@TylersEclectic has a RAD-0 and has been testing the Burson Conductor, so he should be able to tell you. He’s also been testing the Ampsandsound Forge that @bpcarb mentioned.
I have a Burson Soloist 3XP and Ampsandsound Nautilus but have never heard a RAD-0. I’m triangulating a bit, but if the Forge sounds good with the RAD-0, then I would expect the Nautilus should too, since it is in the same family.
I use my Soloist a lot, and I do find it extremely musical yet neutral. There is a little bit of excitement in the Burson thread right now because a couple of members have recently had blown headphones, and a number of people who don’t own a Burson are wondering if this is a trend, and are wondering if they would buy one or not. It’s a good question to ask. As an owner, I can only talk about my unit, which is used every day and is problem-free. I can afford to write off what I paid for it and replace it with something else, but I choose not to, because I love it so much.
Another neutral yet musical solid state amp to consider would be one of the SPL Phonitors. Plenty of reviews and impressions on the Phonitor in this forum. I will fully admit that I’ve considered buying a Phonitor purely for the VU meters.
@PaisleyUnderground thanks man! I look forward to hearing what @TylersEclectic has to say about it. I noticed the excitement, and I hope that things get worked out for those users! I’ll check out the Phonitors as well, and yeah, the VU’s are really cool
The Rad-0s paired really well with the Burson conductor, honestly, I’m really enjoying what Burson has been bringing to the table lately. Currently have a Burson Funk on demo and find it quite capable for how small it is, a great all in one amp minus the DAC… but, I was really blown away at how well they paired with the Forge amp! They just seemed to go that extra bit to 11 with the Forge ha! Honestly the Rad-0s are my favorite Planar magnetic headphone! so a bit biased in that regard. I will eventually own a set =) just need to decide on a custom design ha! The demo pair I had and loved are now cough stolen coughcough sent off to @SebastienChiu and I have a feeling he is aligned with my thoughts on how awesome the Rads are =)
I’m really enjoying them with the Bigger Ben, so I’m sure you’ll be pleased with how they sound with the Mogwai.
I’m going to run them with the Rebel for a couple of days. I anticipate this to be a great pairing as well.
Nice. I was meaning to check in on how you’re getting on with them. Those were some swift moves you made! I’d think the Rebel would be a great pairing as well.
Thanks! I’m liking this tube roll for the Mogwai SE and RAD-0 so far: 5AR4, KT88, 5751. I’ve found the more power, the better. I got some signal bleed with volume at 0 with 12AX7. What are you finding with the Bigger Ben?
My current roll is a Mullard CV3986 (mini Mullard) Tung Sol 6550 black plates and a Cossor GZ37.
I’m thinking of swapping out the blackplates for Tungsol 6L6GC STR as the mini Mullard is a little light in the bottom end.
Planars in general sound better the more juice you feed them, that’s why a nice class A amp like the Rebel is a great match with many of them. These sound great on the Rebel, but the Bigger Ben really makes them shine without breaking a sweat.
Very nice tubes. Glad you’re enjoying the RAD with your amps.
By the way, while the RAD from the Mogwai SE’s 8 ohm out sounds correct, I’ve found the 32 ohm out to introduce some bass bloom, which is sometimes desirable.
I’ve been running it in the 16 ohm, haven’t jumped around yet. I’ll try the 32 tonight.
Also, knowing your tastes, I think you’d really like the mini Mullard. Need a 6922 adapter to run it.
