[XVampireX]

And Can I rest easy knowing that no tubes were used from the country that should not be named or funded ever?

Cause this amp, while aesthetically not the most pleasing, but built with ZMF in mind (Caldera that I like and have) and apparently very good on Immanis which I ordered, has good potential of coming to my ultimate goal of Solid State (Bliss atm) and Tube amp (mostly for music listening and rolling every now and then) plan

 

[Monsterzero]

I am most definitely one of those people, and I personally think it's one of the the best looking tube amps ever made.

It's retro and classy at the same time, and does look way better in person as well. . .

Agreed. I love the vintage vibe of the ZMF Aegis.

 

[zach915m]

OKOK all updated to the correct specs.

SPECS:

Output Impedance Range: 1/4" Out: Low: 5ohms, Med: 11ohms, High: 31ohms. XLR Out: Low: 11ohms Med: 28ohms High: 85ohms
Power: Average of 2 Watts, 1/4" and XLR 1W to 2.5W, calculated based on headphones from 8 to 300 ohms.

 

[zach915m]

And Can I rest easy knowing that no tubes were used from the country that should not be named or funded ever?

Cause this amp, while aesthetically not the most pleasing

Some of the early versions have come with Sovtek tubes, but I believe JJ might be swapped in for a complete set of JJ tubes. But it could come with either, and you can definitely use whatever tubes you'd like after getting the amp!

And heyheyhey, let's be nice. Aesthetics are subjective.

 

[Deleeh]

My review of the ZMF Aegis is up:

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zmf-aegis-tube-headphone-amplifier.27206/reviews#review-33771

Nice review and congratulations on Zmf giving you the opportunity.
I wish Zmf could also offer EU people this opportunity to test it.
Also interesting that you and good that you brought the HP8 on board, it definitely deserves more love when it comes to the Zmf headphones.
I've been following the thread there for a while.

 

[zach915m]

Nice review and congratulations on Zmf giving you the opportunity.
I wish Zmf could also offer EU people this opportunity to test it.
Also interesting that you and good that you brought the HP8 on board, it definitely deserves more love when it comes to the Zmf headphones.
I've been following the thread there for a while.

Any of our EU dealers can purchase the amp now, the hope is that our dealer network in the EU will want to carry the amp. So definitely get in their ear about it!

 

[Deleeh]

Certainly my suggestion was more in the direction that this could look even better, or rather to give the stimulus that Zmf at some point brings out a kind of Ltd or summer edition as with the headphones.
As you can see, the Hommage does the same.
Certainly there is more effort behind it, but I think this homage is good.
Of course, you can't always please everyone.
Especially what I don't like, others like all the more or vice versa.
That's all okay.
Ultimately, the look is okay for the upcoming release.
I'm happy for Keenan and also for Zmf that they have something for the portfolio again.
You can't thank both of them enough that something has been created from scratch and is now accessible to everyone.
I found the look of the Airmid captivating and when I talked to Keenan, which was a long time ago.
I missed the chance to get one.
In the end, it was part of the community that drove Keenan to have something like this today.
You have to thank them for that too, and I'm very happy for Keenan that he made it and kept it up.
In the end, the look doesn't really matter, it's part of the work that I respect.
Time will tell if there will be some kind of Ltd or not.

 

[XVampireX]

Some of the early versions have come with Sovtek tubes, but I believe JJ might be swapped in for a complete set of JJ tubes. But it could come with either, and you can definitely use whatever tubes you'd like after getting the amp!

And heyheyhey, let's be nice. Aesthetics are subjective.

Doesn't tell me much besides Sovtek has a part in the name that says soviet.
I just don't want to support that country that exists in our timeline for now, even if the tubes cost 1 cent and they are the best tubes ever (obviously they aren't and are a bit more expensive).

But Aegis is definitely high on my list now either way, I like high price to performance/quality ratios

 

[Deleeh]

Any of our EU dealers can purchase the amp now, the hope is that our dealer network in the EU will want to carry the amp. So definitely get in their ear about it!

Yes, that's always a bit difficult.
The question is whether Thomas wants to buy and sell in Germany at all.
The other is that he is not always completely reliable in Zmf matters, unfortunately.
When it comes to warranty, it's always a bit difficult, because the direct route to Zmf is always better than the dealer, especially if you buy directly from them.
If we want to hear it just to test it, the dealers will probably reject it, and not only in Germany.
Since the policy is more like this, if you buy it, you keep it.
Not that the Aegis is bad, I don't think so.
If I had the money for it I would buy directly from you, it's easier for me and generally easier to get in touch than having to wait for a response from the dealer.

I was actually aiming more at the fact that it would be nice to make the Aegis or something else that is still to come available for testing as an EU tour for a few selected headfi eers here.
Since all of us here in Europe don't have as easy access to the Zmf as in the US.
Or rather, it's always a bit difficult for us to get good stuff in the end because of the additional customs clearance.
Those who buy is because they are sure or have heard Zmf headphones somewhere.
The Zmf following in Europe is just as big as in the US I reckon.
It would be nice if the EU supporters could also get a chance to put their thoughts where they are interested.

 

[zach915m]

Yes, that's always a bit difficult.
The question is whether Thomas wants to buy and sell in Germany at all.
The other is that he is not always completely reliable in Zmf matters, unfortunately.
When it comes to warranty, it's always a bit difficult, because the direct route to Zmf is always better than the dealer, especially if you buy directly from them.
If we want to hear it just to test it, the dealers will probably reject it, and not only in Germany.
Since the policy is more like this, if you buy it, you keep it.
Not that the Aegis is bad, I don't think so.
If I had the money for it I would buy directly from you, it's easier for me and generally easier to get in touch than having to wait for a response from the dealer.

I was actually aiming more at the fact that it would be nice to make the Aegis or something else that is still to come available for testing as an EU tour for a few selected headfi eers here.
Since all of us here in Europe don't have as easy access to the Zmf as in the US.
Or rather, it's always a bit difficult for us to get good stuff in the end because of the additional customs clearance.
Those who buy is because they are sure or have heard Zmf headphones somewhere.
The Zmf following in Europe is just as big as in the US I reckon.
It would be nice if the EU supporters could also get a chance to put their thoughts where they are interested.

The good news is that we will have some stock that will ship directly from Cayin to our EU customers as well. So no need to absolutely utilize the dealer. You can buy from us too.

 

[Marutks]

Speaking of DIY Aegis. Isn't it better because it has Lundahl transformers and "audiophile" Jupiter capacitors?
I think transformers should have substantial impact on the sound.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Speaking of DIY Aegis. Isn't it better because it has Lundahl transformers and "audiophile" Jupiter capacitors?
I think transformers should have substantial impact on the sound.

They were available side-by-side at CanJam NYC, ZMF Aegis running stock tubes, DIY using NOS tubes. General feeling was there was not a substantial difference in sound. The overarching topology is going to have a larger effect on the sound compared to individual components. DIY of course has the option of customizability by the builder, while the ZMF version has some built-in quality-of-life features and more rectifier compatibility.

 

[AnyDave]

Speaking of DIY Aegis. Isn't it better because it has Lundahl transformers and "audiophile" Jupiter capacitors?
I think transformers should have substantial impact on the sound.

Transformers make a significant difference in the sound of a tube amp and the Lundahl transformers are top notch. Luckily, Cayin did a good job with making custom transformers and it's very difficult to tell the difference between the two. ZMF brought both to CanJam and the general impressions agreed with that.

As far as the Jupiter caps, I think @L0rdGwyn recently stopped recommending them because there were too many quality issues, but he may correct me on that.

I built a DIY version and I've got a pre-production ZMF Aegis and they are both great. I tend to use the ZMF Aegis more because I like the middle impedance option as well as the different connectors, but I could happily live with either.

 

[Toonartist]

Was it all Jupiter caps or just the 400v ones. The BOM lists the 600v version instead.

That said, my first build ran the 400v without any issues for the last year… I fitted the 600v in my latest build though… just in case

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Was it all Jupiter caps or just the 400v ones. The BOM lists the 600v version instead.

That said, my first build ran the 400v without any issues for the last year… I fitted the 600v in my latest build though… just in case

Yeah I recommend using the 600V ones, not sure why the 400V were failing, maybe they were liberally rated. So 600V to be on the safe side. Alternative option in the BOM are V-Cap ODAM.