AmpsandSound Amplifiers and Speakers builder

Thinking about selling my Mogwai SE with Jupiter Capps upgrade. (Would come with a nice NOS tube package bundle.)Just testing the waters and seeing if anybody here is interested. Mostly selling a) because I have too many amps and b) because this is probably the easiest one to re-attain down the road or possibly/hopefully get a nautilus one day.

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How much are you wanting for it?

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I really dont think so. Im not sure how we could lower costs and still be relevant in the market place.
I believe in transformer coupled designsā€¦ I think good transformers are magic. We than pair that with obsessive detail to wiring. Its hard to lower our labor costsā€¦ My staff has been with me for 15years and I try really hard to make sure that benefit as we grow.
That being said, there are amaing values to be foundā€¦ getting used classic old school tube amps from consolesā€¦ 3-8watts and terminating to 1/4ā€™ can be super fun or doing a OTL kit.
There are really lovely OTL amps from bottle head that are of such high valueā€¦ it would be hard to complete.

Re VAT and shipping using ShipITO and other companies allows your to make your own customs declariationsā€¦ such technics can be used to minimize VAT.

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AmpsandSound Mogwai SE review:

Have you ever looked at a gallery photograph and thought, ā€œDamn, thatā€™s just beautiful?ā€ No, Iā€™m not just talking about the subject, the lighting, composition, colors, or image sharpness. For folks who love photography, once in a rare while we are lucky enough to come across the use of a really special lens that just somehow makes the image pop . Weā€™re talking about specific famed Leica Summicrons as an example; you can put another highly-rated 50 mm lens in the exact same location, with the same settings and lighting, and get something that comes close, but it just doesnā€™t look as good.

What is that magic? Is it something quantifiable, measurable? You know it when you see it, but ā€œitā€ is so hard to define. And that perceived effect is so much greater than the minute percentage difference.

In search for the office head-fi sonic heaven, this past year I upgraded my vinyl and digital headphone system from the Audeze LCD-2 to the ZMF Verite Open. The headphone source and amplifier was also upgraded to the Vinnie Rossi LIO, a ultracapacitor-powered (e.g. extremely quiet) integrated with his ā€œL2ā€ DAC and phono stage (total MSRP approx. $12,175), which has a paired 6922 tubed stage and dedicated solid-state headphone amplifier with XLR-output (2W in 32 ohms). Sources included an Aurender music server with a Curious Evolved USB cable, and a Rega P8 plus Apheta 3 vinyl combo. This baseline system is extremely detailed and quiet with a hint of warmth, and ticks all the audiophile sonic boxes; it met the ā€œfeels like I am rediscovering my music for the first timeā€ deal.

However, despite enjoying this higher sonic performance for a few months, the music from the LIOā€™s headphone output was missing a certain je ne sais quoi . Voices were recessed and the band instruments more prominent. Vocals are very clear, but did not tug at heart strings. The overall musical picture felt slightly empty, even though when I searched for the individual components e.g. bass, treble, rhythm, etc. they were all there. Regardless of how loud the volume knob was set, crescendos and choruses sounded like they were climbing to fortissimo, but it never felt like fortississimo. The LIO reminded me of my last M3 (apologies to you BMW fans)ā€¦ it had all the numbers and tech, was blazingly fast, and I really wanted to love it, but it just wasnā€™t fun . And thus the Ampsandsound Mogwai SE came into the picture.

The first words that came to mind upon unpacking the Mogwai SE are ā€œbeastā€, ā€œsolidā€ and ā€œbeautiful.ā€ The Seahorse hard shipping case is huge, and definitively raises the standard in component packaging. The amp is solid and hefty, with a complete absence of rattle or creaks. Cables and tubes seat definitively into their sockets without play or loosening. The power switch, volume pot and headphone jacks also similarly reflect the high build quality. The walnut and black steel motif is elegant yet understated, and should visually pair well with any typical black/silver audio equipment, and pairs especially well with wood-cup headphones. My Mogwai SE came with a JJ 6SL7 input tube, pair of Genalex Gold Lion KT88, and a NOS 5u3c rectifier. Due to office space limitations, the Mogwai SE was placed over the Aurender server on 3ā€ wooden blocks; a 3/4ā€ wood board with copper foil and Faraday tape were used to separate the server from the amplifier for good measure.

Just to first get it out of the way, the Mogwai SE has a tremendously quiet noise floor. Per Justinā€™s measurements, the RMS noise is 0.45 mV and 1.9 mV at 32 and 300 ohm taps, respectively. I dreaded receiving a unit with the hum described on internet forums, and in fact I did have a low hum when the Aurender was paused and the LIOā€™s DAC was powered on. However, when I muted the LIO output, the Mogwai SE was virtually SILENT with the ZMF Verites on both 32 and 300 ohm taps until the volume was turned to the 11 oā€™clock position using the stock tubes, which is well above typical listening levels. The hum therefore came from either the LIO or interconnects. After discussions with both Vinnie Rossi and Justin Weber, both absolute class acts in my book, the final solution included the use of DH Labs Air Matrix shielded interconnects from the LIOā€™s variable output (set to ~80% max output, therefore lowering the Mogwaiā€™s volume setting to 9 oā€™clock). For good measure a Shunyata NR V10 power cord was used directly into the wall socket.

Music through the Mogwai SE felt as if Iā€™m now in front of the original oil-on-canvas masterpiece instead of the giclee prints with the LIO. Immediately noticeable is that timbre and tonality are just so right. Triangles, guitars, kick drums, and even the microphonics on female vocals sound more realistic, with a significantly fuller, more dimensional vocal body. On Sarah McLachlanā€™s Mirrorball ā€œAngelā€, whereas before with the LIO I would continue to turn up the volume in hopes to flesh out her voice, now the music just comes forth with a natural ease, and Sarahā€™s voice has the right presence and volume to balance out the piano and venue. Most importantly, whereas the LIOā€™s presentation was a sonic smorgasbord with separate high-definition components, the Mogwai SEā€™s picture was one of just cohesiveness and beauty. As if the artistsā€™ intentions and meaning are more evident. The drums at the opening of ā€œIce Cream ā€, also on the Mirrorball album, exhibited not only surprising depth and slam even when compared to a solid state amplifier, but also a greater texture that can only come from timbre accuracy.

With Bill Evans Trioā€™s Portrait In Jazz ā€œAutumn Leavesā€ , the Mogwai SE portrayed each double bass pluck and piano note with heft. Like a refined award-winning cabernet as opposed to a pinot noir, but not merlot. Despite the larger serving of tonal body, Justinā€™s amp easily kept all the instrument lines cleanly separate without smearing. Details (especially microdetails) and speed are abundant and both microdynamics and macrodynamics are plentiful. This was exemplified in the famous opening sequence of Guns Nā€™ Rosesā€™ ā€œ Sweet Child Oā€™ Mine ā€, with the building up of additional instrument layers while the main guitar riff remains bold and unchallenged. Excitement was back at 100%. The Mogwai SEā€™s ability to blast Gnā€™R with enough vigor to transport us back into the memories of our youth places it among the top echelon of componentsā€¦. Where everything was a fresh as the bright blue skyā€¦

Track after track I got lost in enjoying the music and found myself singing or playing air guitar, and forgot about the whole audiophile listening thing. Norah Jones seduces. Taylor Swift mocks. Keith Jarrett brings it home. After all, isnā€™t that what this is ultimately about?

Tube rolling with the Mogwai SE is the icing on the cake. The rectifier tube was replaced with a rare Western Electric 422A: the differences were not subtle, at least on the level of a cable change. On Sara Bareillesā€™ ā€œShe Used To Be Mineā€ and ā€œLive At The Fillmoreā€, the 422A provided a slightly more detailed and focused presentation, with a greater sense of the venue, further enhancing the already great stock Mogwai SE performance. Listening to the amplifier with upgraded tubes with the lights dimmed was akin to finishing off an amazing Michelin 3-star dinner with a smooth after dinner whiskey compared with the LIOā€™s Ruthā€™s Chris meal. Substituting the JJ 6SL7 with a TJ Full Music 12AU7 dropped the noise floor further and allowed a greater use of the volume pot range, and increased treble airiness with a slightly decreased midrange fullness. However, with so many potential permutations of input/power/rectifier tubes, sonic trade-offs are likely; an Amperex Holland 12AT7 brought a slightly decreased PRAT and bass definition, resulting in a less exciting sound, and also increased the noise floor. The tube flexibility allows a great advantage in system matching, but your mileage may vary. Just be prepared to go down the tube collectorā€™s rabbit hole with Justinā€™s amps.

Ansel Adams once said, ā€œa great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.ā€ For our musical journey, we similarly search from component to component with the hopes of that fulfillment, but often then covet the next upgrade. The Ampsandsound Mogwai SE fulfills for me that rare solid endgame of delivering a tremendous performance with truth, emotion and beauty leaving little else to wish for (donā€™t tempt me with Justinā€™s Bigger Ben/Rockwell/Natilus, I donā€™t hear you, La La La). To any reader who is fortunate enough to consider Justinā€™s amps, you will not regret it.

Highly recommended!

Huge thanks to @ampsandsound, @Earmuffs, @rrwwss52 and many others in this community for their advice and time.

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I donā€™t even have my Pendant SE yet and am already lusting after the Mogwai SE. Hopefully Iā€™ll get to hear it at CanJam SoCal if itā€™s not cancelled.

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If someone should ever want to sell their Mogwai SE, they should link to this review!

This is interesting to me. My VC experience wasnā€™t as favorable.

Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru would like to have a word with you.

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What a wonderful writeup @ktc. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it. I am now envious of your great setup. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone.

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CanJam SoCalā€¦ Its my hope to be there.
Lovely write up, even better photography.

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Dumb question - do A&S amps ship with a power cord? (My Ovation is on order and I wanna be ready for it.)

They do ship with a pretty heavy duty power cord

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Dealing with vibration.

Added some anti-vibration feet to my Amps&Sound amp. My Kenzie Ovation sits on my desk and when I type, I used to be able to hear noises from the tubes through the headphones without music playing.

I added these [Isolate It: Sorbothane Vibration Isolation Circular Disc Pad 0.5" Thick 1.5" and it took away the bulk of the noise, but I still wonder if other components on my desk (several monitors, two computers, NAS array) might be contributing vibration. Has anyone had success with IsoAccoustics equipment isolators? The sorbothane made a big noticeable difference, but I wonder if something more purpose built might help. Thanks

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I havenā€™t had the chance to buy any IsoAcoustics products yet, but I plan to soon. Fully agreed that isolation helps, particularly with tube gear. I keep everything on a separate audio rack right next to my computer desk, so that largely will eliminate things like typing and other desk components, but itā€™s still subject to toe tapping (happens when listening to great music on good equipment!) and other home vibrations. Iā€™ll be trying the IsoAcoustics ZaZen I for my DAC in the next couple of weeks, and will likely order one for an amp as well, but Iā€™m waiting until my amp situation gets settled so I know what weight rating to get. Do report back if you get one!

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Iā€™m not in the same situation as you but I did use sorbothane exclusively for awhile with my monitors and tabletop, but I was curious if Iā€™d get a performance boost with isoacousticsā€¦

Changed every sorbothane hemisphere I had and what I noticed was that sorbothane did a slightly better job at dealing with vibration (assuming you get the appropriate durometer), but the isoacoustics did sound better. I was playing a track that had a lot of piano and the isoacoustics tended to sound cleaner to me.

Regardless of the sound difference, Iā€™d still get some isoacoustics for 3 reasons:

  • theyā€™re easier to position and handle
  • they look nice
  • they donā€™t leave any residue like sorbothane does

So, the only reason I would consider getting sorbothane is the priceā€¦much more budget-friendly.

*Keep in mind the products I used were their pucks line so this info may be useful to you or not, but I hope that it is.

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Similar problem here with my Kenzie. Turns out my wood case is warped. One foot is not making firm contact with the shelf. This defect is not covered under warranty - I checked.

Iā€™ll add some aftermarket isolation feet to manage the offset in the feet. If I canā€™t get it straightened out, Iā€™ll need to order a new box. I have some Alto Extremo LYD 1 that will probably do the trick.

With respect to IsoAcostics products, I think PCX Connexion in Toronto was running a special on those.

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Just as an experiment, might be worth adding a large damping mass platform under your Ovation. For example a 10x15" marble slab or steel plate. Can put that on top of vibrapods, and then the amp on top of that.

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Are they using solid highly figured wood without stabilization? Itā€™s very likely to shrink, warp, and (possibly) crack over time. This is one reason why veneers are so common. You can use adjustable external feet as a work-around, but the wood is still vulnerable and may get worse.

Whatā€™s your humidity level? You could add a humidifier nearby. My wife has violin, and they are sensitive to humidity changes too. To increase the moisture level she has a green plastic thing to soak in water and then place inside the violin.

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I couldnā€™t tell you how the wood is configured. It is light weight Walnut material on the side. A thin (1/4") plywood like base material for the bottom. If itā€™s gets worse, I just have to purchase another box. Itā€™s probably 1/8" off.

Iā€™m in a low humidity area. Southwest Riverside County, California.

I know the area and bet the wood is bone dry. Anywhere in the southwest of the country is going to have low humidity issues. Dryness causes the wood on musical instruments to change their tuning, it causes guns to change their point of impact, and makes wooden handles separate or crack on knives and tools.

Depending on the finish, you might remove the box and directly apply water. Then place a weight on top or clamps all over to slowly force it back into shape. After that, apply a sealer or resin to preserve the desired shape. Thatā€™s probably how a woodworker would repair it. Be aware that applying water can force the need for refinishing too.

Outside humidity varies, but most of time indoor humidity is between 40 - 50%.

I sent you a PM.

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I have the same problem with my Pendant OG. One foot is not even touching the shelf, itā€™s floating.

Any recommendations for adjustable feet?