September 2018


Best Of 2018 Blue Note Equipment Awards

Linear Tube Audio ZOTL10 MK II Stereo Vacuum Tube Amplifier
Price: $3200
Click here to read the complete review.

  Whenever you listen to a truly great piece of equipment, it shows you its greatness right out of the box according to Enjoy the Music.com reviewer Paul Schumann. This is definitely the case with the ZOTL10. Paul says that he has had many different pieces of gear within his home and never before has one impressed me so much on the first listen. With only 12 Wpc stereo it produced deep tuneful bass. The midrange was smooth with a drastic reduction sibilance. The highs on "bright" recordings were tamed. No matter what I threw at it, it just produced music.

The ZOTL10 avoids smearing the subtle musical cues that you experience in a live performance. I've never had a chance to hear an Ongaku or a 47 Labs Gaincard, but I suspected this amp was taking me in the same territory. Everything just flows like real music. While the ZOTL10 is a push-pull type amp it swings like crazy. Dynamically the ZOTL10 is as free-wheeling as any SET I've heard. I'd become convinced there was only one path to audio enlightenment, but now ZOTL has shown me an alternate path.

How much power do you need? I know some of you saw that 10 watts and thought, "Well, that's not going to work for me." I listened to the ZOTL10 through my 4-ohm Thiel CS1.5s, so the rated power output was 12 Wpc. The Thiels I use are not the most sensitive of speakers at 86dB/W/m, yet it never felt like the ZOTL10 was running out of steam. If you want to rock out to Muse or Foo Fighters, be my guest. You don't need to crank it up to '11' to get that killer bass you crave. This amp gives it to you at lower listening levels than you're used to. As long as you don't plan on pairing them with some hard-to-drive planar speakers, electrostatics, or giant arrays, you should be fine.

As you already guessed by now, I am smitten with the ZOTL10 MkII. Its brings out the best in any music you play through it. Rock, jazz, classical, pop – it doesn't matter. What made it so difficult to review this amp is the reviewer part of my brain would keep shutting off and I would just start listening to the music. I can't think of any better compliment than that!

Click here to read the complete review.

Previous Annual Blue Note Awards

Product of the Year Awards 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001.