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It's not as shouty in the upper midrange, and has a lot more extension on both ends. So the tonality is a few steps closer to "natural" and "balanced" to me. Along with the better technicalities, like soundstage, imaging, impact, resolution, etc.

I personally prefer the 6XX to the Aeolus, but I prefer the Auteur to the 600. The “super” part of the Aeolus just adds too much excitement to the sound. I like the 6XX exactly because of its laid back, smooth nature. The Aeolus added too much of an edge after a while.

So true! The one dimension of soundstage I really do love with the Pendant is the sense of forward depth. The Auteurs have a relatively flat presentation on other gear, but the layering and forward depth it throws really complements the headphones well. And totally, that impact is :ok_hand:

Yeah these are really mesmerizing. GLWS!

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.

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!

Well then, I stand corrected! Good to know.

Haha I think that comment about the ZMF/Decware OTL from the other thread is getting to you. Will they improve on the Pendant with stock tubes? Maybe. Has anyone actually stuck with stock tubes on those high end amps? I very highly doubt it.

I would if I found a pair. Those things are hard to track down.

The graininess was something I started hearing when comparing the Pendant with my solid state amp. I didn't hear it on its own, but as soon as I had something to compare it to, it sounded off to me. And then there was no unhearing it. These Sylvania actually sound cleaner than that solid state...

Yeah Bigger Ben, Agartha, and Mogwai SE are all around the same form factor. Nautilus and Red October start getting into super heavy territory. I have my sights set on a DNA amp one day. I have feelers out for a Starlett. If I find one, that'll likely be what replaces my Pendant.

I have no info about the Bokeh Open, no. Zach said it’ll likely come out late summer, so I’m thinking of going to CanJam SoCal at the end of October and fingers crossed it’ll be ready by then! But you can definitely find some awesome used Auteur Classics (and OG Auteurs) for sale here! It’s not...

They’re cheap! You can find them around $50/pair. Much cleaner sound than the more forward and slightly grainy Valvos. The Valvos are a little closer in stage-wise, with noticeably more bass, but these have such a natural midrange that’s not forced and is perfectly present. Not too bright at...

...pendant on a cool PNW evening. Magic. Can't stop listening to these Sylvania Black Plates. I ordeered another pair from the same seller. Only downside is a *very* slight transformer hum in the right channel, but it virtually disappears when the music plays. I'm kinda hoping this new pair is...

I may be picking up a Holo Cyan 2 soon, and will be really curious to hear it compared with my Unison A2 Gumby. From what I hear, the Cyan 2 is as neutral and natural as they come in terms of R2R DACs, but I can’t imagine how I wouldn’t miss the Gumby’s personality. The bass slam, the way the...

Good to know! That Decware is a real temptation, should I ever have the money to afford one. Then again, I remember when the Pendant seemed way out of my price league, and eventually I wound up getting one for myself. Maybe one day that’ll happen with the Decware too 😏

Looking slick with that black G73-R!

Nice! I remember once checking my iMac and seeing I actually had the balance setting off to the left. It was like my computer was playing tricks with me. Glad to see your issue is mostly resolved!

That’s awesome, and not totally surprising. It’s really living up to its namesake for you! You’re “authoring” your own ZMF experience.

I deeply sympathize haha...I probably spent the better part of 2 years trying to fix what I thought was a channel imbalance and then realized it was my own hearing. I even returned tubes that I thought had a channel imbalance (sorry TubeStore)! I was hearing voices coming from the center left...

Ah, the age-old “Tis better to have listened and lost than never to have listened at all.”

Aw I remember being with you when you picked these out at CanJam SoCal two (?) years ago! I got my Auteur Classics at the same time. Good memories! GLWS.

Ohhhh boy is this true! 🤣🤣🤣 Didn’t realize that Nautilus sold. Everybody saw that price and was immediately figuring out what gear to sell to afford it lol