[jonathan c]

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.

Spot on with the last point! R2R itself is no guarantee of superior d-a conversion. R2R ‘done right’ > SigmaDelta ‘done right’. One cannot overlook the importance of analogue output stage quality, too.

 

[Wes S]

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.

No problem, and yeah it's Metrum, the original designer named Cees is running both Sonnet and Metrum these days, and both companies are going strong. I love the Morpheus and was looking at the Holo Spring 3 as well, but went with Sonnet due to ZMF selling them, and recommending them as good pairings with their headphones and the Pendant. I never got a chance to hear any Holo stuff, but I have read the Spring 3 and Morpheus are pretty close. I know a few Morpheus owners have tried the Spring 3 and May, and they stayed with the Morpheus, and then there are a few who went the other direction and are happy as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, and at this level it comes down to personal preferences and synergy with the rest of the chain.

I will say I came from a Schiit Gungnir Multibit and stepping up to the Morpheus has been quite a revelation. The quicker more neutral Pendant SE paired with the smooth yet detailed NOS sound of the Morpheus is magical.

 

[erics75]

Spent the weekend and today with the KOG2 and my Focal Radiance and Clear, and am quite impressed with how good the pairing is. I actually think it sounds a bit better than my Ovation for some reason, even using the 32ohm tap on both amps. My guess is it's the interplay of the 9 pin input tube. But despite my fears, the seemingly bad dampening factor was not a problem at all on either set. Both retained their tight nimble bass, while getting a very slight bump in overall warmth. The mids were a touch darker, but nothing obscene at all. Where the KOG2 differs from the Ovation is in decay. The Ovation has a slower decay, with more resonance vs the KOG2. That shouldn't surprise me as my ZMFs are a touch tighter sounding and less euphonic on the KOG2 as well, but it's not what I was expecting given the big transformers on the Ovation. The combo I REALLY like is the Clear/KOG2. It was highly musical and engaging, without a hint of harshness or leanness. The Clear on most solid state amps sounds a bit lean and bright to me, so this is an excellent paring for my tastes. The treble did not roll off noticeably, retaining the Clear's well extended highs. But they're smoother, with less digital glare, for lack of a better word. Anyhow just wanted to share my observations with the Focals/KOG2.

 

[erics75]

This last weekend I took the KOG2 home to compare to my Ovation Rev 1. The dac was a Bifrost 2 and the headphones were ZMF Atticus and Auteur, and a Focal Clear. I ran rca splitters from the BF2 to both amps, and volume matched to the best of my ability via an spl meter. I just listened to random tracks with all the different headphones, switching amps at will, and replaying the same spots over and over on both. Nothing scientific here, just a good solid weekend of listening and comparing. I just stuck to my favorite tubes in both amps, no tube rolling.

Bottom Line - The KOG2 to my ears is 99% of the Ovation.

They share the same overall tone/timbre, with the KOG2 being ever so slightly more emphatic up top, due mainly to the input tube. Soundstage was more or less the same to my ears as well. Engagement was also the same. All in all, going back and forth from a purely sound standpoint, they're essentially the same.

But are they?

Well yes and no. The Ovation is a bit more refined sounding, smoother, with a bit better instrument separation and soundstage layering. But I have to really concentrate and compare with ultra high quality test tracks to really hear it noticeably. On most of my regular songs, the differences are lost due to less than stellar production quality. I wish I still had my VC around, as that beast is revealing as hel, and would probably better isolate and identify these subtle differences. But as far as i'm concerned, the differences are so minor it's really not worth worrying about.

So why buy an Ovation?

Honestly that's a tough one! I have not heard the Rev 2 so maybe the gains Justin achieved in the KOG2 would also carry over to the Ovation 2, helping it to separate itself from the cheaper sibling. The Ovation's 5 impedance taps are a legit advantage. I use them all, and really love having so much flexibility to tweak the sound via the taps. It's a lot quicker and easier than tube rolling! But for me, the KOG2 can essentially replace the Ovation 1, from a purely sound perspective.

I had a blast listening to my music through these two awesome amps. I'm a huge fan of the Kenzie sound, I personally think it's the best A&S amp I've heard for my ZMFs. I love it's sweet tone and easy going nature. I guess it's the HD650 of amps for me haha.

I did notice one very odd thing though when testing them together. When I first started out, they were both making some horrific noise with no music playing. I never heard either be noisy like that and figured something was amiss. Well it turns out having both plugged into the same power strip was causing the noise. I have no clue why, but as soon as I moved the KOG2 to a different outlet, they were both back to the quiet selves i'm used to. Again, no clue what was going on, but thought I'd pass that along. I don't think it's an issue with the amps, just an issue with my power.

 

[smodtactical]

Does the Kenzie or Mogwai work well with the hd800S ? Or is it too noisy?

 

[erics75]

Does the Kenzie or Mogwai work well with the hd800S ? Or is it too noisy?

My Kenzie Ovation Rev 1 and Kenzie OG Rev 2 were both very quiet with the 800. The main thing to consider with noise on the Kenzie are the tubes. The 1626 I've noticed can be temperamental with power sources near them. I had my OG sitting on top of my dac, and it hummed quite a bit. When troubleshooting I picked up the amp while having my headphones on, and the hum stopped, it was dead quiet. I laid the Kenzie back down, and boom, more hum. Then I tried sliding the Kenzie around on the dac, and the hum would move as well from channel to channel, and vary in intensity. The power source inside the dac was putting out a field the tubes were picking up. Sitting the amp a few inches away from it stopped the hum. My Hagerman Tuba does the exact same thing. The dac is a Holo Audio Cyan. Oddly my Feliks Echo 2 did not hum while sitting on the Cyan. Such is life with tubes

 

[ampsandsound]

Does the Kenzie or Mogwai work well with the hd800S ? Or is it too noisy?

The Kenzie's the quietest is a no brainer choice... like peanut butter and Jelly, goes so well with the HD800s.
The Mogwai SE has no issues with noise floor with the HD800s... Wouldn't want to run KT88s and a GZ34 rectifier... ~8watts but would want to roll 6l6gcs and 5u4 (stock).
The Mogwai SE is the versatile choice.
Please feel free to call me if you'd like more complete responses. 949-636-9076

 

[DeweyCH]

In the house. Sounding good with the HD8XX. EDIT: Even better from the High-Z jack.

 

[PointyFox]

My Kenzie Ovation Rev 1 and Kenzie OG Rev 2 were both very quiet with the 800. The main thing to consider with noise on the Kenzie are the tubes. The 1626 I've noticed can be temperamental with power sources near them. I had my OG sitting on top of my dac, and it hummed quite a bit. When troubleshooting I picked up the amp while having my headphones on, and the hum stopped, it was dead quiet. I laid the Kenzie back down, and boom, more hum. Then I tried sliding the Kenzie around on the dac, and the hum would move as well from channel to channel, and vary in intensity. The power source inside the dac was putting out a field the tubes were picking up. Sitting the amp a few inches away from it stopped the hum. My Hagerman Tuba does the exact same thing. The dac is a Holo Audio Cyan. Oddly my Feliks Echo 2 did not hum while sitting on the Cyan. Such is life with tubes

Same thing with the Gustard X26 Pro and my Tuba. I got rid of the X26 Pro. The Tuba doesn't hum when sitting on the Denafrips Ares II if you're looking for something to stack it on.

 

[DeweyCH]

This Mogwai SE is simply magical with ZMF cans.

 

[erics75]

I have been listening to my Kenzies with 12B4A to 1626 adapters, and been loving them! The 12B4A power tubes have a different sound than the 1626. They're a bit more aggressive and forward sounding, making the Kenzie sound closer to the Pendant, almost solid state like. Bass hits harder with a strong leading edge. It's also a bit faster, IMO, with a more emphatic delivery. Mids are not quite as lush or smooth as the 1626, but not harsh. Different is the best way to describe them. Highs definitely have more extension and presence. Even on the Atticus I notice the increased sense of air up top. The 1626 in comparison is darker, smoother, and hazier (just a bit). The 12B4A really adds an element of solid state precision and control that's lacking in the 1626. Listening to the Kenzie with the 12B4A really does remind me of the Pendant SE. Maybe still a bit darker/romantic overall, but not by a large margin. I'm really enjoying the extra attack, transients stand out more, and the overall energy of the music has increased. On some of my crappy metal tracks it does become a bit much, but that's not a fault of the tubes/amp, it's just bad studio quality. But fatigue does occasionally set in with these tubes that doesn't with the 1626. Just wanted to share some impressions, and let Kenzie owners know if they're looking for a tube roll to add some excitement to their amp, try some 12B4A tubes with adapters. They're readily available on Ebay for about $10ish each plus shipping. Here's a pic of my Ovation at work (so big for my desk!!!!) with 12B4A adapters for the power tubes, and a 12AU7 adapter for the input tube. It essentially lets me roll the same input tube as my OG, which natively takes 12A_7 tubes. And I like the sound of them much better than 12SL7 tubes.

 

[wgkwgk]

Hello!
Good info. I have an Ovation V1 and would like to get the adapters you mentioned. What's a good (read: reputable) source?

TIA

 

[DeweyCH]

I’ll ask here too, would 6ar6 tubes work with Mogwai?

 

[erics75]

Hello!
Good info. I have an Ovation V1 and would like to get the adapters you mentioned. What's a good (read: reputable) source?

TIA

I've been using these without issue. https://www.ebay.com/itm/193442643719

I would love for Justin or someone local to build a more robust/solid adapter, but that's just me being fussy. Those adapters have been working without issue for months. They feel cheap but seem to hold up well. That seller also has the 12AU7 to 12SL7 adapter.

 

[DeweyCH]

Hello!
Good info. I have an Ovation V1 and would like to get the adapters you mentioned. What's a good (read: reputable) source?

TIA

User @Deyan makes fantastic tube adapters at a reasonable price. I've had several made by him.