Just unpacked and set my new headphone amp… Amps and Sound Kenzie Encore. Very sweet indeed…Source is imac Roon>Meridian Prime DAC/AMP
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Every time I’ve heard the Kenzie, I’ve always loved it’s tone and detail but the staging always gets me…
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Definitely sweet stuff. Beautiful device.
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I have been using a base Kenzie with outboard input transformers for almost two years. At the time I ordered mine the Kenzie Encore had not been introduced yet. With HD800S I have felt no need to upgrade once I settled on the tubes I preferred. I ordered my Kenzie with the 32/300 Ohm taps and listen to the HD800S using the 32 Ohm jack, following the 1:8 rule.
It is easy to find matched wartime RCA 1626, not so easy to locate the better sounding brown base Tung Sol 1626. As far as input tubes my favorite 12SL7GT is the RCA grey glass. Very liquid midrange with punchy bass and silky highs. However if you want the best SQ possible I found the 1960’s vintage Telefunken 'Diamond Bottom" ECC801S (adaptor needed) to work best for my ears in my system.
The Kenzie sounds just fine with the stock tubes but the benefits to rolling in the tubes I mentioned are clearly audible. Because they sound so fine it is very hard to locate the RCA grey glass 12SL7GT and Tung Sol 1626 but pick some up if you see them from a reputable supplier. You want the Tung Sol with the brown bases, not black by the way.
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There are lots of choices when it comes to input tubes 2C52, 12AT7, and 12B4A output tubes…
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What input tube are you running there?
Input tube is 1963 Telefunken Diamond Bottom ECC801S using an adaptor. I have tried them all: 2C52, 12AT7, and 12B4A etc. Favorite input is the Telefunken ECC801S with Tung Sol 1626 power. Second place is 1940s RCA grey glass 12SL7GT input with 1940s RCA 1626 power.
With the Telefunken ECC801S I don’t miss the Tung Sol 1626 so much, for a while I had to use RCA 1626 until I located some more Tung Sols last year. If you decide to try the ECC801S it is best to only get the Telefunken Diamond bottom from the 1960s as the later Siemens are inferior.
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I have the 12SL7 grey glass and 1626 RCA variants. I have the same adapter, and a slew of 12A_7 family tubes, most from US manufacturers.
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what about the staging do you like about it compared to other amps?
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I can’t seem to edit… the staging get’s me in a bad way
It distracts me. The Kenzie is so… compact. Lacks width and things feel a bit too intimate
Not as open and spacious as the DNA Amps or even my own little Modded SET,
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I don’t have the same experience. I have a Kenzie and a KenzieEncore. Which headphones are you using? [I know you have quite the collection]… Stock 1626 output tubes work well. Trying a different input tube could help. A Raytheon 2C52 or using a higher performance 12A_7 tube with adapter can add some pop over the stock 12SL7.
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Well I’ve heard it a couple dozen times at shows at Zachs Table, with an Eikon Cherry usually with the Silver Cable. An I always enjoy the same can on the DNA Amp that Zach has. Even with my own reference tracks running Eikon on the Kenzie, Eikon is noticeably less open
That said, I’ve not sat down with the amp in my own home to have a more cohesive and through listen and comparison
But having heard them again and again I can’t say I intend to purchase one… the DNA amps had and continue to impress me show after show and meet after meet. An my experience with Amp&Sound [which now includes the Pendant] is equally consistent, great tone and detail but staging that isn’t quite what I’m used to or wanting
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Headphone amps are certainly not one size fits all. I actually bought my Encore from Zach. My Kenzie is a custom one Justin from ampsandsound made for himself (8/300). I’ve rolled a few different input tubes, and stay away from the 12SL7 stock input which isn’t as good as some other options I’ve tried.
Thanks for your reply…Cheers.
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Both sound pretty special! An yea without knowing what tube’s where being run it’s hard to say how much better the staging could be!
Hopefully in the future I’ll get a chance to hear yours, It sounds pretty special
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Just installed a Telefunken 12AU7 input tube yesterday (adapter required). My brother found it in surplus meter. Gave me two of them and both measured super strong on my tube tester. REALLY nice tube. Price was right too.
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I just picked up 3 Telefunken 12at7’s for $30 apiece yesterday from a good friend!! Haven’t used them yet but Telefunken is my favorite tube manufacturer. That and amperex & Mullard
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Siemens does a great job too! Their NOS is practically as good as Telefunken and even used the same equipment sometimes.
My kenzie has a good holographic presentation. Nothing super crazy with staging but just to compare it with my woo audio wa3 the soundstage has an outline of this natural vintage sound. Don’t know how to explain it but it has soul where the wa3 has that vintage tone washed off. That might only make sense to me and sorry if so. I’m fine with the staging but I understand your gripe of it being close and tight. But then again I might be biased as I feel all headphone amps and headphones are close and tight. That is probably because I’m coming from a 2 channel background where the soundstage is god tier.
But comparisons are best and the Kenzie has a much bigger 3d holographic soundstage than the wa3
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I bought two tested Telefunken 12AT7 off of eBay on Thursday…Interesting vendor (almost 8,000 100% positive feedback) that doesn’t guarantee his stuff, but everybody feedbacks the stuff is in excellent shape. I paid $19 each shipped.
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I prefer to pay the extra amount to places like
Brent jesse tubes to make sure I’m getting really tightly matched brand new tubes than eBay but regardless trying out tubes that are $20-30 Has little risk and maybe are not bad. I personally just don’t trust eBay sellers to give tightly matched tubes with little microphonics and or used. And the tubes are mostly the ones that are not the coveted ones. The ones I bought were not from Brent as his cheapest 12at7 Telefunken is $75. I bought from a local store that did the very minimum of testing instead of using their top of the line tube tester.
What do you guys think? Buy the cheaper post 60’s tubes on eBay for cheap or pay three times as much for a tightly matched 2% or less
Pre 60’s and 50’s golden era of tubes from a reputable dealer?
Me, I will buy from both! For components that just need one tube I buy cheap and take a gamble and when I buy for preamps and phono preamps that need matched tubes I buy the most expensive more sought out models that are 100% NOS especially for the phono preamp where badly matched tubes effect the sound and balance a lot.
The problem with not buying on eBay is the cost and with my credit card debt it is getting harder and harder to pick the choice of the more expensive tubes. Maybe reputable eBay dealers that @rrwwss52 bought from and local hifi shops that I buy from are the sweet spot to buy from when getting tubes for our amps like the Kenzie!!
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