[hikaru12]

Well-spotted - yes, that’s a new model of OCC Zach is working on. I compared it to my older (thinner gauge) ZMF OCC cable and they sounded quite different. The new one was I think better, but also had a different tonal balance - brighter, and more airy. I’ll leave it to @zach915m to chime in further.

I can’t speak to the Dragon (or the Kenzie), but the reason I bit the bullet on the Mogwai SE is that it synergized so well with the Eikon. IME synergy is the holy grail of headphone components, and is far more important than outright performance. (But the performance of the Mogwai was outstanding anyway...)

Dunc

Hey Dunc,

Thanks for the response. I was thinking of going with the Mogwai as it would serve as a good preamp for my efficient Klipsch's and would let me replace my SS Onkyo. It looks like it can actually tube roll quite a bit.

 

[dunkyboy]

Hey Dunc,

Thanks for the response. I was thinking of going with the Mogwai as it would serve as a good preamp for my efficient Klipsch's and would let me replace my SS Onkyo. It looks like it can actually tube roll quite a bit.

To be clear, the Mogwai doesn't have pre-outs, only speaker outs. (I think that's what you meant, though!) One thing to consider though is that you're not supposed to have headphones and speakers connected at the same time, according to Ampsandsound.

Dunc

 

[hikaru12]

To be clear, the Mogwai doesn't have pre-outs, only speaker outs. (I think that's what you meant, though!) One thing to consider though is that you're not supposed to have headphones and speakers connected at the same time, according to Ampsandsound.

Dunc

So you have to unplug the headphones before the speakers will be powered? And yes I meant speaker taps.

 

[jinxy245]

Just pulled the trigger on the Eikon. Originally intendes to get the Atticus and I bought the Valhalla 2 about a year ago to plan ahead. I heard the Atticus did great with the Valhalla 2, but any opinions on the Eikon? Any word on the pairing?

I absolutely love my Eikon, and I'm thinking of going down the tube rabbit hole myself (may my wallet rest in peace).

It was a shame they only had 2 tube amps (Vali 2 & Mjolnir 2) at the Schiit table at CanJam NYC. We Definitely need a Schiitr in NYC if you ask me, I would have loved to try the Valhalla 2.

That being said that Mogwai SE sounded phenomenal with the Auteurs...I shoulda plugged in my Eikon, but I was enjoying the pairing too much. It seems it will be a long hard road to find the one that will float my boat, at a price I can live with.

 

[zach915m]

Is that copper cable you posted from CanJam one of Zach's own? .

Yeah we were displaying our new cables at CanJam. For those confused by the L/R indicators we are going to put a red O-ring on the right under the jack to clear up any of the ZMF logo confusion. We will get a cable page and all that baloney up on the website asap.

I was thinking of going with the Mogwai as it would serve as a good preamp for my efficient Klipsch's and would let me replace my SS Onkyo. It looks like it can actually tube roll quite a bit.

Mogwai rolls so many tubes. Especially in the power/driver, you can go from EL34/KT66/77/88 and then 6l6GC and any adaptable variants. So that's the *danger* of that amp for people like me who love having old tube thingies.

 

[dunkyboy]

So you have to unplug the headphones before the speakers will be powered? And yes I meant speaker taps.

Right. I think it will work, but it's not recommended.

 

[TsKen]

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I have the ZMF Atticus Padauk and I am having trouble finding the proper amp for it. Opinions seems to be inconsistent and polarizing.

I am currently pairing my Atticus with my crack speedball and I don't really enjoy the pairing. Surprisingly I like the Atticus off of the idsd BL more than the Crack Speedball, probably because the idsd BL sounds very flat/neutral to begin with. With the crack speedball, I feel like I'm missing too much detail and the midrange is like sucked in/recessed.

Some people swear by the Lyr 2 because it was recommended by Aornic but I see a lot of people on this thread who don't enjoy the Lyr 2 with the Atticus because it has "Too much grain, weak bottom end, soft dynamics". Same with the Valhalla 2 as well.

Any Atticus owners with a good set up want to point me in the right direction?

Off topic if anyone is wondering, I really liked the ZMF Eikons with my Crack speedball. Not so much with the Atticus though.

Also I read some strange things with conflicting opinion. Someone said the Eikon pairs well with high impedence amps while the Atticus pairs well with low impedence amps and vice versa. I'm just really confused because it doesn't seem like there are any real clear consensus as to what amps would pair the best with the Atticus.

 

[zach915m]

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Also I read some strange things with conflicting opinion. Someone said the Eikon pairs well with high impedence amps while the Atticus pairs well with low impedence amps and vice versa. I'm just really confused because it doesn't seem like there are any real clear consensus as to what amps would pair the best with the Atticus.

I think this is because subjective preferences play such a large role, not to mention listening volume, audio chain, music selection etc etc. I'm always surprised when someone will sit at our table at a show and say something is perfect and then the next person will come and sit and have the exact opposite opinion.

I do think the MassDrop Cavalli CTH and EC ZDS Jr/Night Blues Mini are good options in the don't break the bank area with the Atticus/Eikon for tubes.

Also - I highly recommend the Beyer a20, a friend turned me on to this little solid state that Beyer makes with a 100 ohm output impedance. For those that don't want to mess with tubes and want a clean sounding amp that synergizes well with high impedance dynamics, this amp was purely made for that purpose and isn't too expensive. I like it so much I'll be bringing it to shows in the upcoming months.

 

[Pharmaboy]

A good place to chime in about ZMF cables:

• I have the upgrade-to-stock Atticus/Eikon/Ori cable, the "OFC" -- and it's really good. Sounds better than stock (which isn't bad at all)...also gives me >95% of what I hear from my ForzaAudioWorks HCP Noir cable (at ~25% of the price). IMO the OFC is a true bargain.
• And ZMF had a prototype of what they described as an upcoming high-end cable option. It was a multi-strand design clad in very snazzy lt. purple cloth. I felt some cable lust, looking at & listening to that...

 

[TsKen]

I think this is because subjective preferences play such a large role, not to mention listening volume, audio chain, music selection etc etc. I'm always surprised when someone will sit at our table at a show and say something is perfect and then the next person will come and sit and have the exact opposite opinion.

I do think the MassDrop Cavalli CTH and EC ZDS Jr/Night Blues Mini are good options in the don't break the bank area with the Atticus/Eikon for tubes.

Also - I highly recommend the Beyer a20, a friend turned me on to this little solid state that Beyer makes with a 100 ohm output impedance. For those that don't want to mess with tubes and want a clean sounding amp that synergizes well with high impedance dynamics, this amp was purely made for that purpose and isn't too expensive. I like it so much I'll be bringing it to shows in the upcoming months.

Sounds like the Beyer A20 would be what I'm looking for. Going to get one and report back here with my results.

Thanks for the recommendation Zach.

 

[mysticstryk]

Pics from Zach's table at CanJam:

That is a beautiful blue amp...

 

[mwhals]

What is the blue amp?

 

[Pharmaboy]

What is the blue amp?

DNA Stratus (URL below). I heard the Auteur on it (twice)...but since I was totally unfamiliar w/both HP & amp, can't be sure what I was hearing.

I'm also unsure whether ZMF sells these (maybe not) or just was using it for CanJam...?

http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Stratus-2A3-headphone-amplifier.html

 

[mysticstryk]

What is the blue amp?

It is a DNA Sonett 2. The Stratus is much larger and uses 2A3 tubes.

DNA Stratus (URL below). I heard the Auteur on it (twice)...but since I was totally unfamiliar w/both HP & amp, can't be sure what I was hearing.

I'm also unsure whether ZMF sells these (maybe not) or just was using it for CanJam...?

http://www.dnaudio.com/DNA-Stratus-2A3-headphone-amplifier.html

Can only buy them direct from Donald on the website you listed. The Stratus is hands down the best amp I have ever heard. My ZDS can trade blows but I would still give the slight edge to the Stratus. The only amp I think I would rather have over the Stratus is his Stellaris.

 

[hikaru12]

After reading about the topology I'm certain my next amp is going to be the Dragon Inspire - it just reacts really well to tube rolling since it only has one layer of gain and has better micro-detail than the ZDS. ZDS beats it in soundstage but I don't really care about that too much.