[RayRod]

Thanks for this indept review. I'm just getting into tube rolling my Mogwai OG and i got the tung sol 6550 and tung sol 6SU7WGT based on your recommendation.

I appreciate that you've taken my recommendation. Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[funkpusher]

Hi All,

After some careful thought and reading endless reviews I have decided to jump in on the ampandsound train and got myself one of Justin's wonderful amps. I ultimately decided on getting the Mogwai SE Revision 2 with upgraded caps and input transformers. I believe I may be among the first to receive this as Justin said. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but I have to say his customer service and generosity with his time in answering my noob questions has been absolutely fantastic.

After previously using a Lyr 3 which I enjoyed, the Mogwai SE definitely gave me a step up in the dimensions I was looking for; mainly depth, holography, 3D spaciousness and of course that tube warmth. The amp is definitely powerful as I find that I don't really need to go past 9 in most cases unless I am using the 8ohm tap (I really appreciate the options presented by the different taps). While there is certainly a noise floor on the high and the low z taps they are mostly audible when you turn it up really high past what I would understand as healthy listening levels. And on the noise floor, I always understood this to be characteristic of the tube/vintage sound, so I don't really mind it at all. Unfortunately my unit does have a slight hum but maybe that could be caused by my laptop. It is still relatively new so maybe more burn in is required.

Nevertheless the amp has pumped some new life into my music. I listen to a lot of electronic music and they are notorious for sounding flat due to either poor/non-existent pre-filtering or over-compression. On those that are well produced and other regular genres I find myself picking up some new things I never noticed before. And on vocals it definitely either brings you on stage or at least on the edge of it. It also has made my Schiit Lokius more responsive and able to further tweak the sound according to my tastes/moods.

Thanks to everyone here who has contributed to this thread in helping me make my decision and again to Justin @ampsandsound for his time. I am welcome to any further suggestions you may have for tubes regarding my preferred sound signature (3D/Holographic/Spaciousness). For reference I am using a Borderpatrol SE DAC along with Wireworld interconnects/power cables.

 

[wgkwgk]

Here are some impressions after my first week with my ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation.

This thing is built absolutely rock-solid, yet isn’t unwieldy and easily fits on a side shelf (as you can see). I also now have a Pelican case that is big enough to transport my grandchildren.

The Kenzie is fed by my Chord Hugo TT2 DAC, which also serves as its own solid-state headphone amp, so I can easily compare sound from this common DAC source. I’ve spent most of my time this week using my new ZMF Aeolus, though my impressions carry across to my more limited time using my Focal Clear MGs.

First - I was concerned about noise floor - not because of Justin’s work but because of more general tube amp worries. I shouldn’t have worried, because this amp is (to my 62-year-old ears) completely, 100% noiseless. Not a buzz, not anything. Zero. I made a point of moving it as far away as I could from the Chord DAC and my computer and my powered Audioengine desktop speakers, and that certainly didn’t hurt. But if the tubes didn’t glow, I wouldn’t know if the Kenzie were on or off.

As for the sound - I am absolutely stunned at the sound quality. I don’t have a ton of experience with tube amps (I spent a short while with the Hagerman Tuba and the Cavelli Liquid Platinum hybrid), but compared to the sound coming out of the Hugo HP amp, the words that stay in my mind are “commanding presence.” Soundstage is wide, separation is precise, and there is something muscular about the presentation as compared with the Hugo solid state (which in any other world without the Kenzie would be absolutely beautiful and more than enough for me).

It’s a great marriage between the Kenzie and the ZMF Aeolus. The sound is warm and enveloping yet still fully detailed and sharp. I’ve played with the five taps the Kenzie provides and may be leaning towards the 100-ohm tap as my favorite. It just adds a little more pop and dimensionality than the 32-ohm tap, but we’re talking by degrees. The High-Z tap oversaturates and blooms the sound just a tiny bit, particularly in bass-heavy tracks, but that may be more in comparison to the other taps than a measure of the absoulute SQ. Certainly I initially favored the 32-ohm tap and only by spending more time did I land on the 100-ohm tap (for now). I suspect I will use different taps for different genres - the sparer the arrangement, the more I move up the tap ladder. (Is that a common experience for others?)

I am a newbie to the field, as you can tell from the amateurish descriptions above, but all I can tell you is that the Kenzie takes me to that ideal state we all talk about, where equipment melts away and recedes and you are just left inside the music.

From what I can see and from what Justin told me (he is SO generous with his time), the Kenzie is not a tube-roller’s Nirvana - you can have a lot more fun with the Mogwai SE. But for someone like me who wants to set it and forget it, I can’t imagine any other amp taking me deeper into the music or providing greater pleasure.

I hope this helps anyone considering an ampsandsound purchase or wondering if it can possibly be worth the investment. It is.

Great amp. Moreover, Justin is awesome. I'm not sure how he does it, but boy is he responsive. Keep it up!!!

 

[barbz127]

Hi all,

Can I please get a confirmation which input tubes are compatible with the Encore and which adapters are needed?

Drop in / Stock options are the 12sl7 and 2c52.

I'm specifically considering the 5751 and 6189's (12au7) - 5751 would have a lower gain and preferred if they are suitable

Thank you

 

[ampsandsound]

12sl7 12sn7 and 2c52.
Everything else needs an adapter.

 

[barbz127]

12sl7 12sn7 and 2c52.
Everything else needs an adapter.

Thankyou

Could you please share what the other options are and do they all need their own adaptor or should a 12au7 adaptor be suitable with other tubes?

 

[ampsandsound]

The other options are highly dependent on the adapter. Any adapter that does 12ax7 or 12au7 to 12al7 will make 12ax7 family tubes suitable. 5755 requires a different adapter.

Hope that helps

 

[erics75]

Gotta give Patrick over at Cullen Cables a shout out for making a nice 90 degree interconnect for me for my Ovation. Love the cleaner look.

 

[leilei787]

Is it worth upgrade from Kenzie to Kenzie encore? Thanks!

 

[ampsandsound]

Gotta give Patrick over at Cullen Cables a shout out for making a nice 90 degree interconnect for me for my Ovation. Love the cleaner look.

That looks great

 

[erics75]

Big shoutout to Justin @ampsandsound for a Kenzie OG 2! I was fortunate enough to pick one up tonight (literally!) and though I'm not even 4 hours in, I can say it's easily rivaling my Kenzie Ovation in sound quality with my Atticus. I won't go into detail yet since the unit is so new, but it sounds amazing on the high z tap. I got it to use at work, where space is limited, and my Ovation just doesn't fit. The OG will sit nicely on top of my Holo Cyan dac making a killer work combo that doesn't take up my whole desk.

Being so early on, I won't go into detail, but suffice to say the OG sounds legit! I really wanted to go to bed early tonight, but here I am approaching midnight, and there is no end in sight to this first session with the OG. Some things I can say now though is the unit is beautifully built. It exudes quality in all aspects. The unit is surprisingly small, yet surprisingly heavy. I think it weighs like 13 or 16lb, and you feel it when handling it. It has a solid feel to it that's reassuring given it's price. The volume knob is not the stepped unit from the Ovation, but a non-stepped ALPS pot that feels very similar to the one in the OG Pendant. It's silky smooth and has a nice weight to it when turning. It ramps up volume faster than the stepped unit though, so instead of being at about noon on the knob on my Ovation, i'm closer to about 8oclock. But there is no detectable channel imbalance, thankfully. No complaints, it works and works well. The unit is also dead quiet. I am using the stock NOS 1626 power tubes, and tried 3 different input tubes, and all were silent. This is a quiet amp. That's with both my Atticus and Auteur on the high z tap. I'll try my Clear tomorrow, i'm enjoying my ZMFs too much now to bother. All in all i'm very excited for this new amp. The size is just right for my needs, and so far the sound quality is off the charts. Try as I might, I cannot find one thing to complain about or critique yet.

Finally I have to give Justin props for all his help with this purchase. He has been beyond helpful, answering my questions and going above and beyond to ensure i'm satisfied. He's much like Zach at ZMF and Dan at DCA, he cares. Just reach out to him and find out for yourself. He'll go out of his way to make sure you're happy. I know I am! I'll give more sound impressions once I learn the amp better and also have a few side by side sessions with the Ovation. I am really excited for that, as so far my ears are telling me the OG is holding it's own vs the Ovation, and in some regards sounding even better (mostly in the dynamic punch category, but I need time to verify).

PS - ZMF owners really need to check out a Kenzie if they're on the hunt for a tube amp. I know everyone loves the Pendant and bigger amps, but there's a synergy here that's undeniable. Just my 2c....

 

[Wes S]

Big shoutout to Justin @ampsandsound for a Kenzie OG 2! I was fortunate enough to pick one up tonight (literally!) and though I'm not even 4 hours in, I can say it's easily rivaling my Kenzie Ovation in sound quality with my Atticus. I won't go into detail yet since the unit is so new, but it sounds amazing on the high z tap. I got it to use at work, where space is limited, and my Ovation just doesn't fit. The OG will sit nicely on top of my Holo Cyan dac making a killer work combo that doesn't take up my whole desk.

Being so early on, I won't go into detail, but suffice to say the OG sounds legit! I really wanted to go to bed early tonight, but here I am approaching midnight, and there is no end in sight to this first session with the OG. Some things I can say now though is the unit is beautifully built. It exudes quality in all aspects. The unit is surprisingly small, yet surprisingly heavy. I think it weighs like 13 or 16lb, and you feel it when handling it. It has a solid feel to it that's reassuring given it's price. The volume knob is not the stepped unit from the Ovation, but a non-stepped ALPS pot that feels very similar to the one in the OG Pendant. It's silky smooth and has a nice weight to it when turning. It ramps up volume faster than the stepped unit though, so instead of being at about noon on the knob on my Ovation, i'm closer to about 8oclock. But there is no detectable channel imbalance, thankfully. No complaints, it works and works well. The unit is also dead quiet. I am using the stock NOS 1626 power tubes, and tried 3 different input tubes, and all were silent. This is a quiet amp. That's with both my Atticus and Auteur on the high z tap. I'll try my Clear tomorrow, i'm enjoying my ZMFs too much now to bother. All in all i'm very excited for this new amp. The size is just right for my needs, and so far the sound quality is off the charts. Try as I might, I cannot find one thing to complain about or critique yet.

Finally I have to give Justin props for all his help with this purchase. He has been beyond helpful, answering my questions and going above and beyond to ensure i'm satisfied. He's much like Zach at ZMF and Dan at DCA, he cares. Just reach out to him and find out for yourself. He'll go out of his way to make sure you're happy. I know I am! I'll give more sound impressions once I learn the amp better and also have a few side by side sessions with the Ovation. I am really excited for that, as so far my ears are telling me the OG is holding it's own vs the Ovation, and in some regards sounding even better (mostly in the dynamic punch category, but I need time to verify).

PS - ZMF owners really need to check out a Kenzie if they're on the hunt for a tube amp. I know everyone loves the Pendant and bigger amps, but there's a synergy here that's undeniable. Just my 2c....

Awesome stuff!

 

[erics75]

Brought my Kenzie OG 2 to work today, and am happy to say it's still quiet even in my office, which is notoriously laden with interference devices. The office gave my Pendant SE fits. Thankfully the OG is about as quiet here as it was at home. And it fits my desk space perfectly! Did I mention it sounds awesome? I've been conditioned to my Echo 2 at work and the bulk of my listening, and man swapping in the OG is eye opening. No disrespect to the Echo, it's a great amp for it's price. But the OG is in another class for sure. The only problem is I'm having trouble concentrating on work haha. I keep getting pulled into the music! Songs keep coming on and I keep thinking man this sounds so dam good, as I stand and listen idle Don't tell my boss....

Another thing I'm finding is there's a definite synergy with the OG (and Ovation) and R2R dacs. I'm rocking a Holo Cyan PCM in NOS mode, and it's so smooth and engaging sounding. No digital glare or harshness anywhere. When I swap in one of my DS dacs things sound harder, less refined. Not bad, per se, but not as analog sounding. I really need to get a Spring or May for my A&S stuff....

 

[Wes S]

Brought my Kenzie OG 2 to work today, and am happy to say it's still quiet even in my office, which is notoriously laden with interference devices. The office gave my Pendant SE fits. Thankfully the OG is about as quiet here as it was at home. And it fits my desk space perfectly! Did I mention it sounds awesome? I've been conditioned to my Echo 2 at work and the bulk of my listening, and man swapping in the OG is eye opening. No disrespect to the Echo, it's a great amp for it's price. But the OG is in another class for sure. The only problem is I'm having trouble concentrating on work haha. I keep getting pulled into the music! Songs keep coming on and I keep thinking man this sounds so dam good, as I stand and listen idle Don't tell my boss....

Another thing I'm finding is there's a definite synergy with the OG (and Ovation) and R2R dacs. I'm rocking a Holo Cyan PCM in NOS mode, and it's so smooth and engaging sounding. No digital glare or harshness anywhere. When I swap in one of my DS dacs things sound harder, less refined. Not bad, per se, but not as analog sounding. I really need to get a Spring or May for my A&S stuff....

Speaking of NOS DAC's, I would have a look at the Sonnet Morpheus and the soon to be released Sonnet Pasithea as well. I know Holo has a huge following (especially on the other site), but Sonnet is doing some pretty amazing stuff as well.

 

[erics75]

Speaking of NOS DAC's, I would have a look at the Sonnet Morpheus and the soon to be released Sonnet Pasithea as well. I know Holo has a huge following (especially on the other site), but Sonnet is doing some pretty amazing stuff as well.

Thanks for the info, i'll definitely try to check them out. Isn't the guy who started Sonnet the same guy who was at either Denafrips or Metrum? How do you like the Sonnet dacs vs Holo? I took a chance with the Holo Cyan, buying blind, and was so surprised at how good it sounds vs my other dacs. It made me a firm believer in R2R when done right.