, it is tested extensively and burned in.
We burn tubes and caps in separately before they go into an amp for at least 168 hours. Once the amp is completed, it is further burned in, with music continually playing, for a minimum of 72 hours.
Could we ship our amps out sooner without burning them in?
Sure, but then our customers would have to do this part of the process, and that just doesn’t seem right. We don’t make our customers do any other part of the build and testing process. Why make them burn the amps in?
Plus, we want our amps to arrive sounding their absolute best from day one, and we know from experience that our customers want this as well.
Getting a new product, especially a new amp for your sound system, is a momentous and exciting occasion. We don’t want to diminish that experience by shipping an amp that isn’t 100% ready for optimal enjoyment from the day it arrives.
Cable selection is one of the more personal, and sometimes controversial, aspects of building a high quality sound system.
We’re not here to add to the debate, so we’ll try to keep to just the facts.
We use cables and components from both Cardas Cables and Kimber Kable inside of our amps. Both companies make high-quality consumer cables as well.
In our listening room, we use a variety of cables from AntiCables and Morrow Audio.
Finally, we manufacture and sell RCA interconnects in conjunction with Audioism.
We hope this provides you with a variety of resources to help you choose the right cable for your preferences, budget, etc.
We love to hear from our customers or soon-to-be customers. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions about our products or anything audio-related.
Phone (9am - 5pm eastern time): 301-448-1534
Email: hifi@lineartubeaudio.com
Website: Contact Form
If you’re near the Washington, DC area, we invite you to pay us a visit at our workshop. We schedule visits via appointment on the weekend.
