Hi Barry, Better options? Not likely at anywhere near the price point but different options, yes of course. If you want to check out something different for the fun of it you could try a one of the switching (digital) amps or maybe a Chip amp or pure Class A SS? What you won't find find is the sound an OTL amp gives you, in that sense you have been spoiled already....much less having a ZH270 and not having to deal with all the limitations of conventional OTL amps!
Peter_s, there are too many variables to consider before determining why the ZH270 you previously owned did not perform satisfactory in your system. Cables, Feedback settings, room, associated equipment, ect..... You get the point :) Sometimes, its just difficult for hobbyists to adjust when they first hear a Berning ZH. Typically this is because they have lived for so long with conventional tube and/or solid state amplifiers both possessing various colorations they are taken back by the clarity and revealing nature of a Berning ZOTL amp. But, for those interested in hearing the soul, emotion and drive of the instruments and musicians contained within the recording, I can think of no better product to tell the story.
In the end though, it boils down to what sounds best to you in your system and suites your own personal tastes.
Cheers,
Chris
