Zanden Chukoh preamp finally arrived.

[amadeus]

I wouldn't mind comparing the Chukuoh with the K15ex as well. It would match my Jinpu well...but not necessarily my K70mk2 amps.

Wowwww your system must sound fabulous what a system Koda,Guuga,Jinpu,SX8000II....

 

[LL21]

The Chukoh and K15EX are both capable to go whit you to the eternity they are different designs and both true "Master works" i cant prefer or choose my self...

Well...I have to say, if you find both to be "Master works" between which it is difficult to choose...that is all I need to know as a fellow K15EX owner.

To have their reference K15EX be in the pantheon alongside the Chukoh by legendary Yamada San of Zanden (of whom I have been an admirer and of whose work I have been an owner for 12 years) is a remarkable achievement for such a relatively young company as Robert Koda.

 

[plasmod3]

I know what you mean gents. The build quality on these are simply phenomenal and having been to Japan a few times , the attention to detail no matter how small a part is inspirational and phenomenal

 

[gian60]

I will go to live in HK
In Italy maximo you can see one Koda K10,one Zanden 9600 mono old series used and M1 mono in my home and my friend home

 

[LL21]

Hi Gian60,

Please let us know what you think when you have heard the Koda and Zanden references!

 

[gian60]

Koda K 10 i never listen,has one my friend in Roma
Zanden 9600 i listen in Audiograffiti shop but was not a special amp for me,good but nothing special.
Could be the system with pre Spectral and Convergent pre and Lansche speaker i didnt liked a lot

 

[Jazzhead]

Koda K 10 i never listen,has one my friend in Roma
Zanden 9600 i listen in Audiograffiti shop but was not a special amp for me,good but nothing special.
Could be the system with pre Spectral and Convergent pre and Lansche speaker i didnt liked a lot

I am presently running the 9600mk1 with the Koda15ex , they do well together

 

[LL21]

Koda K 10 i never listen,has one my friend in Roma
Zanden 9600 i listen in Audiograffiti shop but was not a special amp for me,good but nothing special.
Could be the system with pre Spectral and Convergent pre and Lansche speaker i didnt liked a lot

I am presently running the 9600mk1 with the Koda15ex , they do well together

Interesting...I could believe the Koda + Zanden could be quite special. That said, I have heard the 9600 Mk2 is something worth upgrading to if you can Jazzhead...apparently a truly superlative upgrade, practically a different amp. Have you heard it? (I have not.)

 

[amadeus]

Back in 2007 when Zanden Audio was completely unknown in Europe only Sound by Singer in US and some Audiophiles in Asia heard the magic of Zanden creations i ordered a full Zanden System The 3000 Preamp,9500 MKIII power amps,2000 CDT and 5000 M5 Sig Dac when all arrived i hooked them on my Rockport Hyperion Speakers that i owned that time this where great speakers some of the best i owned and in my humble opinion still in the top 10 best ever conventional speakers.

From the first hours when i played Music from my completely new full Zanden System the sound was touching and magical even whit standard tubes and whit out burnin later every day the sound became more liquid dynamic fast holographic after 2 weeks approximately i start experimenting whit tubes cables power cords speakers placement and accessories and the progress was every day better and better 4 weeks later the sound was the best ever i heard it was effortless fast dynamic very natural full bodied lots of air low end thats very closed to real attack midrange to die for every album that i played sounded wonderful also less quality recordings and i didn't listened to a particular track on a record anymore that sounded best but almost every album i listened from start to end!

When you listen to your less quality records that where forgotten on a corner (sound wise not performance wise) over and over again and when you start listening on most records from A to Z to every track whit out choosing a special track in my imagination as Audiophile you are there where you found holly grail that everybody is searching for.........

Than unavoidable happened one of the Mono Blocks had a technical damage i contacted mr Yamada he immediately arranged pickup my beloved Zanden 9500 MKIII where shipped back to Japan for reparation a week later i had a phone call whit mr Yamada he mentioned that he was working on a new amps the Zanden 9600 mono s and that those will be more powerful not 60 watt like 9500MKIII but 90 watt and that he had implanted some new unique ideas in the new amps in my believe that the new amps could be an upgrade from the already best amps that i owned the 9500MKIII i changed my order to Zanden 9600 MKI after few weeks i got them they look identical as 9500MKIII and after burnin they played very well but they where far away of the magic of 9500MKIII the sound was still very good but the effortless live sound that i had was gone.

I am definitely sure that Mr Yamada had the best intentions building a amp bettering 9500MIII but to my ears it wasn't this was not the first time that a newer model or a upgrade or a more expensive version is always warranty for better sound. I never got back to Zanden 9500MKIII later i found the lost child whit Robert Koda K70G2 amps but sometimes i see on second hand market a Zanden 9500 MKIII monos i am always wondering if they will sound same as i heard back in 2007.......

 

[amadeus]

Mr Yamada San and his lovely Daughter came to my my former house personally doing last fine tunings on his master creation ChukohPreamp before delivering to me. Wonderful personality love and adoration.

 

[LL21]

Great photos of a true master!

 

[plasmod3]

The Japanese dedication to their craft inspires. Now thats what i call a true experience that ties listener to the equipment emotionally. Love every bit of it

 

[howiebrou]

Mr Yamada San and his lovely Daughter came to my my former house personally doing last fine tunings on his master creation ChukohPreamp before delivering to me. Wonderful personality love and adoration.

Amazing!

 

[gian60]

I remember when Yamamura and Imai were in my home
Japanese are really amazing
Yamamura lived in my home when was doing my system and working under a tree of
My garden and my father brought coffee to him

 

[Marcus]

Mr Yamada San and his lovely Daughter came to my my former house personally doing last fine tunings on his master creation ChukohPreamp before delivering to me.

This is so nice Amadeus! You’re so privileged to have Yamada-san and his daughter at your home. But somehow this dismantling looks more than just fine tuning. Can you tell us what exactly did they do?

 

[amadeus]

This is so nice Amadeus! You’re so privileged to have Yamada-san and his daughter at your home. But somehow this dismantling looks more than just fine tuning. Can you tell us what exactly did they do?

The Delivery of the Chukoh was delayed three times due backorders but more due delivery of exclusive parts that are used in this cost no object creations when almost was ready except two parts where not delivered to Mr Yamada was thoughtful and polite and decide not to delay delivery one more time and ship the Chukoh and link the shipping to a personal visit to Netherlands whit his daughter he brought last parts him self and installed on location but also did fine tuning and listened together whit me to my system intensively.

 

[rdiiorio]

Hi Marcus yes the Chukoh is cooked and it let me make my Tong smelt every single time i listen to heavenly Music... I have changed the 300B Tubes from Takatsuki 300B after Burn inn to Western Electric 300B and there is no way to go back Western Electric is so much more Harmonic and delightful!
THe Zanden Chukoh in my opinion is not just one of the Best preamps but probably on his own at a lonely height its a piece of art a collectors item and very (almost impossible) difficult to approach the level and refinement its more open it has more harmonic richness it is faster it has more resolution and it is the absolute benchmark of being Neutral what means almost absolute Naturally.

Robert Koda K10G2 is in my opinion best ever preamp in the price level and far above. The Zanden Chukoh is almost 5 times more expensive and maybe 20% better which is a very very difficult task to achieve for a designer...

"amadeus-and it is the absolute benchmark of being Neutral what means almost absolute Naturally."
how did you come to that conclusion. Also we are assuming every other part of your system is totally neutral