ZMF New Headphones: Vérité and Aeolus

Copper

 

Zach made a limited run of mahogany Aeolus, I snagged one with magnesium chassis because I wanted a lighter weight pair of ZMFs. Comes in at 403 grams. Comfort difference is pretty substantial for me. I think I'm general though the benefits of the magnesium chassis should not go ignored, I would say it is a must have upgrade. Even on my eikon/Auteur, it just gives the headphones a nice balance/weight distribution. Hard to quantify, but they just feel better with the mag chassis.

 

What does magnesium look like?

 

^^-seriously quick to judge

I've seen this. It doesn't depict a full headphone in normal lighting, so I'm not sure what magnesium actually looks like (particularly the charcoal bronze option).

Was hoping for a photo from owner of ZMF HP w/magnesium frame.

 

I guess this one has Magnesium.
Sorry I'm out of station so only have this pic

 

Thanks. That's a beautiful headphone.

I'll have a loaner Verite open starting tonight--looking forward to hearing it. I've heard it a couple times under show conditions & couldn't get a read on the sound.

Have been intensely enjoying a loaner Aeolus (w/Verite pads) for weeks...

 

Last night heard the Verite closed for ~1 hr on the V281 (fed by MHDT Labs Orchid/NOS DAC). Heard ~30" of blues, funk, rock (stuff w/a big beat & bass-line); and ~30" on large-scale symphonic, choral, and some chamber music.

I've never anything quite like the VC--it has more detail, resolution & speed than any headphone I've heard (some of which are TOTL). Most detailed/high-resoluton headphones I've heard were bright or "neutral," which for me means verging on bright (personal taste). But the VC is not bright. I don't hear it as bright, warm, edgy, relaxed, any particular tonality. All that detail is unforced, not insistent or annoying.

More listening ahead. Will try it on my OTL (every ZMF has responded to that).

So far I'm not in love with the VC, but that's really because my appreciation of audio centers not on detail/speed/resolution, but on relaxed tonality, natural weight to lower registers, and reproduction of subtle spatial/ambient cues of the performance space.

Regardless, I need to hear more of this (to me, anyway) paradigm-shifting headphone sound. The VC's clarity may end up becoming addicting...

 

Just managed to tear the Verite closed off my head after an hour & a half of music through the Woo WA3. Hard to believe how different this headphone sounds on the OTL vs the V281/Tuesday. Tonight the sound was more organic, smooth, and suave, but with all the detail I got on the V281. It's a less crystalline, more fluid & swinging sound, with soundstaging well outside the earcups--hearing details I've never picked up before on familiar music. The Verite closed isn't really a basshead headphone--the bass isn't at all boosted. Still, at times the naturalness & timbral accuracy of the bass blew me away.

This is a very musical headphone, also the fastest & most detailed I've yet heard. That's not a combination one hears very often. Pairing a high-resolution driver with the ZMF "house sound" is a brilliant move IMO.

The irony is I'm not into closed back headphones at this point. I have tinnitus & headaches, both of which are usually worsened by closed backs. But this sound is so compelling that I hung in longer than I should (ears are ringing like crazy now). "Laugh now, cry later"

 

More strikingly good sound from the VC last night. This time it was on the humble but powerful and (to me) very pleasing Liquid Carbon v2. That's a warm-ish amp, and the VC is said to also be warm-ish (I don't hear that; others do). You'd think warm + warm = treacle. Nope.

As often happens with the LC, it developed a paradoxical synergy with the VC. I got the detail, speed & precision heard w/2 other amps (the VC is lightning fast, really in a category of its own), also very wide soundstaging--but it was the bass the stood out, not boosted or overdone, yet somehow even more present & nuanced than usual. So last night I got precision & detail + slamming bass.

Either the VC is more revealing of each amp's sound than many headphones; or it interacts with different amps in surprising ways (maybe both). To date I've heard it on 3 amps, getting excellent but slightly different sound from each. The VC continues to impress with its compelling blend of musicality & high resolution.

 

Seeing a fair amount of comparisons with the Utopias, but not with the LCD4's (seems that these are closer to the LCD's having a bassy sig, no?). Any thoughts on this comparo, particularly with the open version?

Never had good luck getting a good seal with closed cans, and it's gets kinda hot here anyway.

KP

Edit: I will answer my won question, having picked up an LTD pair. No, not bassy. Ballsy, full, sure bit not bassy. And I can see why it is the Utopia that they are often compared against.

Initial thought: I cannot rank these vs. the Utopia, they are both wonderful and both in a category apart from my other cans (LCD4, modded HD800, Ether Flow, etc.).

 

Pioneer CLD-D703 > Schiit Bifrost 2 > DNA Starlett

Thank you @Phantaminum for being such a generous spirit and loaning me the Verite Open. It might be the best audition experience I've had.

While Verite Closed (VC) was a mixed bag for me, the Verite Open (VO) seems to fix most of my issues and in the end I was quite taken with it, and I plan on getting a set of my own.

The VO is like someone took the best aspects of the HD800 and HD650 and combined them into one super headphone. I didn't know Zach was a mind reader. I previously said the Auteur was the best headphone I ever heard. I may have to amend that statement... Weirdly it kind of reminds me most of OG Gungnir Multibit... the way that DAC effortlessly presented a big, dynamic, fluid, but laid back and euphonic presentation, all without seemingly breaking a sweat.

Looks-wise, it's what one always expects from Zach's outfit... high class, high value craftsmanship. Beautiful, elegant, homegrown design that isn't anywhere to be found in most other headphone brands.

Ergonomically they are quite comfortable and I swear they feel lighter than my old Auteur. My only complaints being there was some unwanted pressure at the very top of my head over time which became very uncomfortable... I believe this has to do with some piece of metal in the headband that is above the leather flap and the fact that my head is usually shaved close. Ultimately I added an extra click to the slider adjustment for a little less tightness and that seemed to fix the issue. And the slider adjustment mechanism still sucks donkey nuts... absolutely can't stand dealing with it.

I was sent three sets of pads. Universe perforated lambskin, Be2 perf lambskin and Universe perf suede. The Universe lambskin pads were by far my preferred set. The Be2 pads were a little too bright while subtracting a bit of fun and euphony, and the suede even brighter still, but those did retain the aforementioned sound qualities. The Universe lambskin pads were warmer, slightly darker and more organic... all preferred by me. I get enough bright/analytical with my HD800. The Universe lambskin also sounded far more holographic and created a more layered, hallucinatory experience with the soundscape than the other pads, which was quite enjoyable.

The first thing that jumps out at you is how insanely musical these sound. The way it pumps out supreme musicality like its not even trying cannot be understated. It quickly becomes crystal clear how much Zach approaches his craft from a "music first" perspective. These seem to be tuned with maximum musical enjoyment as a priority and they are unambiguously geared toward that goal. I can't really remember enjoying music this thoroughly... not even the HD650 does it nearly this well. And the speed.... wow. There were times on fast paced rock albums with wailing guitars and drums where I could hardly believe what I was hearing speed-wise. There is a propulsive, explosive energy to this headphone that is undeniable. And speaking of guitars... what this thing does with electric guitars is just freakish (check out track 5 on Toto's 'Hydra' album, my God). This was something I noted when I owned the Auteur, but here it is taken to another level. I suspect the VO's superior speed and microdynamics has alot to do with it, along with the more fleshed out, euphonic aspect. But yeah, this is a must own for anyone into rock/metal.

More than any headphone I've heard, instruments and voices are fleshed out and vivid. The vivid presentation becomes more obvious as one continues to listen... but does not contradict its laid back presentation... in fact the two aspects seem to compliment and strengthen one another. Too much of either one would've ruined the experience, but they both feel perfectly balanced to create something really special.

As a result of the more fleshed out presentation, the intention of the musician becomes alot more obvious. For instance, Junior Wells' 'Come on in this House' track 6 is Wells in a private, improvised session, just riffing and carrying on with a harmonica and there are moments where you really feel connected to what's happening in the room. His voice's nuances, rhythms (quick shifts from loud to quiet) and gravely nature become far more apparent and enjoyable because you can really feel the intricacies of his technique. This headphone seems to mine as much essence out of tracks as humanly possible. Even live recordings like Climax Blues Band's 'FM Live' from the 70s really put you smack dab at the concert, capturing every subtle nuance, slight shift in tone, rhythm... you start to get a feel for how a live band communicates with each other musically. Even the shouty, drunk, hippie assholes in the crowd become as annoying as they were in '73.

The light tapping of piano keys in rapid succession, the ebb and flow of a blues harmonica, the guttural bellowing of an opera singer, Kendick Lamar's slick rap hooks and subterranean bass, the sweet silkiness of a solo sax.... VO presents previously untapped nuances and intricacies of musical elements that is so bloody satisfying, and like no other headphone I've heard. It truly is special.

The layering aspects are extraordinary. The way it balances the interplay between multiple elements simultaneously, while each maintains its own space, velocity (delicate sounds remain delicate, while more impactful ones never waver) is crazy... best I've heard. In fact the more things that seem to happen simultaneously, the better it seems to perform. The HD650 kind of loses composure a bit when too much is going on.... even the HD800 cannot keep up the simultaneous micro and macro dynamic elements quite as well. In this way, VO is absolute top of the line. I heard the Focal Utopia for like 3 minutes years ago, so can't comment there. And boy does this thing start and stop on a dime... its sense of control is just phenomenal.

I did not detect much of the W shape in the frequency response like I did on VC. VO seems more balanced to me... this could be because of its more open nature, less cup reflection?

Treble is delicate and tastefully presented, without becoming strident or zippy and transitions into the mids with about as much smoothness as I've heard, reminiscent of the HD650.

As I noted in my VC review, there was a hint of sweetness in the mids and this carries over into the VO. The mids are divine, dripping with a kind of organic smoothness and a hint of oakiness. They do remind me alot of the Aueteur.... capturing the same wet, rich tone, but sweeter and with noticeably better technicalities in all areas.

The bass is fantastic, but isn't all aces... while it goes deep and hits hard, it can feel a bit blubbery at times. Like @tommytakis noted in his Verite review, on the Starlett (I believe this is the amp he was referring to when he mentioned the "DNA prototype"), bass is a little bloomy and could use a bit of tightening... but we're talking minor increments here, nothing serious. I think I prefer the bass of the VC though, as it seemed more solid to me. With VO, the bass is kind of keeping in line with the headphone's signature though... warm, wet, rich, organic... some sub bass EQ might be interesting to mess around with.

Compared to my HD800 (SDR modded), VO is meatier, more fleshed out and tactile... with the Sennheiser's relative lack of body sticking out like a sore thumb. Even the modded HD650 seemed thinner in comparison. I honestly don't remember Auteur sounding quite this thick, but its been a while since I've owned it. But the thickness also depends on pads... Universe perf were the thickest sounding, but this is never offensive, even though it might take getting used to coming from leaner headphones.

Soundstage-wise, the HD800 seems to present things in a more grid like, uniform fashion, in keeping with it's more analytical presentation. while the VO soundstage felt slightly... messier, for lack of a better term, and more randomly placed. This was mostly evident with the Universe perf pads (Be2 and suede pads were more uniform sounding). Hard to tell which is more "accurate", but there doesn't seem to be such a thing in this hobby, and in the end it matters little with regard to enjoyment. Stage on the HD800 is taller, but width and depth is about the same, which surprised me. Imaging depends on pads... the Universe perf pads made things a bit hazier, and the HD800 pulled ahead... while the Be2 pads put them neck and neck. Suede pads has the worse imaging by far.

Though I feel VO has superior microdynamics, IMO the HD800 kind of wins on the other end of the scale. Large swings in massive orchestral pieces simply have a more impactful feel on the Senn. VO is a little too laid back here. Classical might be the only genre where you could make the case for the HD800 being the superior headphone. But it depends on the context. Smaller scale stuff might favor VO, while larger brute-force pieces might benefit more from the HD800's total lack of compression. Likewise, with hip hop and pop, with some EQ in the lower registers, the HD800 could be seen as more enjoyable because of its more forward nature, but it depends on taste. And the bass on the HD800, while relatively lacking in quantity feels tighter and more controlled.

Yeah, so if you couldn't tell, I'm pretty smitten with this thing, and there is definitely one in my immediate future. Zach really outdid himself in the design and implementation. Just a fun, richly rewarding, world class experience. I am alot more comfortable recommending these than the VC, which felt a little more specifically tuned.

 

A bit of a followup...

I was able to use the Verite Open with the Schiit Mjolnir 2 as a bit of a comparison.

IMO the Starlett is a much better match, but there are certain things the MJ2 does better for VO depending on what one is looking for.

MJ2 (with Siemens tubes) is much clearer sounding, slams alot harder, presents a greater sense of propulsion and has a much blacker background.

Resolving ability/resolution/plankton is a step or two down though.

Starlett is better (by a point or two) at separating musical elements so they feel independent of each other... ie, the guitarist doesn't feel like he's precisely connected to the drummer with regard to pace/timing/flow... this is something TOTL tube amps do better than lower tier stuff. Where MJ2 slightly blurs these timing elements together (not to be confused with actual blurriness), but Verite's ability to separate these elements is still pretty obvious on MJ2 and it never totally goes away... it's just that Starlett highlights it alot more.

Starlett has a much better sense of stage... where everything is placed in relation to each other, and that stage is much larger than MJ2, which pushes things more outward and shrinks things in size... it is like the difference between staring at a chess board (which represents the stage) from a foot back, and being placed on the chessboard itself. The experience is that dramatically different with regard to staging and makes quite a difference in musical enjoyment... you feel more connected to the experience (strengthened by the other aspects). Another TOTL tube amp distinction. The relative distance between elements on the stage becomes more obvious in this way.

And Starlett is alot more engaging and lively... I felt MJ2 was a little too flat in character... a little too boring (in direct comparison). The DNA stuff has that TOTL tube magic/engagement that is hard to put into words and the MJ2 doesn't have anything like that... it has its own sonics and was pleasing on a certain level, but there was a low ceiling to this where it never really punched through for me on an engagement level.

Bass hits alot harder, deeper and is quite a bit more solid on MJ2. It is a brute force experience, but honestly got tiring after a while. I am not really a fan of the MJ2's "always on" intensity, and while it has excellent microdynamics, that feels kind of mitigated by the ridiculous amounts of impact, making it an unbalanced experience for me. Startlett not only has better microdynamics (by a point or two), it is better at varying the micro/macro dynamic relationship so that neither trounces the other, and they are constantly shifting moment to moment, depending on the pace of the song. So the intention of the musician becomes much easier to understand and enjoy... and this is a huge strength of the Verite, so Starlett plays much better here.

I will also say that Starlett presents Verite in a more hyper-real/hallucinatory fashion, more lush, bloomy, rich and harmonic.... while MJ2 plays it more straight up and more "realistic".

MJ2 is a very good, capable amp, but I would not necessarily recommend it for Verite unless you are okay with a very forward, aggressive sound.

 

Thanks for your detailed impressions @ColtMrFire !

This could not be more timely... I am considering picking up a pair of Verite open this year and my amps are a Starlett and Mj2.

Though I have not been able to hear the Verite yet... only the Aeolus.

I completely agree with your description of both the Starlett and Mj2 in general.

But I would say the Starlett is no slouch in the bass, just compared to the MJ2 it is one of the more obvious things.

Overall the Starlett gets the most use for all the reasons you listed. Buts sometimes I crave the relentless attack and deep bass of the MJ2 + LCDX when I want to dial up some hot beats.

Anyone want to lend me a pair of Verite's for a week????

Thanks again... now I need to figure out how to justify a pair

 

Mjolnir 2 is the orbital bombardment option as always

 

Sure, if you will lend me Starlett
PM me.

 

Starlett bass is great, but as I noted in my VO review, for some reason the bass with the VO isn't quite 100% where I'd like it... it doesn't hit as solidly as the HD800 or as it does the MJ2. I felt the VC did better here with the DNA. Bass is still plentiful and satisfying though. But bassheads are probably gonna itch for some EQ down low if they want more impact. VO on the Starlett is just kind bloomy in general though... nothing offensive, but it's there.

 

Hmm, well swapping to the Be2 pads seems to alleviate the bass issue. It is much firmer and kicks harder. The trade off is more treble emphasis. Nothing for free.

So no one should worry with VO/Starlett about bass if wanting to go in that direction.

 

1-2 months back I had the opportunity to spend weeks with a loaner VO & VC, comparing them often & at length to my friend's sapele Aeolus (plus my Ori, HEX v2, and Eikon). The VC was extremely impressive in every way, including quite excellent bass--but as it worsened my tinnitus (most closed backs do), I spent more time listening to the VO.

I liked just about everything about the VO, particularly its speed, detail & resolution that are presented in a highly musical way. Indeed, its resolution + musicality struck me as a paradigm shift in headphone design -- considering how often I've had my ears razored off by pricey designs that others praise for detail, accuracy & resolution.

The VO was not amp-picky: I got good-to-great sound out of 5-6 SS amps of differing designs & power outputs; plus the predictably excellent & controlled sound from my modest OTL, the Woo WA3 (which all ZMF dynamics seem to love).

The only sorta/kinda fly in the ointment was the bass. Truthfully, this was more about what the VO did not do (emphasize the bass frequencies or impact/dynamics) than what it did do. The bass of VO is quite neutral: it's not elevated or hyped. It's also very tuneful, easily revealing the timbre of different bass instruments.

So what's my problem with the bass? Well, in both speakers & headphones, I prefer a rich lower register that mirrors what I hear in live orchestral or acoustic music. This is simply a sonic preference...I can't criticize the VO's bass in any real way.

IMHO the VO & VC represent a true achievement by ZMF, a company which continues to evolve and deepen as a source of good headphone sound.

 

From my post above it should be obvious I admire not only the VO & VC, but the "ZMF house sound" in general. I've heard all 6 of the dynamics IMS & at shows. Each one has particular sonic virtues, and each is a masterpiece of wood craftmanship.

In the past year I had the luxury of borrowing my friend @Jinxy245's Aeolus 3 times (for weeks each time). That let me compare the Aeolus at length to the VO and VC (and my other headphones) on 6 different amps.

Punchline: the one new ZMF dynamic I must have is the Aeolus. Hopefully I'm just 1-2 weeks from getting my own. Why the Aeolus & not the VO?

• Money figures in: the VO is a bit expensive for me.
• Beyond that, these 2 headphones don't sound much alike, despite sharing that ZMF musical sound: the VO beats the Aeolus in detail & speed, while the Aeolus beats the VO in bass (which can be readily "dialed in" to taste via pad rolling). They also soundstage somewhat differently.

But the real reason is something harder to quantify: for me, the Aeolus wins on sheer sonic fun. Every time I listen it's an ear party. This isn't driven by specs or design features...I just find the Aeolus compulsively entertaining & listenable--the best all-rounder I've yet heard.

After the Aeolus, my daydream is a new ZMF planar design. Now, that would be something special...