This week I was fortunate enough to snag some time with Justin of ampsandsound to demo a few amazing tube amps. I had already reached out to Justin via e-mail to get his thoughts and advice when choosing a tube amp. Several friends recommended the Mogwai for my wants/budget--an end game amp that will power anything I throw at it in the future plus the flexibility of being able to power speakers if I'd like to get into that hobby (my wife surely hopes I don't). My main cans are HD800S which I've been told pair perfectly with this amp. I can now personally verify that claim, they are a perfect match.
From the beginning, Justin offered a ton of information and even took the time one evening to call and give me a wide perspective of what his amps can offer. He used a bunch of references to headphones I was familiar with including the HD800S, LCD-X, Susvara, etc as a starting point and went deep into what kind of sound I could expect from each device. Finally, he offered me a brief in-person demo since I lived nearby. When I arrived, I had already decided not to make the purchase that evening no matter what. By the end of the listening session, I couldn't let myself leave without this beautiful amp.
Let me start by saying this is my first, and could easily be my last tube amp. Many of you may notice it's not the typical Mogwai color, that's because this unit was meant to be Justin's personal Mogwai. A color he calls "Murder Black." I will admit that the color made the purchase all the more compelling as I adore the black stain so much more than walnut. That being said, I do think the walnut finish on ampsandsound's amps are beautiful and high quality, I saw a few samples there as well.
In my audition, I focused primarily on EDM, Dubstep, & Metal music and found that my expectations were pleasantly met after spending so much time researching tube amps. I tried my first tube amp back at CanJam 2023, a Feliks Euforia Evo, and knew that a tube amp would be my next purchase. I very specifically felt drawn to ampsandsound because 1. the amps are made and serviced here in Southern California so I'll never have to worry about sending it somewhere far away and 2. the power range means I'll never want a different amp... but more on that thought later.
Paired with a Yggdrasil OG, the sound of the Mogwai is warm, lush, with a slight overemphasis on mids that tames a bit of the HD800S brightness. The bass gets an added boost, but nothing dramatic. If you are unhappy with the HD800S bass now, you might not find that a tube amp "fixes" that. I'm personally fine with this, the added character and depth puts it in what I consider the "goldilocks zone" for these cans. The Mogwai also added a fair bit of color and depth to the LCD-X I tried next. The LCD-5... is not my favorite sound but holy cow the bass is thick in addition to already having such a long extension down into 50hz and below. Compared to the Kenzie, I found the Mogwai warmer and the Kenzie more neutral. I didn't dislike the Kenzie but I had an immediate gut feeling that I preferred the Mogwai. I think if your budget only allows for a Kenzie and you want a tube amp, you'd be very happy with it, but if you can stretch for the Mogwai... it's my end game and I'm so very happy with the purchase.
"But what about the Nautilus you mentioned in the title?"
Ah yes, Justin gave me the chance to audition that also. A decision I came to regret. As Justin put it, "it will brain f*ck you," and that it did. The sound is so colorful, the space is so big, and the slam and punch are turned up! The best metaphor I can think of is that it made the HD800S sound like a Focal in terms of dynamics. The Mogwai was the budget I planned for and ultimately delivers on every want I have of a tube amp. I am 100% happy with my purchase and I have zero intention of spending Nautilus money on an amp anytime soon. But never say never...
One thing Justin delivered on was a personalized experience and a lot of hand holding that makes new tube amp owners such as myself feel like they have a guide. He gave me a rundown on tube options, DACs to consider, etc, but always kept expectations realistic. This isn't going to be the kind of step up going from cheap airplane IEMs to U12t's, it's the kind of step up of going from a $1000 coffee grinder to a $3000 coffee grinder. Unless you know what you're getting, you won't appreciate the differences. That being said, I appreciate the differences and, if you're reading this, you probably will too.
I'll update this thread as I spend more time with the amp but for now I highly recommend the ampsandsound Mogwai to all tube amp fans.
From the beginning, Justin offered a ton of information and even took the time one evening to call and give me a wide perspective of what his amps can offer. He used a bunch of references to headphones I was familiar with including the HD800S, LCD-X, Susvara, etc as a starting point and went deep into what kind of sound I could expect from each device. Finally, he offered me a brief in-person demo since I lived nearby. When I arrived, I had already decided not to make the purchase that evening no matter what. By the end of the listening session, I couldn't let myself leave without this beautiful amp.
Let me start by saying this is my first, and could easily be my last tube amp. Many of you may notice it's not the typical Mogwai color, that's because this unit was meant to be Justin's personal Mogwai. A color he calls "Murder Black." I will admit that the color made the purchase all the more compelling as I adore the black stain so much more than walnut. That being said, I do think the walnut finish on ampsandsound's amps are beautiful and high quality, I saw a few samples there as well.
In my audition, I focused primarily on EDM, Dubstep, & Metal music and found that my expectations were pleasantly met after spending so much time researching tube amps. I tried my first tube amp back at CanJam 2023, a Feliks Euforia Evo, and knew that a tube amp would be my next purchase. I very specifically felt drawn to ampsandsound because 1. the amps are made and serviced here in Southern California so I'll never have to worry about sending it somewhere far away and 2. the power range means I'll never want a different amp... but more on that thought later.
Paired with a Yggdrasil OG, the sound of the Mogwai is warm, lush, with a slight overemphasis on mids that tames a bit of the HD800S brightness. The bass gets an added boost, but nothing dramatic. If you are unhappy with the HD800S bass now, you might not find that a tube amp "fixes" that. I'm personally fine with this, the added character and depth puts it in what I consider the "goldilocks zone" for these cans. The Mogwai also added a fair bit of color and depth to the LCD-X I tried next. The LCD-5... is not my favorite sound but holy cow the bass is thick in addition to already having such a long extension down into 50hz and below. Compared to the Kenzie, I found the Mogwai warmer and the Kenzie more neutral. I didn't dislike the Kenzie but I had an immediate gut feeling that I preferred the Mogwai. I think if your budget only allows for a Kenzie and you want a tube amp, you'd be very happy with it, but if you can stretch for the Mogwai... it's my end game and I'm so very happy with the purchase.
"But what about the Nautilus you mentioned in the title?"
Ah yes, Justin gave me the chance to audition that also. A decision I came to regret. As Justin put it, "it will brain f*ck you," and that it did. The sound is so colorful, the space is so big, and the slam and punch are turned up! The best metaphor I can think of is that it made the HD800S sound like a Focal in terms of dynamics. The Mogwai was the budget I planned for and ultimately delivers on every want I have of a tube amp. I am 100% happy with my purchase and I have zero intention of spending Nautilus money on an amp anytime soon. But never say never...
One thing Justin delivered on was a personalized experience and a lot of hand holding that makes new tube amp owners such as myself feel like they have a guide. He gave me a rundown on tube options, DACs to consider, etc, but always kept expectations realistic. This isn't going to be the kind of step up going from cheap airplane IEMs to U12t's, it's the kind of step up of going from a $1000 coffee grinder to a $3000 coffee grinder. Unless you know what you're getting, you won't appreciate the differences. That being said, I appreciate the differences and, if you're reading this, you probably will too.
I'll update this thread as I spend more time with the amp but for now I highly recommend the ampsandsound Mogwai to all tube amp fans.
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