ZMF Pendant - Tube Headphone Amplifier - Official Thread

Official AMP/DAC/DAP Model Discussion
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709

For a very brief moment or two a few weeks ago, i considered parting w/ my Pendant. The newer model made me think my pre-ZMF unit was lacking in some way despite my units excellent performance and the enjoyment it brings me. I have about 20 tubes purchased over a year ago for it that i just never got around to experimenting w/ or trying,

The past few posts in this thread got me excited about it again and for that i am thankful to you all. As my ears have been getting trained better and the rest of my chain from the outlets, all the way to the last cable increase in quality, i am finding myself better able to distinguish small changes in sound quality more often than not. They are not always for the better and sometimes just wrong or peculiar but there nonetheless and openly perceptible once you learn what and how to listen.

I would have done myself an injustice allowing this piece to leave my hands along with others. It really is an enjoyable experience to wring every last piece of performance out of a piece of equipment. I am fortunate to have the ability to swap DAC’s, sources, tubes etc. basically at a whim so a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that takes the time to continue to post their experiences and knowledge

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710

I have the Morpheus and love it. I don’t have the Pendant but could probably tell you it’s a great pairing. That said, I personally think I paid too much for this thing. I’ve never spent that much money on a DAC and I probably would be happy with a BF2. It’s literally an amazing DAC for the money. I honestly thinking other than bass impact and a little more clarity you’re paying too much for the Yggy. I wouldn’t get swept up in people saying you should get this DAC or others. It’s whatever fits in your budget and I can highly recommend either the Bifrost or Yggy as good pairings.

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711

Well I bought a Pendant.

Let me start by saying I like my current amp, a Marantz all-in-one unit, the HD-DAC1. I bought it for $400 shipped, over 50% off MSRP, after it sat looked over for months, price drop after price drop, in head-fi classifieds. I didn’t think I would ever spend that much on a dac/amp, but it had all the features I needed. It was my first step up from other budget options I had tried, and sounded fantastic to me. Having read every comparison I could, regarding the Marantz unit, I came to the conclusion that it was decidedly “mid-fi”. Now I’m not here to compare the two amps, because no one cares about the HD-DAC1 except for owners of the HD-DAC1. I’m just providing a starting point.

When I decided I wanted to explore a different sound, specifically tubes, I had budget tube amps on my radar. Echo I, Crack, Tuba, and I especially had an eye for the Cayin HA-1A Mk2. Sure, I lusted for a few $2K+ amps, but that, costing more than my entire set up, was not a realistic starting point for me. What changed? Well, I had a lot of whiskey one night and was enjoying the shit out of my Aeolus. I saw one for sale, and talked myself into what a good deal it was, and made an offer.

So, sober and awaiting my amp, I re-watch some reviews, I re-visit the pendant thread, and I’m trying to temper my expectations of the most expensive audio related purchase I’ve made in my journey thus far. However, once the amp arrived, expectations shot through the roof. My brain was exploding as I had to resist tearing through every layer of packaging that stood between me and this amp. Key words from these reviews swirled in my head; “holographic staging, 3D sound, great pairing for ZMF headphones, ZMFness.”

Once I had the amp in place, I had realized I’ve never plugged-in tubes before nor did I know which tubes belonged where! I referenced the sellers post, and I was set to go. I let it warm up (mind you at 3pm on a 97-degree Texas day the extra warmth was very unwelcoming), and I took my first listen using my ZMF Eikon. It sounded… a little bit better. Honestly, what I felt was a slap in the face of “you forgot to temper expectations before you put the headphones on.” I was awaiting the holy grail of holographic sound and instead I heard some improvement in the soundstage. Even after reminding myself this was a more or less a neutral tube amp, I was expecting tubey, sticky-icky-ooowie goodness I had never experienced before. Overall my very first listen was reminder that we describe the changes in sound that we hear with words that over emphasize the actual difference.

Now, having used it for all of my listening the last two weeks or so, I understand the differences quite a bit more. There was no “eureka” moment where it all came together. Listening to a lot of my most played music I started to pick up the changes in what I was hearing piece by piece.
The soundstage is indeed my favorite part of the amp. It gives me the sense of a live venue, where notes don’t just dissipate after they hit your ears. Sounds may be coming from far left or far right; but you get the sense that they are travelling just over your shoulder, to the furthest point of your peripheral vision.

I don’t know what tubey-goodness is, but I know the Pendant has excellent tonal weight, an attribute I had missed after selling the Cavalli Liquid Carbon X. From bass to vocals, a little extra heft is present, not over done, but nothing ever sounds too thin. Treble is incredibly smooth, smoother than any other piece of equipment I had tried before, yet still sounds “airy.” Basically, anything I’ve ever read in reviews of the unit seem to hold true, exaggerated a bit? Maybe. Its technically the best amp I’ve ever owned, and sound wise it checks all the boxes for me. The sense of spending too much for too little has gone, and I really see myself enjoying this amp for a long time.

Anyways, I just wanted to share my first impressions with the amp and how it’s changed over the past couple of weekends. Currently I’m using the supplied NOS upgrade tubes. It pairs great with my ZMF headphones, and really has me considering a dac upgrade, unfortunately.

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712

A great check on new equipment is to use it exclusively for a few days/weeks, then go back to your old unit. Often when you initially hear new gear it’s tough to hear significant differences. But i’ve found after acclimating to the new piece, going back to the old one really highlights what the new piece brings. If you haven’t yet, give the Marantz a try now. Great impressions, btw. I love the honest and down to earth assessment. It’s easy to get new toy syndrome and wax poetic. But you kept it real, great job.

I was actually doing some Phonitor to Pendant and Ovation comparisons this week since my phonitor isn’t selling. I will probably keep it, and wanted to reacclimate to it in my lineup. I was surprised how well it kept up with the big tube amps. I still like the tubes better, but the differences are subtle to me.

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713

What a great write up. Fantastic description of the reality vs expectations of most upgrades. Kudos!

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714

Shoot first, ask questions later. High five.

Great writeup. The world appreciates your candor. We often exaggerate differences as you referenced.

Agreed.

Some describe the Pendant as the least tubey tube amp. I won’t address whether that’s favorable or unfavorable, or a proper characterization.

I agree. The Pendant’s tuning pairs well with ZMFs.

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715

OneMic, Bravo dude. This is a refreshing read on expectation bias that often clouds the reality, once the reality sets in the bias seems to continue as we tend to not want to admit the cognitive dissonance. I am a straight shooter, and when I read the humility of your words I have much respect. We need more of this, instead of the superlatives of best ever, most holographic ever, most 3D, and whatever bullshit that gets spouted off.

Hell, I would send you my gear to get your opinion.

Hats off to you.

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716

Speak for yourself, my amps and sounds it makes bring me to a new realm of understanding and existence. I am finally able to hear the noise of the Gods play to me.

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717

Is it like the nectar of the Gods, or more like the thunder/lightning of the Gods?

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718

I’ve heard some amps where it was like Thor himself farting in my ears.

Take from that what you will.

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719

Really great writeup @OneMic. I love your easy going style. It’s so easy to understand and you explain it all so well for us Tube virgins. You must try write more in future. Great stuff. You made me want a Pendant now and I have no need for one being predominantly an iem guy.

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720

This is not too different from my experience with higher priced, reputation-driven audio gear. I live in an area where it’s possible to demo elite and obscure equipment in store. I did this with the Focal Utopia and Clear several years ago when owning the Elex. I didn’t hear much difference then, and I truly didn’t care. Then, with more experience the Elex started to sound worse and worse to my ears. I now own the Clear and appreciate the Utopia’s capabilities despite its brightness (i.e., way too bright).

I was underwhelmed again when I demoed a RAAL-requisite setup costing at least $10K (McIntosh amp). It was, frankly, one of the worst sounding setups I’ve ever heard in my life. This could have resulted from the amp, but if that was my point of reference I’d have been severely disappointed with $3.5K headphones.

Finally, I recently purchased the $699 Bifrost 2. It sounded like rough garbage at first, but following acclimation I’m a believer and now criticize my other DACs. The DAC really does matter.

There are plenty of inexpensive setups that sound fantastic to a given person – after all Beats is a major brand! Enjoy what you like when you like it. Then move on if it’s right for you.

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721

Great review!

I think that this is roughly similar to my experience in purchasing a Pendant. I think that you were able to capture the differences without using hyperbole that is found in so many reviews (probably my own included).

To me, the amazing thing about the Pendant is that it adds to the soundstage and texture of the music without affecting the tonal balance or resolution. I didn’t really think that it was possible to do one without the other.

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722

Thanks for the kind words. I came back to this thread to confirm how long I’ve had the Pendant, just 7 weeks… I really do love this amp! Every now and then I go through my old amp, but by the time the pendant warms up, I plug in, and its like Ahhhh… That’s the stuff right there. Even though I can hear it isn’t a huge change, the sentimental value is high. It’s a cool looking amp, with old school point to point wiring, that is supporting a great business.
I would HAVE to hear something better at this point, or need the money, to sell this amp. I was infact thinking about it! I sold my Aeolus and I do miss it, so instead of putting it up for sale, I purchased a new input tube and it really made things a little better, in just the right way for my preferences. It hooked me back in!

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723

What input tube did you get that made you forget the Aeolus? :open_mouth:

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724

Hey folks,

If anyone is looking for some great sounding power tubes for their Pendant, I have a couple pairs for sale in the classifieds. Both pairs have been tested for noise in my Pendant and are quiet.

Both pairs are Amperex Holland D Getters, from 59". One pair are 7189 and are super rare, and the other pair is a perfectly matched pair of EL84. The 7189 are a bit more open, with a bit less middbass compared to the EL84 and are one of my favs.

Happy Listening,

Wes

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725

Hi all. I’m in discussions to purchase a used Pendant and was wondering if there is an easy way to tell the date of manufacture. The seller is the second owner and isn’t certain when it was made. It seems to me that newer is better since Justin has been tweaking the design over time.

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726

There are 3 versions. The OG 8ohm/300ohm,
The OG 8ohm/100ohm
The 2021 version.
The only ones with updated internals are the pre-ZMF models like my own. Very few of those around.

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727

My pendant has a sticker on the bottom of the amp with the serial number and date of manufacture. I think the case had the same sticker too.

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728

Now that a few months have passed I’m wondering how @Wes_S and everyone’s impressions are of the Footscray Triple Mica 57’ CV4033? Also, is the Hamberg tube in stock anywhere?

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