[nwavesailor]

The Pendant is a very nice amp paired with the VO.
I now have the Bigger Ben paired with the VO and it is crazy good and frankly stunning!

 

[amele]

can anyone tell me what is the difference between Pendant GO and SE which one is better

 

[zedeatslead]

Hey all, I’m facing a dilemma and need your help with making a decision. I’m thinking of getting a DAC and amp for my VO and Aeolus. Normally I would’ve gone for the Bifrost 2 with an Elise/Euforia/new McIntosh MHA200(depending on reviews), but I may have to move countries in the near future and that puts me in a tough spot. If I buy them here in the US but have to move later this year or sometime next year, then I have to either figure out a way to convert them to 230V 50Hz from 110V 60Hz or sell them. The other option is to wait and buy after the move, but that’s precious time lost that I could be listening to my new setup, as I’m not moving immediately. As an alternative, I was looking at the Hugo TT 2 which has some fantastic reviews and uses an external power supply that supports 110-230V. Its integrated setup and not very large size means it’d also be easy to move around when needed. Cons of the TT2 would be the increased price and its solid state nature vs tubes.

Now what do you guys think? Would the TT2 be an overpriced downgrade compared to the Bifrost 2 + tubes setup? Or would it be worth the price? Any other suggestions?

 

[Fatdoi]

Hey all, I’m facing a dilemma and need your help with making a decision. I’m thinking of getting a DAC and amp for my VO and Aeolus. Normally I would’ve gone for the Bifrost 2 with an Elise/Euforia/new McIntosh MHA200(depending on reviews), but I may have to move countries in the near future and that puts me in a tough spot. If I buy them here in the US but have to move later this year or sometime next year, then I have to either figure out a way to convert them to 230V 50Hz from 110V 60Hz or sell them. The other option is to wait and buy after the move, but that’s precious time lost that I could be listening to my new setup, as I’m not moving immediately. As an alternative, I was looking at the Hugo TT 2 which has some fantastic reviews and uses an external power supply that supports 110-230V. Its integrated setup and not very large size means it’d also be easy to move around when needed. Cons of the TT2 would be the increased price and its solid state nature vs tubes.

Now what do you guys think? Would the TT2 be an overpriced downgrade compared to the Bifrost 2 + tubes setup? Or would it be worth the price? Any other suggestions?

I think your TT2 for now is the way to go as it can quench your thirst for time being and when you moved, you can add the amp on top with correct voltage... TT2 processing power is way way over Bifrost 2 imo.....

 

[Slim1970]

I think your TT2 for now is the way to go as it can quench your thirst for time being and when you moved, you can add the amp on top with correct voltage... TT2 processing power is way way over Bifrost 2 imo.....

Plus, the TT2 is highly resolving and detailed. It will extract maximum detail out of the VO.

 

[iotad]

Desert ironwood VO recently arrived! I'm really enjoying how full they sound, especially in the lower midrange. They are definitely on the heavy side at around 590g, but the weight is distributed surprisingly well (although co-pilot pad is in consideration). I love the way they clamp onto my head while remaining comfortable, compared to my HD800's where the comfort is awesome but the clamp is lacking. There is something magical about being able to jam out hard without worrying about headphones flying off..

 

[PsilocybinCube]

Beautiful headphones. Those are the same(stainless) that I have on order. Can't wait!

What are you driving them with? What pads?

 

[zedeatslead]

@Slim1970 , @Fatdoi Thanks for the input, that sounds good to me. In the meantime, here's a quick picture of my VO in CB. I planned to take some really nice photos for posting on this thread but it's been months and I still haven't managed it

 

[nwavesailor]

Plus, the TT2 is highly resolving and detailed. It will extract maximum detail out of the VO.

I agree! The TT2 is a really nice DAC with a decent SS amp paired with the VO and you can add a tube amp later.

 

[Roasty]

Beautiful headphones. Those are the same(stainless) that I have on order. Can't wait!

What are you driving them with? What pads?

Wait, were we able to choose stained/stainless? The stainless wood seems a bit "muted" in appearance.. I guess I hope mine is stained and comes like the pics on the ZMF site. *fingers crossed

 

[iotad]

Beautiful headphones. Those are the same(stainless) that I have on order. Can't wait!

What are you driving them with? What pads?

The wait is well worth it! I'm currently driving them with a denafrips ares II into thx 789/bottlehead crack + sb. I haven't done much back and forth between the two amps yet, but so far I am especially enjoying them out of the BHC setup!

As for pads I just swapped on the BE2 perf hybrids as a hopeful mid ground between the stock universe and verite pads. From the stock pads, I prefer the verite pads for their vocal emphasis. The universe pads have a tad much reverb/3d effect for my personal preference, but they make the headphones so comfortable!

 

[zach915m]

Desert ironwood VO recently arrived! I'm really enjoying how full they sound, especially in the lower midrange. They are definitely on the heavy side at around 590g, but the weight is distributed surprisingly well (although co-pilot pad is in consideration). I love the way they clamp onto my head while remaining comfortable, compared to my HD800's where the comfort is awesome but the clamp is lacking. There is something magical about being able to jam out hard without worrying about headphones flying off..

Wait, were we able to choose stained/stainless? The stainless wood seems a bit "muted" in appearance.. I guess I hope mine is stained and comes like the pics on the ZMF site. *fingers crossed

The Ironwood isn't stained - and there weren't any custom stain options, I think he was talking about the grille and rod being stainless steel. The photos in those pictures look great! But remember with bright daylight the headphones will look different than in our website pictures where we use 3 point lighting.

Many more Ironwood going out this week!

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I think your TT2 for now is the way to go as it can quench your thirst for time being and when you moved, you can add the amp on top with correct voltage... TT2 processing power is way way over Bifrost 2 imo.....

Not sure a TT2 is a downgrade.

 

[Pharmaboy]

tnx I will look for Singxer, I wonder if anyone has WA22 and what is the synergy with VO

I had the WA22 last year. I never got the chance to hear the VO on it, but I did hear the Aeolus, which I was very familiar with on various SS amps. Damn, that sound was amazing. In fact, a prototypical tube experience (of the transformer-coupled type):

• Tonality became more dimensional, velvety even, with more space around notes
• Soundstage (already big on this headphone) got even bigger, richer in musical information--the recording space more audible
• Midrange (already big on this headphone) got even bigger & more layered...just beautiful sounding
• Treble -- no real change other than the add'l dimensionality
• Bass -- the deepest bass is lower in amplitude and doesn't quite reach as low as on SS. The bass overall sounds terrific in terms of timbre, but doesn't hit quite as hard as SS

In other words, classic +'s & -'s of tubes.

Final point about the WA22: as with many big tube designs, the sound of the WA22 is largely dependent on one's assemblage of NOS tubes. One group of tubes may sound "eh" while the other propels the listener to heaven. Given that few seem to seriously listen to the WA22 with stock tubes installed, this puts some pressure on the user to be an insightful (and lucky!) procurer of NOS tubes. That's not at all fair--but that's the way it is.

 

[PsilocybinCube]

Wait, were we able to choose stained/stainless? The stainless wood seems a bit "muted" in appearance.. I guess I hope mine is stained and comes like the pics on the ZMF site. *fingers crossed

I was referring to stainless steel grills, not the stain of the wood. Sorry for not being clear.