Verum 0.5 - planars with single sided magnetic system.

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by Garuspik, Nov 13, 2018.

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  1. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    Good news. Sure phone isn’t a good source for them, they’re less efficient then Verum 1. Hope you’ll find a solution how to plug them in main system. They have same 2,5 mm connectors as Hifiman or Oppo.
    I think that a week with them is enough to make a conclusion about this product.
     
  2. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    @Garuspik, this looks like such an interesting development! Wish you the best of luck! Hopefully this will hit the market and I'll be able to give it an audition.
     
  3. restrav3

    restrav3 Likes Audio-GD

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    am i still on the list to get them? i dont see my user id in the list.
     
  4. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    I've spent a couple days now with the Verum 0.5 prototype. I've taken it around with me everywhere and plugged it into everything I could - my phone, my laptop, all the amps at work, audio interfaces, my field mixer... a wide assortment of things. Verum 0.5, while sensitive enough to drive from nearly anything, does scale a fair bit with more power, as is the case with most planars.

    I'll break down my thoughts into a couple categories, but I'll keep it pretty short and sweet until we get some measurements from @purr1n and @Hands .

    Finish - Not sure if the current finish is how the final product will look, but the headphone bears resemblance to BB-8 from the newer Star Wars films. I think it's a little goofy but honestly I'm not one to care about how my gear looks, as long as it sounds good.

    Fit - The headband assembly seems to clamp quite a bit regardless of where it is set. I've never been uncomfortable using headphones so this doesn't really irritate me, but it is perpetually noticeable. The headphone is quite lightweight.

    Tone - I hear Verum 0.5 as slightly dark, with a bit of a dip or downslope starting somewhere around 2-3k, and a little edge somewhere around 7-9k (these are nitpicks). Fairly balanced with no glaring flaws - easily listenable without fatigue at fairly high volume. Bottomless planar bass as expected. Not much top octave presence. No metallic or plasticy timbre. Excited to see some measurements VS Verum 1 (which I didn't get a chance to hear).

    Dynamics - It's easy to tell the active surface area of @Garuspik 's drivers is quite large and has a good amount of mass behind it. No obsession with thinnest-possible diaphragms here. Verum 0.5 hits with a good bit of force, and the dynamic presentation drives from the low end through the lower mids. Microdynamic contrast is more clearly defined on the V0.5 than HE-4xx and HE-400, pretty close to my A-grade 2010 LCD-2, but no match against the HE-5, HE-5LE, and HE-6.

    If I were to describe the dynamic response as an ADSR envelope, I'd say attack is a bit soft relative to my reference (HE-6, though not a fair comparison), but with a more extended decay and sustain, giving V0.5 a bit of bloom. Release is similarly long across most planars relative to dynamics. The presentation is somehow slightly loose but without losing punch. Side-chain compression tends to have a bit more pump to it on the V0.5 because of this, which is quite enjoyable with bass-driven music.

    Staging - Better staging across every dimension than HE-400 variant headphones and anything LCD. Very wide and deeper than expected, sounds outside of the head.

    Imaging - V0.5 image isn't razor-sharp but placement is solidly defined, with a bit of feathering around the edges. A little sense of planar ambiguity but still better than most.

    Detail / Resolve - V0.5 feels a little bit hazy to my ears in terms of low-level detail retrieval, but the strengths of the headphone give me an enjoyable enough experience not to notice or care. This is a more listenable headphone than many more evidently "detailed" headphones.

    I'll share more over time (including pictures eventually) - this has been a bit of a stream of consciousness. Looking forward to measurements. I would have no issue recommending this headphone especially if the price remains low. Thanks @Garuspik !
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2018
  5. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    Thanks for your opinion, it is very similar with my own thoughts. One note about clamping force - it’s adjustable, you can unscrew top nut with V logo and experiment. Also, headband is made from hardened spring steel and future owner can bend it a bit. But I ask all participants not to do it cause I need opinions about stock clamping force.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2018
  6. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    Any activity here? I haven't heard anything in a while...

    Has it moved on? More impressions please!
     
  7. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    It's a Verum 1.0 lite. 80-85% of it. I will need to check my notes. I've been slammed, but I think I did a quick measurement.

    Bump and remind me if I forget to post.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2019
  8. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    No surprise here ;) 80-85% of sound and ~70% of weight. Better gramm-per-sound ratio :D
    From my point of view 0.5 has some benefits (and sure drawbacks) in comparison with 1, but I don't like to talk about the sound of my products, so I'll wait for different opnions with big interest.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2019
  9. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Verum 1.0 vs 0.5 Frequency Response. This is on the EARS with SBAF compensation.

    YELLOW = Verum 1.0
    VIOLET = Verum 0.5
    Verum 1.0 vs 0.5 Frequency Response.png

    Subjectively as Evan's observations might have implied, the 0.5 doesn't have as much air as the 1.0, though both headphones can be said to be slightly dark tilted. The 0.5 compared to 1.0 is less resolving of microdetails and microdynamics, but timbre is spot on. Dynamics and attack are a bit softer than the 1.0.
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2019
  10. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    is this an effect of membrane tension ?
     
  11. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    It’s an effect of one sided magnetic system versus two sided magnetic system. Other than that there is no major differences between those headphones.
     
  12. kennyk

    kennyk New

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    Is this the same membrane that's in the Verum One and have you tried a thinner membrane?
     
  13. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    Absolutely the same. Those headphones are completely identical except second row of magnets. I hope soon we'll hear another opinion on 0.5 from next tour participant.
     
  14. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    Looking forward to hearing them sometime soon.. dB
     
  15. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    Sure, when @JK47 will be ready, I'll ask him to ship Verum 0.5 to you.
     
  16. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Maybe I came late. If possible, I'd also like to hear these. Damn why didn't I check this thread earlier!
     
  17. JK47

    JK47 Guest

    I've had the chance to spend a few days with the Verum 0.5, and they are legit. They sound pretty darn good and don't really commit any sins of omission. If they hit the talked about price point of $225 shipped, they will be a solid buy.

    I took a few quick dirty measurements with my Umik and the stock calibration file serial number matched to my particular unit.
    IMG_1790.jpg

    Verum 0.5's channel matching is excellent
    Verum.jpg
    Distortion
    distortion.jpg
    My several year old HD600 measurement taken immediately after for reference
    HD600.jpg
    Verum 0.5 vs HD600 Left channels
    vs.jpg
    After the first few minutes of listening, the left channel died... @Garuspik returned my email within minutes with a suggestion of tightening the screws under the ear pads, and the problem was solved quickly and easily. Back to listening with my DIY-Fi Whammy and initially I was impressed, but felt the sound was slightly slow for a planar.

    I was given permission to butcher the stock cable and fit a 4 pin XLR to the end to test with my Aficionado and speaker powah amps. I quickly discovered that they are only 3 wires after the Y split, so I cobbled together a cable from Canare star quad and the stock 2.5.mm jacks, it looks so bad, but it did the trick. I also hastily put together an old HD650 1/4" TRS jack with a 4 pin XLR female for a pig tail so the next person on the loaner isn't stuck with XLR only.

    The Verum 0.5 sounded kind of soft from my AF, but not really bad at all... But did they ever come alive when hooked up to a my Pioneer MeMe-22. The speed and finesse they were lacking earlier from the Whammy was no longer really apparent, it was still there to a degree, but now the music played with authority. Safe to say these bad boys need some power for maximum enjoyment.

    I would hesitate to say these sound like the HD600, I think more along the lines of a well behaved older 80's/90's Stax Lambda, without the electrostatic speed. The Verum 0.5 almost seem to bridge the gap between planar and dynamic drivers. They really excel with hard hitting electronic music


    Tracks used for testing:

    The Gap Band - "Burn Rubber on me"

    The Cult - "She Sells Sanctuary" (long mix)

    Marc Cohen - "Walking in Memphis"

    Daft Punk - "Alive"

    And a whole bunch of House music

    The fit is very good to excellent and never bothered me at all. The looks on the other hand leave a lot to be desired, If you want to dress up as Flesh Gordon for Halloween, these would complete the outfit. I bet an Audeze's headband and yolks wouldn't be hard to fit if the fashion police come calling ;) notice the V is almost an upside A?

    Overall this is an amazing effort and the commitment to solving issues is outstanding (I follow the Verum 1.0 thread, and speak from personal experience). A low cost balanced cable option would be great, but other than that and the looks, these are stupid good cans.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 24, 2019
  18. Garuspik

    Garuspik Tovarisch Ukrainian Terminator MOT - Verum

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    @JK47 thanks for review! I've already found out where was the problem and will fix it once and for all.
    Right now % of faults in Verum 1 is about 3% ;( I feel ashamed but sure replace all faulty units without hesitation. Problem is the same - lost contact. Drivers itself are very durable.
     
  19. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I keep forgetting to post thoughts and measurements. So, some quick thoughts for now.

    Their mids/treble reminded me somewhat of the HD600. A little aggressive, but not bad. I did not find the 0.5 as overall bright and steely as the 1.0, but I'm also not sure if the production 1.0 has different pads or damping config changes compared to the prototype I heard.

    Low-end is even and extended. Hits nicely. Not much else to say.

    Only real downside is it sounds kind of grey, hazy, and unfocused. I think it's a midrange bump causing this. Maybe.

    The 0.5 has a lot of potential to be a cheap "ear speaker," like what RAAL is doing. Angle it out, get some venting at the back of your ears, and it's a shit ton of fun even if colored (U-shaped). It somehow drops that grey and hazy sound and becomes more focused if you get it just right.

    The 1.0 acted similarly, I suppose, but its overall tone was notably different. I actually thought the 0.5 sounded more balanced than the 1.0 prototype I heard.
     
  20. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    Received these from @dBel84 today, and I definitely like what I hear.

    Bass is full & extended but not boosted, except maybe a bit in the sub region (where I like it).

    Mids do have a slightly forward nature if I'm being nit picky, but they don't bug me like some do (I think I'm sensitive in the lower mids area...no issues here). Reveals sibilance, doesn't accent it.

    Treble seems fine...not peaky , and extend at least as far as my failing hearing can reach...maybe that last bit of shimmer and sparkle up top is subdued, but better than the other end of the spectrum, definitely not sharp to my ears.

    Headstage is a bit on the narrow side, but not bothersome (it's headphones not speakers after all). As long as it doesn't draw me out of the listening experience, I'm cool with that and these don't.

    Construction is top notch if somewhat utilitarian looking. The headband doesn't disappear, but it doesn't bother me a whit either. Easy enough to get a good fit & comfy ear pads.

    IDK if these are rollable pads, I gave a quick light tug but couldn't detect any movement, so I guess they're glued on. Not a deal breaker anyway since the stock pads work well.

    Very nice & engaging listen IMO. I believe Garuspik wanted to know if they should be produced or not, so I'll say after hearing them I'd surely buy them. Very well done IMO.
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2019

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