Many moons ago the Mighty Zen Mod and a few of the
Burning Amp crowd came up the coast to visit me at
Sea Ranch. While most of us were partying upstairs
ZM took over my workshop and spent most of the day
hacking away at a secret project. This effort resulted
in Planky, a discrete based preamp assembled on
plates of mdf butt glued together.
A very unique aspect of this design is the volume control
of relays and a tapped inductor. See the pictures....
Burning Amp crowd came up the coast to visit me at
Sea Ranch. While most of us were partying upstairs
ZM took over my workshop and spent most of the day
hacking away at a secret project. This effort resulted
in Planky, a discrete based preamp assembled on
plates of mdf butt glued together.
A very unique aspect of this design is the volume control
of relays and a tapped inductor. See the pictures....
Attachments
More recently his friend Vladimir was visiting California
and brought me ZM's later, more polished effort, with such
wife pleasing features as a chassis, remote control (and
personalized display greeting) which stars in the main
system upstairs, driving a pair of Beasts (of a thousand
Jfets) and SR-1 speakers.
First and foremost, it's a great sounding preamp. Excellent
tonal balance, imaging and transparency. When I began to play
some vinyl, I suddenly was able to hear something new, a flaw that
turned out to be the anti-skating, re-adjusted by the cleaning lady,
bless her heart 🙂
After that I spent many hours enjoying this piece, I would say the
culmination of ZM's journey into magnetism.
And lots of gain, more than my other preamps, and the ability to
drive the input capacitance of the Beasts and other follower
amplifiers without the need for additional front end gain circuits.
It has a permanent place in my system.
Here's the porn and glory, showing the preamp along with the front
panel display and also these new smaller versions of the 1K Beast.
and brought me ZM's later, more polished effort, with such
wife pleasing features as a chassis, remote control (and
personalized display greeting) which stars in the main
system upstairs, driving a pair of Beasts (of a thousand
Jfets) and SR-1 speakers.
First and foremost, it's a great sounding preamp. Excellent
tonal balance, imaging and transparency. When I began to play
some vinyl, I suddenly was able to hear something new, a flaw that
turned out to be the anti-skating, re-adjusted by the cleaning lady,
bless her heart 🙂
After that I spent many hours enjoying this piece, I would say the
culmination of ZM's journey into magnetism.
And lots of gain, more than my other preamps, and the ability to
drive the input capacitance of the Beasts and other follower
amplifiers without the need for additional front end gain circuits.
It has a permanent place in my system.
Here's the porn and glory, showing the preamp along with the front
panel display and also these new smaller versions of the 1K Beast.
Attachments
I had that idea but with 100 bc557,sLastly, here's a shot of one channel of the smaller version of the Beast with a Thousand Jfets...
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After that
Tnx Pa
When I asked for few pics, I didn't wanted them in public.......
Anyhow, what's most important is that Jill is happy.
Slap, but relly pleasent one 😛😀When I asked for few pics, I didn't wanted them in public.......
I have the same preamp as NP, yeeee 🕺🕺🕺
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Papa flattery = big green on ZM’s shy face 😎
I can’t wait to finish my Iron Pumpkin project so I can say I use the same preamp as NP LOL
Hmmm….did ZM post idea for greedy boy version of Beastie JFET amps?
I can’t wait to finish my Iron Pumpkin project so I can say I use the same preamp as NP LOL
Hmmm….did ZM post idea for greedy boy version of Beastie JFET amps?
Papa flattery
Naah..... Papa deserves 1000 Iron Pumpkins for all things I was gifted/got/stole from him ........... but my Kung is not enough Fu for that
as always
Papa's
Kung
is
funniest
Fu
Thousands of ppl all over the world are now dressing in ZM-costumes. It’s a global movement.
Now all want fancy kit and fancy BOM!Tnx Pa
When I asked for few pics, I didn't wanted them in public.......
Anyhow, what's most important is that Jill is happy.
View attachment 1419780
Indeed. That kind of display 'papa's pleasure' cheesy-ness should remain private!Tnx Pa
When I asked for few pics, I didn't wanted them in public.......

I'm big fan of one of the Greats - Rutger Hauer; he was not just an example of really talented and charismatic actor, but also example of hard working Man
Completely logical that this movie is always in back of my (ZM's Omnipreciousssss) mind - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070842/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_turkish%20delight
besides, always glad to remember one of best scenes in entire moving pictures history .........
as far is anyone able to lurk in someone's public persona, that scene is epitome of his soul
(recommended literature: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/849068.All_Those_Moments )
Completely logical that this movie is always in back of my (ZM's Omnipreciousssss) mind - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070842/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_turkish%20delight
besides, always glad to remember one of best scenes in entire moving pictures history .........
as far is anyone able to lurk in someone's public persona, that scene is epitome of his soul
(recommended literature: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/849068.All_Those_Moments )
How much better is it compared to an regular volume knob?Lastly, here's a shot of one channel of the smaller version of the Beast with a Thousand Jfets...
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