Verum 2 Review and Measurements

Many thanks for the opportunity to hear these!



The sonic profile of Verum 2 bears a striking resemblance to the HiFiMan HE6 V2, yet distinguishes itself with a cleaner timbre. When paired with the current from a McIntosh MHA150 amplifier, the headphones excel, producing an enriched sub-bass that resonates with clarity and depth. The headphones offered no discomfort or fit issues during use; they are neither too heavy nor do they create any pressure points. The construction of these headphones carries the innovative spirit of a Kickstarter project, yet they surpass any HiFiMan model I've encountered in terms of build. These are a great value!

 

@dubharmonic What can I say... Hifiman He-6 was one of the headphones I liked and studied. I can't name it as a reference point but I liked it. I'd like to think that I've taken most good sides and less of compromises.
So you're absolutely right, you've exactly described what were my plans. And I'm happy that those plans are implemented in working headphones.

 

@Garuspik Congratulations with a an amazing start of kickstarter company and great impressions of every single reviewer! One of reviwers even compared V2 with 3000$ headphones and they wasn't completely different from V2.

When you will be ready, please, share with us SPL response of the final Verum 2 so we will be able to make personal EQ curves.

Unfortunately, most of us don't have a great headphones measurement setup.
Thank you very much fou your amazing work!

 

Thanks. That's the goal! (sure, my goal - not the goal of the manufacturer of 3000$ headphones )

Please understand that you're speaking with a guy whos measurement rig is a flat wooden board, covered with fabric and a hole with a mic. I've measured several headphones and compared with ASR measurement rig. And made "EQ" to my own "rig". Right now i'm in a process of making more serious measurement system and sure will post results when I'll be able to.

 

I need your opinion. Many people asked me - will you make closed version? Till V2 answer was - not in plans. However I realized that I can make magnetic held covers that will transform open to closed headphones.
But this will require a design change:


Current version is on top. Possible change is lower pic.
Without such a change I'll be limited to a very small chamber and it will not be functional:


What would you suggest?

 

I like the bottom design more anyways. Looks much cleaner and less busy, especially when a bright color is used.

 

This one definitely gets my vote. It's refreshing in a 1940s car kinda way, really does stand out in the modern landscape.

 

I like the bigger one also and this is a fantastic idea.

If it works well I can imagine a whole bunch of customisations around this idea. Especially adjusting the size and shape of the inner cavity for different tunings. Though please don't affect the sound of the open back as that would still be my priority as far as the Verum 2.

 

Frankly, with the flat surface of the lower one (I like the looking too), it can be quite easy to 3D print your own cups for different shapes, vents and things.

 

The bottom cups with the larger chamber is what would make the most sense. Other headphones who have taken this approach (ability to be both open or closed) - the larger chamber always gave a better chance of getting the sound right, and more often than not, people would mod and alter the dampening to get the sound right (unless of course you can nail it on the initial design!). But most often, I've always seen people having to mod the closed or semi-open cup covers of this type.

 

Will the cups affect the FR? If they do I’m not sure what the value of having them removable if the headphones sound good only one way or the other.

Will the cups also cut down sound (for the wearer or externally)? I’m not sure why I would want thin cups that don’t isolate.

Basically if the cups are not functional or sound good, the additional weight from the magnets is probably not worth it.

Separately—will the cable connections be angled in the final design? The straight down design doesn’t look ideal.

 

Looks kinda like red Thunderpants! Nice.

 

My reading comprehension could be scuffed (again) but IIRC there are plans to angle stuff for production units?

 

Many thanks to Verum and SBAF for the loaner.

The chain: Yggdrasil (balanced) > MJ3 (high-gain, push-pull on) w/ the ported pads.

First, as others have already noted, this is a tonally very well balanced headphone - pretty linear sounding, even a little bit dry at times, but not at all boring! Good to great sense of micro and macrodyanmics, and while not a bass monster, not (sub)bass lite either. I wish I would've busted the Lokius out to see how well it EQ's (which i'm guessing they would handle pretty well?). Also thought it had a decent stage with good/great layering & seperation.

Really thought @dubharmonic's comparison to the HE6se was spot-on. And while I'm comparing from memory, the Verum 2 (V2) is my preference when it comes to tonality, timbre, and comfort. Yes the HE6se is still superior in some technicalities: e.g. resolution and spaciousness - but I had to EQ the occasionally stabby Hifiman treble to make it tolerable for extended listens. This is quite unlike the V2, which I feel like I could listen to all day, with any genre I throw at it. Honestly, of all the budget planars I've heard (the m1060s, lcd-2c, he400) - the V2's are a tier above and an easy recommendation for a 'normal' person wanting great sound but not willing to pay more than a day's wages for headphones.

 

Thanks. Was exactly my goal. Including relatively high sensitivity.

 

How do i choose my color when ordering the Verum 2 via the Kickstarter campaign? It took me to the payment screen but i dont see an option to choose which color i want.
Also, will there likely be a difference between the kickstarter run and the production headphone after the kickstarter batch has been delivered?

 

It says on Kickstarter that you can choose the color after crowdfunding is complete. So within the next couple days, more than likely.

 

Ok, time to put some thoughts down after listening for a few days. While being tonally a bit leaner than the Verum 1, the 2 improves on it's predecessor in virtually every metric: speed, layering, and resolution. My setup is Bifrost 2/64> Singxer SA-1/Vali 3. Other headphones in my roster are the Senn HD650, Audezed LCD-2 (closed), and the Meze 108 pro. (my current daily driver). I did buy in on Kickstarter, and I'll be waiting patiently for my pair.

The Verum 1 was a good to great sounding headphone with decent technicalities for the price, and having a slightly grainy texture to the sound, sidestepping the stereotypical "plastic" sound of many planars. The Verum 2 (via the Singxer) is a giant leap in technicalities for a small amount of money; It's pretty impressive. V2 reminds me of the 108 pro in terms of headstage height, so if you're familiar with the latter, you'll know what I'm talking about. Not the same, but definitely in the ballpark.

This thing has clarity for days: none of the slightly grainy timbre of the original, and no glare perceivable in the treble. I'd say the V1 has slightly more body in the lower midrange, but it's not big (and this could just be a perception thing because of the slightly tipped-up tonality). I do feel, even with the vented pads, that the V2 could do with a few DB of extra bass presence below 120 hz. These are good studio monitor phones as is, but for fun listening, I do require a bump on the Schiit Lokius on the midbass setting around 3 o'clock, and sometimes I'll put the sub-bass at 3 as well. It's not that the bass isn't there, there's just not much impact or presence on most recordings sufficient for my tastes. But, like I said, with a bit of judicious EQ, I have zero complaints. It should be said that I listen to a lot of rock and metal (Rush, Metallica, Slayer, Van Halen, Aristocrats, Periphery) and I do feel that these genres should be more impactful. For Jazz/Fusion stuff and classical, I think the V2 is fine as-is.

For a slightly different balance, with no EQ, I've been running them SE out of the Vali 3, which I find to be a less neutral, more overtly warm amp with a more dense sound (and smaller headstage). Because the Vali 3 is a bit warmer sounding than the SA-1, I find that I can increase the volume a bit and the bass-to-treble balance feels a bit better. For the record, the Vali 3 is hands down the best sounding small amp Schiit has ever made; it's a stupid bargain. I don't find the V2 to be lacking whatsoever in terms of bass slam, speed or texture with the Schiit; just a slightly smaller headstage, and that's pretty much it. I don't know why they sound different, but the Verum series are the only planars I've heard that avoid the "plastic timbre" syndrome that plagues so many planar designs;

The Verum 2 is more in line with the Hifiman house sound than Audeze, but done better in most respects. Slightly lean, but not V-shaped, and has pretty much what you would expect from a multi-thousand $ headphone in terms of expected technicalities ( I like these better than ANY Audeze) for about $500 US... It's really nice to see this level of engineering and competition in the market. @Garuspik I'd really like to see your take on a "fun" bassy headphone.

 

@Mithrandir41 - thanks for review. Need to admit that I agree with everything you've said. And also agree with "slightly lean".
I'm now working on a bit different damping that will solve this character of sound, without sacrifice in any other aspect. If you don't mind - I'll send to you and other participants of SBAF tour re-tuned variant.

 

@Garuspik, that would be great. And thanks for sending the loaner out. Definitely looking forward to hearing the final version.