[DeweyCH]

It's a great amp! In a perfect world we would have kept it in the ZMF family forever, but it wasn't up to me. I can tell you there's nothing wrong with it and the logistics are beyond the scope of anything to do with the amp itself.

Also - I have some awesome tubes left over - and pendant chassis that I will likely sell at an extreme discount. If anyone is interested in a different wood chassis send me an email at zach@zmfheadhones.com, I can also test and rangle up some tubes for those interested.

I don’t suppose a Pendant chassis will fit a Mogwai?

 

[ampsandsound]

I don’t suppose a Pendant chassis will fit a Mogwai?

Mogwai OG yes. Not Se

 

[Bassic Needs]

I just picked up a Sparkos Aries SS headamp/preamp, which was said to be the recommended SS amp by Zach in the 2021 era. Question about variations of using Sparkos Aries and Pendant SE in the same chain:

Today I tried Bifrost 2 DAC > RCA > Aries (as preamp) > RCA > Pendant SE, which was cool because I could plug headphines into Aries for SS experience, or into Pendant for tube experience. 1) Should Pendant be at 100% volume in this arrangement, and volume control done by Aries as preamp? I was uncertain if I should allow either device to be at 100%. 2) am I potentially coloring the sound or affecting sound quality with Aries as preamp?

 

[jonathan c]

I just picked up a Sparkos Aries SS headamp/preamp, which was said to be the recommended SS amp by Zach in the 2021 era. Question about variations of using Sparkos Aries and Pendant SE in the same chain:

Today I tried Bifrost 2 DAC > RCA > Aries (as preamp) > RCA > Pendant SE, which was cool because I could plug headphines into Aries for SS experience, or into Pendant for tube experience. 1) Should Pendant be at 100% volume in this arrangement, and volume control done by Aries as preamp? I was uncertain if I should allow either device to be at 100%. 2) am I potentially coloring the sound or affecting sound quality with Aries as preamp?

For 1): why not try various settings: Pendant @ 100%, Aries VC; Pendant @ 75%, Aries VC; ……Pendant @ 0%, Aries VC? See which proportion sounds the best.
For 2): potentially yes. Will you hear it? 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[hikaru12]

I just picked up a Sparkos Aries SS headamp/preamp, which was said to be the recommended SS amp by Zach in the 2021 era. Question about variations of using Sparkos Aries and Pendant SE in the same chain:

Today I tried Bifrost 2 DAC > RCA > Aries (as preamp) > RCA > Pendant SE, which was cool because I could plug headphines into Aries for SS experience, or into Pendant for tube experience. 1) Should Pendant be at 100% volume in this arrangement, and volume control done by Aries as preamp? I was uncertain if I should allow either device to be at 100%. 2) am I potentially coloring the sound or affecting sound quality with Aries as preamp?

This is a interesting scenario would definitely like to hear you impressions when you’ve had the chance to compare the two.

 

[Wes S]

It's another tube rolling day, and this little guy never lets me down and is a freaking stunner in the driver spot. This tube has it all, and when it comes to bass slam and power, nothing can touch this tube. . .

Ken-Rad 5814 Pewter Plate 52'

Happy Listening!

 

[4LoveOfSound]

I have a black plate TungSol 12BH7 arriving today. I’ll compare to the grey plate I already have and report back.

 

[DenverW]

It's another tube rolling day, and this little guy never lets me down and is a freaking stunner in the driver spot. This tube has it all, and when it comes to bass slam and power, nothing can touch this tube. . .

Ken-Rad 5814 Pewter Plate 52'



Happy Listening!

Aha! A tube I haven't tried yet. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one .

 

[tholt]

Long time listener, first time caller here Recently acquired a Pendant SE after having owned a couple of Justin's amps before. I've mostly been following the tube recommendations here, particularly the Tung Sol 12BH7 black plate reco. Found one on Etsy for $50 which arrived earlier and playing it now. Another really nice tube that seems to complement the TS is a Mullard 6CA4 that came from the same seller. Bought on a whim (70's grey plate square getter), popped it in and surprisingly good results. I've been playing with various combinations of my small tube stash, and the Mullard/TS combo (along with Soviet 6P14P-EV driver tubes) is quite nice to my ears. Spacious, detailed, airy, nice extension and balanced throughout.

I listen to HE1000se exclusively, which I think work great with this amp. It's well known that these headphones can have a hot top end, and this tube combination tames that nicely without any apparent loss of detail. Just really nicely balanced sounding. Quite happy at the moment!

 

[4LoveOfSound]

Some morning tube time

 

[Wes S]

Some morning tube time

I spy. . .a Tung Sol Black Plate.

 

[4LoveOfSound]

I spy. . .a Tung Sol Black Plate.

Yup

 

[Bassic Needs]

This is a interesting scenario would definitely like to hear you impressions when you’ve had the chance to compare the two.

I had an hour or two to compare yesterday. All testing with done with Bifrost 2 as DAC, and Verite Closed headphones.

I tried a few configurations: 1. DAC directly connected to each amp; vs. 2. DAC to Aries, and Aries pre-out to Pednant. I did not detect a difference in sq between these two modes, but more critical listening is required before making this my final conclusion. 3. Lastly, I put a Schiit Loki in the chain to experiment with bass capabilities.

Notes about each amp:

Sparkos Aries:
+ background is dead silent. With Pendant, the barely audible noise floor varies with each tube combination. Its easy to not notice the noise floor, until you connect to a dead silent solid state amp like the Aries.
+ no EMF chatter. My cell phone is my source, and I have colleagues nearby. My Pendant SE and Schiit Vali 2 suffer bursts of EMF noises, but Aries does not.
+ no warm up time is great! Perfect for quick listening sessions
+ the volume wheel has way more usable range
+ gain selection of +10, +20, or +30 db is nice. +10 is fine when my headphones are jacked into the Aries.
- apparent sound stage seems almost as tall and wide as Pendant
- less 3D depth in sound stage, but its not flat
+ similar level of detail retrievable
- the timbre of musical instruments isnt quite as good as Pendant

Pendant SE:
l tested with my favorite tube complement from my small tube collection: NOS RFT 12AT7 input, JJ EL84 power pair, NOS RFT EZ81 rectifier.

+ wow, there is no loss of detail, speed, or any other sound quality element usually said to be conceded to solid states
+ I thought for EDM, the Aries would be better than the Pendant, but thats not true. They both sound fast and thumpy.
+ the sound stage may be a touch taller
+ there is a touch more depth in the sound stage. A subtle, yet noticeable bit of holography
+ the air between instruments seems similar
+ with careful listening, it becomes apparent the Pendant has an edge in timbre. A/B'ing songs, I notice instruments like a harmonica sound more lifelike, and more musical on Pendant, where the Aries the sounds ever so slightly flatter like a reproduction
+ once you notice the timbre improvement, you become aware the Pendant overall seems a little more musical and engaging than the Aries.
- the usable volume dial range is too limited on the Pendant with most songs and tube choices. I usually get between 3 to 6 of the 24 steps on the dial before its too loud.
- the vertical headphone jack is ok, but the front facing jack on Aries is preferrable to me

Perhaps for the biggest surprise in this comparison: bass. I've always wondered if the Pendant rolls off on the low bass, or if I am otherwise tube limited. Using the Schiit Loki, I was surprised to find when I cranked the bass +12 db for EDM and bassy tracks, they sounded almost identical! Maybe the teeniest edge for the Aries, but I'm not even sure since bass notes are harder to compare. I've learned I am not sacrificing anything in the bass department with the Pendant SE, at least not when using the Verite Closed.

 

[Wes S]

Pulled out another famous ECC82 from my stash last night. This was the first 12AU7/ECC82 that I fell in love with years ago and with what I am hearing now I can totally see why. I don't know why it took me a year of owning this amp to finally roll it in. . .but you know what they say, better late than never.

Funny thing about this tube, is that before owning the Pendant (yet knowing I would own one someday), I remember reading people's impressions of the amp, and I always thought to myself that I would try this tube first. Well, I finally got around to rolling it in yesterday and sure enough it is everything I always thought it might be and more in the Pendant SE.

Say hello to the one and only, Mullard ECC82 Long Plate Square Getter - Blackburn 57'.

This tube is the poster child for the "OG" Mullard house sound and has legendary status and price for a reason. There is killer detail, impact/note weight for days and a very holographic stage. Paired up with some Tungsram EL84 Welded Plate Foil O Getters and a RFT EZ81 Welded Plate Foil Disc Getter, it's a very immersive and "lifelike" experience. The bass is powerful, tight and textured and hits with authority. The lifelike timbre, texture and detail of the mids is to die for. Lastly the highs are smooth and fatigue free. The vocals and holographic stage with this tube are insanely good, and other than the bass, they are the major standouts. This tube is a winner no doubt, and another one from my collection I am glad I never sold. Back to musical bliss. . .

Happy Hunting, Rolling and Listening!

 

[zach915m]

Just wanted to post since we've been getting a lot of emails regarding us no longer working with ampsandsound, this is cross posted from another forum for linearity. If you've sent us an email about this I will answer with this same response as well.

The Pendant and Kenzie are both great amps for sure, I have actually been using the Kenzie OG Rev II a ton lately, the 8/100 ohm version Justin made me is one of my favorite amps I’ve ever had.

There’s been a lot of logistical stresses over the last couple years since the pandemic started, and those have created small businesses like Justin’s and mine to have to make things work in varying ways because of the supply chain needed. At ZMF I have always put price stability as a an utmost priority for our owners, many times with us buying much more inventory than immediately needed to be able to do this. In the current environment as a go between from ampsandsounds manufacturing to our selling of the Pendant, the product stability wasn’t viable on our, and ampsandsounds end for ZMF to continue selling ampsandsounds products.

They are fantastic amps and I will definitely continue to love the hell out the Kenzie Justin just built me though!