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Post by steveinconcord on Nov 4, 2020 7:04:17 GMT -7
I’m a newbie to Z-Talk and I need a low power amp: looking at the Z-Plus and the Maz8. Wanting as much versatility as possible, the pentode-triode switch on the Maz8 seems to give more variation in sound than the half-power switch on the Z-Plus, and I’m tilting to a Maz8 (there are still some brand new ones out there). On the other hand, my PRIMARY concern is the noise floor. In the Doc’s Z-Plus video, he stresses how robust the transformers and filter caps are and how quiet the Z-Plus is. Can I expect the Maz8 to be just as quiet – I’m talking about the white noise/hiss that you hear in the speaker with the volume turned up and nothing plugged in at the input. I’m posting this to both the Maz8 and Z-Plus discussions hoping to get some wisdom from people who have thought about this stuff.
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Post by lowbudget on Nov 4, 2020 7:41:24 GMT -7
I too hate a high noise floor, especially at idle and low volume.
I can happily report that my Maz 8 (factory tubes, never even had the back panel off) is deathly quiet. Just make sure you get a v.2.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Nov 4, 2020 14:08:14 GMT -7
Open up, or even lift a Maz 8 and you'll discover that it is way overbuilt to ensure that low noise and preservation of bass frequencies are the order of the day. The power section has an ungodly amount of filtering, the iron is the same as the Maz 18 (big), and you can tell when playing it that it does not feel like your typical 8 watt, single ended design. That’s because it isn’t! Doc spared no expense on this one. In fact, the low profit margin was a deciding factor when Doc retired the model. Get one if you can.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Nov 4, 2020 16:07:57 GMT -7
I have both the Maz 8 MkII and a Z-Plus. The Maz 8 is a wonderful amp and it's really hard to decide which one I prefer at any time. Let's just say that they're both staying with me.
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Post by Dan F"i"fe on Nov 4, 2020 17:05:09 GMT -7
I have a V1 Maz 8 with the Celestian Blue and also an attenuator, it's quiet and versatile. The triode/pentode switch really makes it 2 different amps plus the footswitch will turn off the eq for a little boost in either mode. As Dave noted above and many others have said it's a keeper.
Welcome to Z-Talk BTW! I hope you enjoy whichever flavor of ZAmps you find, there's a lot of good ones in the arsenal and a lot of great people here as well.
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Post by zpilot on Nov 5, 2020 4:37:35 GMT -7
Love my MAZ 8. It is at least as quiet as any other tube amp I have owned. Triode operation is kind of cool but to be honest, after messing with it for awhile when I first got the amp I now rarely use it. It is kind of like a Fender Champ but, as you might expect, with more headroom and EQ control. I suppose it would be useful for recording but for live work with a band it just does not work for me. That said, in Pentode mode is where it really shines for me. I have not played a Z-Plus but I imagine the 1/2 power switch would make it more versatile. I already had the MAZ 8 and it was working well for me when the Z-Plus came out so I have stuck with it. If I did not already have it and was making a choice which to buy I would probably go with the Z-Plus.
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