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.
Pros: Comfortable, build quality, soundstage width, detail retrieval compared to others in its form factor and price
Cons: Need (little) amping, off tonality, poor imaging, no real identity
Shoutout
Again, a big thanks to Armand for lending me his PM3 for my honest opinions. This is the third headphone of his that I’ve reviewed and I truly appreciate the support for my YouTube channel and written reviews.
Headphone Specifications
Acoustic Principle Closed back
Ear Coupling Circumaural
Nominal Impedance 26 Ohm
Sensitivity 102 dB in 1 mW
Clamping Pressure 5 N
Cables 3 m detachable cable (3.5 mm with 6.35 mm adapter)
1.2 m detachable cable (3.5 mm)
Cable Connectors Output: 3.5 mm stereo jack
Input: 6.35 mm stereo jack, 3.5 mm stereo jack
Weight (without cable) 320 g (Black/White), 310 g (Cherry Red/Steel Blue)
Included Accessories Carrying Case
User Manual
Driver Specifications
Driver Type Planar Magnetic
Driver Size (Round) 55 mm diameter
Magnet System Symmetric push-pull neodymium
Frequency Response In Free-Field 10 - 50,000 Hz
Long-Term Max Input Power 500 mW according to IEC 60268-7
Pulse Max Input Power 2 W
Build Quality, Comfort & Features
Jumping between three far heavier daily drivers, I found the weight of the PM-3 to be near-effortless by comparison. I can wear these for hours on end with no discomfort thanks to the light weight, reasonable clamp and plush earpads.
The construction of the headphone itself is a great selling point. These aren’t the tanks that the V-MODA headphones are, but they aren’t flimsy plastic rubbish like the Beats by Dre are either. They are very capable, and indeed I can tell that Armand has used these quite a bit (he told me that they were a bit older and he has used them as beaters) – but they retain all functionality and, besides a few dings here and there, their looks.
I highly commend both the packaging and the inclusion of a very fetching denim carrying case. There are a number of cables included, so more props for having detachable cables, including a 3m cable that is definitely for home use. I, honestly, have no complaints on the build quality front…however.
Sound
The PM-3 is a little confusing to me in how it goes about presenting itself to the listener. It has superior detail retrieval than I have heard from other headphones of this form factor and price range, but it is only brought out properly through amping. It does not take a lot to amp this however, but don’t be fooled by the included cables for use with phones – it will sound slightly hollow out of your smartphone.
In a price range with a big emphasis on what I like to call “consumer-focused tuning,” with bass taking front seat to anything else – the PM-3 goes in another direction entirely. The bass has some speed to it, but it is muted – lacking in impact/slam. This leads to a really waffling sound in punchier genres of music where instruments like kick drums get lost in the mix. Not only that, but you get a feeble sound out of kick drums as well – leading to a sound that is too tonally off to sound realistic and too weak to sound like a studio construction with drum machines. The sub-bass extension is also chopped at a point, but that does not bother me as much as the above complaints.
The lower midrange is not emphasized either, but it is not drastically dipped as was the case with the Soundmagic HP150. That being said, it reduces the resonant wood of acoustic guitar bodies into plastic constructions – as in there’s no depth to their reproduction. They actually sound very tonally off, which I must admit bothers me as a guitar player myself. It didn’t matter if I was listening to my own acoustic guitar track recorded using a mere MXL 990 microphone or a track being played on the Rumours album by Fleedwood Mac – both were reduced to being hollow sounding.
To the PM-3’s credit, it does manage to have a decently wide soundstage – with instrument separation from left to right channel being a strength. There does not seem to be much going for it in terms of depth and accuracy in imaging. A lot of sounds are hard-panned on either channel or directly in the centre.
The midrange itself also feels quite a bit uneven and, quite often, I’ve find that some instruments sound better to me than others in the same mix. Hard-panned vocals actually sound decent, which makes listening to the Beatles on the PM-3 oddly well-paired due to their (at least in the 2009 stereo remasters) manner of hard panning vocal tracks. I also found Pink Floyd’s The Wall album to be a good listen on the PM-3 due to it not requiring the most dynamic of headphones – just don’t expect any of the tracks’ sound effects (like the cars in One of my Turns) to sounds especially well placed imaging-wise or pan accurately.
The upper-midrange seals the PM-3’s fate to me however. Not only does it lack air, but it leaves the above complaints without redemption and instead renders this headphone as quite “dead” sounding. I’m actually not someone who absolutely insists on having heightened presence in this region, but this headphone is a lesson in just how many layers of dullness can be stacked without a light at the end of the tunnel. The other headphones that lack in this region make up for it in other ways: bass slam, punchiness, midrange character or accurate imaging and detail retrieval.
I honestly wonder how the PM-3 does not achieve any of that to a level where I personally enjoy.
To sum up the frequencies overall, there’s a random jump in the treble somewhere that actually manages to be sibilant at times, which is really out of place with the rest of the headphone. Things falling in this region are heightened, if not hot at times, but the rest of the treble sounds in line with the rest of the headphone – dull.
Conclusion
I find the “darkbright” nature of the PM-3 to be something I can’t quite overlook, which is a shame because these are very, very comfortable and light headphones at a price range where most of the portable competitors are even less refined in their presentation in their drive to showcase a certain type of sound signature that is supposed to appeal to the masses. To go against that grain, I guess I have to commend Oppo to an extent, but the existence of the Meze 99 Classics for around the same price means I would pick the wooden headphone out of the two if I had to choose – at least with the old pads, haven’t quite heard the new ones or the Neo.
The PM-3 is, ultimately, a headphone with a confused identity to me. It is not tuned to emphasize bass or warmth and it isn’t tuned to provide air or fine detail. The midrange is uneven and dull and then a sudden jump in the treble leaves me scratching my head. It comes with cables for smartphone use, but sounds hollow out of one.
At least you can wear it for long periods of time, I guess.
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: Fun sound signature with full low-end body and comfortably extended highs, use of comfortable HM5 earpads, lightweight, isolation
Cons: Hard to drive, flimsy stock T50RP cable option, slightly v-shaped sound signature making vocals sound a bit distant compared to instrumentals
Background:
My very first review, in March of 2016, was of a Fostex T50RP mod – specifically the ZMF Vibro Mk. I. Any in-depth impressions I have of the prolifically modified T50RP were of ZMF Zach’s tuning of the Mark II driver. This was used in the ZMF Vibro and both ZMF Ori/Omnis that I have owned and reviewed in the past – but the Mark III Fostex driver was what Zach has switched to for the Vibro Mk. II. Confusing right?
In any case, it has been months since I sold my last planar magnetic headphone and chose to focus on the two dynamic options that I currently own. Approached by a fan nearby for my impressions of the Cascadia Audio Talos, I jumped at the chance. I knew of them, as I frequently peruse Reddit’s r/headphones subreddit where an announcement was made last year. The creator of the Talos is a fellow who goes by the moniker MadEconomist. I read some impressions back then about how it was slightly V-shaped, not a sound signature I prefer personally, and left it at that.
So, thanks to Armand for lending me his pair to find out more firsthand.
Specifications, Build Quality and Comfort
Impedance: 50Ω. Maximum input power: 3000mW Weight: 385g (without cable).
As with all T50RPs, the impedance is 50 ohms. Make no mistake however, they all require a good amount of power to come into their own – with the FAQ section on the site painting an ideal scenario of having an amplifier that can inject “3Vrms or more into 50 ohms.”
The headphones come in the original box for the Fostex T50RP, along with the original cable – a single-ended affair that plugs into the left cup. Given its $250 price, it makes absolute sense for MadEconomist to not push the envelope of remodeling the cups and wiring properties (as done by ZMF and previously MrSpeakers by changing the cable plugs).
What you’ll get is something that looks absolutely like the original Fostex headphone, with stickers on it. The stock cable is also provided, and it is not impressive at all. Armand provided his own V-Moda cable as an alternative he chooses, which I used instead and found preferable to the overly springy stock option. Both are terminated into 3.5mm jacks, so a converter was necessary to use it with my amplifier.
You have to understand just how naked the Talos feels in my hand compared to what I have experienced before – T50RPs tricked out with wooden cups with thick audio jacks that had room for mini-XLR terminated cables. However, it is because of the minimalist nature of the Talos’ modification that it is quite a bit lighter than both the Vibro and the Ori. Nevertheless, it is a solidly built headphone even in its stock form – with the plastic design not feeling overly flimsy and quite rugged. The metal sliders are intact and as I remember them, with no incremental adjustments but staying in place well.
Because of the relatively light weight, comfort is not an issue with the Talos. The choice of using HM5 Hybrid earpads is commendable, as they are not overly thick and make an effortless seal on my ears – while being very, very comfortable and plush. Extended listening sessions did not reveal any ear fatigue, but I could see them getting a tad hot in the summer – but that’s a concern that is unimaginably far right now as it’s a cold February in the UK.
Sound
I was pleasantly surprised that the Talos is not as deep of a V-shaped sound signature as I had anticipated. The overall presentation has somewhat of a clean characteristic to it while being elevated at the edges – bass and treble taking centre-stage. Jumping through my library, I immediately preferred the Talos with warmer rock music productions than I did the Vibro Mk. I for its ability to not feel too stuffy or congested.
The bass of the Talos is north of neutral, but not overly far reaching in the sub-bass region. However, it is punchy and not sluggish like the Fostex x Massdrop TH-X00 or even the earthier sounding Meze 99 Classic. It is not deeply textured, but it occupies a place that lends a “full” sound to the music – injecting a lot of body into each and every recording. I find this a tricky endeavour to implement because of the risk of midrange bleed (which did happen on the Vibro Mk. I), but the mids of the Talos bypass this issue – giving the lower midrange and bass space to come into their own quite well. Every bassline is heightened in presence in a pleasing manner, but do not expect the intense accuracy of the Sennheiser HD800 in this regard (and you really should not, apples and oranges).
Despite having its V-shaped characteristic, it was actually the midrange of the Talos that made it for me. I could not help but directly compare it to the TH-X00, which has sucked out mids and sharp treble – in my opinion. The Talos, however, has a manner of making the instrumentals of songs work well around its dip. While the soundstage is not, understandably, wide – the instrumentals of most genres fit as they should. The jangling guitar work of Spanish Bombsby The Clash sounds as it should, and well separated to boot. However, it is the vocals that take a backseat in the overall presentation of the midrange – with an upper mid dip especially hitting the female vocal range and making it sound distant. Male vocals are not hit nearly as hard, but it is still obvious that the instrumental will always be emphasized when using the Talos. It should be noted that you will not experience an especially detailed midrange from the Talos, as it is a bit hazy because of the dips.
That being said, the good aspects of the midrange far outweigh the negative. A quick listen to Dreams by Fleetwood Mac confirms this. The vocal layering is not absolutely drowned out by the instrumental, but the harmonies come through quite well in a manner that can be complimented. I prefer its presentation over the Vibro Mk. I for sure.
The treble is very comfortably extended, but not overly far reaching. It does not feel too stuffy, but it is certainly not very airy. I greatly appreciate the lack of peaks that I endured when I had a TH-X00 – as the Talos has a more linear approach to the treble. I also appreciate that it extends further than the Vibro Mk. I, which would get too stuffy (especially on older tracks like Led Zeppelin) – although this could be a characteristic of the T50RP Mk. III, something the Vibro Mk. II is built upon and supposedly has more treble extension than the Mk. I. (another confusing statement, I know) This means that the snare drums have a more impactful sound and cymbals are not completely drowned out in the mix.
One significant weakness that both headphones share is the slightly “scratchy” and unnatural nature of the T50RP treble in general. I had gotten used to it back in the day, but spending so much time with dynamic headphones has made it stick out just that much more.
I went hunting for sibilance in songs that make me grind my teeth on the HD800 (despite it being SuperDupont modded). One example is David Lee Roth’s vocal on Van Halen’sHot for Teacher, which can give me a headache on some headphones. While it did run hot at certain vowels and on a ride cymbal, the Talos did a great job at giving the song a thick low-end with decently opened-up highs in a manner that didn’t irk me. This is a non-fatiguing headphone, plain and simple.
Conclusion
As an overall listen, I greatly prefer the Talos with energetic songs coupled with slick production. Its strengths are not very compatible with low-fi recordings, despite it being quite a forgiving listening experience.
It is not a true-to-life and “natural” sounding headphone that will give you an especially live sound, but it is a very pleasing “fun” tuned headphone that works well as an all-rounder among planar magnetics in its price range – and is an impressive first release by Cascadia Audio.
Pros: Very fun and bassy sound. Forward and lush mids. Quite articulate.
Cons: Not suitable for all genres due to overly warm, mid-bassy sound signature. A bit on the heavy side but that's to be expected with the T50RP mod.
Edit: I bought a Schiit Magni 2 just to see how it sounded with clean amping and the sound has greatly improved. The Asgard, though I love how it sounds with my other headphones, isn't the best match for the Vibro. It needs a clean signal for it to shine.
Zach’s blog on his fascination with wood, its properties and how it can be utilized by man is a good read.I recommend you all to check it out. The man uses the resource on his products in a way that blends both aesthetics and sound in the best way imaginable. This, of course, goes beyond the Vibro – check out the Blackwood and Omni models and how picturesque they are. Due to the use of wood, each pair is unique – which lends a sense of ownership that indiscernible factory designs from other manufacturers can’t reproduce.
I was introduced to ZMF headphones by a friend of mine who had just recently purchased a Fostex THX-00 from Massdrop. He was absolutely in love with the sound but was looking for something to complement his repertoire of headphones. He fully recognized the V/W shaped sound of the THX-00 and wanted something more neutral. However, he didn’t want to lose the bass impact that the Fostex gave him at the same time. After looking around, he showed me the ZMF website and told me about how it’s a small-scale business run by some guy named Zach Mehrbach. I’ll admit, I didn’t quite grasp how the idea of tonewood (something I was familiar with as I have two acoustic guitars on hand specifically for their different wood and the sound difference) could translate to headphones. I thought the designs looked neat though, especially the Omni cups.
My friend soon got himself a pair of Blackwood Omnis, the top of the line offering by ZMF. It seemed he had finally found what he was looking for, neutrality without the cost of “fun.” I had owned a neutral pair of headphones once, recently sold, in the form of the Sennheiser HD600. I enjoyed it for vocals, but the bass wasn’t to my liking. I had looked into Planar Magnetics and managed to find an excellent deal on a new Hifiman HE400i due to a friend visiting Beijing over the winter. It quickly became my favourite pair and motivated me to sell both my HD600 and Beyerdynamic DT990 as I felt it blended and superseded what I enjoyed about both cans. With a little spare cash, I set out to see for myself what the ZMF hype was about.
I went for the Vibros because I wanted to experience what a truly “fun” headphone would sound like without attempting to be anything but that – at no cost of mids. I’m not bass-head, but I wanted bass. I read that further up the line, ZMF headphones tended to be a bit more laid back and I wanted none of that. Also my budget could only allow for a Vibro so hey I’ll happily take what I can. I’m glad I took the plunge, but I won’t be getting rid of my HE400i and this is why:
The Vibro is warm, very warm. “Dark” is a word that has been used to describe it and I don’t disagree. The Mk. 2 is described to extend the treble, but I haven’t heard one so I cannot say. Before I analyze what I hear and like about the Vibro Mk. 1, I will plainly state that if you only listen to certain genres of music like pop, rap and EDM – this should be your go-to set of cans at this price point. However, if you’re like me and listen to a vast array of music – you want another pair to round off your collection that can handle the genres and recordings that the Vibro has difficulty with.
Consider an aggressive genre like metal. Now consider an aggressive metal band like Slayer. When you listen to Slayer, you want all cylinders to be firing on whatever audio system you have. You wouldn’t enjoy it as much if something fell short. I’m glad to say that the Vibro doesn’t fall short in this regard. The cherry cups and planar magnetic drivers combine to give sheer power to whatever you are listening to. This is not a laid-back set of headphones at all. It pushes the music out at you in a bombastic manner that makes you take notice of everything you hear – and most of the time you can hear it all clearly.
If you have a song you really like but can’t stand how sibilant it can sound at times, this is the pair of headphones for you. If you have an album you wish had a bit more kick to it, these are the headphones you should listen to it with. If you want to kick back and listen to some progressive rock, these probably aren’t the headphones for you – which is why I’ll be keeping my HE400i. The treble roll-off on the Vibro is reliant on what you’re listening to – both recording wise and genre wise. For pop and rap, it isn’t even noticeable 90% of the time. For soft rock, it’s quite noticeable and can feel a bit stifling – particularly with the likes of Pink Floyd. If you enjoy listening to vinyl rips, unless they are super clear and equalized, you might not enjoy them on this. EQ itself is something I tend to not use very much but I would recommend it to listeners who find the treble roll-off to be a bit too much. I, personally, will just switch headphones whenever I’m in the mood for genres this isn’t the best for.
However, if you’re listening to something that fits well with the Vibro’s sound signature then there isn’t anything like it in this price range. You’ll find yourself switching the bass ports depending on your mood and genre you’re listening to – but keep a close eye on where you put the little rubber plugs because it’s very easy to misplace them. I personally have two plugs in most of the time, with only one plug in for pop/rap and no plugs in for electronic music.
I have to give a shoutout to Zach for his work with his headphones on behalf of myself and my friend who owns the Omni. I would absolutely recommend peering into his product line to anyone looking to get into “fun” high end audio. This isn’t the realm of the HD800 and its benefits. This is the realm of musically-tuned drivers encased in sexy wood that is uncompromising in its identity and market niche.
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: 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: 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: Punchy bass, very clear midrange for its price point, airy treble, light, easily driven
Cons: Extremely poor build quality, the Quasimodo of headphones, may possibly cause cancer?
Costing me only £16, these are one of those bang-for-your-buck kind of items in the audio world.
Build Quality, Fit & Comfort
The packaging reflects the budget-fi nature by looking like something hanging on a checkout aisle at a Walmart somewhere. The build itself is expectedly not stellar, the cups are made of hollow plastic with holes. The foam is not particularly soft but not particularly rough either. The cable is another issue, being really flimsy and rigid. I would not recommend being too rough with the cable or headphones, as it does feel like it’s prone to fraying – and generally being one caught door handle away from being pulled out of the socket.
Because of such build materials, these are extremely light and do not weigh down your ears. They stay in place quite well too thanks to the clips, but don’t expect the wearing experience to be one where the headphones disappear on your head – I’m always aware that they’re on me due to how they sit, balanced on nothing but your ears.
Sound
The main draw of these headphones is the price-to-performance ratio. The sound is very, very impressive for its price range and form factor. The bass is punchy and has impressive extension for being such a seal-less and light fit. While I can’t say that I preferred EDM with the bass performance, it was certainly stellar for rock and metal music – with kick and double kick drums ringing out clearly in the mix along with the bass guitar, when it came to the low end. I would not characterize the bass as bloomy either, it does not overstay its welcome in more delicate genres of music. However, because the bass is of this nature, and also because there’s no real seal, wearing these in public makes the bass quite anemic – with it becoming a substantially brighter headphone.
The midrange is very, very clear and impressive. Listening to Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, the original acoustic version, shows off just how clean vocals can sound on the KSC75. Quite the contrary to the more forwarded mids on some headphones, the midrange of these are actually a little recessed – leading to a remarkably effortless transition from the bass to the midrange, something that I found lacking in both the Sennheiser Urbanite and Beats Solo 2 – which are both headphones that are several times more expensive. However, despite the impressive nature of the Koss in this regard, do not expect a very “natural” or full-bodied sound from the midrange – it actually has an artificial nature to it and a bit of grain. But, for its price, it is the best I have heard yet in open-back on-ear headphones.
The treble is probably the most impressive frequency of these headphones to me. I usually prefer a bassier and more mid-forward sound, but I could not deny just how much these headphones breathe. Stringed instruments such as acoustic guitars and violins have so much air around them – with the treble being very well extended without reaching immensely problematic peaks. Due to this extension and the slightly subdued nature of the mids, I would actually say that this headphone is bright overall – despite the punchy bass. However, as with the midrange, the treble is more metallic sounding than natural – but again very satisfying and impressive for its price. I will admit that I do prefer using the Ibasso DX80 digital-audio player, with its slightly warmer and treble-rolled sound signature, with the KSC75 rather than my SABRE DAC based AUNE M1s, which is a bit brighter. I also tried it with my VE RunAbout Plus portable headphone amplifier, but headphones do not really need to be driven as they can sound great out of a smartphone.
Another quirk of these headphones is that the soundstage is not very large by any means – which surprised me a bit due to how little they isolate and how punctured and open the cups are. The imaging is largely a miss, with the emphasis of sound reproduction being squarely from the left and right channel instead of projecting in a larger space. Due to this, songs with a lot more layers, tracks and tones can find themselves without enough room to truly shine on the KSC75 – but most songs are not of the nature where it would truly bother a listener using these for what they are intended, which is casual listening.
Conclusion
Probably the biggest compliment I can give these headphones is that I am critiquing them as if they cost above £100. They go neck to neck with many headphones several times the price on a purely sound quality basis – and even leave some more premium offerings in the dust in the same regard. I personally love when I encounter anything with this price-to-performance ratio in any hobby that I have – not just audio. With that in mind, I can strongly recommend these to anyone reading this review.
One final thing though, I did notice that it said on the bottom of the packet that some chemicals used in the construction of these headphones can cause severe health problems, such as cancer, according to the state of California’s regulations. However, I am told that Californian requirements are very strict, and the state has a long list of chemicals that receive this classification – deservedly or not, so make of that as you will.
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: Large amount of power, neutral and un-coloured sound in solid-state mode, XBASS pairing with some headphones, many simultaneous outputs, transportable
Cons: Overly indistinct sound between the solid-state, tube and tube+ modes
iFi's response to my criticism as a disclaimer for this review:
'The unit may have needed to be run in longer in each mode. It requires 24/7 burn in for each mode (3 weeks total) so this maybe why he says the sound wasn't a big jump between the settings'.
I had the Pro iCan in my possession for almost a month and ran it near non-stop, mostly in tube mode.
Having previously found the IFI Micro iCAN SE impressive with its small factor yet high power, along with the synergy between its XBASS hardware bass boost and the Sennheiser HD800, I was greatly looking forward to tackling the company’s flagship amplifier. The elder brother of the Micro iCAN is called the Pro iCAN and it retails for $1700.
I’d like to thank IFI for sending me this unit of the Pro iCan for my honest impressions and a review.
Specifications
Gain: 0dB, 9dB and 18dB user-selectable
Frequency Response: 0.5Hz to 500kHz(-3dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion:
Solid-State: ≤0.0015% (Balanced) ≤0.005% (SE)
Tube: ≤0.002% (Balanced) ≤0.005% (SE)
Tube+: ≤0.012% (Balanced) ≤0.2% (SE)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR, Balanced/Single-Ended): >147dB(A) / > 137dB(A)
Output Power (16Ω, Balanced/Single-Ended): >14,000mW / >4,800mW
Output Voltage (600Ω, Balanced/Single-Ended): >23V / >11.5V
Input Voltage (Pro iCAN): DC 9V/6.7A – 18V/3.35A
Input Voltage (iPower Plus): AC 85 – 265V, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption: ≤ 22W idle, 50W max.
Dimensions: 213(l) x 192.5(w) x 63.3(h) mm
Weight: 1.93kg (4.3lbs）
Test conditions:
Gain = 0dB, 0.775V(0dBu) with 300 Ohm load unless stated otherwise
SNR Balanced: re 23V
SNR SE re.: 11.5V
Build Quality & External Features:
I do not know why I expected the actual unit size to be substantially bigger, as it really is not large at all – especially compared to the size of the Audio-GD NFB-28 that I bought recently. I really do not care much for the looks of the Micro-series by IFI, but I had to admit that they were built like little tanks. The Pro iCan takes that robustness and gives it a chassis that one can proudly display as a member of their audio chain with its textured metallic look.
The front panel has two dials and seven outputs. The large dial on the far left is to select the input feed, as the Pro iCan has the capability of three pairs of RCA in and one balanced XLR input. Also implemented is one pair of RCA and XLR outputs each, all on the back of the chassis. The next dial on the front, a smaller one, selects the four settings for IFI’s hardware bass boost – known as XBASS. The settings are off, 10 Hz, 20 Hz and 40 Hz.
Neatly placed at the front are no fewer than three balanced output options – dual XLR, 4-pin XLR and a 3.5mm. There are also slots for two 6.35mm plugs contained in the centre of dual of the dual XLR, as well as two pairs of 3.5mm jacks – one balanced and one unbalanced.
At two points on the front panel are small switches, each with three settings. The switch on the left selects between solid-state mode, tube mode and a mode that IFI calls “tube plus.”The next switch, on the right, toggles between 0, +9 dB and +18 dB gain. The smaller knob on the right toggles between 30/+, 60/30+ and 90/60+.
I found that the unit ran quite cool in solid-state mode, but heated up a bit when the tubes were activated – showing a picturesque orange glow emanating from the stylized vents of the chassis. This heat is expected from a tube amp, and as there is no exposed tube – there is no chance of burning yourself by accidentally (or deliberately, if you’re into that) touching it.
Finally, a remote is also included which can control the volume.
Sound
Just like I found to be the case with the Micro iCan SE, the solid-state mode of the Pro iCan provides a very clean and powerful amping experience. There is no colouration to the sound of any sort, to my ears, and it is designed to take the sound signature of your headphones and simply make it louder. However, I honestly could not hear much of a difference in the presentation of the solid state mode between the Micro iCan and its elder brother. Keep in mind that the Micro iCan SE’s wattage was strong enough to power most headphones on its own, so Pro iCan only feels like an upgrade in this mode if you have severely hard-to-power headphones. I wish I had a Hifiman HE-6 on hand to test this, but alas I do not.
The tube mode is where matters get a bit more interesting. The stereotype of tube amps is that they colour the sound, adding a little distortion and warmth to make the overall experience more “musical.” Other characteristics of tubes is that bass thump is slightly reduced, with the trade-off being increased soundstage and a wetter sound. Allow me to go through this one-by-one:
Distortion is only really audible on really revealing headphones, like my Sennheiser HD800. Even then, it is very low and barely noticeable unless you are actively looking for it.
There is not much more warmth compared to the solid-state mode. On headphones like the ZMF Atticus, itself a very mid-bassy and warm can, a change can be heard but it is not very distinct.
Bass thump is indeed reduced slightly, but a low setting of XBASS can be added to counter this.
With more analytical headphones, such as the Sennheiser HD800 and the ZMF Eikon, a wetter sound is definitely heard over the dry presentation of the solid-state mode. What this means is that music becomes more laid back, with frequencies gelling slightly to achieve a less stark and analytical and more thick and rich tone. However, the change is very subtle once again.
The tube+ mode is meant to bridge the gap between the dry and analytical solid-state mode and the wet and musical tube mode – with less-reduced bass thump while maintaining some characteristics of the tubes. The most noticeable change between it and the tube mode is that the low distortion is further reduced, providing a blacker background to the audio. However, it does lose some soundstage and the feeling of there being more space in the mix – but adjusting the crosstalk/3D holographic sound setting can adjust this to what you enjoy.
Ultimately, it took a lot of careful listening to distinguish the three modes with all four of my main headphones as nothing overt comes about from switching between them. I can, however, attest that the biggest difference is between the solid-state and tube mode, but it is still so slight that the tube+ mode being a middle ground is a little baffling. If I could make any changes, I would have picked a tube that is more distinct from the solid-state mode. The current tube mode might have been more suitable for the tube+ mode, a subtle change that bridges the gap between solid-state cleanliness and a very coloured sound.
That being said, I do have favourite modes for each of my main headphones.
Pairings
DAC used: Schiit Gungnir Multibit with XBASS and 3D Holographic Sound Turned Off. All testing done on 4-pin XLR balanced output.
Sennheiser HD800
Sennheiser’s former flagship is a very clinical listening experience with vast soundstage and imaging capabilities. I find it difficult to pair with many headphone amplifiers, as the treble glare can get too painful to me with bad pairings. One such painful pairing was when I tried it with the Rupert Neve amp at the London Can Jam 2016 – and that is with the superdupont-resonator mod added to it too.
In my delta-sigma Schiit Gungnir days, I would find the treble presentation of the DAC to be a bit harsh when paired with the HD800. However, since upgrading to the more natural sounding Multibit version, I have found it to be an easier pairing with some amplifiers due to its less reliance on pushing air out to the listener.
The solid-state mode did not bring me any sort of glare or pain, but was still a bit treble-peaky at times depending on the source material. I did find the sound to be too dry for my taste, especially since I am used to the more coloured and warm Cavalli Liquid Carbon being paired with the headphones.
Tube mode brought about subtle changes that I preferred in this pairing. The sound became more laid back, and while not nearly as warm as I am used to – it was not as stark or alert in its attempt to dispense audio. Details, particularly in heavily layered rock and classic rock recordings, seemed to be brought out better in the mix and any distortion was barely noticeable after listening to music rather than deciphering the capabilities of the amp itself. I would actually classify this mode as being more detailed than the richer and more syrupy Liquid Carbon – but with reduced low end.
Tube+ mode was quite similar to the solid-state mode, too much on this headphone for my tastes. Thus, the winner of the three modes with the HD800 was tube mode.
ZMF Eikon (Padauk)
ZMF’s new flagship is a slight departure from their headphones in the past, opting for a more resolving and detailed sound while maintaining a punchy and fun sound signature with well extended and audible sub-bass. Since I’ve had this headphone, I’ve found myself drawn to the possibilities of tube amplifiers for their sound-shaping features.
While the tube mode of the Pro iCan is not quite a stark departure from the sound I can obtain on the Eikon using the Audio GD NFB-28 solid state amplifier – it provides a more laid sound to the very dynamic headphone. The tube mode rounds off some of the edges in airy instruments such as strings and horn sections, and provides slightly more soundstage to boot. I much prefer this combination with smooth jazz recordings and classic rock, but not so much with electronic genres due to slightly reduced sub-bass performance. Vocals, particularly female vocals, have slightly reduced airiness than the solid state mode but more body to the lower tones.
Tube+ mode, in this instance, can be used to offer a slightly wetter sound while maintaining the bass impact needed to enjoy genres more reliant on it. However, because it would seem that I indeed prefer the pairing of the Eikon with tubes (no matter how subtle the effects may be) I would say that the tube mode is my preference with the ZMF Eikon.
Focal Elear
To my ears, the Elear was not designed to be used for laid back and easy listening. My go-to can for metal music, the dynamic and aggressive nature of the Elear makes it stand apart from the other headphones I am using today. However, due to these characteristics, I would not choose to try and modify the Elear’s sound to be anything other than what it is normally. Tube mode with the Elear does not do this much, but it is still at a level where I feel that it would be better served with the cleaner amping experience of the solid-state mode.
ZMF Atticus(Cherry)
ZMF’s new Atticus headphone is a mid-bassy experience with a lush and smooth midrange. It is quite picky with amp pairings, absolutely refusing to play nice with my Cavalli Liquid Carbon for instance, as a warm amplifier causes it to become overly muddy in presentation – with the mid-bass becoming overpowering and causing bleed that detracts from any details and accuracy.
None of the modes of the Pro iCan are a bad pairing with the Atticus, but I opt for the cleanest experience in this regard. The airiness of the solid-state mode, coupled with the lower distortion than the tube modes (once again, no matter how subtle they may be) make it the best pairing with the Atticus. However, I must admit that the amp of the Audio-GD NFB-28 (solid-state) controls the bass of the Atticus far better, bending it to its will. Comparisons, once again, made with the Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC being fed into both amps.
XBASS & 3D Holographic Sound
While also being present on the Micro-iCan SE that I reviewed previously, both these modes have been upgraded substantially for the Pro-iCan’s usage. In my honest opinion, these two settings are the main selling point of this amp – and its true character, geared towards those wanting customization in their sound.
XBASS is a hardware bass boost that pairs very well with the Sennheiser HD800, something that I noticed while reviewing the Micro-iCan a few months ago. On the Pro iCan, however, it is a far more customizable experience with more texture and reach. Offering 10 Hz, 20 Hz and 40 Hz settings, it ranges from giving a slight kick to the low-end of your listening experience to making it a basshead’s dream. As it is a hardware boost, any trade-off to its usage is heavily reliant on the headphones being used and their ability to separate the frequencies well.
XBASS on the HD800 alerted me to just how well the sub-bass on the Sennheiser extended, just not very audibly due to the low volume of its low end. A HD800 with XBASS turned on full transforms the headphones into a punchy and bassy experience while retaining its crispness in the mids and highs – and most importantly the fantastic soundstage and imaging. It is a result that would make purists balk, however, as you are essentially making the headphone “lie” to you in a manner that goes far beyond mere tube colouration. Despite that, it is my favourite pairing of this amplifier – just an expensive one.
3D Holographic Sound is meant to add more panning distance and area into the soundstage of headphones. Using what I assume to be crosstalk, it widens the soundstage to varying effects depending on the headphones. I found the same function on the Micro-iCan to be a bit eerie, ethereal and whispery in nature – removing any impact or depth from the sound. On the Pro-iCan, however, the experience has been made more robust so that this is avoided.
Looking to try it, on full setting, with the HD800? Don’t bother, it does not benefit much at all. Closed headphones, like the ZMF Eikon and Atticus, do experience some widening of soundstage – and it is definitely interesting but something that is heavily dependent on the listener’s preferences.
Some combination of the two settings could fine-tune the Pro-iCan into sounding how you want, making the amplifier a consideration for those who are into such levels of customization.
Conclusion
Observant readers might notice that I did not touch very much on how the Pro-iCan simply “drives” headphones in this review. That is because it simply does so, driving most headphones is no problem for it with its ample wattage. Once again, I do not have a Hifiman HE-6 on hand to test how it does with that notoriously low-sensitivity headphone, but it handled my three 300 ohm and one 80 ohm headphones with ease. Through the 3.5mm output, it drove the 320 ohm VE Zen 2.0 easily too. I never had to make use of the gain switches.
I also have to praise the small form factor of the Pro-iCan, which is especially small compared to my gigantic Audio-GD NFB-28. It is quite transportable, and if it had a DAC component then it would have been all you need for a transportable setup.
However, ultimately, I find that the Pro iCan (when used in its pure solid-state, tube and tube+ modes) lacks a distinctive flavour that sets it apart from other amps that I have tried. While the XBASS and 3D Holographic Sound settings exist to customize your experience, I feel that IFI played it a bit too safe with the difference between the three modes – with tube+ mode feeling redundant with some headphones and it was too indistinct from solid-state mode.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with this amplifier. Anyone seeking a cleanly amped experience that comes with the bells and whistles of customizable hardware bass boosts and crosstalk settings will find it here – if they are willing to spend the aforementioned $1700 for it.
I would imagine that even the subtle differences would suffice for some, but I would personally want a tube amplifier for this price in which it was possible to roll several different tubes for customization in a different way – so the switching mode isn’t a selling point for me.
So, in summation, the Pro-iCan is a solid product that will drive any of your headphones and give you the ability to customize your experience with features that are, frankly, not present on most amplifiers.
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: Clear midrange, punchy and present bass, good soundstage in open configuration, open/closed setting choice, easily driven
Cons: Poor build quality, comfort issues if you have larger ears, mid-range impact a bit low, lackluster cable included
Introduction
The portable on-ear or over-the-ear headphone market is, I admit, not something that I’m especially familiar with. I recognize that there is a strong bias towards consumer-tuning in the $50-$300 price-range, with these usually closed cans having emphasis on the low-end with a rolled off high-end. Detail and resolution are generally eschewed for a lively sound that would easily find itself as powering the soundtrack of your daily commute.
My experience with the Audio Technica M-50X in the past was not very much to my liking, as portable cans. Besides how quickly wearing them became uncomfortable, I found that the bass fell through the floor during a commute due to poor isolation and seal – leaving only a harsh treble signature that was displeasing. The Meze 99 Classics fare far, far better in the same setting, with their tight seal preserving the warm and lush sound signature. Preserving the bass seems to be the major key with portable cans; by isolating, bumping it up or a mix of both.
Enter the Hifiman Edition S, a portable headphone with a twist – it can be easily switched from a closed to an open configuration and vice versa. I recognize that this means that I’ll have to double the sound research behind this review, because both iterations have a noticeable difference in sound, but I’m game.
Thanks to Audio Sanctuary for providing me with this review loaner of the Hifiman Edition S for my honest opinion. Based in London, I enjoy frequenting the store due to their large amount of gear (headphones and speakers) set out for demo. They can be found at http://www.audiosanctuary.co.uk/
Specifications
Style: Open/Closed Back
Frequency Response: 15Hz – 22kHz
Sensitivity: 113 dB
Impedance: 18 Ohms
Weight: 8.74 oz (248g)
Driver Size: 50mm
Build Quality, Comfort and Features
I can’t vouch for this headphone aesthetically, it just isn’t my thing at all. While lightweight, the tradeoff appears to have been the usage of build materials that might result in some calling this headphone “cheap” looking. I had some minor concerns while inspecting it, as I felt the joints connecting the overall frame to the earcups felt like they could easily break. The clamp is not severe, but it is not loose either.
The earpads are a smaller implementation of the hybrid FocusA pads that I had on my Hifiman HE-400i back in the day. As I have larger ears, I found that they would feel cramped inside after a listening period of two hours. This is a far longer period of time than I can handle with the Beats Solo 2, but still not as long as I can listen to the Meze 99 Classics – even the ones with the original pads, with the smaller earholes. It’s really cold here in London, but I can definitely feel my ears getting really warm – and I don’t think I would be able to bear these for long in summer.
The cable is pretty flimsy and incredibly thin for a headphone of this price-range. It utilizes a L-shaped 3.5 termination and has a play/pause button along with a volume +/- button.
Sound
The consumer-tuning of portable cans in this price-range is pretty much a given at this point, but after some time evaluating the Beats Solo 2 and the Sennheiser Urbanite, I quite enjoyed how the Edition S sounds overall. However, the difference between the two configurations is noteworthy – and deserve their own sections in my opinion.
Open Configuration
As it is, essentially, an open headphone in this configuration – the soundstage is quite impressive. Listening to Yosi Horikawa’s Wandering EP revealed that the imaging is quite good also for a contender in its price range and market placement. You won’t obtain an “out-of-head” experience, but you should not be expecting that from this in the first place.
The bass has a nice amount of thump to it that doesn’t sound sluggish or too boosted to the point of distortion. It’s remarkably clean sounding and punchy, reminding me of the bass of Hifiman’s planar magnetic HE-400i that I owned previously, but in a less refined or immediately-impressive manner.
The midrange is really, really clean – with no bass bleed to my ears, despite that being bumped. It is neither highly recessed nor forwarded, but maintains a step back from the listener – leading to an “ethereal” feeling that should not be confused with veiled. Electric guitars, which have so much grittiness and bite on the likes of the Grado SR80e, sound smoothed over and a little processed. Also, acoustic guitars, which have so much heft on the likes of the Meze 99 Classics, sound similarly detached. Despite these minor traits, I still have to commend the ability of these headphones (in this open configuration) to present an expansive and clean experience that is not really found in this form factor.
The treble is at a level that is a few short steps beyond “comfortably-extended.” The Meze 99, on which I used this term to describe the treble extension, actually goes a few steps further to add a snapping element to the sound, making cymbals and snare hits have more impact. The Edition S, however, has a very soft treble that would make listening to this headphone more bearable for the truly treble-sensitive individuals among us. It does not, however, feel chopped off and stifling – as was the case with the Solo 2.
Closed Configuration
While the soundstage takes a notable hit, compared to the open configuration, it is not as night-and-day in terms of difference. There is ample room for the music to take shape, compared to the likes of the Beats Solo 2 especially.
The bass is comparable to the open configuration, but actually feels lessened in flat amount – which is interesting because a sealed and closed headphone can really contribute to the weight and impact of bass.
The midrange maintains the ethereal nature mentioned above, but the separation and the bass is less precise than in the open configuration. Another characteristic that suffers in comparison is that the midrange feels a tad bit stunted, with less of a natural sound and more of a slightly stuffy consumer-tuning. The treble extends well, but hits a similar wall compared to the open configuration.
Switching between the two, I honestly feel that it is not worth the slight bit of extra isolation to have a reduced sonic experience – but that’s just me.
Amping
None required. These are easily-driven headphones made for use with portable devices.
Conclusion
When I think back to the portable headphones that I have reviewed in 2016, I find that the Edition S is close to the top, if only sound quality was to be considered. It possesses a livelier, consumer-tuned (which I prefer for public usage) sound than the likes of the Beyerdynamic DT1350, while maintaining a distinct clarity advantage over the Solo 2 and Urbanite.
However, the comfort issues (my fit dependent) and Hifiman’s underperforming build quality in both the frame and headphones leads me to find this hard to recommend outright. If you can get a good deal on these, and you’ve felt one with your own hands and decided that it isn’t too much of a big deal, then go for it. You will also need to evaluate if you like how it sounds in the closed configuration, and if it provides enough isolation to you for public use.
I, personally, prefer my Meze 99 in every manner over this – but that is another, slightly higher, price-tier so that must be taken into consideration.
If anyone is still reading this, as I know it's an old thread, can anyone tell me if the Edition S will take a balanced cable please?
I can't find the answer from numerous searches. I have these headphones, which I love, and I still use the stock single ended 3.5mm to 3.5mm unbalanced cable. As the removable cable only attaches to one ear piece, I wondered if this means it must be unbalanced, or if the headphones are actually internally wired so that a balanced cable can be used?
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
new version just released
Look at all those reviews saying the detail capability of this headphone. Geez.