[ampsandsound]

We under report power, but at least we are never wrong. 

 

[grizzlybeast]

  We under report power, but at least we are never wrong. 

Word up!

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so the amplifier was sounding a bit bright with the kt77 tubes. I think the PSVANE KT88 MKIIs are more of a sweet spot. The big difference in regards to brightness was definitely the KT77s. Not saying they were super bright but its pretty cool that the Mogwai is so responsive to tube rolling. 

 

[ampsandsound]

Thats a great look. I wouldn't rule out any tube just yet. The coupling caps and the KT77s need long break in periods... If you used for 2 weeks or so Id then re-eval. The PSVANE KT88 are a solid choice no matter what. You also gain so power by switching to KT88s.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Well... I hit a snag with the JJKT77s. I accidentally broke the plastic socket insert. Now it is causing a lot of microphonics. I forgot that they need more time as well. Thanks for the reminder. 

 

[ampsandsound]

Make sure to put it into the socket the right way... Ive done it wrong with broken key ways before... not a good. thing. 
Ill PM you the tube supplier. They have great customer service and my exchange the tube.

 

[rigo]

Those tubes look familiar.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Those tubes look familiar.

how do you like those tubes? what do you think of them? 

 

[rigo]

I probably use the Mogwai 40 percent of the time with my PSB speakers. Justin suggested KT 88s for more power when I told him what my 2 channel setup was. Started with Gold Lions and now the Psvanes. Don't think I'll be trying any other output tubes for a while.  Happy with both headphone and speaker results.  Tighter bass and nice separation of instruments.  Perfect warmth for me.  I do have 2 input tubes I'm about to try out.  Just now I put in a Siemens Halske E81CC with a 12AT7 adapter (momentarily tried it before but not enough time to form an opinion).  The other is a Shuguang Natural Sound 6SL7-T, which is much bigger than other 6SL7s.  I’m gong to stick to the Siemens for a while so if you want to try out the Shuguang in your system PM me and I'll send it to you. 
 

 

 

[grizzlybeast]

Mogwai is handling the HE 6 very well all things considered. Lots of headroom.

WTH is the real output power of this thing.

Also it does bass slam very well.

 

[swjones3]

Here are my (late) impressions of the Mogwai:
 
My experience with the Mogwai was my first with a tube amp, and the overall experience compared to solid state options was different in a good way. While I did have a one or two minor issues with the Mogwai, it is a solid amp with a very musical sound.
 
-Build quality-
 
The Mogwai is heavy (perhaps heavier than my Oppo HA-1) and feels built to last a long time. However, it does have a “garage” look that may not appeal to some, and I did notice some glue spots on the surface.
 
-Sound-
 
The sound presented by the Mogwai can best be described as musical, as there is noticeable distortion, higher noise floor (than solid state) and what I perceive to be a larger soundstage. However, the entire frequency range is well presented, with a unique bass presentation that may be a result of harmonic distortion characteristic of tube amps. My impressions with various headphones are as follows:
 
TH-900 with TH-610 pads - The Mogwai, in my opinion, significantly smoothed out the TH-900, maintaining a strong bass presence but calming some of what can be described as “ragged” treble. The combination of the pad switch and Mogwai puts the TH-900 among the best dynamic headphones I have ever heard.
 
Eikon - I perceive the Eikon to be a neutral headphone with a slight warm tilt. This makes for a good combination with the Mogwai, as the Eikon is like a blank canvas that pushes all of the musical characteristics of the Mogwai to the front. This combination was the highlight of my time with the Mogwai.
 
MDR-Z7 - I usually don't listen to the Z7 much because I have grown to dislike its bass presentation, which I can best describe as bloated. However, these match well with the Mogwai, as its musical presentation makes the Z7 bass sound more “defined” without any rolloff in the treble region.
 
LCD-4 - While the Mogwai has an output transformer, I don’t think that the LCD-4’s sound their best with it. The sound is still detailed, but the noise floor of the Mogwai seemed to be more noticeable with these than the dynamic headphones I tried.

 
-Conclusion-

I enjoyed my week with the Mogwai, and it will be at the top of my list when I decide that I need to upgrade to a tube amp. Thanks to Justin for allowing me to participate in the loaner program.

 

[Btdk34]

I received the Kenzie on Saturday and have had a chance to listen for a good number of hours so far. I'm very impressed with the amp, most notably for its large soundstage and precise image. Its warmth also pairs quite well with the Ether C I'll post more impressions later on this week as I become more familiar with it. Very excited to go home and listen to it some more!

 

[gandhisfist]

Had the Mogwai at my house a few weeks ago and really enjoyed having it here.  I only used the amp with the stock tubes as I don't have any other lying around and really enjoyed my experience with the amp.  I've written a review on my blog and I'll post my main sound impressions here:
 

  The Mogwai is a seemingly very competent if a bit warm-leaning amplifier.  I find that overall extension in both directions is still quite good.  Impact is something this amp does very well in my opinion the sound is very punchy and full.  In my testing I mainly used my Eikon, HD800 and LCD2.  I did also try it with my HE-6 and K1000.  I felt the HE-6 sounded a bit sloppy and unclear on the Mogwai despite reaching an acceptable listening volume about half way up the dial.  The amp also drove the K1000 to a good listening volume; the warmth was a nice complement to the otherwise very forward upper mids of the K1000 and the slight bloom in the bass of the amp gave the K1000 a bit more weight.  However, I felt the K1000 was also a bit less controlled and composed overall out of the Mogwai.  I felt the HD800, Eikon, and LCD2 all paired quite well with the Mogwai.  The HD800 and Eikon made especially apparent the difference in the output impedance between the two outputs (taps vs headphone out) with the 32ohm headphone output sounding significantly warmer and exaggerating bass compared to the speaker taps.  

Bass on the Mogwai is very full and punchy sounding.  The large impacts of the bass are powerful while the finer texture and separation in bass is affected by a certain thickness and bloominess that allows  a good amount of detail to shine through but may force you to listen more actively for smaller details in music.  Impacts on the Mogwai are somewhat rounded and blunt in their impact but the amp still presents those impacts with good speed.  In that sense the Mogwai can sound a bit thick, but never really sounds slow or syrupy.  Extension is great on the Mogwai down low, subbass has extra slam and midbass is extremely punchy while still maintaining a little bit of softness that makes for a very engaging listen without being fatiguing.

Mids are also presented very well here.  Mids are very clean, still displaying the Mogwai’s slightly warm signature, making male vocals and instruments just a bit thicker and weightier sounding.  Vocals have great detail and presence, seeming to linger just a little bit longer than they normally would, giving them a hint of dreaminess. Instruments are presented with great detail and dynamics, the plucking and vibration of strings and the beating of drums have a very pleasing and somewhat saturated sound that still gives me a very good sense of low level details and sounds that happen around the attack of each beat.  

Treble is well balanced, remaining extended but having a touch of warmth and smoothness.  Details remain clear, snare impacts are well textured and cymbal crashes ring with clarity and a realistic sense of decay.  Extension is apparent due to the good sense of air that the Mogwai seems to maintain around instruments and vocals.  

 

[Btdk34]

Hey all, so sorry for this (very) late review of the ampsandsound Kenzie! I want to thank Justin for this loaner program, it was so fun to be able to participate in it.

When I received the amp, it was packed very well in two boxes with a lot of padding and custom-fitting styrofoam. The amp itself is beautiful and very solidly built. The fit and finish is very well done; the black metal top and wood sides complement the industrial look of the transformers and tubes. My only issue with the design is that the headphone jacks are on the top behind the transformers and tubes. I had to keep an eye out for my cable to make sure it wasn't resting against the hot tubes. I quickly learned where to route my headphone cable to avoid this problem. Here are some pictures:

Before I dig into the sound, I should describe my setup. My current chain is Macbook Pro Optical -> Modi Multibit -> Vali 2 (with EH 6922 tubes) -> MrSpeakers Ether C v1.1. Going from the Vali 2 to the Kenzie was really mind-opening. The Vali 2 does have decent soundstage and layering, but the Kenzie performs these traits so much better. I gave my wife a listen, and she said "It sounds like I'm sitting in a concert hall"! I could easily pick out where instrument sounds were coming from. Each instrument was separated from the others very distinctly, making it easy to listen to what each performer was doing.

The tonal balance of the Kenzie leans towards warm, but there's a good amount of extension at both extremes. There is so much more detail compared to the Vali 2. I could easily pick out the room's reverb and other instrument location cues that aren't as easily heard on the Vali 2. One of my favorite parts of the Kenzie was that it had a ton of detail, but it was displayed in a very musical and smooth manner. Nothing is in your face with this amplifier. There is a bit of mid-bass boost that paired very well with the Ether-C, but it leaned a little bit too bloomy for my taste. That's really my only minor gripe about the sound of the Kenzie; it's a very musical and enjoyable amp.

It was a great experience to be able to test out an amp of this quality. This amplifier is definitely on my short list of amps to purchase in the future. I highly recommend it!

 

[JoeDoe]

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[Jasonwaiheke]

Has anyone had any issues with transformer hum with the Kenzie?