[Tiemen]

Quote:

 
How do these sound compared to the DT880CB? I'm on the verge of buying at DT880 to mod, but this description interests me a lot. I love my Sextett, but want a little more, and I was teetering between the DT880CB and HD650/HD600.

 
The DT880cb with DT770 pads are more comfortable to start with.
The sound is snappier, details are jumping at you, which is the nature of the DT880.
 
The ZMF are fuller sounding in the mids, more relaxed, easier on the treble.
 
I don't find the Alpha pads as comfortable as other do, the opening of the pads is too small for my big ears.
 
BTW: Zach is now offering painted ZMF's!

 

[Ishcabible]

Quote:

 
The DT880cb with DT770 pads are more comfortable to start with.
The sound is snappier, details are jumping at you, which is the nature of the DT880.
 
The ZMF are fuller sounding in the mids, more relaxed, easier on the treble.
 
I don't find the Alpha pads as comfortable as other do, the opening of the pads is too small for my big ears.
 
BTW: Zach is now offering painted ZMF's!

 
Thanks! That makes things a little harder. I might just buy a pair of DT880s and loan a pair of these and keep the one I prefer...

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

 
Thanks! That makes things a little harder. I might just buy a pair of DT880s and loan a pair of these and keep the one I prefer...

 
I would say they complement each other nicely because of different sound sig. Get both

 

[Ishcabible]

I would say they complement each other nicely because of different sound sig. Get both

Actually, I briefly considered it (like a true Head-fier) but I have other places the money could go. I'm actually looking for a more mid-forward compliment to my SA5000. I want a warmer sound, but not too warm like my particular pair of Sextetts or ESW9. I'm guessing these would be the ideal pair, but the prices of the DT880 have been so low lately that wouldn't lose much if I sold them.

 

[zach915m]

Quote:

Wow, glowing reviews so far.
Well done Zach, you deserve it!

Thanks Tieman, as I look back now I believe you may actually have the first pair of ZMF's....maybe a collectors item! Should have kept them for myself...
 
 

 

 

[Ishcabible]

Just got both versions to demo today!



No firm impressions yet but...I think I like these enough to buy one of these, which is something I've never done with anything I've reviewed, not even the HE500. I can list great things about things I've reviewed, but they all fell short on something that led me not to buy the review unit (usually if I liked it, I'd look for a used one because the usual downfall was overpricing for the performance). So far, I can't find anything that'd convince me not to buy these, but it's only been a couple of hours.

If I can complain about one thing, I wish the pads weren't glued on (or the edges were sanded), but the HM5 pads don't seem to be very cooperative in stretching, so that's not really Zach's fault.

EDIT:
Just one little thing. The V2 has serious sub-bass.

 

[Theogenes]

Awesome Ish!! Looking forward to more of your impressions as you get more head-time with 'em!!

 

[Ishcabible]

I'm currently comparing the differences between the two (the SA-31's dual headphone outs are incredibly handy right now) and the differences between the two are easy to tell, but it's obvious that these were made by the same person. Switching from V2 to V1 accentuates the odd upper mids (like I remember the HE500's to be; is it a planar thing? My HP3 and ATH-2 have the same issue) and V1 to V2 makes the mids sound a little bit too warm. So far, I'm definitely preferring the V2 for what I'll use a closed headphone for (transportation/studying), but the V1 is pretty nice. If I was a one-headphone person, I'd probably lean more toward the V1 since the V2 is noticeably slower, but I have the SA5000 for that. I'd have to get a hold of pair to confirm my suspicions, but the V2 kind of sounds like what I remember from the Momentum, except these will fit more ears and have more controlled bass. But don't hold me to that; I haven't heard a pair of those in a while.

Anyone have an HE500 that they wouldn't mind loaning me for a week or two? I jest.

 

[ULUL]

Glad you like them too.  I do feel that these do offer some of the highest performance to price ratio!
 
UL 
Quote:

Just got both versions to demo today!



No firm impressions yet but...I think I like these enough to buy one of these, which is something I've never done with anything I've reviewed, not even the HE500. I can list great things about things I've reviewed, but they all fell short on something that led me not to buy the review unit (usually if I liked it, I'd look for a used one because the usual downfall was overpricing for the performance). So far, I can't find anything that'd convince me not to buy these, but it's only been a couple of hours.

If I can complain about one thing, I wish the pads weren't glued on (or the edges were sanded), but the HM5 pads don't seem to be very cooperative in stretching, so that's not really Zach's fault.

EDIT:
Just one little thing. The V2 has serious sub-bass.

 

[grizzlybeast]

Sold them to get something but didn't follow through and now I want them back ( that was really dumb of me) Next time i'll try bass boosted version with custom paint. Ugghhh can't wait... and I have some alpha pads here chillin by themselves. I am currently accepting ZMF donations! J/p I would rather buy them again just to bang my buck pretty hard.

Can someone compare these directly to the he-500.
What does the he-500 do better and worse?

I would assume stronger bass,wider sound stage, and even more clarity. I hear the highs are a bit zingy....something def not on the ZMF's.
Also I have even heard the he500 described as slightly bright though lush but smooth. Again ZMF's not bright but smooth as well and not overly lush for me.

I could be reading wrong but just curious and stirring the pot.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

[Homage]

So for someone who likes soul, jazz, world music, soundtracks, acoustic, and 70's up to the present day dance music, would V1 model, or V2 be a better option?
 
Would get more use outside the house, but would also use sometimes at home (though not nearly as much).

 

[Ishcabible]

Definitely the V1. I'm leaning towards the V1 myself. The extra bass of the V2 was nice at first, but the timbre of the V1 is slightly better. I'm recabling a pair of T50RPs myself to get ready for the ZMF mods. 

 

[Tiemen]

Quote:

So for someone who likes soul, jazz, world music, soundtracks, acoustic, and 70's up to the present day dance music, would V1 model, or V2 be a better option?
 
Would get more use outside the house, but would also use sometimes at home (though not nearly as much).

 
I have the standard, non bass heavy, version (the V1 as it's called now).
It has all the bass I need. More bass would really be too much for my taste.

 

[Ishcabible]

The V1 has more bass than I expected. It actually has more impact than the Beats Pro that's sitting beside me... (though, the Beats Pro really didn't have much impact to begin with)