Is the Berning ZH270 revalatory?

Mark.
You have not breached any protocol, this is exactly what the forums were intended for, you used it to find other owners and generate discussion, I actually applaud you Sir.

Allan is right, no protocol has been breached. Enjoy the amp. It's as good as everyone says it is.

I don't post very often since I'm still in "learning mode" compared to many of the folks here and there experience but, I thought I'd toss my $.02 worth. Received my Berning ZH270 last week, which I bought thru Allan. First, let me say that what Allan told me about this amp is definitely true. In fairness I can only compare it to the amp I've been living with, ML#23 since I don't live close to any high-end shops anymore. See my system, General Disarray under the Virtual Systems, Ever Evolving, and some nice pics of the amp.

I made some comments after I replaced the input tubes and switched to medium feedback. This made a tremendous change, just as Allan and other owners have said. An analogy would be like the change after I "chipped" the computer in my turbo Audi. Went from good performance to spooled up scary fast...

The amp has maybe 50 hours on it since I've been listening to it almost non-stop. I have to say the Tandberg 3001 tuner sounds absolutely fabulous compared to the CAL CD player. I don't have my analog rig set up yet so I'm at a disadvantage to what the amp really sounds like but after the tube changes and feedback fiddling it's really great.

If you own a ZH270 this is probably a boring post, you already know this, sorry. If you're shopping for an amp you really need to do yourself a favor and seek out a friend with one. I'm in NY, come on over and test drive it. I’m sure there are better amps made but you’re more than likely going to be spending more than $4500 for it, maybe double or triple and you definitely won’t be buying the technology that’s in this amp. This thing operates more like an FM transmitter. I’ve been around electronics my entire working career, (started out on IBM 370 mainframes) this is as complex and sophisticated piece of hardware as I’ve ever seen. Pretty cool actually, that’s why the first thing I did was take the cover off and takes pictures and post in my system. Since only 24 are made every year you might want to think about getting one while David is still making them. Kind of like Blue Note LP’s, these won’t be made forever….

Hi Fiddler

The mods include selected and matched cryoed 6jn6 output tubes. The input driver tubes should be procured through Andy of Vintage Audio who has the correct electrical characteristics per the manufacturer. ERS "stealth" covers which minimizes the effect of RFI interference and covers the impedance converters and is also added on several locations inside and on the bottom cover of the amp. Upgraded coupling caps which are also cryoed treated.

Saving the best for last or should I say pulling it all together and taking the amp to a greater level of performance than I could believe was possible is the hybrid silver wire for the inputs and power cables inside the amp. I had this mod done almost 3 weeks ago. I heard the improvement immediately but true to his word, Allan told me to wait about 2 weeks to realize the significance of this mod. I must say that I really heard it last night to the degree I expect he was referring to.

To owners of this amp that have had the other mods done, each has brought something different to the performance of the amp. The wire, which should be saved for last is easily the most significant. The sense of ease and greater inner resolution is readily apparent. Instruments and textures are better delineated and much more realistic, closer to the performance. I have never heard such transparency from an audio component. I had the opportunity to listen to this mod in my system through Fourproof's mono amps. I can certainly attest to Vetterone's comments concerning the bass performance of 2 of these amps on the Merlins. It was almost too much. But on material with low bass information, there was a sense of ease and power that one amp couldn't match. I was continually bombarded by puffs of air coming from the ports of the Merlins at 9' away, this at quite moderate listening levels.

Oops, Sorry John, I meant Oneproof.