Just checking back in, as I have gotten the Mullard EL84 RX1 burned in, and I have to say I still prefer the Amperex EL84 D Getters. The Amperex just have more emotion and natural decay, that I can’t get enough of, and especially paired up with the Footscray Brimar CV4033 Triple Mica 57’.
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Hi all! New to the forum here and looking for some recommendations. Recently ordered a ZMF Pendant SE and a VC. These should arrive within the next 3-4 weeks.
I’m struggling with choosing the right DAC to pair it with. Top 3 contenders so far are the Chord Qutest, Denafrips Ares II, and Schiit Yggdrasil GS.
Any input/feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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Of those three, I would go with Yggdrasil all day. Yggy is a flagship, the other two are entry level from their respective brands. Denafrips Ares II is going to be smoother and more colored (with less resolution) than the other two. Chord does that neat Chord thing, and if you put Hugo TT2 in the conversation that might change things, but I’m pretty sure Yggy outclasses and outresolves Qutest. I don’t have firsthand experience with Yggy, but I do have a Bifrost (the “baby Yggy”) and I can tell you the Schiit multibit sound works really well with tubes.
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The Chord Qutest is a great DAC at the price. It works well with Solid State and tubed amps.
I’ve never owned a YGGY, but the Qutest tops the Gumby (Schiit Gungnir MB) in my book.
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Thanks Chris! The Bifrost 2 is definitely a bargain at its price point and truly outclasses mostly everything else in that bracket.
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I’m open to other suggestions as well…the three I mentioned earlier are just ones that have stood out in my research so far.
The Pendant is a capable amplifier, the tubes you roll will make subtle but worthwhile changes in the sound signature and some actually more-so than others as has been my own experience with the older model.
The chord Qutest which i used a bunch, and became very familiar with, worked well and had the added advantage that with my musical source in particular, offered the subtle but again noticeable on particular tracks if you were paying attention, choices between the white and orange filter which allowed for 2 flavors of sound. Subtle but there, once the ear was trained properly, on many tracks and genres.
I also used a BF2 which was a solid choice on this amp and an extremely good value relative to its cost. I avoided the Yggy, not because of a lack of performance or quality, simply because the added cost adds most value if you take advantage of its balanced ability as documented extensively by other peoples research on multiple forums, NOT by my own personal experiences though. (The Pendant would not take advantage of the balanced ability, which IMO makes the BF2 the preferred choice in that scenario)
Not familiar personally w/ the Denafrips so i cannot comment to its nature in this example. I do own a Border Patrol se-i though, which is known for its warmer more musical nature, not as crisp or revealing, similar to what folks say about Denafrips. That was a pleasing combination particularly with tubes that emphasized The midrange in the amp. The combinations can be countless…
My own preference is now using the Exogal Comet+, Different technology, different sound signature, most appealing and enjoyable to me though overall. None of the choices mentioned would be poor, when all else is equal though you may consider spending up as much as your wallet allows to help get you most performance available at your price point and least upgraditis regrets later on.
Happy listening and congratulations on the new toys!
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I can’t tell you which one is best, since I don’t know what your sound preferences are, what kind of music you like and also haven’t used any of the DACs you’ve listed. But I’ll post anyway LOL…
I have successfully used both a Bifrost 2 and an Yggy with the latest edition of the Pendant OG. I know you listed the Yggy GS, but I bought my Yggy used, at not too much more than the GS, so it might be within your budget.
Both Schiit DACs are very musical, and although the BF2 is often described as a mini-Yggy, it has some subtle differences. The BF2 is slightly warmer, less detailed and the background is not quite as black as the Yggy. Those last 2 points might seem like negatives, but I never noticed them until I compared the two.
I would have been happy keeping the BF2 as my one and only DAC with the Pendant, but when I bought the Nautilus, I was curious to see if upgrading the DAC would improve the overall sound. In my opinion, the answer is yes, but that just means the Yggy is a TOTL DAC, and shouldn’t be considered a criticism of the BF2, which is just as musical IMO.
When I bought the Yggy, I was concerned about the SE outputs being inferior to the balanced, but several forum members assured me that with the A2 upgrade, the differences were minimal, and I can confirm that. The Pendant never sounded better, being fed from the SE outputs.
All this is my opinion of course. I’ve read several glowing reports of the other DACs on your list, so you may have to just try them out yourself. I was lucky enough to borrow an Yggy and without that experience, I would have hesitated to spend that kind of money on a blind purchase.
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Damn, it’s almost impossible to keep all this information straight in my head sometimes…lol, great post and Updated info On the Yggy👍 For those of us whose knowledge is getting dated🤪
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I used the Qutest with my Pendant and VC. It’s very good, does not take up a lot of desk space, and I really liked being able to set the output level a lower voltage to pair with the Pendant’s high gain better. It also scales up with better power supplies.
I am selling it.
Not because I didn’t like it, but because I bought a MHDT Pagoda for my speaker system. I decided to try it with the headphone system and ended up liking it just a little bit better. It had a touch more bass than the Qutest and the ability to roll tubes. OTOH, I can’t reduce the out put voltage on the MHDT like i can on the Qutest,
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Of the 3 I’d recommend the Bifrost 2. But if I could suggest another option would be to consider the Soekris dac 2541. It cost a bit more than the Bifrost but has a more neutral tone than the Bifrost which sounded a tad dark in comparison so it is up to you to decide which is a better option. Can’t go wrong with either to be honest.
Do note I’ve not heard the pendant. My experiences are with these dacs are with the DNA Starlett and Verite Open.
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Not familiar with the Soekris DAC you mentioned. Where could I order that?
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Mod House Audio are the US dealer/distributor for Soekris.
Availability can be an issue (all models currently out of stock), so some patience might be required.
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Thanks Torq! Have you had a chance to listen to this DAC with the Pendant? Thoughts on the pairing?
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Another outstanding DAC to pair with the Pendant SE is the Sonnet Morpheus. There is a reason they are both sold by ZMF. It kind of baffles me a bit that people over look this DAC, seeing as it is sold by ZMF? I don’t think you will find a better pairing, and believe me it’s legit. The Morpheus cost a bit more than the Yggy, but also has a built in preamp so factor that in the cost and it’s not bad. Of course preferences are what matters most, and the Sonnet Morpheus and Pendant SE go together like PB&J for my preferences.
Also, the SE output on the Morpheus is said to be far superior to the SE on the Yggy. Schiit recommends using balanced output with the Yggy, by the way.
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No, I’ve not heard them together, so can’t comment on that.
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I’ve been considering the Morpheus as well. Have you experienced any issues using the usb input as a source?
Hi there,
Honestly, I never even considered using USB with my Morpheus as I have always found it inferior to coax with every DAC I have owned. I am currently using I2S with my Morpheus from a streamer also made by Sonnet, and this is the suggested way to go from the manufacturer. Coax would be the next best, but not really even close to I2S. This is definitely something to consider when looking at the Morpheus.
Cheers,
Wes
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Well, as much as I am loving the Footscray Brimar CV4033 triple mica 57’, the tube roller in me just couldn’t take it and had to come out. 
I have another very special input tube that is blowing my mind!
Hamburg Philips 6201 Pinched Waist Triple Mica D Getter 58’
This tube is just as magical as the Footscray, but in a completely different way. The 6201 is one of the most well balanced tubes from top to bottom that I have ever heard, and the transparency and detail are incredible as well. The dynamics are in full force and the transients are lightning fast, and the treble is extended more than any other tube I own. Also, the bass hits hard and is super tight when called upon, with zero bloat. The stage on the 6201 is massive being super wide and tall, compared to the deeper front to back more spherical like stage of the Footscray, and I love them both. Basically, the Footscray is all about getting lost in the music and having fun, and the 6201 is all about transparency, detail and speed. Don’t get me wrong the 6201 has zero harshness in the highs, and I can really crank the volume with it. The 6201 is a very exciting listen, and especially paired up with some Amperex EL84 D Getters and a Mullard EZ81 Square Getter.
Happy listening and rolling!
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