Massdrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr.

With great control of the entire frequency range and a far bigger sound than its small size suggests, the Massdrop x Eddie Current ZDT Jr. rivals tube amps in the $1,500 category. Endorsed by Craig Uthus of JBL, Moth Audio, and Eddie Current fame, it’s based on the Night Blues Mini from his longtime partner, Laconic Lab, and closest in topology to the Eddie Current Zana Deux Transformer (also known as the ZDT). The ZDT Jr. is warmer than a tube hybrid and clearer than an OTL (output transformerless) design, with all the spaciousness, bass slam, resolution, natural decay, and realistic but non-fatiguing treble folks look for in a tube amp. An ideal pairing for the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX and HD 800, it’s equally suited for planar headphones, thanks to its transformer-coupled high- and low-impedance outputs.

For the ZDT Jr., we sought to capture the magic of an Eddie Current design in a tube amp that everyone could enjoy. This transformer-coupled output design was specifically requested by the audiophile community, who has had difficulty getting 110V versions for North America. Craig endorses the transformers and tubes he thought were best—two NOS Russian 6ZH1P and two 6N24P—and oversaw all cosmetic improvements, including a unique seven-sided volume knob. To make the price more accessible, we removed the larger and more powerful aspects of the Zana Deux line and opted for a smaller, desktop-friendly size. The result is an amp in a class of its own, beating out most others except those kilobuck amps that get exceptionally hot or require very expensive tubes.