Amps and Sound Mogwai SE: The best money I have ever spent
Here is my review for those who would like to read.
Boiler Plate (feel free to skip)
I have been a self-proclaimed Audiophile since I got my first sound system at the age of 20 (2 Polk monitor speakers and a Yamaha receiver), but I fell in love with headphones at 21 when I purchased a pair of Sennheiser HD 600s and a Yulong D100. For me it was the value to sound ratio and it opened my eyes to what a true audiophile headphone could pull out of a recording with a dedicated dac/headphone amp. Fast forward 7 years and many upgrades later I have a 2 channel free standing system that sits north of $20k but because I moved into a Condo building without cement floors I found myself needing headphones again. As with most things in the audio world a new journey began, and it is this most recent journey that lead me to the Mogwai SE, the best headphone amplifier, and maybe the best amplifier period that I have ever owned.
I like to include the above paragraph or something like it at the beginning of any review I write. I do it so people who read this know that I have owned a wide range of audio gear ranging from a few hundred dollars, all the way up to several thousand dollars. I am not by any stretch of the imagination suggesting that I have listened to everything, but I have listened to a very wide range of headphones, speakers, and source equipment and without that context my opinion should not mean very much.
Before my Mogwai SE arrived at my door I had just “finished” the first major round of investments in my new Headphone System. I had chosen the Focal Utopia after doing a shootout of it vs the Ether Flow, Audeze LCD 3 F, and the Grado PS1000e. I had also settled on the Schiit Gumby, and a Schiit Mjolnir 2 with Telefunken Tubes as my headphone amplifier/DAC setup. To be honest I thought this was the setup that would last me several years. That changed when I went to Axpona in May and spent a day listening to all of the amazing Tube amps on the show floor. I was particularly enamored by the Woo Audo WA33 but decided after careful consideration that I just could not justify its steep price tag.
A few months went by, and I still could not shake the tone that the Woo Audio tube amps produced, and while my Mjolnir 2 was an excellent amp, and in my opinion one of the best options under $1000 I just continued to feel like something was missing. I began considering the purchase of a WA5LE but was put off by the cost of 300B tubes. I almost pulled the trigger, but then I read a forum comment about user who had the Focal Utopias and thought they sounded incredible with an Amps and Sound Kenzie.
I had remembered that name from somewhere and soon enough figured out that the Kenzie was sold as an amp on Mr. Speakers site. I went directly to Amps and Sound, did a little bit of reading, and sent Amps and Sound an email asking about return policy, warrantee, and suggested amp/headphone pairings. I expected to simply get an email back, maybe in a few days, but instead I got an email that simply asked, “Would you mind if I gave you call.” A few minutes later I was on the phone with the owner and designer himself Justin Webber. Justin answered my questions, all amps are built to order, and they do not have a return policy, the warrantee is life time (I like a man who stands by his work), and if I have the budget, the Mogwai SE is the most versatile platform. A few days later, a bit more thought, and another phone call, and the Mogwai SE was ordered.
Now I will be honest I was more than a little nervous, the internet is not buzzing with Amps and Sound reviews like it is with Woo Audio, and I had been burned more than once with non-refundable/non-returnable purchases, but the few reviews I found of Amps and Sound products lead me to believe that all would be ok in the end. Justin also made himself available via text for any questions as well as NOS tube recommendations. 3 weeks went by and my new Mogwai SE arrived in a large, heavy, and well packed box. The wait was over, and I could hardly wait to listen.
Fit, Finish, Design
The Mogwai SE I purchased form Justin has the upgraded capacitors and his new models ship with 8/32/300 ohm taps by default. I did not choose the input transformer (more on that later) and I went with the standard fit and finish. At $2600 before shipping this is the most expensive headphone amplifier I have every purchased and while many would argue that sound is the only thing that matters, fit and finish is almost just as important to me especially with it being out on display in my living room.
Justin’s case work is nothing short of perfection and furniture grade. The walnut case is of the same quality as my Herman Miller Eames Lounger chair and there are no seems or cracks in his work. The top metal plate sits into the wood case, and once again the fit is perfect, not a single gap nor a single stray edge. The black metal plate has a nice matt/satin-ish finish and the ports /tube sockets are very clearly labeled.
The amp is clearly very proud of its transformers which are on display for all to see. They look great and the look is an interesting throwback to what I would imagine audio equipment looked like in the 50’s and 60’s and fit very well into my décor. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed including my fiancé.
The volume knob is smooth, and clearly labelled, and the power switch is easy to find, though I wish it was in the front of the amp. On the rear-top of the amp, you will find two SE inputs, the speaker taps, the 8ohm headphone out, and the power socket. You will also find a toggle switch to flip between input 1 and input 2. Every element of the amp exhibits the same attention to detail when it comes to the fit and finish. This is probably the best built/nicest piece of audio equipment I own. The only thing I own that competes with the final finish is the Anthony Gallo 3.1 floor standing speakers, which are a work of functional art, Justin clearly gets an A+ for the build quality of this amp.
Justin made the analogy that this amp is a formula 1 race car, everything you need to drive fast with nothing else to get in the way. I would agree with that, this amp does not have muting relays, it does not have heater circuits that mute the output until the tubes warm up, and the speaker outputs will not mute when you plug in a headphone. It does one thing, plays music, and that is more than ok for me.
So, what might I change? Honestly not much, as the only things I would change are intentional design decisions by Justin. I would love to see the SE Inputs and Power plug placed on the back of the unit instead of on the top of the unit (cable management can be handled by right angle adapters which you will see in my pictures), and I would love to see an option to have one of the headphone taps replaced with a convince 4 Pin XLR output. I actually spoke to Justin about this last point, and he will never do this for philosophical reasons. His logic is it is a single ended amp, and he never wants to falsely advertise. I respect his position and his reasoning though I wish I did not have to use adapters for all my fancy after-market balanced cables, this is a small sacrifice to make.
Included Tube Set and the Tubes used for my Review
The amp included a full set of tubes. For my amp Justin sent 2 JJ KT88’s, and JJ 6SL7, and a SED winged C Black Plate 5u4. This is a nice tube set and I could see someone out there being very happy with the full set for the first year, and in all honesty, I probably could have been as well. The only problem is I have major FOMO (fear of missing out) when it comes to tubes and after doing some reading I purchased several NOS tubes for the amp. For the time being I settled on the following tube complement and my entire review will be based off of the amp running these tubes. Power Tubes are RCA Branded (Tung-Sol made) 6550 3 hole grey plates, a Tung Sol 6SU7, and the SED Winged C Black Plate (this is an amazing tube, I now own 2 more as backups). I suggest new buyers take Justin’s advice which is “use the amp with the stock tubes for 6 months, you will like them, and then start rolling if you want to”. It was just too late for me.
Input Transformer
One of the options Justin offers are built in input transformers for an extra $450. When I ordered the amp I passed on it, however after about 3 weeks I decided to order the transformers in an out-bored unit (same thing just in an external box) based on other users saying it was worthwhile. After doing an A/B with and without the input transformer in the circuit I can say without a doubt that the input transformers are worth the money and if I could go back in time, I would have ordered the input transformers built into the amp from the start. Like with the tubes, the review will be conducted with the input transformer in the circuit.
Burn in and Run in for the Tubes
I have now had this amp for about 5 weeks (maybe 6) and have put probably close to 200 hours on it, maybe a little more, and the tubes that I am running for the review have at least 150 hours on them. There was a major change in the sound of this amplifier on week 2 which could be the tubes or the amp breaking in or both, but either way the sound has been fairly stable since then, which means it was time for me write my review.
Listening Impressions
Before getting into the impressions itself it is important that everyone knows the signal chain. I use Roon, with a Intel NUC running RAAT connected via USB to a Schiit Gumby Gen 5, blue jean cables from the SE output to the input transformer, and from there via another blue jean cable to the amp itself. All listening was done on a Focal Utopia using a 15ft wire world nano-eclipse cable out of the 8ohm tap.
To put it bluntly this amp rocks, and I highly recommend it with the Utopias. The sound stage is medium sized but is truly 3 dimensional, where on the Schiit Mjolnir 2 it was wide but not deep (very 2D). Instrument separation is done extremely well, and on a well recorded track I can close my eyes and clearly see the band around me. Vocals in general are mesmerizing and I find myself unable to concentrate on other things when listening to music on this amp, I am just transfixed by its sound.
Some reviews talk about the Mogwai SE being noisy, and I am happy to say that Justin has solved this in his latest design changes, my Mogwai is dead silent until well above a listenable volume (and I like it loud). Part of what makes the Mogwai so convincing is its inky black background which I honestly did not think was possible on a single ended amp, never mind a tube amp. I find myself normally well under 25% on the volume knob and noise does not appear until well after the knob is turned passed 70% on the Utopias (and I would blow my ear drum if I tried to listen at that volume).
My music taste is extremely varied but bellow you will find some specific impressions:
Headache by Liz Phair CD Quality:
I love this song, I really enjoy the base line, and there is something about her tone that has always made me like her work. On the Mogwai SE this song is compelling. I feel like the bass line is literally moving me forward, her voice sounds as if she is speaking about 3ft in front of me and the realism is mind boggling. The detail retrieval is also really nice, as the guitarist moves their hand up and down the base guitar you can hear their fingers slide along the string and once again it is just convincing. In comparison, the Mjolnir 2 with Telefunken tubes just sounds dull, which is strange as I would never have described it as dull before this amp. The vocal tone is just gone, she lacks emotion through the Mjolnir 2, and the sound stage just feels compressed against a wall. As one would expect the bass is slightly deeper with the Mjolnir 2’s SS backed internals, however it is far less convincing then the Mogwai SE.
Mary Ann by Carmen Gomes 192/24:
Moving on to blues, Carmen Gomes has a great voice, and this recording is done by a small recording studio known for their incredible attention to detail when mastering the recording itself. On the Mogwai SE the stage is intimate but so is the recording studio. The drum sticks are extremely convincing, and I can hear the drummer rub the stick on the cymbals. Carmen Gomes’s voice is incredible and she floats in midair around the band. For me this has always been a reference recording and the Mogwai SE can transform the experience from headphones to making it sound like I am listening to a perfect 2 channel setup which is truly impressive. The same qualities that existed for Headache by Liz Phair when comparing the Mogwai and the Mjolnir 2 exist for this song as well. The Mogwai is just operating at another level, as it should given its price.
Majesty by Nicki Minaj 96/24 MQA (decoded by Roon):
I know, big change from Liz Phair and Carmen Gomes but as I said I have a wide range of taste. What impresses me is this track can be quite harsh especially on headphones like the Utopias at higher volumes, this can easily become painful to listen to on the Mjolnir 2. On the Mogwai SE this track is an incredible listen. The highs are clear and extended but not harsh. The bass is low deep and defined, better than any of my solid-state equipment. The piano notes in particular have a weight that I can “feel” which adds to the realism. Of course, Nicki Minaj feels like she is in your face, which is exactly what she is going for on this song. It is worth listening to Barbie Dreams on the same album as well, it really demonstrates how the Mogwai can deliver incredibly convincing vocals.
Dinner for Two by David Byrne and St. Vincent CD Quality:
David Byrne really brought it on this album, but dinner for two is my favorite track on the album. The brass instruments are clear and defined, the instrumentals are wide, expansive, and convincing. David Byrne is clearly in the back of the stage and the Mogwai SE paints a great picture of the stage. The bass in the song is incredible and convincing, and once again the high notes are perfect, no fatigue.
Wrapping up this far too long review
To say the Mogwai SE is a good value would be selling it short. This is the best headphone amp I have ever owned, and in my opinion the best headphone amp I have every listened to. While I have not owned the WA5LE and the WA33, I have listened to both extensively with my headphones and my DAC, the Mogwai SE easily matches them and in some cases, bests them, and it does this at a retail price that falls below both models. It clearly bests my Mjolnir 2 even with the Telefunken 6922’s installed (which again is an awesome combo). Justin Webber is incredible to deal with, he is honest, takes time to answer your questions, and follows up to make sure you are happy. When we move again I will be buying a pair of Justin’s Casablanca mono blocks for my Gallo’s and I will be buying a Kenzie for my office within the next 12 months. If my willingness to spend my own money does not convey my endorsement of Amps and Sound and their incredible work then I don’t know what else will. Thank you, Justin for the Mogwai SE, if you have not listened to one, go find one now, and have your checkbook ready because you are going to walk away with it.
Thank you for reading.
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