This is where it gets real fun lol, hopefully the pendant and vc is an eye opener for you for enjoyment (in a good way preferably)
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Well, I’ve heard that combo at a couple shows, so I’m already excited to have it on hand so I can really sink into it. I know from that limited experience that ZMFs play well with tubes. Not sure if it will be eye-opening, though it will definitely be both fun and educational.
In fact, from objective listening via my THX path, I occasionally find certain tracks where the ZMF tuning kinda stomps on pieces of the source material or otherwise clashes a little bit, but when you find a good synergy between music and their headphones, WOW!
I expect the [right] tubes will draw attention away from those occasional objective limitations by accentuating the strengths of ZMF’s tuning. The whole point of this angle is to make listening as fun as possible.
I’m all for objectivism, but not to the detriment of subjective enjoyment. My own philosophy is why focus on one goal when you can have both and win at everything? 
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I’d be surprised if you weren’t stunned by the difference, even with the stock JJ tubes the Pendant, is an obviously better amplifier to me than any of the cheaper stuff I own.
And the Verite was a revelation in the way it sounded for a closed back.
I’ve said before I find most of the entry level DAC’s more similar than different, and most of the entry level SS amps the same way. I have preferences from what I’ve heard, but I wouldn’t insist they are definitively better.
Now compare say a something at the Liquid Platinum level to a $100 SS amp or a THX amp, and I think the differences are obvious, and I think the Pendant is a similar step up again.
Sorry, I don’t mean to come across like I’m downplaying the magnitude of what Pendant will do–I just meant that I’ve already spoiled the surprise.
Hence, no eye-opening or stunning–but that shouldn’t be taken to insinuate that I’m not currently giddy with excitement or that I won’t be enthusiastically basking in an altogether new dimension of musical enjoyment when the time comes. I just already know this. 
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I am wondering after reading much, but not all of this thread if an issue I’m hearing might be the result of “over sharpening”. In some tracks, there is a crunch to the bass, sounds like distortion. But it’s inconsistent. I can hear it on other amps but it’s less pronounced. Is there something wrong with my 789 or is this part of the somewhat problematic sound signature it produces?
Is it consistently on the same tracks at the same spot, or more inconsistent than that? Also what other amps are you comparing to?
I’m comparing to a CTH. Same source. It’s consistent at the same place in each track which is why I think it may be in the recording and accentuated by the amp
Gotcha, that sounds like it’s the case then
One example is Post Malone Wow. That bass line is crunchy. More so in some areas than others. I kinda feel like I’m going crazy
Listened on my iPhone and yup, it’s just part of the mix.
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What are you using as your recording stream? Could it be something like a compression artifact, or is just a native part of that recording? And which headphones are you using? Have you tried different cans?
Just tried out a “stupid amounts of bass” test track of my own and got some crunchiness out of my 887:
The Advent, Industrialyzer - “Up Close”
I’m not ready to rule out a cabling problem yet since I’ve got both this and an Atom hooked up to my RME on splitters. Earlier I had some very bad crunchiness out of the Atom, and fixed it by powering off the atom and disconnecting / reconnecting the RCA connections.
This is in both Spotify and tidal. I listened to that track and I can hear the small amount of crunch in some places on my 789, but it also shows up through my CTH. I’m pretty sure it’s just in the mix but now that we’ve heard it it can’t be unheard
Speaking of things you’ll never un-hear:
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It took my Schiit Modius coming in to finally appreciate the THX 887 properly after trying better gear. The answer is disappointing as it pairs best with sigma delta DACs that are slightly warm… which seems to be in line with a theory I have on the THX and maybe why it measures well. I have a feeling the THX amps sound harsh because they don’t handle transients very well, which you may get from ladder DACs and ultra high resolving DACs.
The harshness to me might be due to small transients of digital music that sigma delta dacs smooth out in the lower tiers. With that said… I can see how my THX 887 may not scale up to the Benchmark THX amp. There is still a slight colorization of my THX 887 which means either you’re a fan or you’re not + it makes your signal chain a little more picky.
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I totally agree with this finding. My 789 sounds better than ever. I fed it from a modi, and an RME ADI2, and the modius sounds leagues better specifically with this amp. My liquid platinum and rnhp however did not get along as well with the modius.
Interesting to hear these things as I cycle through gear to find something that suits my needs best.
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So… something I remember from my engineering class that might make sense. If there is any additional capacitors for dampening transients in the signal path, some of the amplifiers may have a ringing with fast changes usually refereed to as transients. Sigma delta DACs specifically seem to provide some integration between steps for their output so the overall output is smother between each sample (which isn’t bad, it’s just an approach). Because of this transient that means the sample played back and the sample in the sound might be slightly different, less transients to worry about… but not accurate of the sound.
Ladder DACs however have discrete noticeable steps and do not ring in between. Bit representation out is solid meaning the DAC’s analog portion SHOULD NOT ring on the output. Now, how that translates through different amps is entirely a different story. Eliminating transients through a process of integration should result in some spectacular measurement numbers (especially with constant waves), I’m thinking the THX amps had a design choice made to further provide some integration which helps them measure better. But… the design choice to optimize on common DACs at that price means that a THX amp makes a decisions for the owner for them… they must have a very smooth DAC.
So what has the Modius taught me (and Grant with the RME), if you want to enjoy multibit DACs you maybe should stay away from THX. Looking at Zeo’s and army of THX disciples that may share a similar opinion while running similarly recommended DACs, root cause of the right may be solely around DAC preference and how the sampling is done. Major takeaway is a the same thing I’ve been saying and will continue to say, signal chains matter.
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Excellent info. Thank you!
Also interesting to notice: All THX combo “stacks” I see are THX amps and AKM dacs. Nothing else even.
I guess we will never see a THX/ESS combo.
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Unless you like treble with your treble and a side of harsh eteched treble. 
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Benchmark produces objectively best THX Headphone amp, and they use an ESS Sabre chip in their well regarded dacs.
Though I haven’t personally heard a Benchmark stack, I tend to agree with @Hazi59 that this might be too bright for my tastes.
I think I’ll share this here.
It’s easy to say something is the end-all, be-all, “achromatic”, “colorless”… when everyone except a few people in the world knows what “accurate” is…
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