[shwnwllms]

I'm not saying I would stick with the stock tubes. I'm saying that the baseline of the stock tubes would need to be better than my custom Pendant/Leeloo for me to make the jump to something more expensive. Then, improve from there.

Stock Agartha is definitely an improvement. Holy Grail top to bottom in the Pendant is still no match for that 300B sound

 

[HiFiWar]

Stock Agartha is definitely an improvement. Holy Grail top to bottom in the Pendant is still no match for that 300B sound

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind if I ever see one for less than $6300.

 

[tholt]

Holy Grail top to bottom in the Pendant is still no match for that 300B sound

And EL84s are no match for those 300B prices

 

[AnyDave]

Alright, I'm not looking at getting anything to replace the Pendant/Leeloo anytime soon, but just so I can keep my eye out for good deals, what would the next step above the Pendant be? Must be powerful enough to drive planars, must not be massive and 55 lbs like the new Aegis, must beat the performance of a Pendant with Top-tier tubes. Does it exist?

Not pushing you towards an Aegis, but just for sake of accuracy, the actual amp weighs about 46 lbs. I believe the 54-55 lb number comes from the weight of the amp in the shipping box, although I've personally only weighed the amp and not the amp + shipping ctn.

 

[HiFiWar]

Not pushing you towards an Aegis, but just for sake of accuracy, the actual amp weighs about 46 lbs. I believe the 54-55 lb number comes from the weight of the amp in the shipping box, although I've personally only weighed the amp and not the amp + shipping ctn.

Ah, I thought Zach said it was 55 lbs. Doesn't really matter as 46 lbs is still too much for my desk. The Schiit Ragnarok damn near broke my desk and I think it was only around 30 lbs.

 

[AnyDave]

Ah, I thought Zach said it was 55 lbs. Doesn't really matter as 46 lbs is still too much for my desk. The Schiit Ragnarok damn near broke my desk and I think it was only around 30 lbs.

That's perfectly fair. It sounds like it's not the right fit for you. I was just trying to make sure the correct info is out there as a 9 lb delta may make a difference to somebody else.

 

[HiFiWar]

That's perfectly fair. It sounds like it's not the right fit for you. I was just trying to make sure the correct info is out there as a 9 lb delta may make a difference to somebody else.

It's very very heavy due to the hefty transformers, chokes and Psu, somewhere around 55 lbs I believe.

Yeah, this is where he said it. Either way, very heavy

 

[AnyDave]

Yeah, this is where he said it. Either way, very heavy

Yeah, I think that 55 lbs is the shipping weight.

I don't mind the weight of the Aegis, but I'm always been of the mindset that transformers are the most important thing in an OTC design and, unfortunately, that means weight.

OTL is a different beast, but that isn't great for driving planars. There are always trade-offs.

 

[HiFiWar]

Yeah, I think that 55 lbs is the shipping weight.

I don't mind the weight of the Aegis, but I'm always been of the mindset that transformers are the most important thing in an OTC design and, unfortunately, that means weight.

OTL is a different beast, but that isn't great for driving planars. There are always trade-offs.

For sure. The Pendant is excellent. I wish you guys still made those as a smaller, lighter option, but with better stock tubes. I'd want one in the Cynar Black and Green. The Homage is cool though, just not tubes.

 

[HiFiWar]

Stock Agartha is definitely an improvement. Holy Grail top to bottom in the Pendant is still no match for that 300B sound

I can get a Bigger Ben for a decent price. Is it worth it to try and find an Agartha instead? Justin just told me there's also a Rockwell. Apparently all 3 are the same level. Sigh.

 

[haasaaroni]

I can get a Bigger Ben for a decent price. Is it worth it to try and find an Agartha instead? Justin just told me there's also a Rockwell. Apparently all 3 are the same level. Sigh.

Ohh that IS a good deal! Bigger Ben is a great amp, I hear.

I honestly like where I'm at with my Pendant, but it makes me happy to see everyone here climb up the A&S ladder!

 

[tholt]

Ohh that IS a good deal! Bigger Ben is a great amp, I hear.

I honestly like where I'm at with my Pendant, but it makes me happy to see everyone here climb up the A&S ladder!

I was like, is it that one guy who had his for sale at $3400 forever...? Yup, same guy. Look like he's back. And lowered his price by $200. It's not a bad deal for a BB. Some decent tubes along with it. It will be fuller sounding than the Pendant.

 

[HiFiWar]

I was like, is it that one guy who had his for sale at $3400 forever...? Yup, same guy. Look like he's back. And lowered his price by $200. It's not a bad deal for a BB. Some decent tubes along with it. It will be fuller sounding than the Pendant.

Yeah, looks like a revision one though which is described as below the Mogwai SE

 

[haasaaroni]

I was like, is it that one guy who had his for sale at $3400 forever...? Yup, same guy. Look like he's back. And lowered his price by $200. It's not a bad deal for a BB. Some decent tubes along with it. It will be fuller sounding than the Pendant.

The thing I love about these higher end A&S models is the multiple input impedances. The 8 and 100 ohms on the Pendant are good for most things, but having a 32 ohm and 300 ohm available for things in between would be super handy. And nobody else is building amps like this. It's pretty unique.

 

[tholt]

Yeah, looks like a revision one though which is described as below the Mogwai SE

It's not below the Mogwai, it's still built with beefier transformers. Version 1 biggest difference is 8-pin vs 9-pin input tube. Justin claims that Rev 2s are quieter amps and some other differences, but AFAIK the input tube is the biggest change.

Having those 5 input impedances is pretty cool. And it has binding posts to run speakers