Pros: Quality of mids several times the price point. Immense soundstage and accurate imaging. High resolution (Monk+)
Cons: Not the greatest sub-bass. (Remedied by Monk+ with extra foam) Treble can be a bit piercing without the full padding.
I was introduced to these by a classmate on the 15th of March and I was so impressed based on just a minute or two of listening that I decided to order them the same night. Impulsive decision yes, but the low price of $5 (+$2 shipping) convinced me that it was a good purchase. As I told myself, it's cheaper than a meal at Nando's.
Well I just received it this morning, the 31st of March. I plugged it into my Fiio X1 and was immediately impressed all over again by the sound quality. The first song I played was "Trains" by Porcupine Treeas I felt it would be a strong start for my ownership of these earbuds.
As I expected, the acoustic guitars sounded lifelike and clear. As the song picked up pace, it never lost the sense of clarity that is so essential when listening to such complex compositions. (compared to pop music) The middle section with the acoustic guitar on the left channel and the banjo on the right convinced me that this was money spent extremely well.
You see, these earbuds don't look like much. They look like the cheap Sony/Panasonic earbuds I used as a kid with my first Sony Walkman. I haven't used earbuds in over a decade. These do not sound like any earbuds I remember. The soundstage is vast, the widest of any audio gear in my current lineup and the imaging is extremely accurate. The separation is also breathtaking, I listened to "Space Oddity" by David Bowieand felt that the two vocal lines were lifelike and satisfyingly equal in sound without any sort of overlap.
Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album also benefits from the sound of the VE Monk as it gives a very "surround" feeling that is a good pairing with the album - which has many samples of voice recordings darting from channel to channel to add a sense of paranoia/madness to the album theme.
The bass is good but nothing to write home about. I was advised by someone in a HeadFi thread that the full foam pad (it comes with two sets, one with a hole in it and one full) leads to a loss of resolution. I feel that the loss in resolution is quite minute and the benefit of the full pad is more warmth (and bass) to the sound. Also, it makes acoustic instruments sound better - especially guitars. Along with my ZMF Omni, this reproduces acoustic guitars the best in my current collection. For this reason, I would not recommend trying to use equalizer on these earbuds. A neutral as possible source works best with them. In my case, this is my Fiio X1 as my Dragonfly 1.2 DAC is a little bright.
But don't get sidetracked with thinking about bass. These earbuds are all about the mids. These beat my Grado SR80i at their own game by having an aggressive and fast mid reproduction but with the clarity that the Grados don't have. However, the Grados handle EDM and beat-heavy music a bit better than the VE Monk. This isn't an earbud for fist bumping, but rather for hearing an incredible vocal and acoustic sound. MTV Unplugged recordings sound right at home with the Monk, you can actually place yourself front and centre in the crowd.
As for comfort, they are extremely light and you can easily forget you have them on. They don't need to be adjusted harshly or pushed in deep as they give the full experience with a light attachment to the ear. The cable is twice as thick as those of my Zero Audio Carbo Tenore so I'm grateful for that, less anxiety for me. It literally arrives in a small and clear plastic pouch with a push-to-seal and a few promotional cards from Venture Electronics.
It's quite incredible that this experience can be made available for its price + a wait. I just checked AliExpress and found them to be sold out currently, for good reason. The hype is quite real and for what this does well, it is exceptional. Just don't expect to be able to listen to it in crowded public places because of the sound leakage and don't expect any deep sub-bass.
Pros: FUN sound with no qualms of how to achieve it. Deep sub-bass and incredible and lifelike mids. Wide soundstage.
Cons: Might be too warm for some. Not neutral or analytical, again a preference. A bit on the heavy side. Power hungry.
Ask yourself this question, what do you seek from a pair of headphones? Now I know this may seem like a strange question, as most of you probably have multiple pairs for different purposes – but what draws you to your favourite pair?
Is it neutrality? I’d guess you absolutely love the likes of the Sennheiser HD600 then.
Is it accurate imaging, a huge soundstage and an analytical and revealing sound? Well then the Sennheiser HD800S must be what you seek.
You can see where I’m going with this, and I’m only using Sennheiser products as an example because of how well known they are. I’m well aware that there are many factors that go into the enjoyment of your favourite pair of headphones, no matter what they are. But let me tell you about what makes this particular pair of headphones stand out for me, and why they are a good fit for my needs.
A little background first. ZMF stands for “Zach Modified Fostex,” and was founded a few years ago by Zach Mehrbach, a resident of Chicago who has always had an affinity for the artistic re-purposing of wood. On his blog, found on zmfheadphones.com, he claims that this started with an appreciation for baseball bats – a sport he played a lot of as a kid. Later in life, he fancied himself a bit of a luthier and took to making acoustic guitars with various tonewood. This is important because the concept of tonewood is central to acoustic guitars. I myself have two for their different sound, an all mahogany one for its deeper and richer sound and a spruce one for its brighter tone. Over time and experience, guitarists swear by certain woods – just like how some in this community swear by certain headphones. Some like exotic woods like koa and the ever elusive (and hard to obtain legally) Brazilian rosewood.
From my understanding, there was a fad of modifying the Fostex T50RP headphone a few years ago – when the likes of ZMF and MrSpeakers started doing so commercially. Zach’s approach went back to his love for wood and tonewood. However, he didn’t start like that. The original ZMF mods had repainted OEM cups at most. It wasn’t until the introduction of the ZMF x Vibro that he decided to add the element of wooden cups to further shape the sound. With cups made of soft cherry wood, the Vibro was the first time the man used something other than the stock earcups.
When I first plugged in my ZMF Vibro Mk. I earlier this year, I was taken aback by the sheer amount of bass – despite having two ports in to tame it somewhat. This was my introduction to the ZMF house sound. The bass was strong but didn’t extend incredibly low, rather it stayed in the mid-bass region where it blended with the strong mids to create a unique sound that I hadn’t heard before in a pair of headphones. It was delightful for some genres but didn’t suit others much at all because of the rolled off treble. It should be noted that ZMF now sells the Vibro Mk. II, which is said to have better bass and treble extension than the Mk. I that I have experience with.
After some time with the Vibro, I began to dream big and turned my attention to the Omni – waiting for an opportunity that would allow me to grab one. Fast forward a while, and I’m listening to one now – in cherry wood just like my Vibro.
Now keep in mind that this is ZMF’s flagship model. This is the culmination of all the effort in tuning and experimentation that Zach has put in since he started his company a few years ago – one in which he seems to do most of the work alone and to order (hence the somewhat long order lead time of 4-6 weeks). This is a personal, boutique touch that is far more customized than factory made headphones, not that there is anything inherently wrong with mass production – it meets demands just fine. However, I’m fairly sure ZMF isn’t even Zach’s main occupation – rather a hobby that grew in popularity and reputation that he must probably devote most of his free time to now. Customer service with Zach is also stellar as he's happy to answer any questions you may have and custom tune your order to suit personal tastes.
This flagship model on my head right now isn’t even the most expensive or "unique" offering. The Omni Cherry and Walnut are priced $100 under the Blackwood and exotic tonewoods that appear in limited number from time to time. Each wood lends to the overall tonality in subtle ways. I would like to steal ZMF’s own description of the various (and currently available) wood options:
Blackwood: Smooth. Quick/fast transients. A dark resolving sound with OOMPH. Most sub-woofer effect of the three, with great detail retrieval and very "black" background.
Walnut: Most neutral presentation. Has much of the speed/depth/extension of the Blackwood and the soundstage/openness of the Cherry. Has good speed but also a touch of decay.
Cherry: Romantic and resolving presentation. Greater decay than Walnut or Blackwood, but with lifelike instrument timbre, especially for acoustic instruments. A touch of bloom and warmth for that "je ne sais qois" that you need in your life. Still fast, still deep. LARGEST soundstage due to slightly slower decay.
Cocobolo (limited edition): A touch harder than Walnut, and with much smaller pores, Cocobolo has a great soundstage, smooth extended top end, and the right mixture of decay and impact in the bass. It's also gorgeous!
Bocote (limited edition): Close to Blackwood with a touch of decay added and beautiful detailed yet easy going mids. Bocote has a very nice oomph that is super natural because of the added wood pore size over blackwood. Very resolving and musical.
As I waited for the cherry Omni to reach me, a long and arduous process that I’m sure anyone with any sense of anticipation is familiar with, I tried to picture what Zach meant by “lifelike instrument timbre.” I listened to acoustic recordings on my Vibro and felt that its reproduction of instruments was quite accurate – just a bit hampered by the fully closed aspect of it and the rolled off treble preventing the shrill but somehow satisfying squeaks as fingers glide over fretboards. A friend of mine already had the Omni blackwood and sang praises of how incredible, yet heavy, it was. Upon long last, I got mine and plugged it in. These felt lighter than my Vibro, which took me by surprise.
Straight off the bat, I will tell you that ZMF headphones are in no ways bright. Both the Vibro and the Omni share a warm sound signature. The product line is said to be “musically tuned” and doesn’t claim to be the highest resolution or analytical cans around – which they aren’t. However, that isn’t what I wanted from it. What I did obtain, and enjoy, was primarily a deep sub-bass sound that I hadn’t heard any other headphones reach yet. I was surprised just how leaps and bounds beyond the Vibro it was in this regard. For the first time, I was able to hear Cliff Burton’s bass work quite clearly in the mix in Metallica’s legendaryRide The Lightning and Master of Puppetsalbums. The bass took centre stage of any recording I threw at it in the most satisfying fashion.
The mids sound a lot more natural than my Vibro Mk. I but are in no way neutral. Both headphones have forwarded mids, but on the Omni it sounds very appropriate because of the semi-open design and quite large soundstage – larger than the Vibro (of course) and even my open Hifiman HE-400i. There is a lot of effortless separation in the mids, with vocal layering piling on clearly and majestically. Listening to Michael Jackson’s discography reveals a lot of this attribute as he was a big proponent of layering ad libs jumping from channel to channel. A song like “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” really shows off the capabilities of the Omni in its reproduction of instruments, particularly because all of the percussion instruments. Yes, this is indeed a very accurate reproducer of instrument timbre. I’m constantly amazed by how real it makes acoustic guitars sound in songs, given that they’re well recorded. Hell, it makes my own recordings playing my acoustics sound better than I’ve ever heard them – and I only recorded in my room with a MXL 990 condenser microphone. If you listen to the “Hell Freezes Over” live recording of the Eagles playing Hotel California in 1992 (a bit stereotypical I know) you’ll be amazed by how natural it sounds. The Vibro did a good job here, but the Omni trumps it because of the wider soundstage and more natural mids.
The Omni also has the ability, that I haven't come across before, of dragging the acoustic guitar track in a song to the front so it becomes more noticeable. I had no idea that most songs in Green Day's American Idiot album had an acoustic guitar track mimicking the distorted guitars to lend a percussive sound throughout the recording. It was only with the Omni that I truly noticed this for the first time since I heard the album for the first time in 2004.
A make or break aspect with this headphone for many of you will be how you perceive the treble. Like the Vibro, it's a bit rolled off to avoid any sort of sibilance - but it extends far further. Cymbals have no problem being heard clearly in a mix. Despite this, this makes the Omni slightly unforgiving in the sense that if the source recording isn’t a certain degree of well-mastered and mixed, it will sound quite muddy. The Vibro was even more unforgiving in this regard, while the Omni is actually a very good pair for all the genres that I’ve thrown at it – but bad apples in sound production can dampen its capabilities.
As with all T50RP mods, the Omni is power hungry. Luckily for my wallet, it sounds incredible being amped from my Schiit Asgard 2 or Magni 2 – both delivering 1.0W at 50 ohms. The Vibro would sound way too stuffy with my Asgard 2, itself a warm and slightly coloured amp, but the Omni sounded just fine. However, I prefer the more neutral and transparent sound of the Magni 2 paired with it. This being said, a tinge of “what if?” and upgradetitis is afflicting me slowly as I turn my gaze towards more powerful offerings like the Cavalli Liquid Carbon and the Schiit Lyr 2 to drive these. I have read in many reviews that the T50RP mods, and particularly the Omni, scale very well and I wish to hear it for myself. When that day comes, I will update this section of the review.
The cherry wood Omni (with lambskin and cowhide earpads, more on that later) also don’t seem to be able to compete with my HE400i in terms of speed and punchiness, but that is entirely to be expected. For those seeking those characteristics, look to the blackwood Omni. This is a more laid back headphone that can still punch hard though. I hear absolutely no problems listening to EDM and electronic pop. Quite the opposite really, I feel the sub-bass and the cinematic mid-bass gives me a great listening experience.
For those who think the Omni is too warm, there are options to modify your experience. Zach himself, in the Head-fi thread for the Omni, gives advice to those wishing to do this. Underneath the pads are two dampening materials – a small square foam pad and a thinner round foam sheet pad. They cover the driver and can be removed or changed around (my personal favourite is having the square foam piece diagonally placed on the square driver magnets. Basically, the more that he driver magnets are showing – the more the sound will brighten. However, the trade-off is the strong bass so keep that in mind.
Speaking of earpads, Zach provides two pairs of them in each purchase of the Omni. There are three options: lambskin, cowhide and protein pads.
The cowhide are coarse and tough sons-of-bitches. They require a long time to break in and can get quite hot. They are also the thickest of the three because they contract the least, leading to a larger soundstage and deeper bass. Make no mistake, taming these is a commitment you must make (unless you use a leather conditioner to help you out - Zach recommends products by Blue Magic) if you want to get the perfect seal with them. Also keep in mind how warm these can get, especially in humid summer heat without air conditioning.
The protein pads, on the other hand, utilize a different foam than the lambskin and cowhide and have a linear sound that shares a lot with my HE400i. This is the “fastest” pairing, with more punch and speed and least amount of mid-bass. For this reason, I find this an ideal pairing for metal because, while it lessens the sub-bass a tad, it lets the distorted guitars bite harder and the cymbals appear louder. Those wanting a less overall warm sound can also look into the protein pads to assist this preference. While these advantages exist for a reason, the Omni loses its overall ZMF sound a bit with these and I would only use these situationaly. Thankfully, the earpad switching process is pretty simple.
The middle of the pack option is the lambskin. It is softer than the cowhide and still has a lot of bass the former contains. Best of both worlds really. I find this preferable for most situations.
Made of protein leather, the pilot pad headband covers up the FOSTEX logo present on the rubber headband and gives a clean and premium look to the overall presentation. It’s also very soft and comfortable. I much prefer it to the other option, the buffalo leather strap pictured below.
Another reason the soundstage is such a pleasant surprise to me is because these are still semi-closed after all. They provide a really good amount of sound isolation. I currently live in a somewhat noisy flat, depending on whether or not a certain flatmate decides to blast his music on his Harmon Kardon Soundstick III's. It overpowers my HE400i, but the Omni blocks it out - as does the Vibro but the soundstage isn't nearly as wide.
As I said earlier, the Omni is quite customizable depending on what earpads are being used and what dampening material is put on the driver. My current favourite setup is cowhide pads the white square foam piece on the driver - essentially removing the grey circle foam piece.
The weight of the Omni is something I have read a lot of comments on. As is the case with most planar magnetics, (my HE400i is unique in its lightness) they are quite heavy headphones. However, the cherry omni is quite a bit lighter than the blackwood – according to my friend who compared them to his. This makes sense, blackwood is a hard and heavy wood while the cherry is soft and light. I don’t feel the weight as a bother because of the pilot pad and comfortable earpads causing a good seal on my ears. I’ve worn my Omni for many hours on end and don’t feel any fatigue. However, your mileage may vary regarding this.
If you are a fan of how polished and refined wood can look, you will doubtlessly love the Omni. I was in awe of some of the photos that I managed to take of mine, it had a statuesque beauty that I hadn’t seen in a pair of headphones that I’d owned before. I now know why headphone porn is a thing, and indeed I’ve made my contribution to the phenomenon over on r/headphoneporn. The Omni transcends the looks of a mere pair of headphones, they look like a heirloom you want to buy a good stand for. It isn’t hard to imagine it catching the eye of visitors and becoming a conversation piece. It’s artisan woodworking, plain and simple. Some of the limited edition tonewood options, like cocobolo, are simply breathtaking.
The name of the game for the Omni is fun. I neither know nor care how it measures in graphs as I only know how it sounds to my ears – the most pleasing sound I’ve ever owned. I know they aren’t for everyone, but I’m fairly sure everyone can take some aspect of them to heart in an impressed fashion. The sub-bass is incredible, the soundstage is wide, the mids are natural and lifelike, the treble is never sibilant and it all bundles into a beautiful looking set of headphones you would be glad to own. I applauded Zach earlier for his work with the Vibro when I reviewed it, but now I absolutely and eagerly expect what he comes up with next. I don’t know if he’ll stick to modifying T50RPs, despite the company name, or make his own from-scratch pair. That’s something we’ll all know at a later date.
Pros: Huge soundstage, high resolution, immaculate imaging, very good bass extension given certain parametres, low price
Cons: Wait time as it has to ship from China, Will reveal lower-end DAP shortcomings.
It is nearing two months since I was introduced to the original Monk earbuds by Venture Electronics. They left quite the impression on me and my views on price-to-performance ratio in audio gear, not to mention reviving a medium that I had long since abandoned. In fact, I believe my last experience with earbuds was in 2005 when I had an Apple iPod. I then found a pair of Sennheiser PX-100’s and never looked back at earbuds again.
That is, until this March when a classmate let me demo his, run from an Ibasso DX90. In those short moments, I heard oodles of clarity and soundstage emitting from what looked like extremely cheap earbuds. The name of the company was not even written on them. I would compare the moment of when I first looked upon the original VE Monk to what audiences must have thought when before Susan Boyle opened her mouth on national television to sing “I Dreamed a Dream” way back in the day. I went home and ordered two, marvelling at the fact that they were 5 pounds each shipped.
It turned out that I had come across the original VE Monk right at the end of its production run. Unbeknown to me, Venture Electronics had mapped out upgrades to their bestselling item and dubbed it the Monk Plus/+. I was intrigued by the details I had gathered regarding the differences and managed to procure one with an expansion pack.
The day arrived and I had them in my hands. I plugged them into my Fiio X1 player and put on a song I was very familiar with on the original Monk, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac in FLAC from HDTracks. I was very surprised by the sound. Very, very surprised.
I was confused at first because the sound signature had changed quite a bit. The forwarded mids and warm tone of the original monk had been changed to a more neutral presentation. I found this quite uncharacteristic of what I had perceived the Monk’s selling point to be. I won’t lie, I was confused and felt that it might not have been the right move by Venture Electronics to change a winning formula in such a manner. I discussed it with Wild Lee, the outspoken head of the company who assured me to keep trying it with different sources and configurations. I did, and I found exactly what worked for me.
You see, the Monk Plus is incredibly detailed – so much so that I found its resolution superior to most full-sized headphones I have tried in the past. I had found the original Monk quite detailed too, but the treble felt a bit hazy with its mids-centric sound. The bass on the original felt “full” but never suitable for more electronic genres of music. The Monk Plus has situated itself as an incredible all-rounder pair of earbuds because of its neutral, detailed and resolving sound. It is very clear in both mid and treble regions and does not get overpowered by more hectic recordings like the original Monk sometimes did. Another improvement took some experimentation to discover, but once I found it I was sold on the sheer quality of these new earbuds.
As mentioned earlier, the bass on the original Monk had shortcomings in the extension and impact – especially with more electronic genres such as Electronic Dance Music, Electropop music and Techno. I chalked up this quality to the fact that it was an earbud…a $5 earbud. It would be foolish, I told myself, to expect a $5 earbud to be able to accomplish more than its chosen sound signature – which I had incredible for classic rock recordings. I saw the original Monk as a clearer model from the Grado line in earbud form – where bass is never meant to be the focus but rather the mids and overall open soundstage.
The Monk Plus has more bass extension that I thought possible from a pair of earbuds with this design. You must understand that the soundstage of the Monk, and increasingly so the Monk Plus, is vast with incredible imaging. This quality is hard to achieve in the closed off, plastic earbud design that all Apple product users are familiar with. The Monk/Monk Plus succeed at this because of their very light plastic shell and minute drivers. There is no attention given to making them look “cool” or “trendy,” but rather to accomplish the best sound experience possible. When using the original Monks, I appreciated this aspect and switched off my need to have, simply put, “more bass” as I listened to rock recordings.
The Monk Plus turned my expectations on their head as I can now happily listen to all the electronic genres that I found myself avoiding with the original. This is due to my chosen configuration and setup, which utilizes two full foams on each side. The new foams are thinner than the original Monk’s, so I found myself wanting more damping for bass impact. However, I found that using one of the original Monk’s full foams caused the Plus to sound muffled and very unsatisfactory. This told me that this is an entirely different entity from the original, even to the point where it required different thickness in foams. I rummaged through my expansion pack and experimented with different configurations – leading to my finding that two of the thinner foams on each earpiece yielded increased bass extension and impact without losing more than a tiny amount of the clarity and resolution that is this earbuds’ main selling point.
Suddenly, the Monk Plus had trumped the original to become what I went to for portable listening sessions. The better soundstage, the cleaner sound overall with the more neutral mids and extended highs, the impressive bass extension and the clarity and resolution put this head and shoulders above any other earbuds I had tried in my life – with most costing more too.
However, I will say that the Monk Plus is quite a bit revealing but not in the manner you would imagine. I found that it made the phone-out jack on my Fiio X1 sound dull, but had renewed vigour and energy being driven from my Samsung Galaxy S6 with its coloured sound. I found this amusing at first but then I found it hard to return to the X1 – leading to me selling it. I dub it the Monk Plus’ victim and I hope it finds peace with its new owner.
Deciding to truly go guns blazing into what could be achieved with the Monk Plus, I plugged it into my Cavalli Liquid Carbon SE output on low gain. Music was played using Foobar2000 on my Laptop connected to a Schiit Gungnir DAC with USB Version 2. I find this DAC to provide an immense amount of detail and resolve to even my ZMF Omni – which is tuned to be a musical pair of headphones that has slightly lessened resolve and detail compared to others. The Monk Plus showed me more of the warm but charismatic characteristic of the Liquid Carbon coupled with the incredible clarity and resolution of itself and the Gungnir. It was simply the best I’ve ever heard on a “portable” set of listening apparatus.
This setup convinced me I needed a better DAP, but I’ll have time for that later. I’m very grateful that the Monk Plus gives a punchy and fun sound from my Galaxy S6. I also found that the earbuds responded very well to equaliser adjustments such as the one below that I sometimes, when the need for bass is overwhelming, use for more electronic music.
I would recommend the expansion pack if it is available for purchase, as they notably tend to run out quickly due to the product’s popularity. I haven’t quite figured out how to use the earhooks yet but they comes in two sizes in soft and comfortable rubber. Rubber rings in white and black are also provided for those who want more traction for the Monk Plus in their ears. I count myself as one of the individuals who find that the earbud just “disappears” during wear, leading to an open sound emitting from the room around you as it barely feels like anything is being worn. I have heard that some struggle with its width, but I have not personally so I cannot speak to this issue.
Even when I was knee-deep in Monk Plus listening, I told myself that I would alternate between it and the original depending on genres I was listening to. However, this simply never happened except for review notes and comparisons. I find the Monk Plus to be the superior earbud in both build quality and sound. The clarity in the vocals and acoustic instruments in the aforementioned song Dreams by Fleetwood Mac burst into life on these earbuds, with vocal harmonies sounding crisp and distinct with a lot of body to the sound. The casing itself has been upgraded from the original, using what feels like a better quality plastic shell that is see-through so you see the drivers at work. The name is also written on the shell now too so hooray for branding. I'm also glad to see that the original thick double-wire from the original has been retained in the new design.
Branding and marketing is what commands attention in the audio world in many cases. We all lambast Beats headphones for their sound quality but evidence shows that the company spends more on marketing campaigns than most audio companies spend period. It worked, they got their name out there and now most headphones I see being worn in public are Beats. Venture Electronics went with a different approach, one I truly respect. A little digging on AliExpress will show you that they make quite a few products from other earbuds to an Electrostatic amplifier. Their other products have premium pricing, as such products do in the audio world – but the Monk Plus stands alone at $5. It is such a simple but effective marketing tool, to draw in customers with such a small investment bringing amazing quality. For most casual listeners, some of whom I have bought the Monk Plus as a gift and have been given very positive feedback regarding, this earbud will be all they need to enjoy music on their smartphone. To the rest of us, it makes us wonder. It whets our appetite for the kind of experience that Venture Electronics can provide for more payment. Indeed, I have read rave reviews of the $150 earbud the Zen 2.0 and I hope to try it myself someday when situations can allow for it. Until then, I’m happily using my Monk Plus.
In a hobby with known diminishing returns the higher you go, the Monk Plus makes all earbuds' price-to-performance ratio curve start damn early.
Pros: Detailed and resolving sound, sub-bass extension, easily driven, great isolation, superb tonality, indicative of gear (many interesting pairings)
Cons: Might be too bulky for some, wait time once ordered, 5k treble peak discomfort depending on sensitivities
It’s been a year since I started writing/filming reviews, and it all began with the ZMF Vibro Mk. I in cornflower blue. I found the sound very fun, found the bass ports interesting and thought they looked splendid and unique for headphones – my first wooden ones. However, I did take issue with the sound a bit, finding the treble too rolled off for my taste and pairing with my Schiit Asgard 2 too stuffy, necessitating that I buy the less warm Magni 2.
However, unbeknownst to me and most others, ZMF CEO Zach Mehrbach was already working on fully in-house headphone designs that would not rely on the Fostex T50RP drivers – and the faults that come with them. Announced in the fall of 2016, the ZMF Atticus and Eikon immediately caught my attention as I was curious where Zach was taking the house sound that I’d liked in the past – free from having to modify others’ constructions.
February 2017, I receive a ZMF Eikon in Padauk wood – the current top-of-the-line/flagship model that ZMF has to offer. Armed with knowledge of previously having the Vibro Mk. I, a ZMF Ori in cherry and another in cocobolo – I unboxed the headphone with anticipation of where it goes from there.
Build Quality, Features & Comfort
At this point, I don’t see a wooden-cup ZMF headphone ever being an effortlessly feather-light affair – my cocobolo Ori was especially quite heavy. That being said, the weight of the Eikon was a surprise to me as it only felt slightly heavier than my Focal Elear. I have worn it for long, long listening sessions and have not felt fatigued by the weight at all – and I am someone who felt encumbered by the likes of the Hifiman HE-500. Weight distribution is also quite excellent, and I have come to realize that the buffalo strap on the Eikon performs better than having a ZMF Pilot Pad would have on this specific headband.
The new Eikon pads adorn this headphone, which are quite a bit leaner than the old ZMF lambskin, cowhide and protein pads that I had on my Ori. Not only that, but these provide an excellent seal – which was one of my complaints about the Ori and the old pads. Because of the seal, there is no leakage and isolation is actually quite excellent. It is almost too good, for I have not heard the doorbell ring with this headphone on before – leading me to not adorn it until I get the day’s expected mail at least. Despite the isolation and seal being quite stellar, the clamp is not immense but just where it should be to prevent the headphones from falling off your head. Only if you lean very far back will this budge, otherwise it will stay in place quite well without applying immense pressure on your cranium.
And despite it being so well isolated, this is not a headphone that I would recommend that you wear in public. Reasons for this go beyond its price or the equipment needed to drive it (a portable amplifier) – but for aesthetic reasons as it is a very wide headphone when worn. While I am saying that they look a little goofy when worn, I would not change a single thing aesthetically because this is the nicest looking wooden headphone that I have ever seen. Opting for the Padauk version, its pores and reddish colour come alive in good lighting to make the Eikon seem like it has two large strawberries attached to each side. I am not a wood enthusiast, which Zach just might be (read the blog on the ZMF site about wood), but I would not have it any other way. A plastic or aluminium Eikon? No thank you. If I had to wager a guess, I would say that other wood Eikons will be made in the future – other than the cherry ($1300) and the padauk ($1400) available now, but we will have to wait and see.
And, due to the wood and sturdy materials, the Eikon just feels like it is built to last. My only complaint with the build is that the sliders are, while being much more to my liking than the T50RP ones, tough to adjust – but I can see why they need to be in order to prevent moving from where they are set. There are no incremental adjustments either, so you will have to eyeball it or adjust by feel. Just in case it wasn’t obvious, these are not foldable headphones that can collapse to fit a small bag.
300 ohms is a big number, the same as the Sennheiser HD600/650/800 which aren’t easily driven headphones – with the HD800’s bass impedance being especially high and thus needing more juice to bring out. However, the Eikon drives both easily and more evenly – sounding quite good out of my portable amp setup. These don’t require a lot to get loud, but you definitely should not under-power them for obvious reasons. Utilising bio-cellulose drivers, the Eikon is the first headphone I know of, that is high-impedance, that do so.
This Eikon’s gimbals and frame are gunmetal, while the Atticus’ are black. At two points, underneath and on one of the sides, on the headband is the ZMF logo embossed. The other side of the headband features the letters E and A embossed for the Eikon and Atticus respectively.
Finally, the Eikon uses the same connectors as all other ZMF headphones – 4pin mini-XLR that are also used by Audeze.
Sound
I would not classify the Fostex T50RP drivers that Zach built his company on, and continues to do so as they are still modified and sold, as massively flawed or redundant compared to his in-house dynamic-driver productions. But, as Dan Clark from MrSpeakers (who also started by modifying T50RPs for sale before venturing off into his own from-scratch designs) told me at the 2016 London Can Jam – there’s only so much you can expand onto someone else’s architecture. From the first few songs that I listened to with the Eikon, it was abundantly clear that at least one flaw with the T50RP based Vibro and Ori had been addressed – if not several.
First of all, some context must be given so that it can be understood why the Eikon is such a departure from ZMF’s previous offerings. The ZMF Vibro is a warm and mid-bassy headphone, even with all bass-reducing ports inserted, and the Ori was quite warm despite being a much more nuanced experience than the Vibro. However, it lacked micro-detail and treble extension – which wasn’t choked or especially lacking to me but still sounded hard and rough. What I really liked was the luscious midrange and its sub-bass extension – injecting music with a fun sound full of character. When I compared a cherry Ori and one having cocobolo cups, I found that the former had more “magic” in its lower mids - making acoustic guitars sound especially rich and lifelike. It also had a wider soundstage and a more resonant sound than the cocobolo – which basically dove deeper in sub-bass and had a more linear sound throughout. However, it had lost that supreme pairing with acoustic guitars – something I didn’t quite understand could be possible based merely on wood type. Looking back, I realized that because I purchased both used and as Zach did custom tuning for some customers – I may have ended up with a cherry Ori with more lower mid presence but lighter in the bass performance, tuned to the needs of the original buyer.
I am very, very glad that Zach does not do that anymore. The ZMF dynamic flagships are both standardized drivers and the only changes you will hear will be because of the wooden earcup type – which should be quite minor all things considered. Anyways, the reason I am glad such customization is no longer offered is because it gives ZMF the ability to produce all units with as closely-matched sound quality and performance as possible. I feel that Zach foresaw the need to offer two options in doing this, hence the Eikon and Atticus being quite distinct, as each headphone will appeal more to certain listeners than the other.
The soundstage of the Eikon does not feel lacking to me, despite being the closed headphone that it is. It is slightly wider sounding, to my ears, than the Sennheiser HD650 and Focal Elear – and especially wider than the Focal Utopia. Vocal harmonies and percussion especially fill out a listening experience well, with separation being quite stellar with both clarity and the ability to produce nuanced instrumentals.
The bass of the Eikon is strong in the sub-bass region, and most importantly – it is clean and textured too. While the low frequencies of the Fostex TH-X00 impressed me, the headphone felt bloated at times (understandably, as it is a bass-head can) while the Eikon is simply disciplined – but able to be pushed with the right song/genre pairing to be an awesome experience for those who enjoy their bass.
The textured and clean sub-bass makes way to a similar mid-bass region, but one that is almost muted compared to other ZMF headphones that I have heard before. This is definitely intentional, as the Atticus is quite the opposite (more on that later), and it reminds me a bit of the Hifiman HE-500’s transition from the bass to the midrange – being well extended down low but transitioning cleanly without any sense of bloat.
The lower-midrange has strong presence and body, excellent for acoustic guitars (Zach’s favourite instrument evident from how he tunes his headphones) and male vocals. Like the mid-bass, the lower-midrange is just so remarkably clean and pronounced. However, I would not call the experience especially “lush” (that’s more akin to the Atticus’ tuning), as it maintains a level of restraint and emphasis on texture instead of being overly warm or liquid.
The midrange itself is joyous. Once again, it is not attempting an especially warm and forwarded sound, but it is a rich and enjoyable experience for a different reason than the previous ZMF headphones (and the Atticus) are. This has to do with the texture and detail in the mids, very apparent with all manners of instruments that utilize that frequency region. Listening to The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin especially highlights the abundance of detail and accurate tonality in the midrange. Jimmy Page’s mandolin sounds incredibly live, as does the acoustic guitar on the other track. The listening experience is not overwhelmed by any perceived lack of space in the mix or presentation, with instruments and vocals sitting where they should in harmonious but well-separated manner.
The upper-midrange of the Eikon distinguishes it from other headphones that I have in my collection currently (Sennheiser HD800, Focal Elear and ZMF Atticus). Female vocals soar on this headphone, with strength and body that show the emphasis in tuning. If I had to choose a frequency where the Eikon was slightly tilted, in the midrange as a whole, I would actually say it is the upper realm on this headphone. Both acoustic guitar twangs and shrieking guitar solos sound lifelike and impactful, cutting through the mix as a whole to announce the Eikon’s ability to dig out the detail in a region that sometimes is buried underneath others in hectic songs and mixes. There is no sense of congestion, once again, and both vocals and instruments in this region are especially able to breathe. Treble is a frequency that I had an on/off relationship with in ZMF headphones of the past. The Vibro Mk. I felt too rolled off to my ears, and the Ori extended further but still felt kneecapped by certain warmly mixed genres that needed more air. Without the snap of a strong treble presence, snare drums and cymbals alike did not feel as impactful as they should have. Not only that, but the T50RP drivers have a scratchy treble profile with all the mods that I have heard based on it – a slightly unnaturally hard sense.
Going in-house, ZMF were able to add both resolving treble extension and impact – as well as giving the headphone a speedy and dynamic character. Far from being laid back, the Eikon’s treble is actually a bit peaked in the 5k region and will probably feel bright to some paired with certain gear – with certain genres. In the quest to make the EIkon a musical-reference hybrid, Zach gave the headphone the ability to reproduce treble in a manner simply not heard before in ZMF headphones (the Atticus shares some characteristics, but is far more relaxed) – it sounds natural and not artificial. The ability of cymbals to ring out so clearly in mixes that have so much going on attests to this, but also the feeling that there is just so much more impact in each instrument’s recorded second. It honestly rivals the Focal Utopia in how “awake” it sounds, with dynamics galore.
However, there is a downside to this for some. If you are attracted to the laid back nature of the Audeze LCD-2 or the smooth buttery sound of the Hifiman HE-1000, the ZMF Eikon will sound far too active for your tastes. Foreseeing this, Zach gave the fans of such headphones the ZMF Atticus instead – for the Eikon was going to be a statement and a stark departure from his earlier work. Keeping with the goal of being more of a reference headphone than others in the line-up, the overall sound of the Eikon is not especially lush, but rather drier than the aforementioned headphones (except the HD800). It is quick, very much so in the transients, and there is no romantic lingering or decay that gives some headphones a sense of soft reverb that blankets the audio. Rather, the Eikon is energetic and punchy reference done right – but its sound is more modifiable than you’d think.
Pairings
The ZMF Eikon is quite revealing of both source gear and mixing quality. I am fortunate that I was able to pair it with several DACs and amplifiers to get a sense of what it was able to do. It was quite apparent that the ZMF flagship was not as forgiving as the Focal Elear and Utopia – headphones that blanket source gear quite well.
This is not to say that it is a picky headphone necessarily. It does not mimic the Sennheiser HD800’s ability to just sound plain awful, to my ears, from some amplifiers. However, these are the pairings that I have been able to listen to at length:
Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC (connected via SPDIF) > Audio-GD NFB-28
Out of the gear that I own currently, this is probably my favourite pairing. The effortlessly organic/natural manner of the Gungnir Multibit/Gumby’s of pushing detail is a fine pairing for the Eikon as it adds such strengths to its own. The choosing of the Audio-GD NFB-28 amp section is because I feel that, while it is not incredibly impressive or jaw-dropping in its own right – it is remarkably neutral and a good canvas for the DAC and headphone to paint a sonic impression on. It also has tight control of the punchy Eikon bass.
This felt a little tricky to me at first, with the Liquid Carbon’s warmth and syrupy nature (my favourite pairing for the HD800 among my gear) feeling like it was holding back the capabilities of the Eikon. That was an exaggerated first impression, however, and the pairing actually adds its own flavour for what the Eikon is capable of. The Liquid Carbon brings the sound characteristics more in line with ZMF headphones of the past, except retaining quite a bit of the Eikon’s own flair.
It is a wetter and warmer experience, but a nice pairing for many genres of music that would benefit from such – the sort that may sound too bright or shrill as they are mixed in an unbalanced fashion. However, I can’t say that I prefer it over the NFB-28’s more transparent amp – but I definitely turn to it if I want to soften the edge for a while.
Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC (connected via SPDIF) > iFi Pro iCan
While I did not own the Pro iCan, I had it in my possession for almost a month as a review unit. I spent ample time using the Eikon with it, and found that solid state mode was comparable to the NFB-28’s own powerful amplifier. The tube mode, while not starkly different, gave a slightly wetter sound to the Eikon without adding any discernible warmth – so I preferred that. Also, the XBASS hardware bass boost function was able to be cranked on the Eikon, making the powerful sub-bass reproduction remain clean while making the headphone rumble on my head. Really interesting pairing.
Audio-GD NFB-28 DAC/Amp Combo
While I do like this all-in-one as a pairing for the ZMF Atticus, with the Eikon it felt too dry to me – with too much emphasis in the upper range for my liking. I enjoy the dynamics and impact of the Eikon, and how much it “breathes” as a headphone without reaching excessive sibilance – but I did not much like how the SABRE DAC implementation of the NFB-28 pushes it too far in this regard.
This is, however, a matter of personal taste. If you want to experience the full dynamic and snappy nature of the Eikon – the Audio-GD DAC/amplifier combination will give you that…but to me it is too much of a good thing and treads over the delicate balance that I prefer personally.
By comparison, the Gumby is able to present a superb amount of detail without trying to push the Eikon too far into brighter territory.
Thoughts on Pairing Overall
The Eikon is a great headphone to take to meets and events where there are lots of audio chains to sample as it will undoubtedly be changed in some manner from any strong options present. It is also the first headphone that has made me desire an OTL tube amplifier, something that even the HD800 did not make me want as I was satisfied with how the Liquid Carbon brought its sound to where I wanted it. Zach, when he is at meets, brings along a selection of OTL amps for others to sample the ZMF headphones.
The slightly dry nature of the Eikon makes me want to seek out something with a more romantic sound presentation, without losing any of the headphones detail and resolve.
Genre Pairing
In my review of the ZMF Vibro Mk. I, I found that it didn’t play nice with my Schiit Asgard 2 (itself a bit of a warm and hazy amplifier) and even when I found a more neutral solution – it didn’t gel with certain genres of music. These genres were generally too warmly mixed, old Led Zeppelin records come to mind, so dynamics became especially muted and the presentation became a bit muddy. Over time, as I tried two ZMF Oris, I found myself reaching for the HD800 whenever I wanted to listen to classic rock – not because they were as treble-rolled as the Vibro Mk. I (they weren’t) but rather because they were still not the most ideal pairings compared to Sennheiser’s brighter and more resolving headphone.
Now that I have the Eikon, I still have to give the edge in such genres to the HD800 but the gap has become quite slim indeed. In fact, if the guitars used in the classic rock tracks are acoustic, then the Eikon firmly wins the trade as its tonality with such instruments is simply incredible. I only prefer the HD800 for the genre now if the entire experience is driven by classic-electric instruments, as the Sennheiser is able to present those quite excellently. Strings benefit immensely from the Eikon’s presentation of air, which despite not being immense in amount is still quite textured.
Pop genres, specifically upbeat electro-pop music, have the tendency to be mixed a little bright – with vocals being filtered so that they sit cleanly above the beat. The NFB-28 and Eikon especially did not appeal to me with this genre, which I would much rather listen to with the Gumby + Liquid Carbon – owing to the headphone’s ability to morph with gear into a smoother experience.
The Atticus, HE-500 and other headphones with a smooth and liquid midrange may inject so much body into the vocals in songs – which the Eikon holds off slightly on doing to maintain a level of overall balance. However, the Eikon excels at vocal texture, making this a premier choice for those who enjoy unorthodox voices and singing styles. Every rasp, yelp, hiccup, growl and scream has lifelike grit and impact well represented – while on these other headphones they would lose some of their edge.
Headphone Comparisons
Sennheiser HD800
Sennheiser’s former flagship is a listening experience that boasts extremely wide soundstage, precise imaging and the abundance of air. However, it is hard (to my ears) to pair with several pieces of gear due to its treble spike, which even when tamed by a Superdupont Resonator mod can be too harsh with some pairings. This is why the Gumby + Liquid Carbon combination has been my go-to for this headphone.
As mentioned before, I do believe that the HD800 edges out the Eikon in some aspects. It is slightly more resolving, for one, and has better synergy with orchestral music – as well as warmer classic rock. It also, because of its soundstage and imaging, wins in binaural recordings.
What the Eikon, however, bests the HD800 at is pretty much anything else – to my ears. The tonality of the ZMF headphone oozes with texture and has a live sound, particularly in the midrange – where the HD800 is a bit more recessed. I much prefer listening to vocals on the Eikon, as they have more presence than on the Sennheiser while maintaining texture and body. The Eikon is also more adept at reproducing female vocals than the HD800 too, which is slightly dipped in the upper-midrange and can sound thin or distant at times.
Most headphones I try have at least one instrument that they excel at, and keeping with the ZMF tradition – the Eikon excels with acoustic guitars. However, instead of just being good with strummed guitar tracks – it presents the glisteningly sharp nature of a plucked acoustic guitar string in far more realistic fashion than the HD800. Because of this excellent pairing, even a binaural recording like Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra’s acoustic guitar-driven Up Close album fares far better on the Eikon than on the HD800.
The Eikon also has the sub-bass reach that, while the HD800 is technically no slouch in this regard, can be audibly heard due to Zach’s tuning – while the Sennheiser is a bit muted by comparison. This makes the ZMF can excellent, along with its other strengths, for hip-hop music – a genre that the HD800 can barely touch in my opinion. You have the deep sub-bass rumble, the clear and present midrange for the rapping itself and the treble extension for any synths and cymbal patterns in the beat – making this the best headphone I have owned yet for the genre. Even the Fostex TH-X00, which I enjoyed previously with hip-hop, can’t match the discipline of the Eikon’s reproduction – with its bass feeling bloated and sluggish by comparison.
Focal Elear
Right off the bat, the Elear loses in soundstage width to the Eikon – albeit slightly. The Eikon is also able to retain its clarity at high volumes, unlike the Elear which is more suitable for moderate to moderately-loud listening and falls apart a bit when cranked.
However, the Elear is able to retain especially great synergy with two instruments: pianos and distorted guitars. Due to its shouty midrange, the Focal headphone presents guitar distortion very realistically – not at all smoothed and rather as jagged and aggressive as it should be. Pianos, also, sound like they have more realistic depth to them than any other headphone I have heard – besides the Utopia which do both these instruments even better.
While the Elear certainly has some good bass extension, it is more mid-bass focused while the Eikon is quite restricted in that specific area – letting its rumble transition cleanly to the lower-midrange. Needless to say, the Eikon is supreme in the isolation department, as the Elear is very much an open headphone. The Eikon also has the upper-midrange presence that the Elear is quite dipped in, making female vocals perform better on it. However, due to the aggressive midrange and 10k treble leap of the Elear – it simply chugs and crashes well in hard rock and metal music and is my go-to headphone for such genres. Both headphones are very dynamic sounding, but the presentation of the Eikon is far more refined while the Elear manages to do so by being a bit bombastic – which I can see as a disadvantage for some enthusiasts.
The Elear is easier to drive than the Eikon, but the sensitive nature of the ZMFs do not make this a huge victory for the Focal Headphone. Overall, the Elear was my favourite headphone that I bought in 2016 and the Eikon is looking to be my favourite in 2017 – and yes it has unseated the Elear in my personal ranking.
ZMF Atticus
The Atticus is the Eikon’s brother who likes to party. Switching between the two takes a small adjustment time for my ears due to how different they are, and both absolutely nail what I imagine Zach was going for. Where the Eikon is a refined experience that blends dynamics, fun and a reference sound – the Atticus is unabashedly warm, bassy and smooth in the midrange.
The bass thump and slam on the Atticus is far more audible than the Eikon, and while the mid-bass is tuned to be louder – the sub-bass extension is not as far-reaching as the latter’s. The midrange of the Atticus has some romantic bloom, resonance and that slight reverb that I enjoyed with my Cherry Ori back in the day – making its midrange a smooth and absorbing experience for listening to vocals. However, the transition between the lower to mid frequencies on the Atticus is not spaced out quite as cleanly as the Eikon’s – making the Atticus a headphone that can sound too warm out of my Cavalli Liquid Carbon. It benefits more from neutral or bright source/amps, but I have heard from Zach that he really likes OTL tube amplifiers paired with it too – something I have yet to try.
The Atticus reminds me actually of the ZMF Vibro, but a far stronger and more refined version that separates itself from issues with the Fostex T50RP driver’s treble issues. It is indeed more laid back than the Eikon, and never sibilant while being slightly rolled off – but it still has plenty of snap for a warmly tuned headphone. While I really like both headphones, I have to give the edge to the Eikon for being a more technically proficient and impressive headphone and a departure from what ZMF have done before. Despite that, the Atticus is a worthy continuation and tightening of their prior sound – and one that I really prefer for electropop as it is quite forgiving of brighter genres of music.
Focal Utopia
I’ll just announce this first, the Utopia is a headphone that still sits atop the throne of dynamic driver headphones as a whole – but at $4000 it shows how the $1300-1400 Eikon is such an overachiever for its price range.
Both headphones have a dynamic sound, but the Utopia edges out the Eikon a bit in this regard – but not by an amount that you can really be all that picky about. It, like the Elear, is also able to reproduce the sound of pianos and distorted guitars in a more realistic fashion than the Eikon – but both lack the sub-bass extension of the ZMF headphone. The Focals are also not as revealing of source as the Eikon, meaning that you will only go so far with different pairings whereas the price of the Utopia will get you the Eikon + an impressive audio chain that gels with it.
Every sentence that is written in this section speaks for the fact that I am comparing vastly different price-ranges – and that is astounding to me at least. Yes, the Utopia is an incredible piece of technology that has been a game changer for all summit-fi headphones – but the Eikon is a game changer for closed-back headphones. Both, in my opinion, are trailblazers at vastly different price points – and I could easily see both being in the same collection (if one has the means) as they complement each other quite well.
Conclusion
While I absolutely enjoy writing reviews, I especially appreciate when I come across something that isn’t just merely good but inspiring as well. The ZMF Eikon is, to use a tired term, a summit-fi headphone that rivals others several times its own price – while besting many. It has sound technicalities, oodles detail, maintains the ZMF punchy and fun characteristic while introducing something so new and fresh to the line-up.
On a personal level, it is astounding to me that I was comparing the cherry and cocobolo Ori last summer while Zach was working behind-the-scenes on this headphone – being announced in the fall with pre-orders starting in late 2016. The pre-order was a successful event, and at the time of writing he and his crew are still filling the many orders that were received. I know people who are excited to receive their Eikon, and they damn well should be because this headphone is a game changer for the high-end closed headphone market.
Ultimately, my favourite thing about the Eikon is that it scales so well with your audio chain – taking on characteristics while retaining what makes itself great. I can be in the mood for a dynamic experience and utilise the Audio-GD NFB-28 amplifier, or I can be in the mood for a slightly more laid-back approach and plug it into my Cavalli Liquid Carbon – and both experiences sound exceptional.
For this to be the first in-house flagship for ZMF Headphones is a strong statement about the direction and striving for quality under its roof. If you get the opportunity to sample this at a local meet, if not a Can Jam event, I implore that you do so. It might just be the experience you need to change your opinion of closed headphones, if you are someone who swears by open-aire options.
The Eikon offers a resolving sound that cannot be denied, dynamics that feel alert and alive and plenty of detail presented in a natural manner. If ZMF had any doubters before, this will be the headphone to convert them and introduce new fans to the company’s products.
Pros: Fast and engaging sound due to dynamics, pleasing and full bass, rich mids and comfortably extended treble that allows for a good slam, chunky sound
Cons: On the heavy side, upper-mid dip makes some older recordings sound a bit veiled with a slight sense of darkness
Introduction:
God, this hype.
As primarily a headphones guy, I had never even heard of Focal before this summer. Shortly before attending the London Can Jam in August, the hype regarding the new Focal Utopia ($4000) and Elear ($1000) had reached a fever pitch – so much so that I put it high on my list of items to try out. Turns out that so did everybody else.
Four seats at the venue were constantly occupied, the two at Focal’s booth and the two at Moon Audio’s booth – who also had a Utopia and Elear. In between the two, I had some time with both and walked away muttering that it seemed the hype was real – but I needed a quiet environment to be sure. I made the decision that day to pursue the Elear, as the Utopia was far out of my reach, and to dissect its sound reproduction for myself. After nearly two months, I am ready to publish my findings.
Specifications
Type: Circum-aural open back headphones
Impedance: 80 Ohms
Sensitivity: 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
THD: <0.3% @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL
Frequency response: 5Hz - 23kHz
Loudspeaker: 137⁄64“ (40mm) Aluminium-Magnesium "M" shape dome
Weight: 0.99lb (450g)
Cable length: 13.1ft (4m)
Connectors: 1 x 01/4“ (6.35mm) stereo Jack connector 2 x 09⁄64“ (3.5mm) Jack
I remember thinking at the London Can Jam that the Elear looked better aesthetically than the Utopia, preferring the former’s demure nature over the latter’s bombastic grill opening in the cups and spotted earpads. The Elear emits a premium aura from it in its black, grey and silver colour scheme. “Made in France” is printed boldly, in French of course, on both sides along with the name “Elear” and “Aluminium-Magnesium.”
The earpads are memory foam and not a struggle to wear or tame. It, along with the clamp, does not add pressure to the point of discomfort or pain – far from it in fact. I’m lounging around, writing this, with it having been on my head for hours now and I don’t feel fatigued at all. The only full-sized headphone in my possession that I can say that about is the lighter HD800 - making it an achievement of the Elear’s design that it can manage this with its heavier weight.
Yes, the weight. This headphone weighs 450g and that is without the simultaneously incredible yet ridiculous cable that is provided in the box. This cable is 13ft/4m and shielded so thick you would think the answers to the meaning of life are hidden within. Make no mistake, I much prefer a good quality cable to an afterthought-cable with no effort put into it – but I’m fairly sure Focal was thinking primarily of people sitting on their couches whenever they wanted to take a break from a Focal speaker system with something more intimate.
That being said, the connectors on each side of the headphones are 3.5mm and, thus, so easily swappable - no proprietary connectors here folks.
The weight of the headphones themselves do not bother me so much either, but keep in mind that I was recently promoted to captain in the great war against heavy headphones. I’ve fought the HE-500 and two Omnis and survived to find the Elear a comfortable wearing experience. All joking aside, the weight distribution on this headphone is such that allows for this. The cherry Omni was of a very similar weight, but the nature of the T50RP frame made it awkward to fit on my head comparatively – even with the ZMF pilot pad. I spent longer than I’d like to admit trying to make the HE-500 more comfortable, so an out-of-box comfortable listening experience is something I applaud.
I spoke with Nicolas Debard at the London Can Jam in August and he told me that the Utopia and Elear were created with their in-house construction of an “M-shaped dome.” This was done in order to maintain the usage of electrodynamic drivers while offering an experience that is similar to speakers. There’s more to it than that, but I’ll let the man explain himself.
Ultimately, these headphones just look so great as well as possess the advantages listed above. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as I said earlier – I found the Elear to look more distinguished than the Utopia even. A quick browse through Focal’s website shows that they want to position themselves as a luxury brand, and stylish above all. This is further proven by the €100,000 gold-and-diamond studded Utopia being created recently for sale. That’s all fine and good, but it isn’t what I’m about at all. An average dude like me doesn’t subscribe to the marketing practice of being sold a lifestyle rather than a product - and I would find all that luxury-positioning pointless if the sound quality was average-at-best. Luckily, Focal backs up their image with ample substance.
Sound
The sound of the Elear is unlike any I’ve heard in headphones that I’ve owned in the past. If I had to pick one that is somewhat similar to it, it would be the ZMF Omni. However, the Elear has a dynamic quality to it that has been absent in all my previous headphones, with the Sennheiser HD800 coming closest.
What I mean by this is that the Elear pushes music out to the listener in an almost startlingly, at first, quick manner. This is not a laid back headphone, like the Omni, and it takes no prisoners in its sound reproduction. It is fast, very fast – and more than likely to surprise you at first until you are used to it. I always notice how certain instruments sound best on certain headphones that I’ve reviewed in the past: the HD800 being especially great at strings and orchestral recordings, the Hifiman HE-500 being especially good at vocals and the Omni standing out for how it showcases acoustic guitars. The instrument that stands out the most on the Elear is the piano, particularly a grand piano. The attack on the key hits is immense and startling, and you can feel a piano riff in the chest if it is emphasized in a song’s production enough.
The soundstage of the Elear is quite intimate, especially for an open headphone. Despite not owning them anymore, I would say it’s similar to the Sennheiser HD600 and Hifiman HE-400i in this regard. However, its dynamic nature provides for an interesting listening experience where an intimate soundstage can still feel rather full and detailed. This is because, once again, the Elear loves to take every instrument in a song and throw it at the listener – reemphasized. I found that, with most headphones, I would find that a certain instrument or vocal in the mix was most pronounced – with the rest of the mix falling behind to give that particular melody space to carry the song overall. This would make for an interesting experience with the HD800 sometimes, where a drum beat’s cymbal pattern would land squarely on the frequency chart of the headphones that emphasized treble – leading it to sound a great deal more pronounced than, I would imagine, even the personnel in the mixing room at the time of recording intended.
I would classify those headphones as having a more linear presentation to them. A semi-useful analogy I can think is the idea that those headphones are an assembly line, producing a single unit at a time in a long conveyer belt. What the Elear does instead is reproduce sound in what seems like batches, with each second of listening presenting a number of sounds in equal measure. This is not to say that the Elear is turning around the mixing and mastering (particularly the chosen volume of different instruments) process and brickwalling each instrument to a point where there is no dynamic range in a song. Far from it, song dynamics are well presented – you just have to get used to how it’s done.
This is because, ultimately, the Elear has a “chunky” sound. As mentioned before, the batche reproduction of sound makes it so one single instrument or melody does not take centre-stage nearly as much. Take the introduction to the Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd; a track known as Speak to Me. As the heartbeat referencing bass drum slowly gets louder, all the samples of clockwork, machinery and voices are spread on top as the song builds in suspense. If I had listened to that track with the Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00, the heartbeat sound would have been emphasized over all else. If I listen to it with the HD800, the machinery and voices are swirling around with a sharp and clear presentation – due to the HD800’s massive soundstage and imaging. I could continue with examples, but I’m sure you get the point. What the Elear does in this song is take every sample and bring it up close and personal to the listener in a manner that would be undoubtedly more strikingly noticeable than on many other headphones in this price range. Yes, this has something to do with the narrower soundstage on the Elear than the HD800 – but that doesn’t excuse just how much more noticeable each instrument is as the album carries on.
The Elear has a rather “full” sound to it, and this fact has a lot to do with the bass extension and performance. While not overly bassy headphones by any means, certainly not on the level of the TH-X00, the Elear has a bit of a boost to its bass frequency in order to give it a kick in the low-end. I don’t find the bass wanting with most genres of music I throw at it, including electronic and dance-pop music. I was actually surprised that the sub-bass extension is quite similar to that of the ZMF Omni, which is a semi-closed headphone that is heavily dependent on a good seal to perform in this regard. This is one of the several characteristics of the headphone that would disqualify it from being called “neutral” or from being used in a recording studio for mixing music – with the trade-off being that it makes the chorus of The Hills by The Weeknd sound so full and present.
The lowermidrange of the Elear is quite a delight. It shares characteristics from the cherry iteration of the ZMF Omni, in that it can pleasingly reproduce acoustic guitars. Guitars and male vocals fall into this area and are presented supremely, with body and texture that are quite natural in their presentation. Like the Omni, and to a lesser extent the Meze 99 Classic, the Elear has an “earthy” quality to the lower-mids that champions the idea of perfect imperfection – contrasting with the HD800’s emphasis on accuracy and the sharply analytical reproduction of audio.
The midrange itself is nowhere near as “liquid” as the HE-500, a quality that makes the Hifiman headphones shine with vocals. However, it has more detail to it than the Hifiman – not quite as much as the HD800 but a surprisingly intense amount regardless. A song like Patience by Guns N’ Roses, with its layering of acoustic guitars, brings out the strength of the dynamics, midrange tone and detail of the Elear. The song is chock full of guitar fills and licks that accompany the rhythm guitar, and the Elear’s fast and full midrange makes it certain that the arrival of such an event is presented realistically – with the picking and strumming ringing out clearly and standing apart from the rest of what is going on in the song. As Axl Rose’s voice croons over the instrumentation, I can’t help but be surprised by how each track is not overshadows by anything else.
The chunky, batch-producing nature of the Elear is really quite impressive. That being said, the upper midrange feels a bit subdued, with female vocals having a slight dip in weight and body compared to male vocals. The dip also makes the Elear a little dark in presentation compared to the HE-500 and especially the HD800 – and not quite unlike the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650. Classic rock recordings with older recording methods, such as most tracks on Led Zeppelin’s first few albums, feel a tiny bit stifled because of this – with the songs feeling like they are hiding behind a soft wall of sorts. This is something that I noticed in the ZMF Omni as well, but the HD800 is the best headphone I have owned in terms of tackling this tricky area on the frequency chart – leading to such recordings ringing out clearly. However, it is further on in the frequency chart that the Elear redeems this fact.
The treble of the Elear is never sibilant, to my ears, and I am quite grateful for that. Due to this, I can safely say that I can get an enjoyable listen with most genres of music. However, it is further up the graph that the treble returns with a vengeance – making the Elear the headphones with the most snap I have owned yet, that isn’t V-shaped. The snare drum on some headphones with a warmer tone, or slightly dark nature, leads to an unsatisfying “thud” sound on the snare. The Elear, to put it simply, does not. Be it an EDM snare, a rock song, a metal song, a pop song or even a futuristic blip-snare in a genre I have never even heard of – the Elear will make it sound right. This, coupled with the bass bump, makes the headphones slam in a very fun manner.
The treble extension even gives instruments some air around them. Of course, this is nowhere near the capability of the HD800 – but the trade-off of that is that the Sennheiser headphones can get quite painful and strident at times. The upper-treble clarity on the Elear leads to all the aforementioned detail coming out in songs, such as the realistic twang of Slash’s lead guitar work in Patience.
While the cherry ZMF Omni produced my favourite (and most realistic) sound of strummed acoustic guitars, it didn’t make single notes pop nearly as much as the Elear does. Cymbals sound accurate without demanding listener attention by drowning anything else out.
The mixture of the aforementioned ingredients has made the Elear the most fun listening experience for me from any full-sized headphone that I have owned since I entered this hobby with the purchase of a Beyerdynamic DT990 600 ohm in 2012. Keep in mind that the Omni held this position before Focal released this beast of a headphone. That should tell you where my biases lie, with more musical listening experiences rather than neutrality or super-high resolution. However, the way the Elear presents sound makes it so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on an analytical experience either. There is a good amount of air around stringed instruments so I don’t have to always switch to the HD800 whenever I listen to orchestral/classical music – especially if I’m feeling lazy.
I know that the Elear’s sonic characteristics may be a deal-breaker for some, especially the small soundstage and the fact that the imaging is nothing special. However, I would boldly claim that a majority of listeners would really enjoy the sound that this headphone outputs. It’s musical without losing shimmering detail because of any treble roll-off. It’s punchy and fast, with metal music sounding right at home with double-kick drums ringing out clearly in the mix. Most importantly, for this sound signature, it doesn’t lose breath up top – with the treble making it sound very resolving without reaching an area of sibilance.
Amping
For anyone reading who has gone through the pain of demo’ing various amps to find one that was a good match for their HD800, I understand entirely. I’ve listened through amps that made me feel like my ears were being stabbed with those headphones, but I’ve also encountered amps that made the experience come alive – taming the peaks without losing what the HD800 was created to be.
The Elear isn’t like that. It sounds like itself when I use it with my Schiit Magni 2, Cavalli Liquid Carbon or even my portable VE RunAbout Plus. It is not hard to drive either, with its 80 ohms impedance being quite sensitive. While some headphones have a high ceiling, the Elear simply does not – letting you drive these quite easily and get the full-experience. I definitely appreciate that it can sound so similarly spectacular from my $99 Magni 2 and $599 (first-run) Liquid Carbon, with any differences being in house-sound mainly.
Comparisons with the Sennheiser HD800, Hifiman HE-500 & ZMF Omni Cocobolo
Comparison with the Focal Utopia
I’m bound to be asked this. Make no mistake, I caught myself wondering if the Utopia was really worth being 4x the price of the Elear when I first tried them both out at the London Can Jam. Such thinking is pointless because we are all well-aware of the diminishing returns of the audio game.
The short answer is that yes, the Utopia outperforms the Elear. It has detail that trumped the HD800 even, to my ears, without sounding harsh or treble-emphasized. It was, rather, a natural sounding and dynamically detailed listening experience that impressed me more than the Sennheiser Orpheus did. That being said, it is slightly towards the bright spectrum because of this – while the Elear is slightly warmer and bassier. The Elear provides a stellar amount of detail while retaining a fun sound signature that is compatible with most genres of music, and particularly being forgiving of most recordings of music. The Utopia is more on the analytical side of things.
Conclusion
Even if you are a lover of vast soundstages and hyper-precise imaging, I would recommend that you demo the Elear. Now that I’ve reached the conclusion, I’m trying to avoid using any clichés, but I’m failing at it because this headphone has made a lot of music come alive with far less discrimination than some of the others I’ve owned in the past. The HD800 is the only headphone in this price-range that I would say holds its own against the Elear on some fronts, (soundstage, imaging, detail) but most other headphones at this price range are going to struggle to match up – be they planar magnetic or dynamic.
To a guy like me, who has minimal experience with the dynamic attack of an electrostatic, the Elear took some getting used to – in a good way. Having instruments, especially pianos, pop out in recordings was not something I had consistently experienced before during home listening. Listening to music is simply not a passive experience with this headphone, but rather an engaging one that can even distract you if you were foolish enough to hope for a background listening experience.
It’s a little warm, has ample bass, a clean midrange that allows for impressive instrument separation in well-recorded, mixed and mastered music (modern production methods particularly) and has a comfortable treble extension that allows for the resolve and slam to happen. It’s easy to drive, has good weight distribution and is comfortable to wear – all while looking like a premium product.
I had never heard of Focal before this summer, but they walked in and took the spot of my highest recommendation of full-sized headphones (under $1000) with such ease that I can see why they took four whole years on the R&D of this headphone and the Utopia.
Great Review. I've had mine for nearly a week now and enjoying them immensely. I am playing them out of my QP1R which sounds great. My only niggle is the cable length and weight for portable use in and around the home. I am now looking for an alternative cable and a dedicated desk top head phone amp. Do you have any recommendations?
Pros: Extreme clarity and detail, easily driven, good build quality, not lacking in any frequency, dynamic and impactful sound, weight distribution
Cons: Price, only a 1/4 terminated stock cable included, stock cable heavy and unwieldy, bit on the heavier side overall
The dust has settled, in my opinion, a bit since the summer of 2016 – when the two new dynamic-driver headphones by Focal exploded onto the market. The Focal Elear and Utopia were the biggest draw of the show floor at Can Jam London 2016, and the latter was named the best headphone in the world by Tyll over at InnerFidelity.
Such a statement had been met with a small amount of backlash, with some in the headphones community calling the Utopia overpriced at $4000 and overhyped. More than this, to my eyes, the Utopia is being seen as the next step in dynamic-driver headphones, bringing renewed interest to the category after years of high-end offerings being dominated by planar magnetic headphones, mostly, and electrostatics. I was very impressed when I heard it myself at the London Can Jam 2016, but I wished for an opportunity to hear it in a quieter environment – the show room is no place to properly evaluate an open headphone.
Fast forward to February 2017, a hi-fi store in my area that I frequent (and bought my Elear from back in September) finally has a display unit of the Utopia. This was my chance to get a good sense of what made these such a hot topic.
I would like to extend my thanks to Audio Sanctuary/Unilet in London for letting me listen to these for long periods of time to gather impressions – and even letting me film the video component of the review in-store. They can be found at https://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/.
Specifications
Type Circum-aural open back headphones
Impedance 80 Ohms
Sensitivity 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
THD <0,2% @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL
Frequency response 5Hz - 50kHz
Loudspeaker 137⁄64“ (40mm) pure Beryllium “M” shape dome
Weight 1.08lb (490g)
Cable length 13.1ft (4m) [reduced since]
Connectors 1 x Jack 01/4“ (6.35mm) stereo / 2 x 03⁄8“ (9.5mm) Lemo®
Carrying case 1253⁄64“x1015⁄64“x629⁄64“ (326x260x164mm)
Build Quality, Comfort and Features
I’m glad to say that the excessive creakiness that was present in the review unit given to InnerFidelity is entirely missing from the one in-store. Made using a good amount of carbon fibre, I found the build quality to be quite sturdy. It isn’t built like a tank, like some headphones that I’ve come across in all price ranges - but it isn’t a flimsy affair either. There is quite some heft to these headphones too, as without the cable they weigh 490g, compared to the 450g of the Elear. Holding it up next to the likes of the LCD-3, LCD-X, LCD-XC (especially) and LCD-4 made it feel light by comparison – but this is no featherweight headphone.
However, the weight distribution is done very well – with the leather headband resting comfortably on the listener’s head with ample cushioning. The earpads are made of lambskin leather and differ quite a bit from the earpads of the Elear. They are softer and yet provide more cushioning to deal with long listening sessions. They are removed just as easily as the Elear’s as well, pulling off and snapping back into place in a simple manner. I found the clamp of the headphones to be very similar to my Elear, to which I’m quite used to after several months of near-daily usage. However, as with the Elear, this is not a headphone to use lying down as it puts a lot of pressure on the lower-back area of the ear - which can be fatiguing over time. Sitting upright, or at a slight lean or recline, the Utopia maintains its comfort quite well – given suitable neck strength.
The included features of both the Utopia and Elear are quite bare. They come in a very nice looking black box with the cable…and that is it folks. The cable is a very thick and solidly built affair, and I was pleasantly surprised that Focal shaved down the length from the one I received with the Elear – which was so long and cumbersome that I sought out an aftermarket cable for it. However, for the price that the Utopia retails at, I would greatly prefer if Focal included another cable as well – a balanced one terminated in a 4-pin XLR plug. It should be mentioned that the cable, despite its reduced length, is still a long and slightly heavy affair – but it is well built if nothing else. Unlike the Elear’s 2.5mm connectors, the Utopia uses LEMO connectors – which I found very sturdy and easily locked into place without the necessity of turning it to a side.
Aesthetically, I really like how the Utopia looks – although I will admit that I prefer the Elear’s more subdued design on the cups more. It is because of the Utopia’s beryllium drivers that the cups look in the way that they do, and I have indeed heard many complaints from people who think it is an eyesore – but I disagree. The whole headphone has a look of class about it, all while being firmly entrenched in an industrial design – and it is only the Focal x Tournaire $100,000 gold and diamond version that is really trying to appeal to the hyper-upscale crowd by doing away with this.
Sound
The Utopia is an experience that can best be simplified as “anti-aliasing for your ears.” Tuned quite a bit brighter than the warm Elear, the headphone succeeds in making some of its competition seem veiled by comparison. Impact and dynamics are the strongest that I have heard yet from a headphone of any form factor, driver technology or use – besides electrostatics.
Despite having a soundstage range, based on feeling of distance of instruments and vocals, that is more intimate than many open-aire headphones that I have heard in the past – the Utopia manages to do more with its “space” than other offerings in its price range. Simple, almost amateurish, thoughts popped up while I was listening to this headphone – and this case the question was “how is it that there are more instruments clearly audible on the Utopia than on the Sennheiser HD800/800S. The one cymbal you never noticed before in a song that you’ve been listening to for years upon years is suddenly allowed its own place in the mix that didn’t seem possible before, and it doesn’t sound forced or unnaturally emphasized, which can be the case with the Sennheiser flagships – especially if we are talking about cymbal emphasis in a mix, if it lands right on the infamous 6k treble peak.
This feeling of the natural emphasis of instrument tracks was very apparent in the kick drum recorded by Lars Ulrich in Metallica’s Ride the Lightning album. Buried under layers of heavily distorted and reverb-soaked guitars, I had often heard the presence of the bass drum track – but never actually experienced it in a manner that felt live or even realistic. It might as well have been a drum machine on many setups. The Utopia managed to dig deep and find a way to present it so that it sounded more like it should.
The Utopia’s manner of doing this actually reminds me, in some way, of the Sennheiser HE-1 Orpheus. While the Utopia does not quite have the immediacy of the Sennheiser electrostat, both manage to add some “context” to what is being heard. By context, I mean the audible knowledge that there is a clear beginning and an end to any piece of recorded music. A kick drum strike has a hit and a decay, and too often in audio will it sound like you are just hearing the loudest milliseconds – the basic requirement of rendering it audible on any piece of audio gear. What the Utopia does is bring forth the moment of impact and the decay after in clarity, giving a strike that merely “clicked” before suddenly have the whole “thud” sound. Perhaps it is a bit excessive to dedicate a paragraph to this explanation, but I felt that it was needed.
Listening to Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra’s binaural acoustic album Up Close on the Utopia, I did immediately feel a lack of distance between the instruments that I am used to with my HD800 at home. The separation of the instruments was stellar, however, and the imaging was quite good – but I really might have to give the edge in this regard to the HD800. I feel that there were a few pans that did not move as precisely as I am used to with this album. Adding to the earlier discussion about kick drums, a track on the album has a section that introduces hand clapping – and these sound far more realistic on the Utopia than on my Elear or HD800 due to a lingering sensation that follows each one and the dynamic impact of each.
The bass of the Utopia is punchy and quite fast, extending decently low. It possesses a “full” sound that I feel is lacking with the Sennheiser HD800/HD800S, to my ears, that lets it keep up with any genre of music that I throw at it – whether it be orchestral or EDM. That being said, the bass is not bloated nor loud in volume, and this headphone will definitely not satisfy the staunchest basshead – who might look to the Elear instead for that fix if they insist on buying from Focal. As with the HD800, the precise nature of bass guitars on the Utopia is stellar, except it is even more audible than on the Sennheiser by a significant amount. Once again, I turned to Metallica’s 1980s albums (which have the reputation of burying the bass in the mix) and found it more noticeable than I have ever heard before – without devolving into mid-bass and midrange bleed like on the Fostex TH-X00. For more electronic genres, the Utopia keeps up with tracks such as The Weeknd’s Starboy and Daft Punk’s creative output pre-2013. The sub-bass extension was not immense, but the impact of each hit was undoubtedly present and accounted for.
It was a Daft Punk song that showed me the strength of the lower midrange as well – which is not overbearing but very precise once again. The song in question is Da Funk and it consists of a driving beat that continues throughout most of the song with added instrumentation piling on top of it – very much in the vein of the 1990s French House era that it came from. How the instruments pile on top of one another is an important way for me to decipher the capability of a headphone’s reproduction of audio and detail. Some headphones do well with the bass and drum aspect of the track, such as the Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00, but fail to bring out the detail in the rest of it. Some do an incredible job with the fine detail, such as the HD800, but struggle to provide a full enough bass thump to give the song its fullest drive and groove. I find that most headphones are somewhere in between these two examples, but none has balanced the two quite as well as the Utopia.
I am, thanks to owning a HD800, used to hearing the “air” around stringed instruments and horns in music – upper range frequencies. However, I am not quite used to hearing the air around very synthetic bass-synths. When those entered in Da Funk, I must admit that I was quite astonished. Every note had such bombast, and would announce its arrival and departure without making the overall transition of the beat muddy or overdone. I can’t imagine just how much of a balancing act tuning something to sound like this must be, it’s honestly quite astonishing.
The midrange itself is quite a departure from a limitation that the Elear has, a dip in the upper mids that can make female vocals sound distant. I found that female vocals had a lot more body than I am used to than with my HD800 and Elear. The separation of vocal harmonies and layering was also very well done, with each new entry into the mix being effortlessly audible. Guitars, both electric and acoustic, sounded as they should in a live setting. Due to the dynamics of the Utopia, softly played guitars sounded as laid back as they should while more aggressively strummed power chords sounded as impactful as they should. I would not characterise the midrange as being especially “liquid,” a word I have used to describe the presentation of Hifiman’s now-discontinued HE-500. The experience of the Utopia is what you make of it with the music playing, because it is not especially smooth or relaxing – it can hit hard so come prepared.
The treble is probably my favourite of the three in this situation, which is the opposite of what I usually come to enjoy in headphones. Yes, I would very much prefer that there wasn’t a stiflingly rolled-off treble in all that I demo, but I often pay more attention to a fun and “bassy” experience along with a rich midrange. This is why I enjoy the Meze 99 Classic as my portable setup headphones if I ever want more than IEMs or earbuds outdoors. A detailed treble extension can do wonders for more intricately recorded music, as my time with the HD800 has taught me, but the Utopia does more without any painful peaks – to my ears. It is still a rather bright headphone, but not one that is gutted in the low end at all. I can safely say that the detail that is shown with instruments such as strings, horns, cymbals, snare drums and others shows that the Utopia is fearless in how it approaches anything that has the tendency to be buried in the mix on lesser headphones – given that the source is high enough bitrate (CD quality ideally). As mentioned before, it brings out immense detail in just about any recording and has a sound that can best be described as “awake.” Outside of electrostatic headphones, I have not heard music being presented in such a dynamic fashion before – and it does it in a better way than what I previously had this sense from, the Focal Elear.
Comparisons
Focal Elear:
A/b-ing between the two, I can hear the difference in technology and implementation quite well. My daily driver since September, the Elear has a very dynamic sound – even more so than my HD800 and other headphones that I have owned/reviewed before. This is best shown in songs with a piano track, there is just so much depth to each note and the attack is sudden and impactful.
However, the Utopia does what the Elear does in a far better manner – reminding a listener of the price difference. It is frankly incredible how listening to the same song on either can render the Elear as dull and the Utopia as the clear victor in dynamics and impact. A snare hit in a song might sound complete and fulfilling on the Elear, but compared to the immense crash that the Utopia drags out of the same recording – it thuds in comparison. The dynamics of the Elear, and the potential to surprise you in songs, pales in comparison to the Utopia – which has “no chill” when it comes to the reproduction of audio. This headphone will not back down from a recording, and always sounds like it is giving it its absolute all.
The Elear is a bassier headphone however, with a lot more bass thump to its sound along with a heightened mid-bass presence that extends a bit into the lower mids – making it clearly warmer than the Utopia. When I listened to an acoustic guitar track that I recorded myself, I found that the Elear made it sound more earthy and bloomy – but the Utopia made it sound precise and brought out any flaws in my playing, exposing all. Another notable difference is the Utopia’s ability to present clean and undistorted audio at even really high volume, whereas the Elear is better suited for moderate to moderately-high listening volume – becoming a bit too shouty and harsh in its upper region if pushed.
I am told that some prefer the Utopia with the Elear’s pads. I have yet to try this myself, and I will do so in a future visit to Audio Sanctuary to hear for myself. Basically, the argument is that the Elear’s pads inject more bass thump into the Utopia without taking away much or any detail and dynamics.
Sennheiser HD800/HD800S
I would make the argument that these were the most technically proficient dynamic-driver headphones on the market before the Utopia showed up. I, personally, prefer a Superdupont-modded HD800 to the HD800S. The reason for this is that I believe that the bass is more precise on the original, with it being a bit more wooly in the HD800S – possibly to make the overall headphone warmer and more palatable to a more mainstream audience. It should be noted the large price difference between the Sennheisers and the Utopia, making the former a lot more affordable to the masses – as much as you can expect in this hobby.
Switching between the two, the HD800/S is the clear winner in soundstage range and imaging – continuing its reign in this regard (from what I have personally tried), as it even beat the Sennheiser HE-1. The two are the most holophonic headphones that I have heard yet, making binaural audio sound lifelike and precise. The Utopia, on the range front, is far more intimate between the two options – but it manages to utilise the space really well. At no point, even in the most “hectic” of songs, did I find that there was overlap of instruments and vocals in a manner that sounded congested. The Sennheisers have a wide canvas on which to paint, but the Utopia’s brushwork is more finely detailed.
The Utopia is also not all that picky about source, and is easily amped. I plugged it into my Samsung Galaxy S6 and it still, shockingly, sounded pretty damn good. Out of my portable setup, an Aune M1s plugged into a VE RunAbout Plus, it was driven entirely with only 9-10 ‘o clock on the volume dial. It both scales enormously well, but can sound like itself from a basic setup. Compare this to the notoriously picky HD800, which can sound way too harsh and treble-glaring on some amplifiers and sources – leading many to seek out warmer solid state or tube amplifiers to tame its natural state.
It would not be a surprise to me if the Utopia’s unveiling last year galvanized Sennheiser’s research and development department to get started on a true successor to the HD800 – which the 800S absolutely was not. I believe that increased competition in the high-end audio market will drive innovation and technology, even if it does not drive down prices necessarily. I will be keeping my eye on Sennheiser, who are still the biggest and most respected name in dynamic-driver headphones – but the Utopia takes the overall gold medal at this point in time.
Audeze LCD-4
Audeze’s flagship is a curious headphone for me, as based on the description of its sound signature it should be ideal for my preferences. It focuses on bass and midrange, but sports a large soundstage and detail in its upper-range.
However, the Utopia may not have the same focus but is far more of a hi-fi experience to my ears. The LCD-4 feels bogged down by comparison, a lot more hazy in presentation and lacking the micro-details that the Utopia sports effortlessly. A/b-ing between the two left no doubt in my mind which headphone was the victor, because both are priced the same and I expect a lot more “wow factor” at $4000 – not just an extension of the LCD-3.
Hifiman HE-1000
Hifiman’s soon-to-be-former consumer flagship (now that the Edition 6 has been announced) is a very nice mixture of deep bass extension, soft and pleasing midrange and comfortably extended treble. Retailing for $3000, the HE-1000 is called by some as the headphone they could listen to during a migraine – and I see why. It is far more relaxed and pillowy compared to the Utopia’s trailblazing “take no prisoners” nature. I would liken the sound to an evening on the couch listening to your favourite live jazz recordings with a glass of wine – near a fireplace for good measure.
However, as with the LCD-4, preferring the HE-1000 to the Utopia is purely a matter of personal preference – because it pales in comparison on a technical and detail reproduction manner. It does put up more of a fight than the Audeze flagship however, utilising its larger soundstage and punchy character. When I first saw the HE-1000 and its price, I did not think a day would come where it would be the clear underdog to another headphone that wasn’t an electrostatic, or the Sennheiser Orpheus. It just sounds veiled and too soft (in terms of dynamics) compared to the Utopia – better than the LCD-4 however.
Source & Amping
As mentioned above, the Utopia is not very picky with its sources. The best way to sum up what you choose to plug the headphones into is “just make sure it doesn’t suck.” Any halfway decent option should be enough to make the Utopia sound like the headphone it was designed to be.
I spent a large amount of time at Audio Sanctuary pairing the Utopia with the Chord Dave. This absolutely bonkers top-of-the-line system provided an immensely detailed, nuanced and pleasing sound – but you really are throwing price-to-performance out of the window to be hit by ongoing traffic and trampled into the asphalt. Make no mistake, I am not downplaying the magic of the pairing – I am just pointing out that it is not needed to make the Utopia sound like itself. I also acknowledge the irony of bringing price-to-performance ratios in a review of a headphone that costs $4000 by itself, but I believe that the headphones make the biggest overall impact in a listening experience. The Chord Dave + Focal Utopia will sound like the Utopia, but the Chord Dave + The HD800S won’t sound like the Utopia – if that makes sense.
To further prove this point, to myself before anyone else, I spent an even longer amount of time with the Utopia plugged into an Aune M1s digital-audio-player which was connected via line-out mode into the Venture Electronics RunAbout Plus portable headphone amplifier – a combo that is around $350 in total.
Not only was the Utopia fully driven, with only 9-10 o’ clock on the dial being nearly too loud for me, but it brought out all the characteristics that being amped should. This, just like the Focal Elear, is a very easily driven headphone.
Pricing
It is my firm belief that, in this hobby specifically, once you cross the $1000 threshold – the law of diminishing returns goes into overdrive, with the amount spent above this yielding reduced impact than it did before.
I fully realize that these are $4000, the price of four brand-new Sennheiser HD800s, or the price of a Sennheiser HD800 + Hifiman HE1000 and so on – but while I will not be able to afford the Utopia myself, I can absolutely see what justifies its price. I am not great with science, and many technical conversations of high-fidelity audio can go over my head – but I do know what I hear.
What I hear is an experience that is head and shoulders above its competition in the open-aire headphone market. I will remove myself from the “is it worth it?” question by reminding you that, to the overwhelming majority of people out there, spending anything over whatever Beats by Dre cost on headphones is mind-boggling and without merit.
That being said, if the Utopia sounded anything lesser than it did then I would have been quite harsh on them in this review (kind of like how I see the LCD-4) – but there are clear differences between it and the competition. Whether or not it’s because of beryllium drivers or whatnot, I cannot say for sure – but it’s there and it has moved possibilities forward for the market as a whole.
If you feel that you could build a setup with several headphones, each competing with the Utopia on some level (if not superseding it in the case of bass thump and soundstage) for the same price while being able to pay for an amplifier and DAC – I could definitely see that. But, I don’t see an allrounder in the high-end open-aire market that competes on all fronts quite as much.
Conclusion
Audio Sanctuary finally had a model available for display all the way in February, after these had started being sold in September. According to them, whenever stock arrived – it was picked up or mailed out the same day due to the demand being so high and the waitlist being so populated. Handmade by Focal in France, the stock didn’t seem to be able to keep up with demand quite as much until 2017.
This is a headphone that is a worthy recipient of its acclaim. If you have the cash handy, it will provide you with an experience that is synonymous with the appeal of high-fidelity audio in headphones – before making the leap to speakers if you haven’t already. On the topic of speakers, it still surprises me that Focal is known primarily as a speaker manufacturer. They went from being just that to throwing down the gauntlet at Sennheiser and others – and the audio world became a lot more interesting.
"the Utopia manages to do more with its “space” than other offerings in its price range"
— Other offerings in the $4000 price range include LCD-4 and SR-009. Are there any others?
Excellent review!
The sound of my Utopia is even much better than the sound of my €4000 Dali loudspeakers! If you don't have the money, I advise you to sell your other gear so as to buy the Utopia headphones
the Utopia headphones instead
Great review. I especially like the analogy "The Sennheisers have a wide canvas on which to paint, but the Utopia’s brushwork is more finely detailed."
Pros: Euphonic and smooth sound, engaging, ample ability to tube roll with several options and paths already documented by owners on this site
Cons: Not very powerful, not suitable for planar-magnetic headphones, high output impedance
After several years of only owning solid-state headphone amplifiers, I decided to see what the fuss was about with tube amps earlier this year. On the surface, people seemed to be likening the technology with vinyl – something that sounded more natural to some folk but was antiquated in the modern world. Indeed, tubes have their disadvantages – a limited lifespan being the most immediate of them.
After hearing the Cavalli Liquid Tungsten at Can Jam London 2016, especially with a Sennheiser HD800, I knew there was more to it than just mere colouration of the sound. The headphone came alive with a sound that had more body than I was used to with it. I had to know more, and so earlier this year I started. First up was the iFi Pro iCan, with its solid-state to tube and tube+ mode switching. A hybrid tube amplifier that was not designed to be swappable, I found its sound to not be all that distinct between the modes. Next came the Schiit Valhalla 2, and I got a better sense of what tubes do.
Clashing directly with the stereotype of tube amps being overly warm and coloured, the Valhalla 2 added a bit more nuance to song mixes than I had heard before. Staging seemed wider too. There was something afoot here that I enjoyed, but I missed the more impactful sound of my solid-state options at the time. When I later got a Schiit Lyr 2, along with some spare tube sets to play around with, I came to understand the appeal behind swapping out, otherwise known as rolling, tubes. It was another hybrid tube amp, like the iFi, with a solid-state output stage that had only one gear to it – fast and punchy. Sure, you could put a slight spin on the sound here and there – but you couldn’t stop it from being its fast and punchy self.
When I bought the Feliks Audio Elise, I took note of the fact that it had slots for two power tubes and two driver tubes. Completely reliant on tube pairings, I was curious to see what had made this a much-discussed amplifier for tube rollers on Head-fi. I even knew someone who had one, and had spent €2400 on various tube sets. While not prepared to make that kind of investment, I wanted to understand the appeal on a basic level and felt that this was an inexpensive purchase to do so.
Specifications – From the Website
· Technical Specification - Model 2017
· Input Impedance: 100 kOhm
· Frequency response: 10 Hz - 60 Khz +/- 3 dB (300 ohm)
· Power output: 200mW
· Pre-amp Gain: 20dB
· THD: 0.4 % (300 ohm, 20 mW)
· Supported headphones impedance: 32 - 600 ohm
· Improved noise cancelling construction
· Headphones output: Jack 6.3mm
· AC: 230V/120V (power cord included)
· Dimensions: 310x205x170 [mm]
· 3 years warranty
Specifications – From the Manual
Elise is built with two 6AS7G (also accepts 6080, via the included adaptor) power tubes and two driver 6SN7 tubes. Power supply is based on a custom made stabilized toroidal transformer with electronic ripple suppression. The amplifier is equipped with automatic bias circuit, therefore no re-tuning is required after changing tubes. Please note that the optimal sound quality will be reached after approximately 30 – 50 hours of run-in.
· Impedance: 100 k ohm
· Frequency response: 10 Hz - 60 Khz +/- 3 dB (300 ohm)
· Power output: 200mW
· THD: 0.4 % (300 ohm, 20 mW)
· Optimal headphones impedance: 32 - 600 ohm
· Headphones output: Jack 6.3mm
· AC: 230V / 120V (region dependent, power cord included)
After seeing the Feliks Euphoria, the flagship headphone amplifier of the company, at the London Can Jam 2017 – I saw that the designers adopted a “if it ain’t broke” mentality. The two amps are near identical in look. Both are OTL and both use the same power and driver/pre-amp tube slots.
It should go without saying that this amplifier can get really, really hot. This isn’t the heat of, say, the Schiit Asgard 2 (a class-A solid-state amp) – but is another level entirely due to the glowing tubes. Take care when handling these, Feliks themselves advise at least five minutes wait time minimum after switching off the amplifier before you swap tubes around. In fact, let me quote the manual:
Please note that tubes can reach operational temperature with excess of 150 Celsius (300 Fahrenheit) therefore tube exchange should be done with the device unplugged from AC power, after allowing the tubes to cool down and letting the capacitors discharge (minimum 5 minutes). Recommended ambient temperature for the amplifier to operate is between 15 and 30 Celsius (60 to 86 Fahrenheit).
The last part disqualifies the use of this amplifier in the summertime back in my home country, unless aided with ample air conditioning.
The actual unit is quite solidly build. I won’t do any drop tests or anything, but it looks like it will last a long time in a caring household. The volume knob is a satisfyingly smooth turn and the small LED in front is blue. There is only a slot for a single ¼ inch headphone plug, and I would recommend plugging in headphones after the amp has warmed up and unplugging before turning it off. The reason for this is that there is a loud and sudden cracking sound in the headphones if you a) turn the amp on while they’re plugged in or b) you turn the amp off while they’re plugged in. I believe Feliks told me that this was something they remedied in the 2017 version of the amp (mine is 2016), but I’d advise it regardless. I don’t even know if it would do damage to your headphone drivers, but I would advise it anyway.
Speaking of the 2017 version, I did ask them the details of how the new model differed from mine. They said that they learned some nifty engineering tricks to implement while developing the Euphoria when it came to sound isolation of the unit and decided to let those upgrades trickle down to the Elise as well. A specific example I was told was that the Elise was now less susceptible to that annoying interference from phone frequencies during an incoming call or text message. I’ve never really heard such interference in my older Elise, but people don’t usually call me anyways so.
On the back of the unit is one set of RCA inputs and one pair of RCA line-outputs – which in the manual are referred to as the “pre-amp mode.” There is a place to plug in your power cable of choice and a bright red on/off switch. I would have preferred the switch to have been in the front, but it isn’t a big deal.
Finally, the kinds of tubes that are officially endorsed by Feliks Audio to be used with this amplifier are printed on the manual:
While still being so new to tubes myself, I can’t advise what else you can try with these. However, I do use a RCA 7n7 driver tube pair on the Elise – I just needed a 7n7-to-6SN7 converter set from Hong Kong.
Sound
In my review of the Schiit Lyr 2, I mentioned how any tube rolling would just modify the flavour of the sound rather than overhaul it in any large way. This is because the amp’s output section was solid state, and not flexible at all. The Elise is able to roll both power tubes as well as driver tubes, and I have found it very sensitive to changes in both. The amp is not highly transparent by any means, but it responds very well to different tube configurations. To my ears, the Elise will always embody the stereotypical outlook of tubes – warm and euphonic. It is not muddy, however, and detail retrieval is quite good. The staging is not large by any sense, but it has a very natural depth to it that does positional audio justice.
When comparing the Elise to the newer flagship offering by Feliks, the Euphoria, I found that it had a warmer tilt to the sound than its elder brother. Indeed, the terms warm and gooey come to mind – but I would argue that this is a far more articulate experience in stock configuration than the solid-state Cavalli Liquid Carbon. There is no bloat with either Elise or Euphoria, but it was apparent to me that (even in the ruckus that is show-floor background noise) the Euphoria was set up to be a leaner, brighter but more detailed sound with wider staging. Indeed, there were some visitors to the Feliks booth at Can Jam London 2017 who preferred the Elise over the flagship, simply due to its warmer and thicker sound character. If that sounds more to your liking, then you might too.
The Elise’ customizability makes it wear different hats with ease. Need a faster sound for metal and rock? Switch to the Mullard 6080. Need a smoother, more relaxing tone? Use the stock Svetlana 6AS7G. A tube amp that changes with tubes, what of it?Well, this is a tube rollers dream in its price range and build due to just how much can be done with it. Forums have threads bursting with impressions from Elise owners for a reason, it’s an affordable OTL with good baseline specifications for dynamic headphones and the ability to explore different tube pairings comes easily to it.
But, on its own, it’s a dependable amp. As mentioned before, the staging is not especially wide (although this varies, again, with different tubes) and the sound has that lusher characteristic that I now find lacking in most solid-state amplifiers. The bass does not extend especially far with the stock tubes, but this also is changed up with rolling. Rather than stretching the sound out to reveal the low-level detail in your recordings, a task that is done to varying degrees by tube amplifiers, the Elise simply seeks to add tone to your music. This is not an amplifier for detail-retrieval fiends. This also is not the amplifier for lovers of planar magnetic headphones due to its low wattage. Indeed, I paired this with a few Audeze planars and found the sound lacking compared to what I know them to do.
The aforementioned tone was eye opening to me, someone who has primarily had experience with solid-state amplifiers in the past. The Schiit Valhalla 2, which I’ve reviewed before, is leaner and brighter than the Elise and then Schiit Lyr 2 (a hybrid tube amp) is more punchy and dynamic but without the natural sound that the Elise musters. By “natural”, I mean that the Elise is not etched or hard in its treble presentation, making it so the twang of acoustic guitars and the playing of grand pianos don’t sound artificially propped for the sake of utmost clarity. The sound isn’t neutral, but I often find things sounding (within reason, depending on genre) liveinstead of a pristine studio recording. I appreciate this, and it definitely and quickly taught me about the benefits of tube amplifiers.
Before I received my Elise in the mail, I was worried about its pairing with the Focal Utopia – an 80 ohm dynamic driver headphone that I use as a reference. It was not until after I had purchased it, and after a little research online, that I found that it had a rather high output impedance compared to the amplifiers that I’d used before. The output impedance is 40 to 50 ohms, depending on where you read. Using the amplifier with the Utopia would be breaking the 1/8ths rule of output impedance; that the headphone’s impedance must be over eight times the output impedance of the amplifier. Once I plugged the Utopia in, however, my fears were put to the side. It’s not just listenable, it’s very enjoyable as a pairing – adding a smoothness to the frantically detailed and hyper nature of the Focal flagship. Was it the most ideal pairing out there? Probably not, especially if you want to take steps to enhance the detail retrieval of the Utopia through an amp pairing. But is it wrong? No. Switching to my Dragon Inspire IHA-1, a transformer-coupled tube amplifier with only 4.4 ohms of output impedance, I found the background quieter and more revealing of detail. But when I switched back to the Elise and allowed a few minutes for my ears to adjust, I found it more than capable as a Utopia pairing.
Tube Rolling
The point of this section isn’t to say that you, the reader, absolutely need to buy a bunch of tubes for the Elise to properly enjoy it – but to detail what aspects can be changed by what. Also, the stock option of the Tung Sol 6SN7s might be discontinued as per a conversation I had with one of the brothers of Feliks Audio. He told me that PSVANE driver tubes might be the way to go for the Elise company-side in the future, as it already is with the Euphoria. Easier to find tubes matches, he said. I haven’t spent a long time with PSVANE, a Chinese company making tubes these days, but they sounded good enough at Can Jam from both Euphoria and Elise.
Power Tubes
Svetlana Winged "C" 6H13C / 6AS7G
This is Feliks’ stock choice for both the Elise and Euphoria. On the Elise, it has a warm and slightly thick tone to it that gives a smoother sound overall. It is not particularly fast or heavy hitting, opting to be more laid back in approach. Vocals have a lot of body to them and bass extension is quite good, it definitely gelled with the ZMF Eikon that I have.
The major disadvantage of this pairing with the Elise is that it seems a bit veiled. Of course, this performance is closely tied to its inexpensive nature overall – but the same power tubes sounded quite different out of the Euphoria which is a testament to amp design over mere tube choices alone. The Euphoria had slightly wider staging and very inviting separation and detail retrieval. It was also leaner, to my ears, and a little more towards the bright side of things – while the Elise’s usage of the same power tubes yields a smoother, warmer and more pleasant tone that ultimately does mask micro-detail a bit.
I could not help but make comparisons to the Cavalli Liquid Carbon that I once had. I have no doubt that the Elise, using these stock power tubes, is still considerably the more articulate experience. Feliks knew what they were doing when they chose these for their two amplifiers. It’s a very good baseline sound with few shortcomings – a jack of all trades when it comes to tube options for the Elise.
General Electric 6AS7G
I’d go so far to call this the most v-shaped power tube of the three I’m talking about today. It injects a hefty amount of bass into the Elise’s sound, but not very bloated or distorted bass. While being clean, it is not all that much faster and punchier than the stock Svetlanas. It does have some weight to it, and kick drums are instantly more noticeable in mixes.
The midrange is a bit recessed, not overwhelmingly so but just slightly. I found guitars to sound a little hollow and male vocals to be emphasized over female by quite a margin. The treble extension is decent but misses out on some cymbal clarity and weight. Overall, I prefer the stock Svetlanas over this but I do appreciate just how much more of a punch these have when paired with electronic genres.
Mullard 6080
These bring the Elise more in line with my preferences these days. The Mullards are less tubey than the stock Svetlanas and are more geared towards a solid-state sound in terms of impact, dynamics and noise floor. I have no way of measuring exactly, but I can hear a quieter background with the Utopia over the stock power tubes.
Impact is an understatement of sorts as these power tubes provide a good punch to the sound of the Elise. With the Utopia, it’s a great pairing due to the headphone’s own fast and dynamic nature. I, quite frankly, hate when an amp holds the Utopia back in this regard – and so far I’ve only heard the Liquid Carbon do that by making the sound slower and a bit sluggish. The Mullard 6080s reduce the slightly thick and overly warm sound of the stock Svetlanas and open up the midrange to better detail retrieval. Micro-detail comes out better, with all the various percussion and instrumentation in Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough not being held back.
Bass is quicker on its feet, tap-dancing through the mix with precision and without any bloat or emphasis. Fans of a bloomier sound will probably not enjoy the Mullards, as it is leaner and more precise. Another noticeable upgrade from the stock tubes resides in the upper midrange and lower treble. The air region is better served by the Mullards, with string sections coming out better and faster. Grand pianos also have a less weighty and cleaner aspect to them.
Disadvantages that I can think of are probably headphone reliant in this case. While I very much enjoy the sound with my Utopia, I feel that it would hurt on the Sennheiser HD800. The treble is also more emphasized compared to the stock tubes, which is another reason why I believe the above. With a bad headphone pairing, and to those who are sensitive to treble, I feel that the Mullard 6080s would quickly become fatiguing. But for warmer headphones, I can’t recommend it enough for its price point.
Driver/Pre-amp Tubes
Tung Sol 6SN7GTB – Made in Russia
These are the, as of September 2017, stock driver tubes provided with the Elise. It should be noted that, for an additional $150, you can upgrade to Chinese-made PSVANE driver tubes and that Feliks will be making the switch to only using those eventually as they have done with the Euphoria.
The Tung Sols have a slightly tall sound. What I mean by this is that it sounds like the notes occupy more space than they do on solid-state or even other tube options. This space is not width-wise, but rather vertical. A snare hit will sound larger than life instead of a more accurate sting in a mix. I won’t lie, this has a very pleasing sound to it as there is no lack of “real estate” to be used up here. I would not call it a reference sound, but it is fun to listen to and the Tung Sols share this aspect with the Ken Rad 6SN7GTBs.
Where it differs from the Ken Rads is in the air and treble presentation. The larger-than-life sound described above is not emphasized in the bass region on the Tung Sols, but rather in the mids and highs. You will hear a guitar solo pierce through the mix with additional emphasis given to it than other tubes and you will hear vocals sound very much like an intimate live setting.
Is it an especially revealing tube? I don’t think so, and I feel that it might have been chosen to (along with the Svetlana power tubes) give the widest experience gap between the Elise and solid-state amplifiers at its price point. Stick a HD800 into the Elise with its stock tubes and you will be treated to a sound that is less reference but more musical and, dare I say, enjoyable. With the ZMF Eikon, I found that the treble peak was smoothed out with the stock tube pairing, while the Mullard 6080s gave slightly more accuracy.
Sylvania 1950s Chrome Top 6SN7GTA
I would go so far to say that this is my reference 6SN7 driver tube these days, with it almost always being used in my Dragon Inspire IHA-1 when I’m critically listening. This is mainly due to its lean sound and detail retrieval, along with some of the best extended and natural treble I have in my possession.
How does it fare on the Elise? I actually don’t prefer it compared to it on my IHA-1. Perhaps this can be chalked up to personal preferences, but I feel that the Sylvanias don’t bring as much to the table on the Elise – while they are a stronger option for the IHA-1. This is because the detail retrieval boost is minimal on the Elise and I’m used to it being far greater.
Ken Rad 6SN7GT – Black
Let me preface this by saying that this tube is overkill with the stock Svetlana power tubes. These very much need the leaner and quicker sound of the Mullard 6080 to shine.
This has the deepest and most powerful bass of all the driver tubes discussed today. Couple that with its level of low-end control and you have a fantastic pairing for electronic genres, pop and rock music. With an overall warm sound in the midrange, and a slight bit of roll-off in the treble, I would not recommend the Ken Rads for a more analytical listening experience – but it is a balls-to-the-wall level of fun in how exhilarating it is for the right genres.
My earlier description of a “tall” sound with the Tung Sol 6SN7GT is taken a step further with the Ken Rad driver tubes. A good example of what I mean is in the song Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. The single note synth-line that plays in the chorus is normally thin and distant in mixes. On the Ken Rads, however, it is very front-and-centre and sounds thicker, meatier and livelier. Those are a lot of words to describe a mere synth accompaniment to a chorus, but imagine that effect applied to all instrumentation and vocals in a track. Huge and not at all reference, the Ken Rads make up for their lack of air by making music sound bombastic with a speaker-like quality.
RCA 7n7 (with a 7n7-to-6SN7 converter)
The opposite case of the Sylvanias, I actually prefer these more on the Elise than I do on the IHA-1. The RCA 7n7 have the capability to present delicate micro-detail and have a leaner sound than the stock option or the Ken Rads. The reason they gel more with a warmer amplifier like the Elise than a leaner and more analytical one like the IHA-1 is due to the treble region becoming harsher on the latter while this aspect is masked a bit on the former. This is just speculation on my end, but it does become a more fatiguing listen on the Dragon amp.
Another strength of the RCA 7n7 is its low price compared to the other detail-head driver tubes that I have, the Sylvania 6SN7 chrome-tops. When listening to jazz, it becomes obvious that these have good tonality for cymbals, snares and acoustic instruments. They do retain some body though, less than the Sylvanias but enough to make it a good pairing for jazz, classical and classic rock.
Amping
I have to reiterate this one aspect of the Feliks Audio Elise – it is not a powerful amplifier. As mentioned before, I really did not enjoy how the Audeze LCD series sounded from this. I wouldn’t recommend using this with any planars at all, actually. I wouldn’t recommend using IEMs with it either, as its high output impedance won’t be ideal. I’m still surprised that it sounds as good as it does with the Utopia – but it’s no coincidence that many prefer this for their 600 Ohm Beyerdynamic T1’s and Sennheiser HD800’s.
Dynamic-driver headphones are the way to go with the Elise, of that I’m certain.
Conclusion
The Elise met and surpassed my expectations from a first actual tube amplifier. It has a natural tone to it and can be altered with various tube pairings. Unlike the Lyr 2, it can be morphed in a more audibly meaningful manner to suit your preferences. Indeed, it might be that it could reach the detail retrieval prowess of its elder brother, the Feliks Euphoria, or even my Dragon Inspire IHA-1 with the right tube pairings – but I did not pursue those and will leave such discoveries to other owners. I do recommend reading the Head-fi threads about this amplifier though, there is a lot of interesting discussion going back several years.
One consistent thing about the Elise, no matter the tube pairing, was its ability to have a very smooth and enjoyable sound. After months with it, I understand fully why some would find it immediately more enjoyable than the Euphoria when they first heard the two at Can Jam. While the Euphoria is not sparse in tone, having its own strength and body, the Elise is more akin to what some people just seem to expectfrom a tube amplifier – with its stock power and driver tube pairing. It’s smooth, laid back and quite musical. It doesn’t try to be a low-level detail-resolving monster like some other tube amplifiers, but aims to be for those who want a more organic experience than their solid-state options with a gentle bloom in the bass and some midrange weight.
Pros: Very sensitive to different tube pairings, resolving, not treble harsh, uses somewhat mainstream tube options
Cons: A bit lean in the bass, pre-outs may hum with active speakers, only available from a single seller so no way to demo outside of places where Moon Audio is present
Introduction
The IHA-1 is the concoction of Dennis Had, formerly of Cary Audio, who has a reputation in the audio community for his tube power amps. After Drew Baird, CEO of Moon Audio, used an Audeze LCD-3 to showcase to Dennis just how far headphone technology had come, he decided to give a commercial headphone amplifier a go – distributed by Moon Audio exclusively. He also sells his other amps on eBay separately, but I have no experience with those. Essentially, the IHA-1 was Dennis taking elements from his years of designing highly-regarded tube speaker amps and distilling them down to something that could be enjoyed with headphones.
I received mine on the 9th of August, 2017. It was a personal purchase, done purely out of curiousity as several of my peers had one and liked it considerably. Based in the United Kingdom, I wasn’t able to demo it anywhere as it is sold exclusively by Moon Audio – who are based in North Carolina, USA. I did meet Drew at the 2016 London Can Jam however, where I listened to the Focal Elear and Utopia out of this amp. At the time, I had no reference point for what I was hearing – all I knew was that it was really, really good. Over the next few months, I found myself with an Elear and then eventually a Utopia – but I wanted to know more about that amplifier with which I had first experienced these headphones.
After filming an unboxing video, I was pleased to hear that the amp immediately sounded like a considerable upgrade over my other options at the time – with the stock tubes. I fell into a downward spiral of tube exploration based on expensive curiousity over the next few months – culminating in me buying one of the most sought after rectifiers out there for it. After that, I retreated and worked with what I had. Ten months after purchasing it, I’m ready to present my findings.
Specifications (According to Moon Audio)
· Stepped DACT 100K attenuator running a pair of 6SN7's at over 1 watt of output power
· Output impedance of 4.4 ohms
· Transformer Pro Balanced output
· 2 analogue RCA input selector positions, including a mute position
· 4pin XLR Headphone output
· 1/4" headphone output
· Pre-amp RCA Outputs with switch that mutes the headphone output
· A Sovtek 5Y3GT tube is standard
· A RCA 5U4GB Rectifier New Old Stock Tube is available for an additional $100
· A pair of 6SN7 Electro-Harmonix tubes come standard
· A pair of 6SN7 New Old Stock Tubes are available for an additional $100
· Direct coupling and transformer output are included as part of the standard configuration.
· 10 inches wide 8 inches deep, height varies based on tubes used.
· Frequency Response 12 Hz to 32 KHz + - 0 dB
· Power output into 40 ohms 1.7 watts less than 1% THD 2nd harmonic
· Switchable line level dual channel line preamplifier output (optional)
· AC voltage 120 or 240 VAC 50/60 Hz
· Output power tubes X 2 6SN7 dual triodes
· Vacuum tube rectification 5Y3
· .090 aluminium chassis
· Powder Coat: Copper/Clear Coat
· Dimensions: 10” x 8” x 6” high with tubes installed
· Weight: 15 lbs
Build Quality & Features
For the younger members in the community, particularly those who have dabbled in audio production, the look of the IHA-1 will probably remind them of the Focusrite Scarlett series due to the deep red colour. Others will notice that the tube glow is quite dim on this amp, the Feliks Elise lit up the same pre-amp tubes far more – as far as aesthetics go. The compactness of the IHA-1 surprised me, as I had forgotten the exact size in the year since Canjam London 2016. After shopping around and seeing amps with so, so many tubes plugged in – the IHA-1 seemed quite approachable with its two pre-amp and single rectifier design. When it comes to build quality, it is quite solid -although I noticed one day that a small piece of plastic had chipped off at some point.
It should be noted that this amplifier is not balanced. It is single-ended, despite the 4-pin XLR output on the front existing. Also, rather interestingly, there is no volume or sound degradation if both the XLR and ¼ inch outputs are used simultaneously. Two sets of single-ended inputs exist in the back, with a front dial allowing you to switch between the two and putting the amp on standby mode – cutting off any sound. The volume dial is on a stepped attenuator, and I usually never really go beyond the 12 ‘o clock mark. However, I have heard of people saying this amp (even with the Lundahl transformers) isn’t loud enough for them entirely. That boggles my mind a bit.
The Lundahl transformers are an upgrade I opted for, costing $250 more than the fully stock IHA-1. To my knowledge, these don’t add more wattage to headphones – but rather more clean gain. I find this essential if you are planning on using planar magnetic headphones with this amplifier. I also opted to get the pre-outs in the back added for an additional $100, as this was an option back then but has since been made mandatory and had its cost added to the baseline price. These had significant hum when used with my active speakers, and nothing I tried could eliminate that. I surmised that they were designed for passive systems and stopped using them. At the time I purchased it, the stock tubes were a pair of NOS Raytheon 6SN7s alongside a JJ 5Y3GT – with upgrade options being a pair of Sylvania 6SN7 GTA or GTB pre-amp tubes alongside a RCA 5U4GB. These have since been changed, as you can see in the specifications list – and I assume Moon rotates according to availability.
Sound
The IHA-1’s main strength, if you share my obsessive inclinations in hobbies, is a double-edged sword. It simply morphs with the tubes you plug in, and is a very capable blank canvas in doing so. On one hand, I have no doubt that a large number of users will be perfectly happy with the stock tubes, but I also do not doubt that others will find the payoff from trying different tube pairings to be quite substantial – as the differences are not subtle.
The sound of the amp itself is also very much to my liking. I’ve tried a variety of sources with it and felt that it did not stretch nor narrow the soundstage in any way by itself. Its own tendencies are geared towards detail retrieval and trying to remove itself from the chain as much as possible. It’s because of this that I’ve found it (with a tube pairing that I am familiar with) an easy amp to evaluate source gear with.
The bass amount might, however, be a detraction for some people - particularly those who are used to certain solid-state offerings with elevated punch. I don’t find the IHA-1 thin or unsatisfying at all, and with certain tubes it is far from that – according to my preferences. But, I will admit, it’s a bit leaner than the aforementioned solid-state amps. It’s interesting because I had heard through the grapevine that the IHA-1 was an amp that was very similar to a solid-state in sound despite injecting the benefits of tubes as well – but the bass immediately gives it away if you are someone who is used to a lot of slam.
The midrange is remarkably transparent and clean sounding, with no emphasis in lower or upper registers. The former is something I heard with the Feliks Audio Elise, and when I reviewed it last year I pointed out this tonal difference with the IHA-1. That being said, if a slightly warmer and more euphonic experience is something you desire from your tube amp – you can always swap in some tubes to cater to your needs (and I’ll detail some pairings below you might want to check out). I, personally, prefer a more even ascent up the frequency spectrum with the IHA-1 – so I did swap out the stock Raytheon 6SN7 pre-amp tubes, although I find them very capable and a good stock option on Moon Audio’s part.
While I would not characterise the IHA-1 as a bright amp, I would again mention that this isn’t a warm and gooey experience that some enjoy tube amps for. It can be taken there, but it will never quite go all the way. The treble is delicately balanced yet has the ability to soar, and does not seem etched with the majority of the tube pairings I have tried. It also doesn’t become too rolled with others, changing just enough without removing an important aspect of the listening experience.
Now that I’ve attempted to explain the tonality of the amp, I’d like to mention that what I enjoy the IHA-1 mostly for is its ability to bring out more detail in tracks. Not to be dramatic, but I heard this even the first time I plugged it in with the stock tubes. Even today, writing this almost a year later – I’m hearing the same benefits from the stock tubes even though I haven’t used them in almost as long as I’ve had this amp. Track separation is very well done, depending on source, with the stereotypical “hearing things I didn’t hear before” in full effect if it is a significant upgrade to your source chain. Paired with a Schiit Yggdrasil and driving a Focal Utopia, I often find myself in the position that music I’ve listened to for a long, long time (predating my involvement in this hobby) makes another shift in how I hear it. More is exposed, and it’s a struggle (for some) to not chase further than the stock tubes to enhance this ability.
Pre-Amp Tube Pairings
Raytheon 6SN7 GTB
I understand why this was included in my set as a stock pre-amp tube option. These manage to display the capabilities of the IHA-1 sufficiently while retaining a bit of the stereotypical tube warmth that some expect. I’ll admit that the sweetness in the midrange is quite compelling with this pair and could be a reason why someone would return to it after an upgrade. Disadvantages are that it can, compared to better offerings, mask detail a bit and that it’s quite laid back.
Sylvania 6SN7 GTA
These are possibly available from Moon Audio to add to the IHA-1 order for an extra $100. My favourite 6SN7 option, the Sylvanias veer towards the brighter side of things but have very well-controlled bass alongside sparkling and detailed highs. The midrange isn’t as lush as the Raytheon 6SN7, but has more texture to my ears. Be cautious when pairing with bright rectifiers such as the RCA 5R4GY, as it might be too much treble for some.
Ken Rad 6SN7
Warmer than the Raytheons and even more masking of detail, the main reason for using the Ken Rads is the bass slam injection. Fuller in the lows, these tubes are punchy and quite good for EDM and other electronic genres – but not something I would want for jazz or classical.
Raytheon 6BX7
Interestingly, Drew told me that they had made revisions to the amp that made it no longer support this tube set, despite me reading somewhere that it was Dennis Had’s favourite for the IHA-1. Simply put, they work in my unit at least. Considerably lower in output than the 6SN7, the 6BX7 has what I can only call a more mature warmth to it than the Ken Rads and Raytheons. It’s somewhere between them and the more articulate Sylvanias. However, you will need to crank the volume on the amp even further to volume match these, and there is a slightly higher noise floor than the 6SN7s.
Rectifier Tube Pairings
JJ 5Y3S (Stock Option)
The major failing of this rectifier is in its sub-bass control. This wasn’t quite apparent with headphones that don’t dig down as deep, but when you do plug in one that does – it’s very noticeable. Flabby and sluggish, these will slow down punchiness in such headphones and be an unsatisfying listen. I recommend replacing them even if you don’t use headphones with well-extended lows.
Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB
The cheapest replacement for the stock JJ that I can think of. A mere $15 on eBay will gain you a considerable upgrade in lower-bass control. Overall sound is leaner than the JJ and not very euphonic at all. To my understanding, these are current production tubes made in Russia. I find them quite capable, but far from my favourite pairing for the IHA-1.
Mullard GZ34 Reissue
These are current production tubes based on the legendary Mullard black-base tubes made in Blackburn way back in the day. The difference is that these are made in Russia by, allegedly, Electro-Harmonix – who purchased the original machinery from the UK factory. Considerably cheaper than the original tubes, I had hopes that these would match them. However, that wasn’t the case. These sound more like the Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB than original Mullard GZ34 black-base tubes. Lean and a bit etched in the treble, these do not sound stereotypically “tubey” at all. Detail retrieval and bass control is similar to the cheaper Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB as well. A headscratcher, this one.
Telefunken GZ34 Black-Base(Not Fat Base)
The black-base GZ34 can be found for anywhere between $50-100 and beyond. These are warmer than their reissues, but have a more organic sound that will immediately be appreciated by those chasing “tube” characteristics. They also have ample bass compared to the re-issues, that were a bit lean throughout. Treble is a bit rolled, however, and detail retrieval is more or less equal to 5U4GB variants. Staging is a bit narrow too. Despite the aforementioned “organic” sound, these are possibly some of the most solid-state sounding options you can grab for the IHA-1 due to their very focused presentation that does away with any slightly “romantic” diffuse/ethereal sound that some might expect from tubes.
Philips Metal-Base GZ34
By far the most I’ve spent on tubes, the metal-base GZ34 earns its reputation due to its incredible melding of detail retrieval with a focused sound that somehow still retains a slight etherealness to its signature that makes some genres very satisfying to listen to. There is a slight lingering to the decay, which is an addition to the IHA-1 which doesn’t have such a characteristic by its own nature, that is very romantic sounding without overstaying its welcome. It’s very delicate and effective.
I wouldn’t recommend it for its bass capabilities however, as it is quite lean in that area. The midrange is the highlight, as detail is presented effortlessly alongside texture. What sets this apart further over the aforementioned rectifiers is its timbre, as it takes the ability of the Schiit Yggdrasil Analogue Stage 2 to recreate live acoustic instruments and takes it a step further – especially pianos. Furthermore, it does all of this in a non-fatiguing way as the treble is not harsh nor hiked. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it’s ever so slightly rolled off in the high treble (especially compared to the likes of the RCA 5R4GY) – but it doesn’t bother me due to all the other benefits it brings. Do I recommend it? Yeah, but you’d have to be insane to buy it for its current market price – and I seemingly am.
RCA 5U4GB
These were available to add to your IHA-1 order for an extra $100 – although their market price is lower than that. A considerable jump from the stock JJ 5Y3, the RCA 5U is a warm tube with a bit of bloom for those who desire it. Its bass control is also a substantial upgrade over the stock option. Its strength is a musical sound, but it lacks some detail retrieval and resolve compared to other options – if such attributes are important to you.
Westinghouse 5U4G
My favourite of the warmer, bassier rectifier options, the Westinghouse sounds like an upgraded RCA 5U4GB with more resolve to it. Its bass managed to balance being ample and well controlled to a level that all these other rectifiers simply do not – as they veer towards being lean and controlled or ample and bloomy usually compared. What I like furthermore is a bit more sparkle in the treble that helps this be a great all-rounder tube, more so than the metal base GZ34 even and great value if you can get it for $50 or less.
Brimar 5R4GY
This goes neck-to-neck with the metal base GZ34 in terms of detail retrieval, beats it easily in staging width – but loses out in timbre. The Brimar is lean in the bass and a bit rolled in the treble, but it has stellar detail reproduction. While I do like it overall, the problem lies in its timbre being off for several instruments – making them sound a bit muted and not letting them soar quite as much as they need to. That being said, these probably have the most upper-midrange emphasis out of all the rectifiers detailed in this article. Strings have considerable air to them, but the treble is where drawbacks begin. Also, the lower midrange is a bit scooped – which can slightly hamper male vocals and guitars, areas where the 5U4GBs are better. I have parted with this tube as I wasn’t using it much, but its detail retrieval and instrument separation made it a tough sale for me regardless.
RCA 5R4GY
Cheaper than the Brimar 5R4 variant, the RCA has the most treble sparkle of any tube detailed today. Well-extended highs and more representation in the lower-midrange makes this the clear winner of its counterpart – in my opinion. That being said, it takes a small hit in detail retrieval and track separation – and the staging width is narrower, although still wider than the other rectifiers.
If you had to pick any two rectifiers from this list today to cover your bases, with a max budget of $100 for both, I would say the RCA 5R4GY and the Westinghouse 5U4G would serve you well.
Conclusion
This amplifier is my second-favourite audio purchase of 2017, it’s really about as simple as that. Ten months down the road and my opinion of it hasn’t dampened. Any disappointments I may have had in the early days, such as the hum in the pre-amp section, have faded as I doubled down on its best usage – driving dynamic-driver headphones paired with my Schiit Yggdrasil. I found my favourite tube pairings and have familiarised myself with them over time.
Despite the praise I see online for this amplifier, I still feel that it is slightly underrated in the audio community as a whole. The Head-fi thread pales in size compared to the popular and cheaper Feliks Elise and the far more ubiquitous Schiit offerings. I don’t know if this lack of marketing push is intentional on the part of Drew and Moon Audio, perhaps they don’t want to overload Dennis with orders? I can’t say, but I am absolutely enjoying mine and can confidently say that it took my appreciation of the hobby to the next level ten months ago.
Pros: Very pleasing sound signature, sturdy and smart design, balanced, small form factor, low power consumption
Cons: Limited availability that has now ended except on the used market, some first run units have hum audible with sensitive IEMs, medium-low raw wattage
Cavalli Audio will not sell the Liquid Carbon headphone amp anymore, with the second and final run ending a month ago, but I hope the following is useful to those looking to pick one up on the used market.
Background:
My Schiit Asgard 2 had served me very well from when I purchased it in mid-2013 to earlier this spring, when I found that it made my ZMF Vibro Mk. I sound a bit too stuffy – an overabundance of warmth due to both headphone and amp being of warm sound signatures. I then opted for a more neutral Schiit Magni 2, which fared far better as a pairing. Even later, when I was using a ZMF Omni as a daily driver and had sold the Asgard, I missed some aspects of its warm sound signature. I thought back to my favourite two pairings of the Sennheiser HD600 and the Hifiman HE-400i with the Asgard, the latter being especially pleasing to my ears, and missed its abilities. It was with this mindset, of wanting character rather than neutrality, that I began searching for a Cavalli Liquid Carbon on the used market.
I wasn’t aware before my search began, but Cavalli Audio and Dr. Alex Cavalli’s designs were incredibly well-regarded in the audio community. The Liquid Carbon was made as a way for the small Texan company to thank their staunch supporters, offering their house sound in a small and affordable offering that had balanced input and output options. From what I have gathered, its popularity exploded due to demos at meets and conventions because of its compact form factor and sound quality. A second run was started, this being the final one, and the original price of $599 was bumped up to $799 due to releasing it again with the original pricing not being viable for Cavalli. To sweeten the deal, the company offered brand T-shirts and an AudioquestNRG-X3 power cable – of which neither Cavalli nor I will make any claim of improvements in sound quality. Finally, they also included a full license of Sonic Studio’s Amarra Hifi Music Player software.
Seeing the long wait ahead, and my own limited budget, I found a used one from the first run with the serial number 00202. I was, honestly, awed by the fact that the warranty was transferable and I contacted Cavalli CEO Warren Chi to have it done. He asked if I had any impressions of the unit, and boy did I ever.
Specifications (From Cavalli Audio’s website, of the second run models)
Gain: 1X (0db) and 3X (10db), hot switchable from front panel to adjust for different headphones Maximum Power: ~1.5W into 50R Inputs: 1 x XLR (Bal); 1 x RCA; 1 x 3.5mm - front panel selectable; RCA and 3.5mm are the same input. Outputs: 1 x 4-Pin XLR; 1 x TRS, 1 x RSA. THD: 0.004% at 1kHz/500mW (4VRMS) into 32 ohms (resistive) Input Impedance: ~10k Output Impedance: ~0.12 ohm balanced, ~0.08 ohm single-ended Size: 5" (W) x 7" (D) x 1.75" (H);12.7 cm (W) x 17.8 cm (D) x 4.5 cm (H) Weight: 1 lb, 7 oz (0.7kg) Stand-Offs: Adhesive rubber feet
Build:
Cavalli, thankfully, didn’t opt for a glossy finish on the back and sides of the Liquid Carbon. The matte black is still a dust magnet, but you won’t see fingerprints adorning it. The front panel, however, is not quite glossy but still susceptible to the aforementioned problems. I found the unit to feel hefty yet light in my hands, which along with its small size makes it really useful for a nomadic person such as myself. It felt solid and premium.
The volume knob turns in a very measured and smooth manner and has a brushed metallic feel to it. It does not produce any undesirable noise when adjusted. The front panel is also home to a SE ¼ pin output as well as two balanced connections. I have read that someone damaged their amp by having headphones plugged into the balanced output while simultaneously having another set plugged into the SE output so please do not make the same mistake. The gain switch is a small button on the side of the volume knob and is red when activated. Finally, the far right button is an input selector. The back panel consists of one pair of RCA inputs, inputs for balanced Neutrik XLR connectors and a 3.5mm input. The power cable was not a wall wart, as was the case with the Schiit Magni 2, but rather an 85-265vac/1a connector for a full-sized power cable.
The original run did not come with rubber feet, which I feel are sorely needed for this unit. I bought my own from a third-party seller on eBay. The second run did, however, have rubber feet included.
Overall, a sturdy and handsome piece of audio technology that would find an easy home on any desk. I also, personally, like the Cavalli Audio logo’s design and it being emblazoned on the top. The font used throughout the model is also unique and interesting.
Sound:
Schiit Wyrd > Schiit Gungnir USB Version 2 > Cavalli Liquid Carbon > ZMF Omni/Hifiman HE-500/Fostex TH-X00/VE Monk Plus
Now to the main event – the reason why I blind bought this amp. The Cavalli house sound is widely praised but has been, by far, out of my financial reach because the very next amp in terms of price (ascending price) is the Liquid Crimson, which costs $2,999. As you can well imagine, the promise of the Cavalli house sound being present in a $599/$799 priced unit was a curiousity creator.
Upon plugging in, my first reaction was along the lines of “this is definitely not trying to be transparent.” I had grown accustomed to the Magni 2 and was hearing a more refined version of the musical warmth I had once known so well over the period of several years with the Asgard 2. Do not let the description of it not sounding very neutral throw you off, this is still very much a solid state amp and music sounds as it should without any unnecessary changes. My ZMF Omni, which was now plugged in for the first time using a balanced output, felt more controlled. The T50RP mod is quite power hungry, and although the pure wattage of the Liquid Carbon is not substantially higher than the Magni 2, it did a far better job at refining the sound and keeping the bass in check. Suddenly, my music had gone through a transformation not so dissimilar to when I switched to the Schiit Gungnir in terms of presentation and control. A sense that my audio chain had morphed into a well-oiled machine was prevalent as the days and weeks passed since I first put it all together.
I would say that the Liquid Carbon is not an analytical amplifier as is the likes of the Schiit Mjolnir 2, which offers superior resolution. What the Carbon is, however, is the provider of a smooth and syrupy audio experience that does not lose out on much of its detail and texture. All my praise for the Asgard 2 had much to do with how it warmed up the mids and made vocals and acoustic instrument sound genuinely live and organic. The disadvantage of the Asgard, in this regard, was that when faced with a warmly-tuned headphone, it stumbled and led to the sound becoming boomy with too much bleeding of the mids and bass. The Liquid Carbon also toasts the mids to a light golden-brown but does not overdo it, leading to the backing tracks in songs sounding far more measured with no hectic detractions. The warmth is in no way overbearing, but rather to the exact sweet spot where it feels pleasing to the ears without making it incompatible with headphones – making the Liquid Carbon enhance the sound of headphones rather than being picky about pairings.
The Omni’s performance on the Liquid Carbon is the one I have spent the most time with, and the one that impressed me the most. Zach’s T50RP mod, which the Vibro also is, took a great liking to the Carbon – through balanced output. The strengths of the Omni were amplified, no pun intended, as the authentic acoustic instrument recreation became just a touch more vibrant and lively. The bass, of which the Omni has a large amount, became punchier than it previously was and seemed to dive just a tiny bit deeper. The forwarded mids were a delight, with vocals sounding breathtaking and not cold at all – even with overly processed genres such as electropop.
The Fostex TH-X00 (with the standard non-removable ¼ cable) saw benefits to its lower mids, with male vocals and harmonies becoming a lot more pronounced. The largest benefit was to the bass, of which the TH-X00 has the deepest I have heard on any headphone. A/B’ing it between the Carbon and Magni 2 also showed that the highs, to my ears, were slightly less strident on the former. The W-shaped sound signature sounds like it has slightly melted, leading to less stark peaks and more to an overall effort at musicality.
The Hifiman HE-500, also with balanced output, saw as large an amount of benefit that the Omni did. The soundstages of both the Omni and HE-500, both of which are quite vast (especially the Omni, being semi-closed as it is) are spread a touch further by the Carbon. Instrument separation on the HE-500 benefits greatly from the Carbon, with an understated power taking over to lend weight to each musical note you hear – be it from acoustic or electronic instruments. This pairing is my new favourite of all the headphones I have owned, overthrowing the Asgard 2 + Hifiman HE-400i reign. A/B’ing it with the Magni 2, which powers it as needed in terms of volume, the HE-500 took a great liking to the Carbon’s gentle simmering nature. The sound has far more body, to put it simply.
The 64-ohm VE Monk Plus has additions to its sound made by the Liquid Carbon too – with the already excellent soundstage opening up further and a more acute low-end opening up. With portable devices, I tend to use foam on the earbuds – but the Carbon adds enough body and warmth that I can’t help but prefer the Monk to be bare.
What the Liquid Carbon does is take a light to all your headphone pairings without disturbing the balance that the manufacturers worked to achieve. Sound becomes more punchy and warm, particularly in the mids. However, the disadvantage of this choice of presentation is that the sound feels “candy-coated” compared to more analytical amps that prioritize neutral resolution. This is not the amp to use if you want to hear every note come out at you with the impact of a whip cracking. The Liquid Carbon is, rather, an overall effort to add a certain character to your audio chain – without resorting to the likes of a tube amplifier.
It should also be noted that I do hear a very slight hum if I plug the likes of my Shozy Zero or Zero Audio Carbo Tenore into the SE output jack. This is a known power-related problem with the first run of Liquid Carbons that related to the use of sensitive IEMs, a problem that has apparently been remedied in the second run. It does not bother me so because I use higher impedance headphones, particularly power-hungry planar magnetics. I do not hear it with the VE Monk Plus, so that further lessens any worry.
If you are going to use the Liquid Carbon, I would highly recommend using the balanced output if you can. It provides far more power than the SE output. I would also generally recommend making greater use of the volume knob rather than the gain switch. Low-gain offers a greater soundstage and less distortion in the sound. The 3x/10 dB high-gain, however, is a very good pairing with the ZMF Omni when I want to listen to electronic genres that require ampler and more controlled bass – times I care about impact over the aforementioned qualities.
Conclusion:
I have to commend Dr. Cavalli and Warren Chi for coming up with the Liquid Carbon, an affordable and compact slice of their impact on the audio industry. Their product takes all the detail my Schiit Gungnir emits and wraps it gently in a blanket of musicality, warmth and pleasurable listening. Most importantly, there is a home to all genres and headphones with the Liquid Carbon – its sound signature is not a bad match with anything I have tried. Ultimately, I hope they come out with another offering that is competitively priced and offers stellar sound and build quality in the future.
Would you say the MJ2 with tubes (if so, which ones?) is more analytical and more resolving than the LC? In other words, is the LC warmer sounding than the MJ2 with tubes? Thanks for your great reviews, by the way
@econaut yes, I would say that. I'm not sure which tubes however, but Schiit amps tend to be more analytical and have less of that slightly glossed-over sound. Whether or not it's warmer, I can't say because I haven't actually heard the MJ2. Thanks man, cheers.
Pros: Tight and controlled bass, lush and incredible midrange, comfortable treble, vast soundstage, sound more akin to a full-sized headphone than an earbud
Cons: 320 Ohms so it requires amping, wait time as it ships from China, cannot be covered due to drastic sound changes, no neck adjustment, sound leakage
Background
When was the last time you used a pair of earbuds? Perhaps you use your Apple Earpods at work to remain inconspicuous, or maybe you are one of the many who have purchased the VE Monk out of curiosity and adhere to that. I have reviewed the latter before and added my declaration of its stellar sound quality for a low price to the many, many impressions that have made their way online in the past year or so. I consider the Monks to be a great marketing tool along with being a great product, it generates interests in the capabilities of Venture Electronics and their engineering.
Why did we all leave earbuds? I remember my own reasoning. I had equated the mediocre sound quality of earbuds with my Sony Walkman from the 1990s, when I had used cheap Sony and Panasonic ones. They emitted sound, and my younger self was happy with that. I abandoned earbuds for good when I bought my first Sennheiser PX-100 and Sennheiser CX95 and never looked back.
The Monks changed that earlier this year, in a big way. The soundstage, the quality of the mids and the clarity sold to me the potential of earbuds again. I eyed the Zen, priced at $148 on AliExpress in its basic form, and wondered what could be achieved. As the meme from the film Inception went, I had to go deeper.
Specifications
Plug Type: L Bending Communication: Wired Connectors: 3.5mm Resistance: 320Ω Frequency Response Range: 8-25000Hz Line Length: 1.2m Sensitivity: 120±5dB
Build & Features
The Zen is comprised of the same exact shell in use by the Asura 2.0 and the Monk Plus. It is made of a transparent plastic casing with the drivers clearly visible underneath. The main visible attribute separating the three earbuds is that the Zen has a transparent cable with the red wiring showing underneath – whereas the other two have the standard black rubber wire. I appreciate that the cable is as sturdy as that of the original monk, thick (double) in length and not abrasive to the touch. I find that it does not tangle easily, which is always a big plus with smaller earphones and earbuds.
Beyond that, I would describe the design as “no thrills.” I have neutral feelings towards the earbuds themselves when it comes to aesthetics, simply because it is not advertising any sense of design and because it is not dictating audience perception due to its looks. To the untrained eye, these look like sturdy but cheap earbuds and that is that. Make no mistake, the Zen’s casing and appearance is not for the followers of headphone porn, but rather simply just a shell for the wonders lying inside. These wonders and characteristics cannot be merely gazed upon, but have to be heard to be believed.
The VE Zen 2.0 Black Edition however is a slightly different affair. It consists of the same earbud shell and casing design but with a vastly different (braided) cable and, depending on your choice, termination. According to the listing on AliExpress, the default model of the Black Edition terminated in a 3.5mm straight plug from Oyaide. Other options are 2.5mm balanced, 3.5mm balanced, XLR Neutrik and a 3.5mm in an L-shape. The cable itself is a Cardas Golden Selection AWG 26.5 and any of these configurations will cost $358. Based on appearance alone, the Black Edition has a significantly more premium look to my basic Zen. Beyond appearance, I cannot comment because I have not had the chance to hear one.
I have heard of some experiencing slight fit and comfort issues with the size of the casings that Venture Electronics use. I personally do not face many problems, but I do admit that they benefit from the addition of foam for in-ear traction. However, this is not quite feasible for the VE Zen for reasons I will mention later on in this review. Essentially, if you do not get an optimal fit then you will not obtain the optimal sound – the full potential of the Zen. I am confident that this will fit most people however.
Sound
It can be safely said that most of us here share the goal of obtaining a quality of audio that satisfies our needs. The spectrum for this is vast, with those happily discovering and using the likes of the Audio-Technica M-50X to those searching far and wide for their favourite amplifier for a Sennheiser HD800. It continues into the land of electrostatics and DAC/AMP systems as large as video-cassette players stacked on top of one another. Our experience, as well as my own, may have caused us to disregard some products – if not downright scoff at others. I admitted earlier that I was biased against earbuds until I heard the VE Monk, but now I have another conundrum. It is hard for me to view the VE Zen 2.0 as an earbud.
This will doubtlessly sound ridiculous. If it looks like an earbud, feels like an earbud, has the same length cable as a standard earbud, can be used as a lasso to capture cockroaches like a standard earbud and can be stepped on by your clumsy feet if you aren’t careful (destroying them forever with a sickening crunching sound) then of course they are an earbud right? Well, yes and no. Yes it has all the physical characteristics of an earbud, but it does not sound like one – at least to me.
Another strange claim, an earbud that does not sound like an earbud. I will seek to explain this by simply saying that this sounds like a full-sized pair of open headphones. I had no notion that sound like this could be achieved in the confines of an inexpensive plastic earbud shell, and I was shocked on first listen. There is a body to the sound that does not sound unnatural or forced in any sense. It effortlessly reproduces music as a full-sized can would, but without the band around your head.
The bass of the Zen is very controlled and disciplined, but present enough to add a good punch and warmth to music. It does not extend incredibly low, but does delve deep enough to be satisfying for most genres of music. Instruments like 1980s synth bass sound just as they should on the Zen, as well as kick drums in rock music. The warmth of the bass and lower mids also lends to the lifelike recreation of acoustic guitar recordings, one of my favourite aspects to listen for when I listen to a new headphone/earphone/earbud. EDM and electropop music will not shine on the Zen however, it does not provide the sub-bass required to make those genres sound whole. For literally anything else, you can turn to this comfortably.
It should be noted the Zen is less flexible than the other earbuds by Venture Electronics. Where I could modify my Monk Plus with two foams as well as a ring, any material placed on the Zen will drastically alter the sound – often to the point of stuffiness. The Zen, with its body and warmth, is tuned specifically for naked use. I found that even the usage of the earhooks impacted the optimal fit a bit, although that could be just for my ear shape. Bottom line is, if you want to experience the Zen with all of its strengths, don’t cover it up with even the thinnest of foam.
The mids are the highlight. They are what you will reach over to pick these up for. They are also the aspect that is most like a full sized set of cans, and ones which from my memory sound like the Sennheiser HD600. They are warm and sweet. They have a lot in common with the mids of the original Monk, although not as forwarded and far more articulate and detailed. It would be strange to just simply say that vocals shine on the Zen, but they do. It would also be odd to say that instruments, particularly guitars, shine on the Zen – but they do and in abundance. Make no mistake, the original Monk, Monk Plus and Asura 2.0 all have impeccable midrange representation, but they all pale in comparison to the sheer juicy steak that is the Zen 2.0. To hear such a natural, clear and full-bodied sound from an earbud is an incredible achievement in audio engineering and design.
The treble is never sibilant but does well with intricate cymbal patterns. There is some air, although not as much as the Asura 2.0 with its brighter sound signature. I find it to be a satisfactory level of detail, extension and comfort – quite similar to the treble of the Meze 99 Classics in terms of how it doesn’t fail to impress nor does it cross the line.
The soundstage is vast and the imaging is spot on, although slightly less immediate than the Monk Plus. I’m chalking this down to the warmer nature of the Zen. Listening to binaural recordings on the Zen sounds lifelike and satisfactory. The soundstage is similar to the other earbuds in VE’s range, which I am guessing has to do with the shell design. Live recordings sound truly live and panning instruments in recordings go from 0 to 100 effortlessly and clearly.
Overall, this is what you are paying for. The sound has to be heard to be believed. This is problematic because of the ordering process, through AliExpress and Venture Electronics own website, and its long ship time. If you get the chance to demo these (at a meet or through an acquaintance), absolutely do so. I invited a friend over to try them out, a long time user of the original Monk and now the Monk Plus, and he absolutely confirmed the jump in quality from the $5 wonder to the $148 juggernaut.
Amping
320 ohms. That is the impedance of the VE Zen. This is another thing I would have never thought necessary or possible a year ago, the idea of needing an amplifier for earbuds. The Zen is quite hungry and can benefit from some clean amping. Plugged directly into my phone yielded nothing satisfactory in both quality and volume. Plugged into my friend’s Ibasso DX90 proved to be a far better fit, with some amping taking place to bring out the power of the Zen. An actual amp is absolutely necessary however, and I tried all three of mine with it.
Schiit Magni 2
Added volume and drive to the sound, as it should, but felt like it was a touch too harsh in nature. The snare in songs had a thudding sound to it for some reason.
Cavalli Liquid Carbon
Great sound quality, but a sense of colour that cannot be shaken due to the amp’s own warm sound signature. Also lessened the shimmering detail in the mids and treble a slight amount compared to the third option.
VE RunAbout Plus
It makes sense the VE’s own amplifier, in a portable size, is far beyond being adept at powering their highest-end earbud. It is a happy medium between the sweetness and warmth of the Liquid Carbon and the neutrality and bite of the Magni 2. On top of that, its small form factor and battery-powered option makes it a great addition to portable setups. The thought of the Zen in public might seem counterproductive due to its very open and sound-leaking nature, but it is still an enticing thought – made possible by the RunAbout Plus.
Conclusion
Once again, my eyes have been opened by a product sold by Venture Electronics. First I had learned to love earbuds again, but now I have been purely amazed. Whatever small disadvantages that the Zen has do not hold a candle to the level of sound quality achieved through such a small and easily-overlooked physical design. I could recommend this to anyone, as long as they have an amp, and look forward to what the company concocts next.
As for the overall design itself, the KISS Principle comes to mind: “Keep it simple, stupid.” It is with that mindset that the Zen shines.
Equipment used: Foobar200 WASAPI Event > Schiit Wyrd > Schiit Gungnir USB Ver. 2 > Venture Electronics RunAbout Plus. All tracks in lossless FLAC in at least 16/44.1
Aerosmith – Dream On (2012 Remaster)
Great benefit of the soundstage from the get-go, with the guitar tracks separated clearly with the string section squarely in the middle. Vocals have a lot of weight to them. Drums have impact and bass is clear and present.
a-ha – Take On Me
Besides how great the 80s synths and vocals sound, I always listen for the subtle acoustic guitar playing in the background. It has come out well with the ZMF Omni and the Meze 99 Classic, and now with the Zen too.
Black Sabbath – Planet Caravan
Soundstage and imaging galore with the percussion parts comfortably panning from channel to channel while the clarity of the vocals, guitar (on the right channel) and bassline continue on.
Prince – Controversy
A song that showcases punchy sound signatures in audio gear as it marches along at a steady pace. The clarity is such that the guitar on the right channel and the “oomph” vocal sample that repeats is clear and lifelike.
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
A natural warm sound representation of a delicate and subdued track, instrumental wise. The clean guitar layers perfectly on top of the acoustic guitar as Isaak croons on. I fully appreciate how the slight “this world is gonna break your heart” female backing vocal line is clearer than most gear I have tested.
Clint Mansell – Lux Aeterna
There is more of a low-end to the string section than on the Monk Plus, giving it the body I described in my review. The overall presentation of the song sounds more cinematic in nature.
Coldplay – Clocks
Vocals and guitars are audible on top of the repeating piano riff, with every little sound flourish represented accurately. Martin’s harmonization is natural and clear too.
Eminem – Without Me
While the instruments and vocals sound great, I can’t help but feel like something is missing with the bassline and drums, lacking the rap-loving impact that headphones like the TH-X00 have. That is not a fair comparison however, and the soundstage really aids as the layering of the rap tracks can be clearly heard.
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Warmth and body infuse this track, with the cymbal hit on the right side moving just slightly more toward the right than most headphones I have. Vocals are extremely clear, bass is clear and with body and the acoustic guitar is lifelike. Vocal harmonies gel effortlessly.
Metallica – The Unforgiven
The incredible production on this track shines with the likes of the VE Zen. Every guitar note is just so clear, with the low end control of the Zen aiding the chugging guitars greatly too. All while the drums thunder on and James Hetfield’s vocal growls on.
Lana Del Ray – Summertime Sadness
First impression was how incredible the string section sounded. This is a cinematic track in both instrumental and vocal performance, and the Zen does incredibly well with it. The vast soundstage also aids the wall-of-sound production.
Led Zeppelin – The Battle of Evermore
The intro creeps up in a lifelike manner, as if someone was slowly turning up the volume of a live setting. The layered guitars and mandolins are represented greatly by the Zen, as is Robert Plant’s vocal work.
Marcin Przybyłowicz – The Fields of Ard Skellig
The Celtic vocals blossom over a mandolin and delicate instrumental, making this peaceful piece shine on the Zen. Nothing feels lacking, with the soundstage separating all instruments properly.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
Complex vocal harmonies? No problem for the Zen at all. Everything sounds balanced and pleasing, particularly the famous middle section – panning expertly with the vast soundstage.
Ramin Djawadi – Light of the Seven
This haunting track is well served by the Zen, with the piano and string section ringing clearly. The choir vocals that come in as the song builds up is clear, transitioning into the cinematic sound that the Zen handles so well.
Hi,
nice review
As I mainly use Spotify Premium for my listening sessions, I've just "used" your test songs to create a spotify playlist. I'm testing my VE Monk plus with those songs.
Hope you enjoy it
I'm waiting on my standard Zen 2.0 in Balanced form and my Monk Espresso in Balanced to show up. Will be a fun listen. I already own 2 pairs of Monks (modded).
Pros: Clean and transparent sound. Powerful. Overachiever for the price range. Inexpensive.
Cons: Takes a while to start up.
In the audio world, nobody can say we don’t have a tonne of choice available to us. Some audition gear with slight differences to find the piece that truly stands out to them. This customizable experience is what drives enthusiasts in this hobby.
But what of the everyman? What of the student on a tight budget who needs the best “bang for your buck” experience? Some will point at the O2, but I would honestly recommend the Magni 2 instead in its basic form – the non-Uber $99 version.
One reason for this is that the O2 has a slightly bright sound signature while the Magni 2 has an incredibly uncoloured and neutral sound. There is a time and place for amp colouration, with tube amps being sought after for this very reason, but don’t discount the strength of transparency in an amp source. I previously used a Schiit Asgard 2 from May of 2013 to mid-March 2016. It has a nice and slightly warm sound which went well with my previously owned headphones, the Beyerdynamic DT990, the Sennheiser HD600 and the Hifiman HE400i. However, when I got my hands on a ZMF Vibro Mk. I, a headphone with rolled-off highs, it felt almost stifling as a pairing. It was then that I bought the Magni 2.
The clarity of this made a large difference with the Vibro. Some previous problematic recordings (with the Asgard 2) were cleaned up for listening as nothing was preventing the headphones from sounding as they should – at their tuned level of warmth. The Magni 2 also provided the same amount of power, 1.0W at 50 ohms, that the Asgard 2 did for my needs with the Vibro being a T50RP mod at 50 ohms. It had plenty of power and, with low gain, I never had to increase the volume dial over 11 ‘o clock.
Enter my ZMF Omni, another warm pair of headphones with much more extension in the highs than the Vibro. The Omni and Magni 2 paired really well, especially after I introduced a Schiit Gungnir into the mix. The detail of the Gungnir fed through the Magni admirably to give a clean and powerful signal to the Omni.
What the Magni does really well is keep it simple, stupid. Schiit’s marketing is famously anti-marketing and they don’t cry out the virtues of their products very much, letting the quality speak for itself. It has one 1/4 headphone jack, one pair of RCA inputs, a gain switch, an on-off switch and it uses a wall-wart as a power supply. There’s no balanced input or output and, quite honestly, that is a non-issue for $99. The $149 Uber version has preamp output and slightly more power wattage but also succeeds at providing a simple quality experience.
I strongly feel that this amp is all that is necessary for the “apparently I need a headphone amp?” crowd. It can power headphones up to 600 ohms quite easily, with only problems arising (I predict) with the extremely hungry pairs like the Hifiman HE6. I would also recommend it for those who want an inexpensive but transparent amp lying around for certain genres that require the solid-state bite that tubes can’t give. It’s also incredibly small, so just put it to a side and forget about it until you need it.
Make no mistake, this is not a "natural" sounding amp. It doesn't give that sweet sound many seek. It's rigid in design and implementation. This is the amp for those who want the headphone to do all of the talking.
Build quality is standard Schiit fare, sharp edges and incredibly sturdy industrial design with metal being used. My one gripe is that it takes quite a while to start up, about 20 seconds approximately. Otherwise, it’s a fine product by Schiit audio. Comes with rubber feet too which are always good.
Hifiman and I have come quite a way. It was their HE400i that was my first ever planar magnetic headphone. I had gotten a great deal, for the time, on it from Taobao and was over the moon to see what the fuss was about regarding planar tech. While I liked it, I found their classic HE-500 more to my liking. Continuing my tradition with reviewing phased out Hifiman products, I’m tackling their former flagship today – the HE1000 version 1.
Specifications
Fit – Over Ear
Jack Plug – 3.5mm
Transducer Type – Planar Magnetic
Frequency Response – 8Hz – 65KHz
Impedance – 35+/-3 Ohms
Sensitivity – 90dB
Maximum Power Handling – 6W
Weight – 16.9 Oz/480g/1.06 lb
Build Quality, Comfort & Features
I’m on the fence about the use of veneer on the cups. On one hand, I am told it is to prevent cracking issues which might come about with using hardwood - but on the other hand it was released as a $3000 headphone. My bias is showing here, but this doesn’t quite lend to a premium look and Hifiman would have probably been better off going for another finish. That being said, I do kind of understand what they were going for with the headphones overall – a kind of classic look with a very modern twist with the earcup shape and drivers.
The build itself felt sturdy enough to me as the frame is made of stainless steel and feels quite durable. The earcup size is absolutely huge, easily the most space I’ve had for my ears in a full-sized headphone to date. It isn’t any sort of width that especially accomplishes this either, but the tallness of it all. This adds to the HE1000 being quite a comfortable headphone, easily wearable for long listening sessions. It weighs 480g but this weight is distributed quite evenly through the floating head strap, avoiding any issues that I found on the stock Audeze LCD-2.
The HE1000 uses 2.5mm connectors, similar to the later production HE400i and HE560 models further down the line. While not my favourite connectors, I greatly prefer them to the older SMC variants that they, thankfully, abandoned with time.
Sound
This is probably the first time I’ve reviewed a planar magnetic headphone where its presentation was a blatant alternative to my dynamic driver offerings. The most apparent difference is the bass on this. It reminds me of my once-owned Hifiman HE500 in a sense that it doesn’t seem hiked in the mid-bass region, but is rather quite linear and well extended. It’s also very clean and full sounding when the music calls for it, but in no way intrudes when it is not wanted. I would imagine that absolute bassheads might find the HE1000’s bass presentation to be a bit light, along with lacking slam and impact – but I find it far more than sufficient for all-rounder listening. While bass impact might be on the softer side, it retains good speed and decay rate.
Similarly, I didn’t find the lower midrange to be either too elevated or recessed. Its transition from the bass is natural without any overpowering or bleed. This area is what can make or break some headphones for me, as messing it up can render the whole experience a bit muddy – no such complaint with the HE1000. Rock, metal and vocal music are some of the genres I really enjoyed listening to on this headphone, lending to its ability to be a stellar all-rounder. I found the midrange itself to be enjoyably smooth and well-layered.
The detail-retrieval prowess of this headphone, while not entirely lacking, is still muted compared to several other headphones that can be obtained for its price – and well below in the case of the Sennheiser HD800/HD800S. While track separation is pretty good, texture and detail is a bit masked – instead offering a smoothed experience. That being said, there is some remarkable body in the midrange that really shows itself with vocals both male and female. Also, this is a very forgiving headphone – perhaps more than any other I’ve reviewed this year. Bad productions, poor masterings and shrill and harsh recordings are all doused in the blanket that is the HE1000’s presentation – which may be very much to your liking or a characteristic you will decry as incompatible with the concept of high fidelity.
On top of that, the staging is decently wide while possessing good depth to it – and a “tall” sound that might be related to the sheer size of the cups and drivers. There’s a slight “larger-than-life” sound compared to other headphones.
Treble performance is a bit of a mixed bag on the HE1000. I don’t really get the string texture and air that I find somewhat necessary when listening to the high string sections in orchestral music, or the bite of a saxophone in jazz music. Both instances and genres feel a bit smoothed and muted in their ability to sound truly lifelike. However, I again must commend this headphone for its pairing with rock and metal music – and cymbals, while slightly muted, still retain their crisp attributes in the percussion section of these genres.
That being said, I couldn’t shake the feeling of the treble being a bit tizzy at some points. What I mean by this is that, while not exceptionally problematic or painful, there sometimes existed too much energy along with the fact that it was thin and artificially hard sounding at some points. I’ll chalk this up to the driver having a slightly dry and brittle presentation in this area, not a deal-breaker for me but a noticeable difference from my dynamic-driver offerings.
Amping
This headphone’s ability to scale was quite a bit less, in the detail retrieval department, than my dynamic driver headphones. Rather than be infused by my most detail-oriented tubes on the Dragon Inspire IHA-1, I found it to have similar performance in this regard on the Audio-GD NFB-28. Most importantly, the latter was able to supply enough juice to flesh out the bass heft and performance – making it both full-sounding and nimble on its feet.
The difference in bass performance alone makes this a headphone that I would rather pair with a decently strong solid-state amplifier. While it wasn’t anywhere near horrible on the tube amplifier, it was a noticeable upgrade in this region without losing too much of the tube benefits. Again, this seems to scale more with current/wattage rather than tubes.
This is not an especially sensitive headphone and definitely needs an amplifier, if the above didn’t make that absolutely clear.
Comparison to the Focal Utopia
Let’s get this out of the way, the HE1000 does not nearly match the Utopia in detail retrieval, dynamics, resolution, soundstage depth, timbre and impactfulness. The Focal flagship is also better paired with tubes for further scaling and is a headphone both revealing of source gear and source material. There, honestly, isn’t a situation that I can think of (for myself) where I would pick the HE1000 over the Utopia if I had to buy only one.
That being said, I do recognise the appeal the HE1000 clearly may have over the Utopia for others who don’t share my tastes. The Utopia can be too harsh for some, its stubbornness in presenting high detail and dynamics may fatigue some and cause them to call it overly dramatic. It also is brighter than the HE1000, and lacks its forgiving nature – skewering eardrums on poorly mastered and recorded music.
The HE1000 is a smoother experience, one lacking in many ways in this head-to-head but still with merit due to its unique sound signature.
Conclusion
It’s hard to hate on the disadvantages of this headphone really. Sure, it falls into a similar trap that many planar offerings do with the slightly artificial sound in the treble – but it really is one of the most non-fatiguing and tonally rich headphones that I’ve heard to date. I even, for now, prefer it to the Hifiman Susvara – which I thought had a distinct peak in the treble that I found hard to fathom.
While it could very well be someone’s all-rounder, I personally could see this as being a nice complement to my Focal Utopia. Its softer characteristic is sometimes needed, and its forgiving nature is sometimes appreciated. It is such a musical headphone honestly and, while noting its flaws, I couldn’t even feel especially critical. It’s a very cohesive listening experience that I’d honestly recommend to anyone to try at least. In a way, it’s more inoffensive than the Utopia, which (despite its great attributes) may seem too dramatic for some in its presentation. The HE1000 prefers to toe the line between laid back and energetic, and is somehow engaging for it.
Cons: Heavy weight, stock earpads are subpar, stock cable is subpar, not much padding on the headband, discontinued, not for bassheads
Background
To some, it may seem pointless to do a review of the Hifiman HE-500 in June of 2016, years after it was phased out in favour of their new product line – specifically the HE-560. However, I feel that this can be a useful guide for those looking to pick up one on the used market, as I did.
My previous experience with a Hifiman product was in January this year when I bought myself a HE-400i and it was my first set of planar magnetic headphones. I’ve since sold them and moved on to other cans, but I missed the speed that it had. With that in mind, and the hopes of finding a more neutral pair of headphones, I picked up a HE-500.
Specifications
Driver: Planar Magnetic Sensitivity: 87 dB MFR: 15 Hz – 50 kHz Nominal Impedance: 38 Ohms Leather Earpads Cable: 10 Feet, Silver Conductors Connector (to Amplifier): 1/4″ Phone Plug Dimensions: 3.8″ Diameter x 1.8″ Deep Weight: 1 Pound
Build, Design & Comfort
After my time with the HE-400i, the HE-500 simply looked like a bulkier version of it in dark grey instead of black. The HE-400i used plastic materials to lend to a lightweight build, but the HE-500 utilises sturdy and thick metal in places where the newer iterations have a thin piece instead. The adjustment does not use any form of incremental markings or place holders, it smoothly adjusts and holds in place wherever you choose to stop. As far as headphones go, this is built like a tank – which has its advantages and disadvantages.
One major disadvantage is the weight. I do not have exact measurements, but the HE-500 falls slightly north of a full pound of weight. It is even heavier than my ZMF Omni (one of the lighter wood configurations, cherry) and I have definitely found it cumbersome at times. Documented mod guides exist to alleviate this issue, but I do not want to undertake them myself. A major one involves replacing the headband with the one the HE-400i uses, which is an aluminium chassis with a light and thin headband. The HE-500 is, again, from a time before this design became preferred by the company. What you have here is a thick leather headband with metal inside and slight padding. I’m, simply put, glad that they did away with this design since.
It feels anachronistic now, at the time of writing, to complain about the screw-on proprietary connectors that Hifiman used to use and the ones that are present on the HE-500. They have since switched to dual 2.5mm connectors, such as the one my HE-400i used. I can see why people consistently complained about them for years, bringing about the change. At one point, one slightly unscrewed itself and the sound began skipping out on the channel – leading me to believe the wire itself might have been faulty. It’s easy to believe so because the wire is a silver cable that does not lend much to confidence in terms of build quality. I used it for amp comparisons as my Schiit Magni 2 does not have a balanced output like my Cavalli Liquid Carbon, but I avoid it otherwise in favour of a balanced cable. I took issue with the default cable on the HE-400i as well, finding it too short and rigid – prone to excessively fast wear and tear according to other owners. With both headphones, it is better to seek out sturdier third-party options.
The HE-500 comes with two sets of earpads, one pleather and one velour, and both are quite mediocre. This is another improvement Hifiman has made since then, introducing the FocusPads and FocusPad A’s (the one on the HE-400i) that are more comfortable. At first, I did not want to order a pair of FocusPads A’s from China and tried other options – specifically a pair of ZMF lambskin earpads that I had lying around unused as I prefer the cowskin on my Omni. Anyone familiar with Hifiman’s earpads will tell you how a ring exists inside them that must be removed and then inserted into any other earpads you want to use in order to mount them onto their products. It is quite a delicate process because the rings can indeed break if handled harshly, leading to earpads not being able to be put on. This is something that has not changed in Hifiman’s design.
My Frankenstein HE-500 consisted of ZMF lambskin earpads with the ZMF Pilot Pad thrown on top of the headband for good measure. I reckoned that, with this much padding, comfort would be greatly increased. However, the thickness of the pads put a lot of pressure on my face when coupled with the, by default reasonable, clamp of the headphones. It was a fatiguing feeling so I switched back to the velour and ordered a pair of FocusPad A’s in the meantime. I was pleased on their arrival, they really add to the comfort while maintaining the sound signature and transients the headphones are known for. The lambskin introduced more bass into the mix, but I have other options for that, like the Omni or the Fostex TH-X00. What I wanted was what the HE-500 provided.
Sound
You might be wondering at this point why I would bother with these headphones, given all the complaints above about its comfort and build. The answer is simple: the sound quality. I have surrounded myself with “fun” tuned headphones such as the Omni, TH-X00, Shozy Zero and the Meze 99 Classic, and really wanted something that is somewhat neutral in presentation.
I won’t sit here and tell you that the HE-500 is truly neutral, but it is a lot more than other options I have. As an owner of the Sennheiser HD600 in the past, I would actually compare these to them. I previously thought that the HE-400i was a planar magnetic version of the HD600, but the HE-500 is closer and superior in some ways to the popular Sennheiser cans.
The bass on the HE-500 does not sound bumped at all, as even the HE-400i did. It is very clean and articulate and does not intrude outside of where it should be. It’s a very impressive sound, but not what a basshead would want as there is a distinct lack of mid-bass. It also extends fairly low, lower than the HE-400i and definitely the HD600 – both of which had rolled off bass extension. This does not mean that the HE-500 goes into TH-X00 levels, but there is a sense of presence and control that is very pleasing for several genres. Where the TH-X00 excels with EDM and electronic music, the HE-500 does extremely well with more “organic” genres such as rock, metal, classical/orchestral music and classic rock. The bass frequencies leads to the bass guitar being clear and present in songs but never drowning out the rest of the frequencies. It is also very, very fast – something I love about both the Hifiman products I have used to this point. I don’t have the HE-400i on hand to compare, but it does seem that the HE-500 is more immediate in its bass response. It simply does not linger or overstay its welcome, the decay is really fast.
The mids are another reason I will hold on to these headphones despite any comfort issues I may have over long periods of listening. They have a very musical tone to them and are slightly warm, but are not forwarded in any sense. They sound natural but sweet. Vocals and vocal layering shine on the HE-500 as do electric guitars. However, I found the presentation of acoustic guitars to be less realistic than the Omni, but still very clear and resonant nonetheless. The mids, and the headphone overall, have immediacy and very low decay – which is very useful for genres where analytical listening is necessary such as jazz. Even the HE-400i, comparatively, had more of a mid-bass bleed into the mids – and I thought those sounded remarkably stark and clean at the time. If anyone recommends the HE-500 to you, it will definitely be because of the mids.
The treble is at a point where it sounds detailed but never sibilant. It is something in between the veil of the HD600 and the far extension of the HE-400i, which could at times be sibilant depending on song choice. The HE-500’s treble extension breathes life into classic rock recordings, which can easily be bogged down by roll-off due to their older production methods and large dynamic range, and thus I heavily prefer it for the genre over the Omni, TH-X00 and HE-400i. Led Zeppelin are a band whose songs have been at times problematic for several pairs of headphones I have owned because their overall warmth can dampen the bite of Jimmy Page’s guitar work. Where the TH-X00 heavily favoured the rhythm section and bumped it up in the mix where all else felt drowned out, the HE-500 eagerly displays all the colour and resolution that is necessary for listening to the band in incredible balance.
This is the most analytical pair of headphones in my possession right now and one that my Schiit Gungnir benefits from the most due to the detail retrieval. Of course, it might pale in comparison to the likes of the Sennheiser HD800, which I have not heard at length, but it fits right into my needs. I challenge you to find anyone who would classify the sound of the HE-500 as sterile or cold. It walks the tightrope admirably between resolution and overly “fun” warmth.
The soundstage trumps both the HD600 and the HE-400i quite a bit. I expected it to be similar to the latter, but it is far wider. Upon careful consideration, I’d actually place this second in terms of soundstage in full-sized headphones I have owned – right after the Beyerdynamic DT990. The wide soundstage complements the fast nature of the headphones as swirling instrumentation in songs travel far and wide without any sense of lag or inaccuracy.
Amp Pairings
While the Schiit Magni 2 is more than enough to power these headphones, the Cavalli Liquid Carbon pairing is now my favourite of all time – with the previous favourite being the HE-400i with the Schiit Asgard 2. This is because of the amp’s slightly warm but still detailed nature, adding to the sweetness of the HE-500 quite a bit. The Magni 2, which is transparent, shows the headphone’s true sound and it is still warm and inviting, but the Liquid Carbon just goes that extra step to my ears.
To sum up: not portable, need adequate amping as they are planar after all.
Conclusion
If you have good neck strength, these could easily be on your list of cans to try out. Sadly, they are indeed discontinued. It is likely that very few people will even dare to call these a pair of beautiful cans, or even largely comfortable, but the sonic benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. What you ultimately have here is an incredibly balanced but tonally rich and lush pair of headphones that does not lack in detail – coupled with the best transient speed planar magnets can offer. I would pick it over its younger brother, the HE-400i, any day due to its balanced and natural sounding strength that is well within my comfort zone for treble extension.
Bass Quantity: TH-X00 > ZMF Omni > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > HE400i > DT990 > HE-500 > HD600
Mids:HE-500 > HD600 > ZMF Omni > HE400i > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > TH-X00 > DT990
Treble Quantity: DT990 > HE400i > TH-X00 > HE-500 > HD600 > ZMF Omni > ZMF Vibro Mk. I
Soundstage: DT990 > HE-500 > ZMF Omni > HD600 > HE400i > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > TH-X00
Comfort: DT990 > TH-X00 > HE400i > HD600 > ZMF Omni > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > HE-500
Aesthetics: TH-X00 > ZMF Omni > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > HE400i > DT990 > HE-500 > HD600
Lightness: DT990 > TH-X00 > HD600 > HE400i > ZMF Vibro Mk. I > ZMF Omni > HE-500
Song Impressions
Equipment used: Foobar200 WASAPI Event > Schiit Wyrd > Schiit Gungnir USB Ver. 2 > Cavalli Liquid Carbon. All tracks in lossless FLAC in at least 16/44.1
Abba - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
The soundstage and separation of the HE-500 is very apparent from the first notes that ring out in this song, as the melody is played on electric piano and guitars panned on the left and right. The bass guitar work is clear, with a good amount of extension into the bass region, but the vocals take the centre-stage of the song along with the amazing synth-riff that repeats. The beat is punchy but not overly bassy and the quick string sections and stabs have power behind them due to the speed of the headphones.
Aerosmith – Dream On (2012 Remaster)
The rock genre in general does extremely well with the HE-500 and this song showcases such strength. Steven Tyler’s vocal representation on the headphones capture the body and emotional power, flanked by the incredible dual-channel guitar work that also ring out due to the strong mids.
a-ha – Take On Me
80s synth and beats with speed. Beyond that, the shimmering backing synth and the vocals sound clear and present. However, the synth bass sounds a bit more rolled off compared to the likes of the TH-X00 – which made the song a more bassy affair at the sacrifice of vocal and synth pad clarity.
Alan Parson’s Project – Sirius/Eye In The Sky (2005 SACD)
The HE-500 does very well to capture the mystique in Sirius’ instrumentation in perfect balance. Quite often with other headphones, I’d find that some aspect would drown out another and lead to a less pleasing listen overall. That is not the case with the HE-500 at all. The soundstage lets each note breathe well and the speed lets nothing linger in the mix. The vocals sound right at home coupled with the shimmering acoustic guitar work that chimes in effortlessly through the track.
B.B. King – The Thrill Is Gone
For the first time to my ears, this song feels like a live recording rather than a studio effort. There is a very wholesome quality to it all. King’s guitar Lucille rings out in the mix as should be, but the backing track is clear too. The melancholy yet funky bass work is set up to ring through the song and give it a sense of pacing and body. As the song progresses, more guitar instrumentation and string instrumentation builds up but is never muddy on the HE-500. The fact that King’s hurt vocal rings out clearly over all this detail is astonishing and a superb achievement on the part of these headphones.
Billy Idol – We Didn’t Start the Fire
This track’s grandiose production is aided by the HE-500. The large but controlled soundstage really brings out all the musical intricacies that are going on that would seem hectic to a less resolute headphone. Very fun listen that helped me hear details I had missed before.
Black Sabbath – Planet Caravan
Clarity, warmth and balance are three words I’d give to this song’s representation on the HE-500. It benefits vastly from the soundstage too, as the percussion jumps from end to end and the instruments take up their places in the mix – with Tony Iommi’s melodious guitar soloing on the right channel and the piano on the left. Very impressive listen.
Blink-182 – I Miss You
The piano in this demure track stands out better than I have heard on my other headphones. The vast separation of the two tracks of acoustic guitars is a joy to listen to on the HE-500. The sense of space in the mix really comes through with this much room to grow that the headphones provide.
Blue Foundation – Eyes on Fire
The vocals sound ethereal and full-bodied simultaneously thanks to the excellent mids that the HE-500 possesses. You can also clearly hear the difference in guitar effects on the two guitar tracks while the gently shimmering synth sequencer continues to add atmosphere to the track. As the song picks up, every instrument and vocal note is presented in a balanced manner over a thundering drum track. The balance of the two vocal lines, the male and the female, are also clear and present where on some other headphones the latter would take priority.
Childish Gambino – Heartbeat
The kick drum in the intro moves faster than on other headphones that I’ve heard, but not necessarily as loud. The bass saw-synth riff does not sound as pleasing as it does on the TH-X00 due to its immense bass extension, but the surrounding instrumentation of the song overall is superior. Little details like extra percussion from the separate channels and the electric guitar in the second verse are picked out very well by the HE-500. Donald Glover’s higher pitched backing vocal in the chorus is also clearer than I’ve heard before.
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
Gentle rock/vocal songs such as this are magnificent on the HE-500 due to its controlled resolution. The delicate and emotional guitars and vocals go hand in hand over a clear and subdued bassline and gentle, brush-tipped snare hits. The faint backing vocals singing “this world is only gonna break your heart” have more body to them than before. One of my favourite songs and I have not heard it better, to be honest.
Clint Mansell – Lux Aeterna
The dramatic string section creeps up to the listener with power and precision and the high notes retain the starkness they require to cut through the mix as a result of the fantastic yet comfortable treble extension on the part of the HE-500.
Coldplay – Clocks
This reverb-soaked track is easy to get wrong on different sound signatures because of varying frequencies being favoured over others. Thankfully, the HE-500 makes a statement with how it presents everything in a way that is both accurately balanced yet never boring with plenty of detail.
Daichi Miura – Unlock
The mood of this track is accentuated by the HE-500 due to how it handles the demure vocals and layering along with the impressive reverb effects in the production. The low end doesn’t sound as “club” like as on some other headphones, particularly the TH-X00, but there is clarity and body throughout the rest of the track’s mix.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – From the Beginning
The acoustic guitar has a lot of body to it, but is not natural enough to go head-to-head with the ZMF Omni. However, it fits in better in the mix than the Omni because of its balanced presentation. A magical listen due to just how in sync everything is.
Eminem – Without Me
A more detailed listen than the TH-X00 with respectable bass, but the Fostex just synergizes better with the rap genre in general. Despite that, the separation is again excellent and the verses’ musical transitions flow far more naturally than on the Fostex. The snare is also impactful, yet not sibilant at higher volume like the TH-X00.
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
A song I re-visit with every new piece of gear and one I know as well as the back of my hand. A wonderful listen due to it playing to the HE-500’s strengths. Vocal separation is incredibly clear as is the high pitched synth in the back that adds to the atmosphere – of which the soundstage adds tonnes.
Kavinsky – Nightcall
The kick drum falls right into the realm of possibility for the sub-bass extension of the HE-500. Not the best pairing of song overall due to its reliance on mid-bass, but the chugging electric guitar and the vocals are benefitted by the strength of the mids. The backing vocal in the verses, singing “we’ll go all night long” repeatedly, sounds clearer than on the likes of the TH-X00.
Lana Del Ray – Summertime Sadness
A stunning listen. Sublime vocal layering of Lana’s incredible studio voice flanked by so much instrumentation over a mournful marching funeral beat. The strings ebb and swell to their potential as the rather odd choice of samples of children shouting (and a scream in the intro) are clearer than I’ve ever heard before. Nothing is drowned out, no detail is lost - the only way you would get more detail out of this is with a more analytical audio chain at this point.
Led Zeppelin – Achilles’ Last Stand
As mentioned above in the review, bands like Led Zeppelin benefit a tonne from the HE-500’s balanced yet musical nature. The guitars ring out clearly along with the vocals as the rhythm section stands where it should – not drowning anything out like on some other headphones like the TH-X00. The amazing guitar work is present on both channels with detail and resolution.
Marcin Przybyłowicz – The Fields of Ard Skellig
The power and precision of the HE-500 brings this track to life as the vocal soars over a lushly produced backing track. The Gungnir, Liquid Carbon and HE-500 truly highlight the “air” around the violin and other instruments due to the quality of production, mixing and mastering.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
All the balance I have been praising above again brings forth this song in a new and incredible way. You just know that the vocal layering and harmonisation is something to behold on the HE-500, especially in the famous bridge section. The delicate piano flourishes never get drowned out by anything else in the mix and the bell sound effects never lose any of their nuance.
Ramin Djawadi – Game of Thrones Theme Song
The thunderous and cinematic percussion maintains its body and impact while the marvellously separated string sections churn ahead to present the epic title track in full glory. Another mention must be given to the track A Lannister Always Pays His Debts, also by Djawadi, for just how incredible it sounds on the HE-500 for the same reasons as the title track.
I have added an HD600 headband pad to my HE-500s, performed the "fuzzor" mod, and replaced my default pads with Focus Pad-As. These headphones are still ludicrously heavy but they sound absolutely stellar--and the only amp I have to drive it with is my Objective 2, which is underpowered for these beasts.
I love my HE-500s, and I absolutely think they're gorgeous. They're not as sexy as the Audeze LCD-4, but there's also not a snowball's chance in hell that the difference in sound between the two--much less the aesthetics--justifies a $3,500 price bump. I'm quite satisfied with these beauties.
X00 bsss quality? Don't confuse quantity w/ quality. TH-X00 bass is fat, slow and unmusical - IMO. HE-500 is far more natural, it also easily tops the 400i.
Pros: Analytical and detailed sound, vast soundstage for supreme instrument separation, light and comfortable, aesthetics, dynamic clarity
Cons: Harsh treble (although recording dependent), not an all-rounder, thin sound due to lack of low-end and bass
Background
I would like to start this off by stating that this is not a review of the Sennheiser HD800, but rather a review of “possibilities.” Yes, this is not the stock HD800 I am going to be discussing, but rather one with the Superdupont Resonator mod installed. In short, the mod helps to tame a well-documented treble peak in the headphones that can put off many listeners.
When I started in the headphones game, with my Beyerdynamic DT990 in 2012, it seemed that the HD800 was the most coveted headphones that I saw on internet forums amongst the mid-fi crowd. Due to Sennheiser’s place in the industry, it seems that there are three headphones that they have produced that have been in enthusiasts’ journey at one point or another: the HD600, the HD650 and the HD800. What is most interesting to me about this transition is that the HD800 could not be further from the 6XX series. Gone is the veil I heard when I had my HD600. Also, gone is the warmth and traditional design – for the HD800 is one of the most unique looking cans out there.
Specifications of the Stock HD800
Frequency response (headphones) 14 – 44100 Hz (- 3 dB)
Frequency response 6 – 51000 Hz (- 10 dB)
THD, total harmonic distortion 0.02 % (1 kHz 1 Vrms)
Contact pressure ~ 3,4 N (± 0,3 N)
Jack plug Jack stereo ¼” (6,3 mm)
Cable length 3 m
Weight Without cable: 330 g
Nominal impedance 300 Ω
Build, Design & Comfort
I know people who would not ever think of upgrading from their Apple Earpods who have told me that the HD800 looks “cool.” It does indeed, incorporating a simultaneous industrial and futuristic design that showcases a large diaphragm surrounded by black and silver. Looking at it, I see it as an alien in the design that Sennheiser have gone for in everything from their basic models up to the Orpheus. The HD800 is like Roger from American Dad, obviously the outsider but one that demands all the attention of the audience.
The comfort is absolutely stellar. I feel like I’ve been in a semi-abusive relationship with some headphones this year, or rather a love-hate relationship. I love, love the sound they emit but I hate how they fit and the comfort issues. The relatively low (compared to the others) weight is another big plus in my book, as I found the 330g weight a breeze compared to the likes of the Hifiman HE-500 in its full-metal glory. The earcup design is another innovative factor, as it is abundantly large and ear-shaped – due to which the HD800 simply disappears on my head. The headband does not have a high amount of padding, but it does not need it either. It does not slip or fall off my head either if I position them at an angle. Simply put, you can pull these on and not have to worry about them till your listening session is done.
The trade-off of such comfort is the build quality. It is not flimsy by any means, but the low-weight was achieved by a design that could very well be damaged if you are not careful. I met a fellow at the London Can Jam who, like me, had brought his HD800 along in his backpack to try with the various amps. Sadly, it had knocked on something while it was in there and one of the soft areas on the diaphragm (in the area behind the ear) had dented inwards. Apparently he had recently bought it too, bad luck. I was already careful with mine, but that made me slightly paranoid going forward.
I do not know where I had read that the HD800 earpad-removal was problematic because it just was not when I needed to give them a good scrub down. As they are so distinct, I cannot imagine mounting any other earpads (Alpha pads, ZMF pads, FocusA pads etc.) on the HD800. I am sure it has been done, but it does not seem all that viable and might be a detriment to the sound – as the padding is quite thin.
Overall, a beautiful to look at and comfortable-to-wear pair of headphones and one that I can confidently say is one of the frontrunners in the audio community in this. However, that is not the reason this has been so well-sought for so many years.
Sound
Well, damn.
The HD800 are nowhere near my sound signature preference, but they do so much so well that it is hard not to nod and appreciate the audio characteristics of these headphones. I generally prefer a denser sound, with a rich and warm midrange – something I glean from both the ZMF Omni and Hifiman HE-500. However, the HD800 had a leaner and cleaner sound to it – for better or worse depending on how you like your music.
Before I dive into the subsections of sound, I want to state that this headphone is really sonically dependent on what you use as an amplifier, something I will address further down in the “Amping” section.
The bass on the HD800 is both easy yet complicated to describe. If someone simply asks you “does the HD800 have a lot of bass?” you can just reply in the negative. If you strip away the layers behind that “no,” you’ll find an answer that goes far beyond a yes/no question. You won’t be listening to EDM on this, that is for sure, but I found the bass to be a superior listening experience than some other headphones with deeper reach and more body – with some genres only. Take classic rock, my “classic” example in my reviews, and stuff like Pink Floyd. I have not owned a headphone that can present Pink Floyd as incredibly as the HD800 for several reasons, but what I want to call attention to is the bass in those recordings.
You see, if we talk about the instrument known as the “bass guitar” then the HD800 does a stupendously good job at reproducing the tones needed for a good listen. Not once have I listened to a rock song and thought that the bass guitar was too thin or low in the mix. Far from it, it sounded simply realistic. There is a sharpness to the sound of bass guitars with the HD800 that I have not heard yet in other headphones that I have personally owned – it just feels so tight and controlled. However, I did listen to the HD800S for a bit at CanJam and noticed that they have bumped up the bass to a level where it sounded more “musical” and bloomy – ever so slightly. However, that bump alone, while it may be ideal for more musical genre pairings, made the tight ship that the HD800 was running edge out of its seams a bit.
If you throw synthetic genres, and I in no way say this in an elitist manner because I enjoy such music too, at the HD800 – you’re going to have a bad time. This goes beyond just the lack of sub-bass extension and into the territory of top-heavy analytical listening. You won’t feel the rush of the low-end in songs in such genres, so I would really not recommend it for them.
The midrange of the HD800 is stellar in a way that is starkly different from how the midrange of the Omni and HE-500 are stellar. While it does not sounded forwarded or, the word I used to describe the HE-500’s midrange in my review, “syrupy” – it holds its own in a manner expected of a top-of-the-line headphone. As with the bass, the mids are leaner yet so much more controlled and accurate than many headphones out there. What really impresses me is how the separation finds different degrees to point directional audio in than what I’ve heard before – for the soundstage is simply vast and the imaging is everything you have heard about them. There is no lower-mids bloom that gives a realistic touch to instruments like acoustic guitars or male vocals, but there is clean reproduction among both instruments and vocals across the board. The transients are quick and relatively accurate, not laid back nor startling like electrostatic headphones.
Guitars and vocals shine so brightly on the HD800. A track I return to often, one I even did so for my recent time slot with the Sennheiser Orpheus, is the third chorus and beyond of Prince’s When Doves Cry. The vocal stacking is brought out so beautifully by the HD800 due to its penchant for detail, pulling out vocal harmonies that would otherwise be drowned out in headphones that push for more musicality over analytics. Following the chorus is a guitar solo that is panned slightly to the left of where I thought it was for so, so long. It stands out in the mix but does not overpower anything else, leaving Prince free to adlib all over the place.
However, as nice as I find the presentation of this Prince song, it is helped by the fact that the vocal production is warm. As with the bass example above, your enjoyment of the vocals in songs depends heavily on if they have a natural tint or over-processed and digitised production and mastering. In the latter, it can downright hurt – even with the Superdupont Resonator mod helping to tame some of it. In songs with such mastering, even “ssss” sung will be felt harshly and, for your own sake, volume should be reduced.
The treble range also puts it beyond other headphones I own currently. With the mod taming the 6k peak, the listen is far more enjoyable and you can really appreciate what it is exactly that the HD800 does in the top range. While there is the occasional sibilance, especially in the over-processed genres and recordings I mentioned earlier, a boatload of detail is brought forth due to the treble.
The Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00, that I reviewed a few months ago, had some annoying treble peaks to my ears that would get fatiguing after a while. When I briefly demoed the Fostex TH900 at CanJam, I was hit over the head with what sounded like one consistent treble spike. What both lack, especially the TH-X00, is the trade-off – there simply is no immense detail up there that would make me take it in stride due to what it brought to the listening table.
I have no doubt that it is the treble extension that is one of the primary reasons that the HD800 sounds as resolving and detailed as it does. Cymbals I never took notice of before in songs are suddenly at the front, and while it can get a bit jarring at times (especially if they sound sibilant), I appreciate that a more complete package of the song I’m listening to is presented. That being said, it almost feels too emphasized. I’ll be honest, there are times where I wonder if the people in the mixing room themselves wanted the cymbals to sound as front-and-centre as they do on some tracks – leading to a slight sense of artificiality.
But if that is what it takes for this headphone to sound how it does, then I really can’t fault it. Yes, it sounds thin compared to the likes of the Omni, HE-500, Focal Elear and so many other headphones in this price range – but it offers something they don’t along with the control and analytics that even the HD800S toned down slightly to appeal to the wider market/more musical genres.
The soundstage, as mentioned before, is just so vast…man. While I can’t put it in numbers accurately, I’ll just wing it and say that it scores a good ten percent lead over anything else I’ve reviewed yet. This is a level of soundstage that I did not hear in the Elear, the Focal Utopia or even the Orpheus. With so much shift going on in the electrodynamic headphone market currently, it’s safe to say that the HD800 still holds one crown at least – of soundstage and imaging. Best headphone I have heard yet for gaming, although not the most cost-efficient for such usage alone. You might have to turn it down lower than usual because those gunshots can hurt sometimes.
Amping
I roamed around CanJam London 2016 with my HD800 in my backpack. Why? Because I wanted to try different amplifiers and see how they paired. That is the reputation of the HD800. Literally everything you just read above was with the HD800 being run out of my Schiit Gungnir into my Cavalli Liquid Carbon - from which I have it connected with a copper balanced cable. While I personally really like this setup, it is not the best I have heard – but it sure as hell is better than me plugging it into my Magni 2 which just takes the harshly detailed nature of the Gungnir and pushes it at me. The Liquid Carbon, while being solid-state, has a warmth to it that pairs really well with the HD800. I wish I still had my Schiit Asgard 2 to try it with, for that too was warm and would have made for an interesting listen.
The best pairing that I’ve heard yet would be how it sounded from the prototype of the Cavalli Liquid Tungsten, hands down. I would not say that it transformed the HD800 completely, but I did let out an audible “whoa” when I first plugged in. It added some body to the sound while maintaining its clarity, detail and precision. I was very impressed. I also had a really nice sound, with the top end a bit smoothed over, from the Vioelectric amps at their booth. Interestingly, they had a stock HD800 that sounded quite comfortable too so kudos to them for such an achievement.
I don’t want to say that colouration is the name of the game, but it is something I have seen in some owners of the HD800 – that they seem to prefer tube amps to add some warmth and a bit of that coveted musical distortion. A linear amping experience, like the Magni 2 or the Rupert Neve amp I tried at Can Jam, will leave the treble unchecked and make certain genres just that much harder to listen to.
As for volume, at 300 ohms it does require a good amount of power to get loud enough. However, I was most surprised by how it sounded out of my Venture Electronics RunAbout Plus – where it not only got loud enough but had a tinge of warmth to the mids. Where the portable amp falls short of the Liquid Carbon, however, is in the bass control.
Comparison with the ZMF Omni and Hifiman HE-500
Conclusion
I really, really hope the day does not come around where I have to give up the HD800. A little backstory on me, I rarely am in the same place for longer than a year and this nomadic lifestyle makes it difficult to accumulate possessions. I recently moved and it was such a pain because I tend to break the rule of common sense and get a bunch of headphones that I switch between. I envy some of you who have wall hangars covered in headphones and a long line of headphone stands to pick and choose from. That being said, I do need to keep others in my possession (currently the ZMF Omni and HE-500 in the over-ear department) because I simply cannot get a well-rounded experience, for my library with its vast array of genres, from the HD800 alone.
This headphone has its strengths, but I would not classify it as an all-rounder unless you only listen to a small number of musical genres with more “organic” recording methods in their presentation. I also notice that some HD800 owners were getting annoyed at the hype around the Focal Elear and Utopia being unveiled recently, with reviews saying that the Utopia provides incredible detail without the trade-offs of a thin and treble-heavy sound that the HD800 and HD800S provide. While that is quite true, it is $3999 and has a smaller soundstage than the HD800. The HD800 can be found for as low as $899 on Amazon US these days so, while I would not call it economical still for a majority of headphone users, it provides a great price-to-performance ratio for detail and an analytical sound. Simply put, these headphones all do different things – with the similarly priced Focal Elear said to sound like a “HD650 on steroids.”
Definitely a keeper for me, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Pros: Very powerful. Very transportable.Hardware bass boost XBass' synergy with the HD800. Solid build quality.
Cons: No power toggle. XBass and 3D switches aren't consistent. 3D holographic sound implementation a bit underwhelming.
As I switch back and forth between the various amps in my possession, all plugged into my Schiit Gungnir DAC simultaneously, I come to further appreciate the nuances in different options of driving headphones. Each amp gives me a certain sound to it, and all are driving my headphones and earbuds well enough, but there is more to it than that.
I’d like to thank IFI for sending me this review loaner for my honest opinion.
Specifications
Gain: 0dB, 12dB and 24dB user-selectable
Signal to Noise Ratio: >123dB (A)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <0.003% (400mV/150R)
Frequency Response: 0.5Hz to 500KHz (-3dB)
Output Impedance: <1 ohm
Output Power: >4000mW (16Ω)
Output Voltage: >10V (>600Ω)
Input Voltage: AC 100 – 240V, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption: < 5W idle, 12W max
Dimensions: 158(l)x68(w)x28(h)mm
Weight: 216g (0.48 lbs)
Build
Metal. This amp is pure metal, not unlike the Schiit Magni 2 but quite a bit more sturdy. Could it be used as a weapon? Probably.
The volume knob at the front is around the same size as you’d expect from a full-sized amplifier, which makes its placement on the micro iCan especially conspicuous. That being said, it handles effectively and increases volume in a smooth manner with no distortion whatsoever. To its right are the two switches for XBass and 3D sound. Under the two are signs indicating at which placement you can choose one of the three settings for each. In a strangely anti-uniform manner, what is full setting on one does not match what is full setting on the other, leading to it feeling like a strange design choice overall. To the right of that is a gold plated output for a single-ended ¼ cable.
On the back there is a spot to plug in the wall-wart power connector, along with a single pair of RCA inputs. There is also a 3.5mm input, for those who probably want to attach a digital audio-player to the micro iCan.
The underside of the chassis makes one wonder why they even bothered to include a manual in the box. There is so much literature printed there that you won’t ever forget the basics if you take this one the go. Interestingly, it gives advice as to which of the XBass and 3D sound settings one should use with what kinds of headphones. Most importantly, to the right exist four dip switches that control the very powerful gain options that this amp possesses. As the gain is so very powerful, it’s good that they opted for this method because an easier to flip gain switch could possibly damage headphones. I have the gain on half setting, +12dB, and that is all I need. Anything more and my sensitive headphones pick up sound at 0 volume.
I have not, and will not, open the iCan up to poke around inside but the press release says that it possesses “ELNA Silmics, MELF resistors and C0G capacitors.” I have not an inkling what those mean, but I assume it has something to do why I hear a slightly richer sound than secondary amp that I had before.
Sound
The iCan SE takes what I enjoy about my Schiit Magni 2 and refines it, while greatly upgrading the power it can emit. This amp is so powerful, in fact, that I dare not go past the halfway gain point – a setting where even 0 volume on some more sensitive headphones can pick up sound. The halfway setting, specifically +12 dB, is more than enough for both my Sennheiser HD800 and Focal Elear.
The sound characteristic itself is similar to the clean output of the Magni 2, but with a slightly less of a hard edge to it. It’s not “tube” ish, but it isn’t the rigid and neutral sound that the Schiit amp has gotten me used to. The best test for this is how it couples with the notoriously picky HD800, which is a bad pairing with the Magni 2 – in my opinion. The reason for this is that the treble peaks and, at times, thin sound of the headphones are left unchecked (if not exacerbated).
When paired with the iCan SE, with both XBass and 3D sound turned off, the HD800 mellows out but retains a clean sound. It is not as sparse as before, but it is not particularly lush and warm either. The highs, while not as peaky as on the Magni 2, are not as tamed as on the likes of my other amp – the Cavalli Liquid Carbon. The iCan SE occupies an effective and interesting middle ground between my two other options – and that is only on the default setting.
Bringing the Focal Elear into the mix yields easier to describe results – it is just driven very well. Unlike the fickle HD800, the Elear sounds like itself out of every source and amp I have thrown at it – and the iCan SE is no exception to this. Hearing how alike it sounds to the Magni 2, I remember my days with my ZMF Omni and Hifiman HE-500 and wish I still had those on hand to compare. However, it is with the two toggle switches that matters get interesting.
XBass
The concept of XBass seemed suspect to me at first, and I do not know why. Surrounded by the words of audio purists for a while now, I have come to expect an eschewing of equalizer and a reliance on sound-morphers like tube amps instead. Even my own forays into using equalizers, particularly when trying to tame the sibilance of the Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 several months ago, led to mixed results. I found that there was often always a trade-off in clarity or balance whenever I attempted the process.
XBass is a hardware boost and is said to bypass some of the limitations of software equalizer. I first tried it with my Focal Elear, the first headphone I plugged into the amp, on the low setting. Yeah, definitely an increase in bass but not one I felt like I particularly needed – as the sound of the Elear is already quite thick and punchy. High setting felt like a direct downgrade, the low end became muddy and displeasing. Despite that, I recognized the XBass to be powerful, but one that relied heavily on the sound signature of the headphones paired with it. I needed to be sure of its power, I needed to bring out my HD800.
The HD800 has precise bass, unlike its woollier/looser brother the HD800S, but it is very subtle in its presentation. When I reviewed my model, a superdupont-modded one, it became obvious that the bass extended impressively low – but it could not be brought out further, volume-wise, without equalizer…which distorted the rest of the incredible characteristics of the headphones. Flipping the XBass feature on, to low, didn’t make too much of a noticeable difference to me. I theorized, while listening, that the HD800 might just be beyond the capabilities of a bass-boost. Then I switched the XBass to the high setting.
Suddenly, a headphone that I had known so well transformed before my eyes…ears? All the sub-bass extension that I knew was lurking beneath the sheets was suddenly loud and proud. To my ears, it made the headphone far more of an all-rounder than I had considered it before – but I needed to be absolutely sure about the trade-offs. I spent several days listening to my entire music library, from hip-hop to classic rock, to try and find an area where the high XBass setting would make the headphones stumble. I did not find one, and that surprised me immensely.
The delicately recorded In the Court of the Crimson King album by King Crimson is one that demands absolute resolution and clarity from an audio setup. It is an album I prefer my HD800 for, for this reason, and I’m happy to report that the XBass only enhanced the experience instead of detract from it. The shimmering cymbal work remained intact and crisp while the delicate guitar stabs, improvised noodling and (above all) the vocals were all injected with a sense of body that served them well. I turned to my Pink Floyd albums, also reliant on clarity, to investigate further and found that it was the same story – the low end was brought to a musical level without taking away from the midrange or treble clarity.
So, essentially, I could listen to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic album and not feel left wanting of low-end with my HD800. That is an incredible achievement, and the second strongest feature of this amp after the large amount of power it provides. It just takes a “bright” pair of headphones to bring it out, as it can pair quite badly with headphones that do not need it.
3D HolographicSound
While I don’t particularly care for the term used to describe what this setting does, I can’t think of a better one myself – so 3D HolographicSound it is. Promising an expansion of soundstage, it does achieve that but with some slight trade-off (on the low setting) where some headphones lose their impact. With the HD800, it just diffuses the impact of the headphone itself to thin out the sound even further, something you absolutely want to avoid with the Sennheiser flagship/former flagship.
Only the most closed headphones, with the most intimate soundstage, will benefit truly from this switch – also depending on how good the seal is to preserve the bass impact that using it lessens in general. It’s an interesting concept, but not one I would purchase this amp for.
Conclusion
I have to hand it to IFI, this amp is a clean and effective punch-in-your-headphones’ sensitivity/impedance in a small form factor that does not try to overstep its boundaries – in terms of aesthetics or showmanship.
On one hand, this is an amp for that utilitarian individual who just wants to drive their headphones through a SE output jack without the bells and whistles that come with visible tubes (and, at times, their fetishization) – but on the other hand it’s an amp for those who do want to add a bit of manipulation to their listening experience. It’s certainly a pairing that I really like with my HD800, and that alone is a staggering achievement due to the notoriety of this headphone’s amp pairing process.
Is it just me or are the switches on your i can longer then mine because I have the special edition as well, but my switches don't seem nearly as long.
Pros: Punchy and impactful bass performance, smooth and forward midrange, comfortably extended treble, quite easily driven, revealing of source gear, aesthetics, comfortable
Cons: Can sound muddy out of ill-matched amp pairings, not suitable for laid back genres, requires certain amp pairing to bring out the mids more - otherwise it's a bit too midbassy
Build Quality, Comfort & Features
The weight of this Atticus is lighter than the Eikon, but only because of the cherry wood. If you choose a padauk version, it will be of similar weight to my padauk Eikon. Weighing about 542g, it is only a few single-digits under the weight of an Audeze LCD-2, but is far more comfortable due to superior support and weight management. I, and several owners I have spoken to, found this and the Eikon to not feel their weight – which is a good design choice for something that could have gone overboard so easily.
The Atticus ships with the ZMF Ori pads, which are thinner than the old ZMF lambskin, cowhide and protein pads but slightly thicker than the newer Eikon pads. I find them very comfortable and able to seal effortlessly, an issue I had with the Ori and the old pads. The isolation is incredible, possibly the best I have heard yet in a closed can utilizing passive noise-cancelling through means of a good seal. I have to be careful listening during the day, for I will not hear my doorbell ring with these on and music playing. Despite the isolation and seal being quite stellar, the clamp is not immensely tight but just where it should be to prevent the headphones from falling off your head. Only if you lean very far back will this budge, otherwise it will stay in place quite well without applying immense pressure on your cranium.
And despite it being so well isolated, this is not a headphone that I would recommend that you wear in public. Reasons for this go beyond its price or the equipment needed to drive it (a portable amplifier) – but for aesthetic reasons as it is a very wide headphone when worn. While I am saying that they look a little goofy when worn, I would not change a single thing aesthetically because this is the nicest looking wooden headphone that I have ever seen. And, due to the wood and sturdy materials, the Atticus just feels like it is built to last. My only complaint with the build is that the sliders are, while being much more to my liking than the T50RP ones, tough to adjust – but I can see why they need to be in order to prevent moving from where they are set. There are no incremental adjustments either, so you will have to eyeball it or adjust by feel. Just in case it wasn’t obvious, these are not foldable headphones that can collapse to fit a small bag.
300 ohms is a big number, the same as the Sennheiser HD600/650/800 which aren’t easily driven headphones – with the HD800’s bass impedance being especially high and thus needing more juice to bring out. However, the Atticus drives both easily and more evenly – sounding quite good out of my portable amp setup. These don’t require a lot to get loud, but you definitely should not under-power them for obvious reasons. Utilising thermoplastic elastomer drivers, the Atticus is the first headphone I know of to do so.
Finally, the Atticus uses the same connectors as all other ZMF headphones – 4pin mini-XLR that are also used by Audeze.
Sound
In a world where the Eikon did not exist, I would see a slightly retuned version of the Atticus being the next real step in ZMF’s lineup so far. I have gone through the Vibro Mk. I and two different versions of the Ori, unfortunately skipping the Blackwood, and I can confidently say that the Atticus is more of a continuation with what the Vibro did – making it a super Vibro in my eyes.
The reason that I feel this way is because ZMF’s entry-level wooden cup T50RP mod is tuned to be unabashedly fun and mid-bassy, with the bass port system put in place to tune accordingly. The Ori, to my ears, was tuned to be more analytical while still retaining a warm and friendly ZMF house sound. The Eikon, in my opinion, is an extension of the Ori slapped across characteristics from drier and more analytical headphones such as the Sennheiser HD800 – making it a very clean-sounding headphone with only the slightest tinge of warmth from a neutral audio chain.
The key word for the Eikon is drier, however, and it has a peak in the upper-mids that can be a bit sharp with certain recordings that are too brightly or poorly mastered. How the Atticus contrasts is by being a lot more forgiving of such recordings and having a deeper and more resonant sound that, like the Audeze LCD-2, is dependent on a bit of wetness and reverb in the midrange.
The overall tone of the Atticus is very lush, and I have a hard time deciding whether it beats my previous favourite in this matter – the Hifiman HE-500 with its liquid mids. The Atticus makes the Eikon look clinical, prim and proper by comparison – preferring to wear its coloured sound signature on its sleeve and be soulful instead. If this all seems confusing and flowery, please return to this section after reading the breakdown below.
The bass of the Atticus will undoubtedly be the first characteristic that most will register when they first put on the headphone. I love a nice amount of bass, and this headphone does not fall short in that regard – and in many instances can go in the opposite direction depending on source and amp chain. While it does not dive as deep as its elder brother the Eikon, the Atticus has a pronounced mid-bass jump that really is one of the two tuning choices that define it. Tacked on to this is a level of bass slam that can be breathtaking at times, with strong impact and punchiness. The punchy nature of the Atticus is not blisteringly fast, but it definitely holds its own in genres that need the oomph and transients – such as double-bass drum patterns in metal and especially fast electronic music.
The bass is also really clean sounding, to my ears, but to maintain this – and its clean separation from the midrange – you will need to pair it properly (more on that later).
The midrange of the Atticus, as previously stated, is very lush and smooth. I made a point of mentioning in my Eikon review that the flagship opted for more texture in this area, while the Atticus went more for body and a romantic sheen instead. What I have learned since then is that the Atticus’ midrange is indeed quite textured, due to not having heard my preferred source/amp pairings until after my Eikon and even LCD-2 reviews from several weeks ago. The full-bodied and smooth midrange make vocals a sheer treat to listen to, given that they are well-recorded. The lower midrange is well pronounced, male vocals and acoustic guitar strumming are tonally sound and rich in presentation. The upper midrange is a little dipped, but switching between it and the Focal Elear shows just how much the latter has a hole in this region. Female vocals do not sound distant, but are rather quite forward like the rest of the midrange. The Atticus showcases the vocal talent shown in Follow Me by Kimiko Itoh quite excellently. The surrounding instrumentation is also well served, not feeling too bogged down by an intimate soundstage – but it does not handle space as effortlessly as the Eikon. For all the benefits of a good audio chain surrounding the Atticus, the Eikon is simply able to handle micro-detail and texture in a superior manner.
The treble of the Atticus is a strong indication of the benefit of Zach’s choice to move away from the Fostex T50RP driver. My very first review was of a T50RP mod (the ZMF Vibro Mk. I) and as I continued my journey into high-end audio, I came to realize just how “hard” the treble presentation of the driver is. The Atticus’ treble is far more natural, to my ears. A bit withdrawn, it never reaches a point where I feel fatigued due to any sibilance – even when paired with the brightest source. Songs that sound like aural masochism on my HD800 sound pleasantly fine on the Atticus.
Where the Vibro Mk. I fell, the Atticus perseveres and triumphs in most genres. The natural but slightly dampened treble is enough to present cymbal patterns, and a complex jazz recording like Heligt by the Tingvall Trio showcases this. What it also reveals, however, is how the Atticus is not really meant for genres such as this – for despite it sounding tonally rich and “live”, it is not where this headphone truly shines.
One reason for this is the soundstage, which is understandably intimate due to it being a closed headphone in the first place. It is not able to possess the extremely detailed audio resolution in a manner that the stereotypical “hi-fi” term would suggest, but it is no slouch either. Others, like the HD800, have vast staging and precise imaging – but do not have the musicality of the Atticus, nor its fun bass, reminding us of the trade-off in each headphone that this hobby has.
Genre Pairings
As you have probably surmised from earlier, this headphone does especially well with vocals, pop music and electronic genres. Anything that is cleanly recorded and with a drive to it will also bring out the headphones ability to showcase its dynamic nature.
Song impressions on a Schiit Gungnir Multibit > Lyr 2 with Genalex Gold Lion tubes
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
A test track of mine since the start, Dreams is a well recorded folksy acoustic-rock track with ample vocal layering and a punchy beat – accentuated with modest synth flourishes and impressive guitar work. What I revisit with every headphone is the chorus, with its three-voice harmonization using two female and one male voice. Extremely lush and well represented by the Atticus, Stevie Nicks’ unique voice carries this track and has enough body to feel live. Besides the vocals, what really sticks out to me is the depth behind each of Mick Fleetwood’s snare hits, which can honestly sound a bit thin and un-impactful on the HD800 but have an earthy and realistic sound on the Atticus.
Closer – Nine Inch Nails
Now we’re in far different territory. Trent Reznor’s mid-90s aggreso-industrial metal romp (with its famously profane chorus) is best served by headphones that are able to keep up with its driving heartbeat-like beat. The song is a builder, like an angrier Stairway to Heaven but with a long instrumental outro, and as the layers pile on – the Atticus is able to represent each distorted guitar note and harsh synth-pattern admirably. However, it just does not possess the texture around both that a headphone like the Focal Elear does, as its shouty and aggressive midrange is especially good for metal and distorted guitars. The Elear, however, does not possess the oomph of the Atticus’ bass – preferring to opt for a speedier but less towering amount. As the song reaches its climax, I hear everything that I’m looking for quite well, and the swiftly panning synth in the outro indicates impressively fast transients and imaging in the midrange.
Time – Pink Floyd
Out of every headphone that I have owned, Pink Floyd continues to have the best synergy with the Sennheiser HD800. A revealing headphone works best for the group, as the layered recordings are better exposed cleanly rather than having a fun and bass-driven sound injected onto them. The Eikon is excellent for Pink Floyd in its own way, but the Atticus is not the most ideal pairing. Switching to the Schiit Valhalla 2 does help a bit, but it still feels like a genre mismatch. Pink Floyd lack the dynamic sound needed for the Atticus to shine.
The Raven that Refused to Sing – Steven Wilson
This sombre song is very impressively produced, no doubt thanks to the help of Alan Parsons (who also worked on the Pink Floyd track mentioned above) and aided with modern recording techniques. The Atticus is able to capture the vocal harmonies and synth-driven atmosphere in the background perfectly. The piano sounds impactful, bringing the required dramatic tone the song is striving for – but the tonality is more low-heavy than sharp. I really like how it sounds in this context, but switching to the Elear (which I feel has excellent tonal match with grand pianos) shows the small amount of detail that is masked with the instrument. In the second half of the song, the cymbals ring out clearly and the entire track moves to its climax with no strong sense of detail loss as the instruments pile on. Switching to the Eikon shows a more controlled bass guitar, which is a little too loud in the mix on the Atticus – but beyond that it is a great listen.
Arped - Vaishiyas
This techno track showcases the full ability of the Atticus to have impact and bass punchiness, while maintaining texture and equal impact in synth parts that accompany it. Very well mastered, each track is clear and present behind the sheer head-banging bass drum.
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
I always listen for the quick string part in the intro, some headphones really struggle with producing it with all the other tracks blazing at full speed. The Atticus does not struggle, and the song has all its percussion and instrument tracks well represented. Jackson’s voice itself, in his crooning falsetto that was all the rage in the disco era of the late 1970s, never feels drowned out by the instrumental track – which would have hindered the point of his solo act. The horn sections are slightly smoothed but still maintain a good amount of texture. Overall, a listening experience that will have you nodding along.
Master of Puppets – Metallica
The problem with this track is mainly because of the production, with its mid-scooped distorted guitars and overall mid-bassy sound. On the Atticus, it can sound a bit sluggish, with a lower-mid bleed causing problems with the song’s thrash-metal pacing. I have found that it does better with the Schiit Valhalla 2, or even the Lyr 2’s brighter stock 6BZ7 tubes, but it is still not the most ideal pairing. Metallica’s Black Album, or self-titled 1991 album, is a far better pairing with the Atticus due to its cleaner and grandiose production.
I have done my best to be discerning with the above tracks, but I should mention that even the pairings that I feel are not quite ideal are not close to being so bad that I would want to throw the headphones off of my head. Indeed, if you prefer the overall sound signature of the Atticus, it could even be an all-rounder headphone for you. The best songs to pair with it are not even dependent on genre, but rather song style and production. While the HD800 is revealing of production imperfection in its own way, the Atticus does it as well (although more forgiving than the Eikon) due to its reliance on clean mastering and well separated instrumental and vocal tracks. The worst recordings, in this regard, will sound muddy on the Atticus.
I don’t prefer the Atticus for music that has no dynamics. There has to be something existing already for the headphone to take and run with it. It is not as sensitive in dynamic/impact reproduction as the Utopia or Elear, where a piano chord can feel like a truck hitting you at times, so it needs character in its music. If you want a headphone for drone-metal, look elsewhere. If you want a headphone for psychedelic classic rock, I would steer you toward the Eikon instead. It is also a headphone that is better heard at higher volumes, emphasizing its bombastic nature.
Amp Pairings
After the sound description above, I would go so far as to say that this is the most important consideration one must make if they are interested in the Atticus. Like the Eikon, it is revealing of source gear, but it can be made a bit problematic from the wrong pairing.
All amps using a Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC
Cavalli Liquid Carbon (First Run)
Followers of my work will have noticed that I have not quite recommended this amplifier in recent reviews in terms of most ideal pairings. This is because it has a warm and laid back characteristic to it that can be overkill on some headphones. With the Eikon, this simply made it a more laid back headphone, easing up on the intense dynamic nature of itself and adding a bit more warmth to the midrange. With the LCD-2, it simply became too warm and I felt that some of the details in the treble region were being masked. With the Atticus, it is the same case as the LCD-2, if not slightly more problematic.
The bass simply becomes too much. I enjoy a bassy sound but the Atticus, out of the right pairing, couples that with a smooth midrange and treble. With the Liquid Carbon, it becomes all about the bass and lower mids, leading to a pronounced bleed that holds back any song I throw at it.
Audio-GD NFB-28
This powerful amplifier has a somewhat neutral sound to it, letting the DAC and headphone do most of the talking when it is present in a chain. It has good control of the Atticus’ bass, where the Liquid Carbon felt bloomy, but it is in its upper-region that I found a slight problem. The background does not seem as black as I would like, leading to a haziness in the treble and upper mids that I chalked up to the Atticus initially. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it is actually just the pairing of the Gungnir Multibit and the NFB28 amp section that was causing this, as the Audio-GD’s own built in Sabre DAC enjoyed a lower noise floor in the pairing.
With this in mind, I have to treat this specific amp/source pairing as contained to the Audio-GD NFB-28 alone. With the Eikon, I found the treble too sharp for my taste, emphasizing the 5k treble peak that felt a little fatiguing on it. On the Atticus, it is not as noticeable, but there is a definite benefit to choosing the sabre over the multibit for this specific amp. That being said, it lacks a lot of the natural, if slightly warm, sound that the Gungnir multibit brings. Separation has taken a slight hit and the overall sound is more digital rather than musical.
After spending time with the NFB28 and Atticus, I was convinced to try tubes with the headphones – but I did not want any that were too warm. After some research, I chose the next two amplifiers.
Schiit Valhalla 2
When I first plugged into this amplifier with the Atticus, it was a mini-revelation. Beyond my prior ownership of an Asgard 2 and a Magni 2, I had avoided purchasing Schiit amps because some had told me that they sounded etched – with the tube amps not even sounding like tubes. After my time with the IFI Pro iCan, and its disappointing solid-state to tube/tube+ mode switching (not as much difference as I would have liked to hear for the price), I was even less inclined to seek out the Valhalla 2 – which I had heard did not inject warmth or musicality to music. “What was the point then?”, I asked in my ignorance.
Well, the Valhalla 2 controlled the Atticus in a manner that the NFB28 was not able to, with all its ample wattage and neutral sound signature. It made the overall experience a bit drier, and a bit leaner – not bad additions to the Atticus’ sound in my opinion. Suddenly, there was more detail and the bass was not intruding into the midrange as much as before. More importantly, the staging became slightly wider, and separation became more pronounced. I would go so far to say that this is a grand amp + headphone pairing, with the only detraction being a lack of punchiness.
The Valhalla 2, while still being quite punchy, did not provide enough oomph for the Atticus to be what it is capable of. Was it natural but clean? Yes. Did it make instruments and vocals sit better in a mix with the headphones? Absolutely. But, my time using the NFB28 had shown me just how the Atticus’ bass should work – but the Valhalla 2 had characteristics that I couldn’t enjoy on the Audio-GD.
Schiit Lyr 2
It would be foolish to say this hybrid tube-solid state (if you have the LISST tubes) amp provides the best of both worlds with the Atticus – which I definitely led up to with the transition at the end of the last comparison. However, this is my favourite pairing with the Atticus out of all I have on hand today.
The Lyr 2 is absurdly punchy and dynamic, even blazing well past the Audio-GD NFB28 in this regard. Its treble is a tad harder and less natural-sounding than the Valhalla 2, and it is brighter out of its stock 6BZ7 tubes. The bass is very controlled, a boon for the Atticus, and the midrange is heavily dependent on the tubes used. I prefer Genalex Gold Lions overall, despite it being slightly warmer than the others I have – it does not intrude on the Atticus’ ability at all, and in fact heightens its smooth and inviting midrange characteristics. Snare hits feel like they have more depth, a slight reverb to them that gives a live sound.
Compared to the Valhalla 2, the soundstage is narrower on the Lyr 2. I also regret that I am not able to obtain LISST tubes to test further – I’m curious as to how it sounds from its solid-state mode. Even so, out of all the tubes the punchiness is preserved and the highs feel more natural than with the NFB28 – cementing this as my go-to amplifier for the Atticus currently.
Once again, the Atticus is quite revealing of amp pairings – unlike the Elear which just sounds like itself out of them all, except for the Valhalla 2 where it had a bit of haziness – probably due to its sensitivity and low impedance - and the amp being an OTL. I am glad that I was able to compare several amplifiers with the headphones, and I really could not imagine just hearing it from a single offering and judging it completely based on that…or even two amps.
Headphone Comparisons
Sennheiser HD800
I feel like I have to repeat myself in every review, when it comes to the HD800, regarding its vast soundstage. It beats them all in terms of width, even the HE-1 didn’t match it in that regard. So, the HD800 vs. a closed headphone like the Atticus – you can do the math.
The well-known analytical nature of HD800 makes it a good headphone to complement the Atticus, if you want two headphones that cover both ends of the spectrum. It provides intense detail and air at the cost of being a bit anaemic in its midrange and muted in its bass performance. Unlike the Eikon, which takes some strengths of the HD800 and wraps it in Zach’s tuning which emphasizes natural tonality and a live sound, the Atticus prefers very much to be easier on the ears and not peaky in its treble. Its warmth is its selling point, so I feel a bit awkward saying obvious facts like the HD800 is more detailed overall – which it simply just is. What I prefer of the two depends on the genre I’m listening to and my mood.
The Atticus is definitely a headphone that is instantly impressive to those who are not in the hobby and are not striving for that micro-detailed sound (“plankton” I’ve heard it called) and just want a clear sound with great bass. I’m not saying that the Atticus is a super Beats Solo 2, but it has a far different sound signature than the HD800. I’m able to listen to more genres on the Atticus than the HD800 however, and female vocals have a lot more body on the ZMF than in the HD800 where they fall into its dip.
Weight and comfort wise, I have to give it to the HD800 – despite the weight distribution of both ZMF dynamics being quite excellent. The HD800 is substantially lighter, about 180g lighter in fact. The Atticus is 542g while the HD800 is 362g – both without cable. If you require isolation though, the Atticus is what you should choose of the two.
Audeze LCD-2 (2016 Revision)
A few weeks ago, I completed and uploaded my Audeze LCD-2 review – a headphone I quite like and felt had an edge in detail retrieval to the Atticus despite being considerably more laid back and less punchy in its sound signature. Since then, I discovered the most important final pieces of the puzzle that is evaluating the Atticus – the two Schiit amps that I prefer as a pairing.
Does it change everything about my impressions? Not exactly. The LCD-2 is still a headphone that is smooth, laid back and comprised of some shimmering detail in its treble. However, although I liked the Atticus more in my weeks-old comparison overall – it has widened its lead now. I am going to self-plagiarize now and copy some of my prior impressions:
Switching from the LCD-2 to the Atticus is revealing of just how much (the 2016 model anyway) emphasizes the availability of the shimmering detail hidden in the Audeze’s treble. Phrasing it like this would have you believe that the Atticus is completely lacking in such aspects, which is untrue, but it definitely is not as even in revealing its capabilities – requiring the right genre pairing to do so. What the Atticus has is bass, in abundance, and bass slam. It does not shy away from the electronic genres that the Audeze might be a tad laid back for, and it certainly does not mind introducing hefty low end into just about any recording.
However, this isn’t without its detriments. Master of Puppets is one album that the Atticus suffers on, due to the reliance of a midbassy sound in the mixing falling square in the region that the ZMF headphone emphasizes heavily – making the entire album from start to finish sound a bit bloated. The Atticus hits back, and hard, in electronic pop music – with its bass slam and smooth midrange going hand-in-hand to showcase the headphone’s energetic nature. The Atticus is a more “awake” experience than the LCD-2, which sounds veiled by comparison – but the LCD-2 is able to work with more genres due to its less bassy nature.
One area in particular that the LCD-2 is able to succeed, compared to the Atticus, is in older and warmer recordings – such as those by Led Zeppelin. It does quite well with guitars both electric and acoustic, while the Atticus relies on the mix and can sound a little overwhelmed with such pairings – as Led Zeppelin are from an era without snazzy modern production.
Focal Elear
The Focal headphones are better all-rounders than the Atticus, if you like their specific sound signature and presentation enough. They also mask their source quite well, and sound like themselves out of most amplifiers I have paired them with. They are also quite a bit faster than the Atticus, and are so dynamic sounding that even at low-to-moderate listening volume you will get the full effect of sudden events in your audio.
Where the Atticus hits back, and hard, is in the midrange. The Elear, while possessing a midrange that is excellent for pianos and electric guitars, is not so suitable for vocals – especially female vocals that fall right into the area where it is heavily dipped. Also, the Elear has an aggressive midrange that is not especially lush or smooth – both characteristics of the Atticus. I would even use the term shouty for the Focal midrange, and have heard others call it grainy. However, it is definitely a headphone that handles rock and metal far better out of all that I have currently.
Both have excellent weight distribution, but the Focal is approximately 100g lighter. Both are quite intimate in soundstage.
ZMF Eikon
The elder brother of the Atticus is near identical in looks and comfort, depending on wood choice. Utilizing a bio-cellulose driver, the Eikon is tuned to be more of a reference headphone than the warmer Atticus. I have heard the Eikon described as warm, and out of certain sources (the Liquid Carbon for example) it definitely is – but it is far more neutral and straightforward in presentation compared to the Atticus.
Do I think the Eikon is the better headphone? I do. The reason for this is that it merges a fun sound signature that Zach really likes with a more analytical and detailed touch to make it quite revealing of both source gear and music production/mastering. Its sub-bass extends lower than the Atticus, which is more focused on mid-bass punch, and its midrange possesses a lot more texture. The soundstage is also a bit wider, to my ears, than the Atticus. The treble extension is more pronounced, horns and stringed instruments possess quite a bit more air than on the Atticus. The Eikon, I feel, is also tuned to be more tonally accurate than the Atticus, which injects warmth and a little bloom into everything it touches.
But what do I reach for if I want to listen to just some electro-pop? The Atticus. What do I reach for when I want to listen to some smooth jazz? The Eikon. These two headphones are so distinct that I feel that they cater to two kinds of listeners in this hobby quite well. Indeed, you could own both and find yourself listening to them equally as much if you have a vast array of taste in musical genres.
The Eikon is smooth, but the Atticus is smoother and I am yet to hear a track that felt like the treble was too piercing on it. The Eikon actually can sound a little harsh up top with some poorly mastered tracks. I am told that there are slight audible differences in wood choice, but I can’t confirm this myself – but I could see it being possible due to hearing the small differences between my previously-owned cherry and cocobolo ZMF Ori.
Conclusion
In the month since my Eikon review, I have found myself listening to the Atticus more and more. It has matched my genre preferences these days quite well and I’m a little addicted to the smooth midrange and punchy bass. I’m absolutely sure I’ve used the words “smooth” and “punchy” several times in this review, but those really are the two front-and-foremost aspects of this headphone.
Returning to my earlier statement about the Atticus being the true continuation of the ZMF house sound of the past, I do indeed believe that this is a super-ZMF Vibro. However, I am glad that Zach took the initiative to explore another tuning for the Eikon – one that is done incredibly well and will move the brand’s known sound forward. Does this mean that the Atticus is a glimpse into the past? Not at all as there will always be those who either prefer this sound signature or want a headphone for the times when they want to be jamming out and not listening to every detail across the map of a song recording.
With these two options now available, it’s better to review the release of both as a two-some rather than individual headphones. Aspects one could argue are missing in the Atticus are present on the Eikon, and vice versa. Buying both is an expense, but with so many top-of-the-line headphones costing more than both combined (and possessing just a single sound signature), I would not be surprised if someone tried these headphones at an event and opted for both.
These are incredibly well-built headphones that tap into the areas of a listening experience that are instantly pleasing – bass and midrange. They effectively remove any possibility of sibilance, but not so much that the listener feels choked by the lack treble. They are responsive to amp pairings, and I would personally recommend a lean, dry and analytical amp with them to bring out more of the midrange and control the bass further.
Kudos to Zach for his first two in-house creations being distinct and quite excellent in their own usage.
Pros: A more even-sounding headphone than its siblings, non-fatiguing, easily driven at 55 ohms, comfortable, comes with three cables and a carrying case
Cons: May not be impactful enough for some, a tad lean in the bass, slightly treble veiled compared to the Utopia
Thanks to SCV Distribution for lending me this unit to review
I previously owned the Focal Elear and now have a Utopia as a daily driver and reference headphone. Seeing the Clear’s announcement on Head-fi a few months ago, I was interested in what this very familiar and yet different headphone brought to the table at a price point between the two existing models.
Specifications
Circum-aural open-back headphones
Impedance 55 Ohms
Sensitivity 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
THD 0,25% @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL
Frequency response 5Hz-28kHz
Loudspeaker 1.6" (40mm) Aluminum/Magnesium 'M'-shape dome
Weight 0.99lb / 450g
Cables provided
3m balanced cable (XLR 4-pin)
3m unbalanced cable (1/4" TRS jack)
1.2m unbalanced cable (1/8" TRS jack)
1/8" jack to 1/4" stereo jack adapter
Hard-shell carrying case 9.8"x9.4"x4.7" (250x240x120mm)
Build Quality, Comfort & Features
First things first, the Clear’s frame looks exactly like the Focal Elear - except grey instead of black. They even weigh the exact same amount at around 450 grams. The differences are in the internals, as while using the same M-shaped dome aluminium-magnesium drivers of the Elear - Focal has made some changes to the voice coil to control driver breakup. The Clear is also 55 ohms, while the Utopia and Elear are 80 ohms. The pads are a huge difference from the Elear. These are micro-suede, perforated pads and definitely give me a more open feeling than the Elear’s did back in the day.
Furthering the differences in the Clear as a product, it comes with a hard-shell carrying case alongside three cables. Two of these are 3 metres long, with one terminated in a ¼ inch and the other in balanced 4-pin XLR. The final cable is obviously meant for portable devices, 1.2 metres in length and terminated in a 3.5mm jack - with a converter to ¼ inch also included. As a guy who bought both the Utopia and Elear, I can’t help but feel a little jealous of Clear owners for getting all these features - as the prior line only got a single very long and very thick cable. The feeling of the Clear’s cables is also quite different, as even the 3 metre ones feel light and the makeup is flat and covered in a zigzagging zebra pattern.
As with the others in the line, I found the comfort to be quite stellar. What I found interesting is that it felt considerably lighter than the Utopia, despite the weight difference being a little more than 40 grams. Not only that, but the build seems to have been tightened up a bit - this doesn’t creak or squeak at all when you handle it. It also locks on to my ears and I can headbang with them on if necessary - they simply don’t budge. I wouldn’t dare doing that with the Utopia, which can shift in place at times.
I can appreciate the look of the Clear aesthetically, although I’m definitely biased towards the Utopia’s showroom piece design. I do feel that some detractors might single out its identical nature to the Elear as a negative - but I don’t have a problem with that. The micro-suede pads are comfortable on the ears and apparently serve a purpose in shaping what these do versus the Focal’s 2016 line sound-wise.
Sound
For the purpose of being thorough, I ran the Clear at moderate-high volume for over 100 hours to burn them in. These are my impressions after this.
I must give a little context to my sound impressions here. When I first heard the Elear and Utopia at the London Can Jam 2016, I was really taken aback by how dynamic and hard-hitting they were. The attack on both might have singlehandedly reshaped what I wanted in a headphone, taking me from preferring laid back cans to something with a bit more kick. My first impression of the Clear was that it didn’t seem to have that abrupt attack and power to it, which confused me a little at first. This clued me in to the fact that this was no mere Elear side grade with a pad change, but something that stands apart from its brothers.
The Clear is the most laid back of the three and the most even sounding across the frequencies. Focal has done away with the mid-bass heft that was the standard on the Elear, and have replaced it with a smoother transition between the bass and the midrange. The bass itself isn’t especially elevated but maintains a good amount of body to it – but is definitely still a bit lean. Keeping with what I said earlier, it doesn’t hit as hard as the Elear or Utopia, doesn’t extend quite so far and has a slight softness to it that reminds me of the Fazor Audeze LCD-2.
The soundstage width of the Clear is in the same realm as the Elear and Utopia - all three headphones are intimate in staging width. While not quite having the awe inspiring staging depth of the Utopia, I’d say that the Clear’s presentation is really quite good regardless with instrument separation being a highlight. I really found this to be the case when I listened to the layers upon layers of guitar work in Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction album, for example.
The lower midrange isn’t as thick as the Elear, but it retains good body to synergise with male vocals and the lower strings on acoustic guitars. The midrange itself I found to be definitely a bit on the lusher side than the Utopia, which I can definitely see as being more appealing to those who aren’t quite into the idea of an especially dry and analytical headphone. That being said, it isn’t near the Audeze LCD-4 level in this regard and is still in the realm of not being a flavour can. I found listening to rock music especially enticing on the Clear, and I’m not quite sure why. I do find the presentation of distorted electric guitars on it to be a little less realistic than on the Elear and Utopia – but it’s not bothersome. Guitar distortion on the Elear had this rawness that resembled the sound of a live amp, while the Clear instead handles a better blend of all the instruments in an overall mix.
The upper midrange sounds less dipped than the Elear, although it isn’t emphasized like on some other headphones. I have to admit, the Elear felt like it fell off a cliff in this region and this was a deal-breaker to. This means that female vocals are considerably less distant sounding on the Clear than on the Elear. This also gives the overall sound a more even feeling in going into the treble, which is well extended but not as emphasized as the Utopia. The treble of the Clear is probably the most laid back aspect of it, in my opinion. I know at least one person who prefers the headphone to the Utopia for this reason, and his favourite headphone is the Audeze LCD-4 - for reference’s sake. It’s not rolled, far from it - but there is a slight veil to it when compared to the analytical, revealing and unforgiving Focal Utopia. I was hard-pressed to find a moment where the treble would become bothersome to me, when listening to well-recorded music. Cymbals popped out as they should, always a useful instrument to listen to when evaluating this region, and there was a sense of openness to the sound that felt unencumbered by any dips or limits set about by manipulation of the highs. The biggest difference I felt between it and other headphones that might be considered an easy-listening experience with controlled treble is that it didn’t sound like a compromise was being made unless you really compared it side by side to a truly open and far-extending headphone like the Focal Utopia.
Personally, my own preferences line up with the Utopia - but I don’t hold this against the Clear because it’s doing something different here and appealing to a different audience than myself. What is that audience exactly? I’d say people who want to upgrade from the Sennheiser HD650 but found the Elear’s upper midrange dip and overall presentation to be a deal-breaker. The same people might find the Sennheiser HD800 too wide in soundstage and too bright. This is purely speculation on my part, but I do think that the Clear caters to this market quite well. Is it a Utopia killer, like I’ve seen some people mention online? Not at all as the Utopia’s technicalities are superior, but I definitely see the Clear’s tonality appealing to others.
Comparison to Focal Elear
Once my daily driver, the Focal Elear holds a special place in my heart for what it introduced me to back in the fall of 2016. I admit that I reviewed it thinking it would be a widely appreciated headphone, and I really couldn’t see it being anything but. It wasn’t until I joined the online community a few months afterwards that I was exposed to various complaints people had regarding it. That was an eye-opening experience as well, and it taught me to try and visualize a product’s appeal to different preferences of which I am familiar. Also, I kept seeing the Elear being touted upon its unveiling as being a super Sennheiser HD650 - which I can say now is simply not the case. At the risk of sounding like a moron, I’d say the Clear is closer to being that than the Elear by a considerable margin.
So where does that leave the Elear today? Simply put, it’s a very punchy and somewhat mid-bassy headphone with decent technicalities in terms of detail retrieval and whatnot. Where it falls apart for many is with its shoutiness and upper-midrange dip. Female vocals sound somewhat raspy and distant on it – something that has body and presence on the Clear. Less emphasis on the mid-bass opens up the Clear to a bit to be compatible with more genres of music – although it may seem downright lean in this region by comparison. Regardless, I certainly would pick this over the Elear for jazz, classical and classic rock. The pacing of the Clear is also slightly more relaxed, with frantic metal recordings having their edge taken off slightly compared to the Elear. Simply put, the Elear is a thunderous experience while the Clear turns that down a bit to bring forth more synergy in places where that take no prisoners presentation isn’t required. That isn’t to say that the Clear is boring compared to the Elear, but the differences are there and I feel it’s entirely on purpose.
Comparison to the Focal Utopia
The Focal flagship is also thunderous, but has a level of resolution that I haven’t heard in other dynamic driver headphones to date - except maybe the Audio-Technica ATH-ADX5000. The upper midrange of the Utopia is more forward than the Clear as well, making stringed instruments have more body and texture. Texture is the name of the game overall to be honest, with it not losing this aspect across the frequencies - making it the most resolving and high-resolution dynamic-driver headphone I’ve heard to date. It’s also very fast in both attack and decay, and actually has a stronger presentation in the bass region than the Clear as well in control and body.
One advantage that the Clear does have over the Utopia is its ability to not sound shrill at times, as the Utopia is quite unforgiving of subpar production. Take a compressed pop metal song like In the End by Linkin Park - the Nu-Metal guitars and Chester’s vocals in the chorus sound harsh on the Utopia while the Clear keeps them under the wraps a bit.
Any other advantages will depend on the listener to be honest. I know for a fact that the Utopia’s commanding presentation can be fatiguing to some because it constantly demands your attention. The Clear doesn’t do that; it’s very engaging but it doesn’t cross that line. Even the Elear crosses that line, by comparison.
The vast difference of the price makes sense to me as the Clear’s technicalities are closer to the Elear than the Focal flagship. Its imaging, while stellar, doesn’t enter the Utopia’s realm of intense accuracy. Comparing the two, I needed time to adjust because switching the Clear from the Utopia gave me the sense of the music being slightly veiled while switching from the Clear to the Utopia gave me the sense that I needed to get used to the hard hitting crashing down of each snare hit, among other things, that the Utopia presented in its exposing manner.
Amping
The Clear is really easily driven. At 55 ohms, I was able to power this with the Hiby R6 digital audio player easily, along with my phone. It does scale however, and I was able to pick out familiar differences while tube rolling on my Dragon Inspire IHA-1 tube amplifier. That being said, I wouldn’t say it was as revealing as the Utopia at this. I also ran it out of my Audio-GD NFB-28 amp section and that’s just overkill with its high output.
People running OTL tube amplifiers should beware however, such low impedance will be problematic with high output impedance sources.
Conclusion
I do quite like the Focal Clear while realizing that it isn’t a headphone targeting me. As I mentioned before, the speed and accuracy of the Utopia is an experience I find exhilarating and kind of near-necessary now in my daily listening - and the Clear doesn’t quite do that.
What it does do, however, is pulled off really well – once you figure out its purpose and its audience. When put alongside its siblings - its more laid back and even approach is worth commendation for identifying and catering to a new market. I can even see this being more of an all-rounder, to some, than the Utopia - particularly to those who would find the flagship overwhelming and kind of fatiguing after a while.
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