ZMF New Headphones: Vérité and Aeolus

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Oct 3, 2018.

  1. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Yeah definitely send us a message - we'd be happy to help you to make sure you're happy with the headphone.

    What is happening here is that the screws are countersunk and ziricote is a very dense wood, we fit the screws in and sometimes the countersink shows around the screw due to having to keep a safe distance from the opening without splitting the wood, as ziricote is very brittle and fragile when working with it. We can send you new plates or install them for you.

    Also happy to send an earpad.

    Ofcourse this can be done in direct message with us and thanks for trying the aeolus out! If you like them now you'll really love them after they are burned in.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2019
  2. aamefford

    aamefford Nothing like chamberpot coffee

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    I’d deleted the below post. I open up my ipad and low and behold, there it is again. I’ll take it as a sign and post it.

    @Babbage78 I’m glad you are enjoying these, at least I think you are?

    A couple of thoughts - before spamming the quality of the headphone assembly, especially with smaller boutique brands, give the vendor a chance to rectify things. My experience with Zach, is that he will likely do you right.

    Edit - right on queue Zach!

    I’m not making excuses - new headphones should be of high quality. It can be harder to be near perfect when you are a small vendor though.

    If they were purchased used, all bets are off, as you can’t guarantee previous history.

    Second, I’ve learned over the years to give a piece of gear at least a week, preferably two, before I comment on it. As you’ve noted, gear may change in the first several hours. Impressions definitely change over hours or days. I should really follow this last bit of my own advice. I’m such a fanboy sometimes....
     
  3. Babbage78

    Babbage78 New

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    Yeah I already reached out to ZMF and they have quickly replied to me and are helping resolve these small details. Overall, I'm fairly impressed with ZMF's customer service so far. You can tell that they really care about their customers and the products they put out.
     
  4. Babbage78

    Babbage78 New

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    Thanks for getting back to me so quickly Zach, I truly appreciate it.

    Regarding burn in, I had never really believed it was a real phenomenon but I can definitely say that I have already noticed fairly large changes in the sound signature since I first got my pair of Aeolus. For example, the vocal presentation is nowhere near as forward as it first was, and sounds much more integrated into the overall mix while still being slightly forward. I'm still not sure whether to attribute this to hardware burn-in or some kind of mental burn-in, but I'll be holding off on any further impressions until I feel like they've settled into their final sound signature.
     
  5. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Decades (possibly more than a century) of engineering research says that, no matter what sect audiophiles may ascribe to, materials do change properties when flexed over and over.
     
  6. Overkill Red

    Overkill Red Friend

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    New Ziricote Vérité just announced via email!

    [​IMG]

    Also the new Bubinga Nips:

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Pampers

    Pampers New

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    i am very tempted by this bubinga nips but contemplating if the extra USD300 is worth..
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Just had a chance to listen with the in-between pads. These pads look somewhere in between the Universe and Verite Pads. Subjectively (no measurements yet), they actually do sound somewhere in between, but closer to the Verite pads. Like this:

    Code:
    Universe ---------|----------|---------- Verite
                                 |
                         Custom in-between pads
    It's closer to the Verite in that the little treble peak seems still evident, but overall tone seems halfway in between. I was hoping the peak to be lessened (like on the Universe) with a corresponding tonal shift toward less bassy. I'm not sure if this in-between pad is totally necessary as I would be totally happy either way with the Universe or Verite pads depending upon amplification.

    P.S. Just a thought: maybe original Verite pad with a layer of TP of surgical mask paper to flatten the small peak.
     
  9. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    Last weekend I visited ZMF HQ! It was great to have the chance to talk to Zach and Bev, and see where the headphones are made. I saw the new wood options, they all look even better in person.

    Verite: I was very curious about this one as soon as I read about it, being a Utopia owner. The first thing I noticed was the staging, it’s razor sharp like the Utopia but much bigger in all directions. It has many of the Utopia’s strengths, but is more listenable with the ZMF house sound that makes me think of a favorite comfortable sweater.

    Aeolus: The mid bass hump isn’t as pronounced as I thought it might be. I can appreciate why some would love it, but it’s not my thing.

    Wasn’t planning on it, but I ended up going home with a maple Auteur. The timbre of the Auteur won me over. So much for the no more audio purchases New Years resolution.
     
  10. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Was nice to meet you! That maple set you grabbed was my favorite so far - the Ambrosia Maple just has that neat mottled look, even if worms had to crawl through the wood to get it that way.

    Also - we will be at Axpona Audio show this week - see anyone who is going there!
     
  11. Resolve

    Resolve MOT: Headphones.com

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    Do the worms add to the sound quality or listening experience? That puts extra meaning into "waiting for the worms" Pink Floyd lyrics...
     
  12. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    There's definitely some good placebo action working well with the Ambrosia.
     
  13. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    what kind of balanced amp would you recommend for the Verite? I was thinking of the Violectric V280 but I am opened for other suggestions. The V280 sells in Europe (where I live) for 1500 euro. Considering the price of the Verite I would prefer going lower with the budget...

    Thanks
     
  14. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Why do you need balanced? Do you have a balanced source? Do you want an all-in-one DAC/amp?

    SPL Phonitor / Auditor comes to mind.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2019
  15. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    Yes I have balanced dac Metrum Menuet (with upgraded chips). So I will need just the amp...
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Yeah. Look up the SPL stuff. Fairly consistent sound up and down their range. I've never heard a weird sounding SPL. Some were better, some were worse, but never heard anything that was annoying or "off". You may even be able to audition them.
     
  17. Miracle1980

    Miracle1980 Acquaintance

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    Thanks, I see that the price of the Phonitor X is the same as V280...actually even slightly more expensive.
    As I was reading that the Verite don’t require too much power to be driven properly I was looking for something around 1000 euro...but it as to be a perfect match (not sacrificing quality...). If this is not achievable...then I will take also the Phonitor in consideration.
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    What about Phonitor E? I believe it sounds the same as the X, but with lower price more subtle crossfeed vs. the all-out-gonzo crossfeed of the X (you can still dial it back). You can always find used. The SPL stuff is pro-audio gear and should last forever.

    The V281 (and presumably V280) was a good amp, but just a bit too zippy and strident for my tastes. Both Aeolus and Verite do have a small peak in the highs. I mean small, barely audible, unless with the wrong gear. My concern is that the V280/281 will make accentuate this.

    FWIW, gbeast, who is no longer active, preferred bassier headphones and NOS DACs, and he found the Phonitor stuff to work well:

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/spl-phonitor-x-e.3574/

    FWIW, the Phonitor stuff has been well received by every senior SBAF member who has gotten their hands on it. This is quite an achievement for solid-state amps.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2019
  19. Elnrik

    Elnrik Super Friendly

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    I had the Phonitor X at work. I listened to it with the ZMF Verite and Auteur, and Gungnir Multibit A2 or Modi Multibit v2. Here are my thoughts:

    The built in DAC isn't my cup of tea, but it's decent and neutral enough to pass in a pinch. It could be a decent AIO depending on your preferences.

    The amp itself sounds excellent. I can't stress this enough. It was an amazing amplifier. Impactful, dynamic, neutral, musical... It is simply great. It rendered everything it was fed exactly.

    And here in lies the problem with the X. It's as close to "wire with gain" as I have ever heard. People think they want wire with gain, but they don't. Trust me. They don't. It is insane how revealing the X is for every part of your chain. If your DAC and source aren't dialed in perfectly, you're going to hear it. RF & EMI and USB fuzz that were low enough you couldn't hear them before - you're going to hear it. Bad interconnects - you're going to hear it. If your DAC actually sucks - you're going to hear it. The senior SBAF people probably have that part dialed in very well, but on my little work setup, it was far from ideal.

    For example, the differences between the two DACs I have are somewhat apparent in any other amp, and you can hear the tonal differences and a bit of resolution and staging gain with a bit of AB comparisons, but the X puts these things under a microscope. A terrible and ruthless microscope. I was picking out every flaw with the Modi Multibit, for which there were suddenly a plethora, and I was also noticing things I didn't like on the Gungnir Multibit like a bit of treble tilt. Oh, and forget mp3s, YouTube, lossy Spotify, etc - every single one suddenly had noticeable and glaring issues while listening to them. Lossless flac and uncompressed WAV rips were really good, as were lossless Spotify and Tidal, so it became apparent that source quality was critical here.

    To compound the issue, it was my understanding that the cross feed and other features of the amp were some of the best you could get. I'm not a huge cross feed fan to begin with, and I was really disappointed with the X's implementation of it. There were tone changes, and the staging seemed blobby instead of more focused. It also has a very prone to short circuit quarter inch headphone plug, which may blow up the amp if you forget to mute the volume before plugging in / unplugging headphones. Stick with the balanced XLR plug.

    Given that I wasn't using any of the extra features, and my work chain is rather crap apparently, I realized it was way too much amp for my office at work. I returned it.

    So I agree 100% with what @purr1n said. Go with the Phonitor E. Save the money. It's an amazing amplifier, and you'll need the extra cash for better source material and equipment.
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2019
  20. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    @Miracle1980's got the Metrum Menuet with the upgraded chips, so I think he should be set. If Metrum Musette, I'd hesitate...
     

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