Anyone have experience pairing a Hifiman Arya with the pendant? Is it a good match or will I need a separate chain for my VC? Thanks in advance.
I’ve not heard the Arya but have run the Ananda (“A” for short) on my Pendant on the low z tap. The other amps I also ran the A on were the Phonitor E, Lake People RS-08, and Asgard 2. I’ll start and stop here on the Asgard, it did a very respectable job but sounded the worst of the bunch. Nothing wrong with that given the other amps in this group though.
The Pendant did a very decent job with A, but I thought the Phonitor and LP did a better job. They were cleaner sounding, with better driver control and resolution. The Pendant was noticeably warmer sounding, no matter the tubes I rolled. Bass was more rounded, and slower. Treble was a tad softer, which I actually liked. But overall I felt it was a slightly hazier and less controlled experience on the Pendant.
The gap between the solid states and Pendant wasn’t huge. I could easily live with the Pendant and A as a combo, just throwing that in. If you have both ZMF/high Z headphones and planers in your lineup, it’s a very nice amp to do it all. But if you’re mostly a planer listener, I’d personally go with a Phonitor or similar solid state amp to really get the most out of them.
PS the VC/Pendant combo is so addicting, I’m listening to that now as I write this.
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Thanks for sharing your experience here. I considered the Elise or GOTL but since I already have a crack + SB, thought I should invest in something that’s more universal. At the same time, the VC is my most expensive headphone so the other thought is to invest the most in to getting the most of this headphone and let the others suffer. 
I feel the Pendant will not disappoint but wonder if the Elise or GOTL will bring something even more unique to the experience. I don’t think I’m that interested in another solid state either. Decisions…
I would take the pendant personally over the Elise, even though I did enjoy the Elise, and most definitely over the Phonitor. The pendant will play with pretty much any headphone especially if you get some good tubes (Which I I found my sonic bliss). Planar will do their best for the most part off the low Z tap on the Pendant. It has the most current from my talks with the builder. If you have a couple hours to kill check this live stream we did comparing the Elise and the Pendant.
ZMF Pendant vs. Feliks Audio Elise Headphone Amplifier Live Stream Subjective Audio Comparison
@johnccl196 hope that helps.
Edit: I would add I have listened to numerous headphones both planar and dynamic through the Pendant and have enjoyed them all (Rad-0, Empyrean, Verite Open, Aeolus, 6XX not the Arya, but I have with the He1000se, and just started with the HE6seV2 from Hifiman.
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Hey Gents. I wonder if any experienced folks have any opinion on this “happy quandary” I have: Beyond simple variety, would you see reason to have both the Pendant and a Glenn OTL, or would you choose one over the other if you had to make a Sophie’s choice type of decision?
I currently have the Pendant which I’m very happy with, enjoying it immensely with my VO as I build out my desktop/headphone station listening center. But I’m in a position to complete the purchase through private sale of a decked out Glenn OTL, with an arsenal of both standard, NOS and “Unobtainium” tubes to go with it. With the Pendant a SET design vs the Glenn’s OTL layout, my initial thought is that there’s enough difference in their sound and use case to justify having both, especially because of the Glenn’s tube rolling versatility. But then I realized I’m just guessing, and assuming that. My next thought? “To the Bat Phone, to ask for Forum Feedback!”
I’m less concerned about the cost necessarily since they’re both quality units that I could likely sell for close to my spend (especially if the Glenn tubes are really as varied, unique and abundant as being positioned). But as a mini-resolution for buying hi-end gear in 2021, I’m trying to be more strategic and thoughtful with each piece I purchase, trying to minimize the need to eventually re-sell. So, the real essence of my question is I’m trying to prevent redundancy across my gear acquisitions as much as possible, which can be a challenge when you’re having FUN with the listening. On one hand I’m thinking having both could satisfy the tube side of things for me for a nice long while. On the other hand I could just stay with the Pendant and use these Glenn OTL funds elsewhere (thinking either a solid-state headphone amp option, or even moving to beginning my two-channel journey). Knowing all of that, for those who have the listening experience with both units, what would you do? Happily have both amps and feel there’s enough “difference” for both, or choose one over the other if considering just these two options?
Just thinking that more experienced folks here who’ve listened/owned both may have a thought to share based on the angle I mentioned above. As always, thanks in advance for any and all reasoned and informed feedback!
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I have not heard a GOTL, sadly… But I did demo the Feliks lineup. This was an in shop demo before covid, so memory is poor and it was only a demo, but my thoughts closely mirror MRphotography’s. I kept thinking as nice as the Feliks amps sounded, the Pendant was the better sounding amp overall. And given it’s flexibility to drive all types of headphones, I do think it’s the best choice, especially if you’re looking for only one amp. If I was forced to sell off all my amps and keep only one, the Pendant would be it hands down.
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Pendant more versatile as an ultralinear. GOTL mainly high impedance. If you had to pick one, Pendant is probably the choice. If you can afford both then why not if you’re into headphones and know your preferences.
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That’s a tough question. Both awesome amps in popularity. Definitely think the pendant is an all around smasher! I’ve never gotten to demo a Gotl and hope to buy one hopefully in the unforeseeable future. Or at least get to hear one at a festival
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Thanks for sharing your opinion here. I did watch your video which did help; good video btw! 
Sadly, just received a reply from Zach saying he’s most likely sold out on the Pendant V1s at this point.
It depends on your ear and sonic preferences, not to mention the gear it is intended to run. It is possible that you prefer sonics in the middle of these two amps. There’s only one way to confirm. You should have no issue reselling these. Good luck.
*What DAC are you using in order to assess synergies? It might be helpful to also get a view of what you like about the Pendant sonically, what pads you use and why, and your preferences and comparisons of other gear - in order to make the most helpful recommendation and guess of what you’d prefer, given your very specific question.
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Good points. I’m learning it’s always about specificity in this hobby.
Right now, I’m using my VO with an RME ADI 2 and the Pendant, feeling the more neutral/reference nature of the RME compliments the slight warmness of the Pendant without getting too syrupy/tubey. That’s what I like about the Pendant: it seems to bring some euphonic energy without going crazy down a tube/distortion rabbit hole, and can still deliver on the detail retrieval front. I tend to like everything the VO brings to the table in regards to its nature and unique sound signature, so I’m building out all complimentary components from there. My focus has been on amp prioritization, hence the question of Pendant/Glenn OTL, as I know I can change out the RME at some point, but feel amps change more than DACs. And my sense from the few responses already is having both amps isn’t a bad thing at all.
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The VO can also change quite a bit dependent upon pad selection and pad material. I was surprised at the differences I heard.
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If anybody is interested in buying a pendant and want to save some money and buy my used leeloo, send me a message.
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I’ve been considering DAC pairings for the Pendant.
I am pairing the Pendant with a Naim DAC V1, all the PRaT elements/aspects that are commonly noted with Naim equipment are present. However, the downside is that the Naim can be a little glaring, slightly etched and a tad harsh - to the Pendant’s credit, it doesn’t mask these aspects. This pairing is superb for well produced electronic, hip hop and pop music but not ideal for acoustic, piano or more gentle classical and can be quite fatiguing for some rock and metal.
I used to own the RME and sold it - as a swiss army knife it’s unmatched at the price. I wish I had held onto it now to hear with the Pendant, I’ve considered buying another. My reason for selling was that I found the sound a little lifeless and lacking (compared to the Naim) when paired with a Pathos Aurium. I recall thinking the RME just sounded 2d and flat (dimensionally flat, rather than in terms of neutrality). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the RME / Pendant pairing - what do you think it does well vs. not so good when paired with the Pendant?
I confess I am biased toward R2R and tube-based designs in DACs, generally speaking. I like some character, some colour is fine, not overly so, of course, but a little is fine - I’m not seeking absolute neutrality but engagement with the music, principally. I’m still on the lookout for the perfect (to me) head-fi DAC.
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The bifrost 2 is a great little DAC. I’ve looked at tube Dacs, but I’m afraid that might be too much tubey-ness with a tube amp and rolling might become a big headache. I don’t know that, just a concern of mine. Maybe someone here has experience with multiple tube devices in their chain
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That is indeed a common concern, you could end up in (with?) a gooey mess!
Coming from 2ch where I ran a tube-based DAC, into a tube amp I can attest to how un-tubey (meaning the undesirable qualities; overly warm, soft, lumpy, slow, wooly, muddy, congested etc.) the correct (subjectively pleasing) synergy / implementation can sound. You can arrive at somewhere quite magical with the right combination.
I’m still new to the tube piece of it, so I come here for good advice.
My previous audiophile existence was a 2channel setup back in the late 80s-early 90s all analog british hifi with a cheap $100 CD player for convenience playing.
I stayed away from tube amps back then.
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I feel a little bit like a drug dealer, introducing people to tubes.
It’s addictive, costs a fair amount of money to maintain ones habit and certain flavours can be hard to come by, not to mention very costly. You’ll also need professional help to overcome the addiction once it takes hold with a long period of cold turkey!
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I like the Schiit Bifrost 2 with my Pendant. It’s a bargain in the US at $699, but not sure what it costs in the UK.
Since you’re already familiar with the RME, this is a really good comparison by @ProfFalkin of the RME ADI-2 vs the BF2, to give you an indication of how it sounds.
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I’ll start by saying that I haven’t heard the Pendant and GOTL. I have a VC.
The GOTL and Pendant should be different enough.
The Pendant should be quite capable if your goal is to have 1 tube amp. With certain tubes, the Pendant can likely be neutrally voiced such that you may not need a solid state amp for the VO. With other tube rolls, you can likely get alternative sonics, which I believe was Zach’s intended design.
The GOTL should also be versatile sonically with different tubes, but the absence of an output transformer likely makes it less versatile to pair with different types of headphones (e.g. low impedance, low sensitivity).
It’s uncertain which amp has the higher ceiling.
Tube rolling on the GOTL would likely be more expensive.
As mentioned by @perogie, different ZMF pads alter the sound.
Partly based on the limited availability/accessibility of the GOTL, I’d probably buy the GOTL, compare and decide whether both are worth keeping, and then sell one if your ears say so. Note that the Pendant has a preamp output that may help your 2-channel journey; I’m uncertain about the GOTL.
Good luck.
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