Experience with Musical Fidelity X10V3 Tube Buffer


I'm condisering a tubed buffer output to my Onix 88 CDP. Was considering a Decware ZBox but have been reading about the Musical Fidelity X10V3. Has anyone had experiences with the X10V3 or the ZBox for that matter. Problems with devices? Improved CDP performance? Too much tube? My pre amp is a CJ PV12L. Thanks, Dave
italian
I don't know whether your preamp is tube or not..sounds like it is. If so, I don't see any reason for the tube buffer. I have never heard one, but I was tempted to by its predecessor until I scored a line level Cary preamp here on audiogon (a very early model, but, still, Cary) for a price about the same as the buffer. Whatever the buffer does, a tube preamp does imho. Save up your money for something else!
I have the X10v3 (with power supply which really improves the already v. good performance of the basic unit) but have not tried the Decware ZB. The X10v3 really is capable of transforming mid to lower priced CD players into giant killers. Apart from that, it does add a tube flavour to the sound (basically, adds some bloom into the sound; very pleasant but some purists may say its not accurate). I do not know the CJ pre-amp so cannot comment as to whether this will add up to too much tube.
Hope this helps.
i have rotel rcd-1072 + X10-V3. The sound is warm and kind of laid back. If you prefer details, then i guess x10-v3 won't do. I used to have rotel pre-amp/amp and IMO, rotel amp is forward and a little bright. So X10-V3 helps a lot. Now i have Plinius 9200 and i take X10-V3 out of the system.