ZMF Pendant Review - A 'neutral' tube amp for high end headphones?

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[@B1gdee05]

Absolutely brilliant analysis regarding "chasing the idea of transparency" music and sound is a personal perception on how the individual wants to hear.. Brilliant review man👍🏾👍🏾

[@tak351]

Your insight and open-mindedness is very refreshing to see on youtube and the community. I highly recommend you check out some of the boutique ones like DNA, Eddie Current, or ECP stuff if you want to venture out to tube route :) DNA Starlett and Eddie Current ZDS are some of my personal favorites

[@bri_the_way]

Love that you're branching out to more than just headphones! Love to hear your opinion on different products in the future!

[@carroljl]

Enjoyed the review. I purchased my pendant back in Aug/Sep when preordering the Verite Closed. Very good sounding amp indeed. Agree that the amp volume doesnt require much turning (9 o'clock is pretty loud for most songs). One other thing is 2.4/5GHz wireless signal can introduce noise into the tubes, so I move my access point out of the same room as the pendant. I still hear a slight ticking noise from the other wireless devices in the room, but I deal with it.

[@nicktan4530]

How does it sounds ?

[@carroljl]

vvvVFANGSVvvv I have to usually keep my cell phones on the other side of the 8ft desk. It depends on what the phone is doing as well, if it’s constantly communicating with WiFi for email and messaging, you would hear it though the headphones. I had to move the ap in the living room on the other side of the room (wall in-between the amp and ap). I’m still hearing some noise from my monitors or something else, but it’s not bad, I’m content. Swapping tubes from the default can also introduce noise possibly as well.

[@StraightEdgeAlexxx31]

for me, tubes and my zmf aeolus made me realize how ridiculous my line of thinking has been in this rabbit hole. im here because i love music and i want it at its best. forget graphs. forget "perfection". zmf's on tubes are endgame... unfortunately for many of us, it is a game... it shouldnt be. buy a nice tube amp, a zmf headphone and love listening to your music.

[@markjeroendurr2626]

It's all about the music and some people prefer solid-state over tube amps. For headphone listening I do recommend tube amps. I have a Cayin ha 1 mk2 and it's powerful, musical and drives a lot of cans to great satisfaction.

[@sonicthehedgehog989]

Interesting. I also like great tube amps when using the sony mdr z1r headphone. The driver is big and sound like planar drivers. Add tube to it makes it more natural, the headphone it self is natural and relaxed it's just that the tube amp matches its character and creates a concert hall type of experience.

[@vincenthusvh]

What tube do you use with the Z1r?

[@sonicthehedgehog989]

@@vincenthusvh WA22 from wo audio. It's not a new amp but it sounds fabulous

[@nicktan4530]

@@sonicthehedgehog989 ah another expensive overprice audio gear

[@nicktan4530]

Where do you try the sony ?

[@dRnRcR]

Content has been on point. It's like everytime im thinking of a video boom it shows up here. Really great comment in regards to being to hyper focused on measurements and forgetting its about the music.

[@evensung]

I really liked your insight to the META/Transparancy here. Subscribed.

[@AF-rd2vf]

You’re simply one of the best!

[@Tracks777]

amazing stuff

[@BS-jc6no]

Very nice review, thank you. Another amp to consider for high impedance headphones is the Schiit Valhalla 2, which is an OTL design.

[@noseonscent1935]

The 8 ohm low gain setting is quite deceptive, because of secondary output, tube warmer power section coupled with transformers, this "low" setting is most likely putting out a real world 32 ohm output in net effect because of voltage swing. Cheers.

[@nicktan4530]

What do you usually use to paired with your Verite ?

[@blair0warren]

How would the ZMF pendant run with the Abyss Diana Phi?

[@seanlefebvre438]

A great and insightful review as always! Curious what DAC(s) did you use to pair with the Pendant? Have you had a chance to review the Cayin HA-1A MKII?

[@AnthonyCandaele]

I would love this amplifier, but I live in Belgium (Europe) were our appliances run on 220 volt instead of 120 volt. Is there an adapter for this amplifier?

[@tristanjones7735]

I love it when people talk about solid state being more transparent and neutral compared to tubes. The amplifying device itself is ALMOST (key word) irrelevant. What matters is the topology and how the circuit is implemented.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Well, I should have clarified that not all SS aims for 'transparent and neutral'. There are all kinds of transformer coupled designs and so forth, different op-amps to change the sound etc. But there's an idea of transparency often associated with amp measurements that I'm more pointing the finger at.

[@bozoc2572]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow Correlation between current set of measurements (SINAD and stuff) and the sound quality perceived by the listener is not really strong and the current research is sorely lacking. And am not infering there are placebo and nocebo effects at play here, just the fact that that amps objectively sound different. Currently the amp industry is an arms race in churning mostly meaningless(they are useful for engineerings) numbers as far as the SQ goes. Btw. Higher output impedance effect the bass response in dynamic driver. The higher the headphone impedance/amp output impedance is the more effect on bass you have. Incidentally, this does not affect FR of planar magnetic headphones, it just acts as an attenuator across the fr.

[@BunnyslippersEUC]

I bought my Rupert Neve RNHP for transparency. I only want to hear the headphones. I bought the Musical Fidelity M1HPA for a different flavour. It opens up the soundstage a bit. It adds some sweetness to the treble. It's very slightly warmer sounding. The day after tomorrow I will demo the Cayin HA-1A tube amplifier. With different tubes. So even at 2000 dollars you can expect tube noise.

[@nicktan4530]

This is why to go for Solid State and Tubes together !

[@txtele]

In my opinion it's very hard to it's impossible to assess audio by what's written down on a piece of paper running a single frequency through and seeing how something performs is not going to match up to running a complex program through something and seeing how it performs great review by the way it's my first video I've ever watched of yours nice job

[@ErnestoDelAguilaIII]

Since you are diving deeper into the tube amp world, any chance you'll look at Linear Tube Audio's microZOTL MZ2? ;)

[@mx5s]

Tube amps usually have different impedance taps to match the load.

[@nathanberger618]

The higher impedance Audeze headphones also sound good on tubes. I have a Dragon Inspire IHA-1 tube amp and what I am in the process of is finding in my personal opinion the best combination of tubes between using the driver tubes and the rectifier tubes. The Vérité CB Ironwoods sound best on tubes as I also do have three solid state setups desktop. Actually I have two other tube amp setups on my desktop. My favorite thing about tube amps, rolling in different tubes to try on the different amps.

[@filovirus1]

sounds like in order to test this type of high-end tube amp with different tubes, you need multiple tube amps on your desk with different tubes at the same time.

[@B1gdee05]

I am a novice regarding headphones but can you explain why planar headphones does not sound good via tube amp. It tends to sound very distorted at high volume...

[@tthedon2471]

hello sir. i love your video. i have a focal clear and wonder what amp would match their quality. i currently use graham slee solo mk1. many thanks.

[@leolam2445]

Can anyone tell me where to get that headphone stand? look so nice!!!

[@olimphus26]

what is that curved thing you put on the hook of the banana holder so you could rest the headphone there?

[@issekinicho]

Great review ! Do you think, Pendant amp pairing with Verité headphone is the best end game combo for metal music ?

[@marianpalko2531]

Couldn't you just buy a transparent amp and color the sound with DSP?

[@Tracks777]

amazing content

[@holytiger89]

Welcome to the tube world. you have finally entered the true audiophile rabbit hole.

[@brianpacheco1927]

Would love to hear your impressions on the Auteur paired with the Pendant.

[@johnsonadekunle7675]

First I want to thank you for recommending to me the Verite C. I absolutely love it. Now I need a high end tube amp for the VC and my other headphones. The Pendant is on my radar but doesn't have an xlr balanced output. I currently own the XDuoo TA-20 hybrid amp and the balanced output performs better than the SE output in my own opinion. The soundstage is much better. So what CLEAN tube amp would you recommend? I have the following headphones: VC Focal clear Arya Empyrean Aeolus HD800S Lcd 2c Klipsch heritage hp-3 Oppo PM-3 HD660S . Thanks.

[@HeadonistHeadphones]

You may try a XLR4 or 2xXLR3 to 6.35 connector. JPS Labs offer such adapter, cabled with Alumiloy.

[@speleofool8164]

An audio playback rig should be thought of as an apparatus that transforms recordings into emotion. A rational measurements-based approach will get you most of the way there by removing imperfections in the chain, but the final leap is necessarily one of personal preference, which by definition cannot be objectively measured since it is uniquely, personally subjective.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Love this reply... well said.

[@Joelsfilmer]

I need to save this text. Brilliantly well put!

[@shadym1lkman]

Did you remove the Verite review... I cannot find it in your video list.

[@vincenthusvh]

Older account. It's on the 'Resolve reviews' chanel

[@shadym1lkman]

@@vincenthusvh its not there either, unfortunate.

[@vincenthusvh]

Just put in the search bar: ZMF Verité review. It will show up

[@miked3058]

Hey Andrew, How have are you? Did you get a chance at all to listen to the Glenn OTL at Canjam? I thought it was possibly a bit more 3D and a little more quiet than the Pendant, which was excellent also.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Unfortunately I was too busy trying to film everything and get as much footage as possible to try out the Glenn OTL. I'm hopeful to try it out at the next event I go to (which might be soon? fingers crossed!)

[@rockyfox9016]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow Hey Andrew, are you going to Can Jam Socal in June?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

@@rockyfox9016 probably. I guess it depends on how this health thing goes

[@snowrang3r657]

I'll have to keep an open mind and try tube sometimes. I think for me at least I'm attracted to measurements because I can objectively compare products then order online what I think is worth it's price. If I'm not concerned about measurements I can always read subjective reviews online but a lot of times there's people that like something and people that don't like something. I guess I just need more friends in this hobby so I can try their stuff!

[@ResolveReviews]

Yeah that's understandable. If you have an opportunity to hear one at a show or something like that, it would be ideal.

[@snowrang3r657]

@@ResolveReviews Yeah I probably should just go to a show to experience more.

[@devinwilliams4860]

Oddly enough the most transparent amps I've ever heard are both tube amps: The Woo Audio WA33 & the Blue Hawaii Special Edition. The Sennhesier HE 1 counts too I guess, but that's cheating a little bit. I still haven't heard any estats on any Mjolnir Audio amps yet, hope to soon.

[@huckfin1100]

I want good separation of all instruments and to hear them clean clear loud with a side of punchy bass !

[@chronometa]

This. just enough to feel the bass guitar or drums.

[@rickg8015]

I reckon the Aeon 2 would be a good match with the low impedance 8 Ohm taps..

[@norrinRadd026]

Proud of you.

[@djhmax09]

I wanna get into tubes but I don't want to tube roll.......

[@johnlanser1951]

The WA7 is a good set it and forget it option. Not too much room for tube rolling.

[@djhmax09]

John Lanser I thought about that but aren’t they discontinued? That’s why they’re so expensive used nowadays...... at least to my knowledge

[@johnlanser1951]

@@djhmax09 I wish that was the case but yes Woo still makes them.

[@rustydog2112]

Welcome to tube world! A better overall sonic experience... Just beware of tube rolling.

[@rustydog2112]

And yes, planars kick ass on any ampsandsound amplifier.

[@nicolasyance40]

Russell Weston what planars do you often use with Ampsandsound amps? Ive an he1000v2 and im wondering if they are save to use with the Pendant’s outputs.

[@rustydog2112]

@@nicolasyance40 yes the outputs are safe to use with any headphone. Though I don't use tube amps on any efficient cans, generally. I've used audeze Lcd-2 and 3, primarily. But they sound great with Dan Clark headphones and hifiman as well.

[@amritjanardhanan]

That massacar ebony doe...

[@NiSHAN256]

*Amir has entered the chat*

[@Gabriel-of-YouTube]

A "neutral" tube amplifier defeats its purpose and if you take the price into consideration... Great audio is affordable today, so choose wisely.

[@ResolveReviews]

It can still impact stage and depth qualities without impacting tonality. The low Z FR didn't change when compared with SS amps.

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Transparency through halve transparant window glass............hmmmmmmmmmmm

[@ColocasiaCorm]

Bean

[@mariodrv]

I can clearly, but slightly distorted through my tube amp, hear ASR autists screeching in the distance...