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-Introduction-​

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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]It’s not often I have the chance to review products as high-end as the ZMF x Vibro MK II. I approached Zach in July, and asked for a loaner unit. One wasn’t readily available so I waited a month or so, but boy was it worth the wait.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]For those of you who aren’t aware of ZMF, it’s a small company run by Zach Mehrbach, where every pair of ZMF headphones are custom built to user specifications, and can even be tuned to your specific tastes. Furthermore, if Zach doesn’t get your tuning right on the first time around, he will gladly do a re-tune for free.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The Vibro Mk II can be bought from ZMF here starting at $479.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Disclaimer: This review is based upon a loaner unit provided to me by ZMF in exchange for my honest opinion and un-edited words. I do not profit in any way from the writing of the review. I would like to thank Zach for giving me this opportunity.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Preference and Bias: Before reading a review, it is worth mentioning that there is no way for a reviewer to objectively pass judgment on the enjoy-ability of a product: such a thing is inherently subjective. Therefore, I find it necessary for you to read and understand what I take a natural liking to and how that might affect my rating of a product.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]My ideal sound signature would be an extended sub-bass with a leveled, but textured, bass. The mids should be slightly less pronounced than the treble, but still ahead of the bass. I prefer a more bright upper range.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Source: The Vibro Mk II was powered like so:[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]PC Optical Out -> HifiMe SPFDIF 9018 3.5mm out -> RCA Adapter -> Sherwood AD230B 1/4in out.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Standard 3.5mm out from both my Nexus 6P and HTC One M8 was inadequate to drive the Vibro Mk II.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]All music was served as MP3 @320Kbps or as FLAC. I found low-quality recordings and low-bit-rates to not play nicely with the Vibro Mk II.[/color]

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-Sound Signature-​

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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Initial Impressions:[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]I don’t have the best gear available, that’s a given. I mean, take a look at my setup; It’s a Frankenstein-mashup of used DAC’s and a hand-me-down amp. However, the Vibro Mk II doesn’t care. As long as you have the amperage, the Mk II’s got the music. I was immediately impressed with how minute the hiss on the Vibro Mk II is. My Sherwood AD230B amplifier is a brute, so while it does have a very large amount of power available, it usually creates a high noise-floor. The actual sound signature of the Mk II appears to be neutral, with some elevated highs and warmer mids. However, the tuning and flavoring of the Vibro Mk II still allows it to play a large variety of very different genres of music equally well — something that I rarely see in warmer headphones and earphones.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Treble: Songs used: White Flag, Midnight City, Outlands[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]I am very impressed at how well the Vibro Mk II can reproduce upper-treble without causing sibilance. White Flag does a good job of drawing out those trouble frequencies, and the Vibro Mk II doesn’t even seem to notice it. The various electronic effects within the song don’t get in your face too much, but are perfectly happy to sit in the background. The impressive part is how well they stay resolved without smudging or becoming lost. Furthermore, extension into the upper-treble, while not emphasized, is still noticeable. I am consistently wowed by the delicacy the Vibro Mk II.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Midnight City was a treat. The treble contrasted the warm mids very nicely, and created a cohesive but distinctly tuned sound. I consistently heard new sounds and layers to the music that I’d not even begun to notice. The song seem to be rather politely in its presentation, as the kick drum and cymbals didn’t pierce through the song or try to bust your eardrums.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The violins of Outlands were presented in a very relaxed manner. They didn’t have any harsh edges to them and lacked the taught and poised timbre I am used to getting from them on my Pisces BA. It’s not a bad change, and is something I am really growing fond of as I listen more. Furthermore, it sounds like the violins are actually pushed backwards, such that they do not completely dominate the song. This establishes a balance I’ve not really heard from the song on other earphones.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Mids: Songs used: Flagpole Sitta, Jacked Up, I Am The Highway, Good Life[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Flagpole Sitta is a song where the Vibro Mk II displays its great restraint when it comes to warming up the mids. The guitars and bass guitars are easily distinguishable from the rest of the song, as are the various drum beats unlike some offerings from Thinksound and such.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The pianos of Jacked Up are really what struck me. They sounded so naturally and were placed so well that I turned around in my chair to see what was making noise in my room! Weezer’s vocals were also very pleasant. The guitars and drums are well-bodied and have a lot of life to them.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]I really enjoyed the intro. The boosted lower-mids really help the song pull off its intended sonorous and lonely tone. My only complaint is that the vocals sat a little too far back.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Good Life’s mids were presented in a very mellow way. One Republics’ vocalist’s voice meshed very well with the rest of the song, given it a very organic and smooth sound.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Bass: Songs used: Lights, Gold Dust, 99 Problems (Hugo Cover), Leave Me[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The Vibro Mk II’s bass is probably my favorite part of it. While not bass-head levels, I find its presence to be almost perfect, especially considering how well the mid and sub-bass are “attached” to the rest of the sound signature. This really lends Lights a helping hand, giving it depth that colder earphones simply cannot.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Mid and sub-bass presence is high enough to listen to bass-heavy songs like Gold Dust without any issues. Flux Pavilion’s wet bass-drop is presented remarkably well, even if it doesn’t shake your skull.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]99 Problems also performed well, benefiting especially from the mid-sub-bass synergy. Furthermore, the bass never overwhelms and blots out the mids or lower-mids.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Leave Me is my ultimate test of bass-drop responsiveness. If a pair of headphones can perform well enough on this song, it’s generally a sign that it has good potential for other bassy electronic genres. The Vibro Mk II certainly does fit the bill, despite it not overflowing with rumbliness or boominess.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Clarity: Songs used: Throne, Map of The Problimatique, I’m Not Alright[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Clarity is top notch. While it doesn’t extend as far as possible into the upper-treble and sub-bass as other, more expensive offerings, I find it to be at TOTL levels. Everything from layering to detail retrieval to background resolution is hard to complain about, even on demanding songs like Throne. I won’t write out a separate analysis of each song, considering the fact that it performs equally well on each of them.[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Sound Stage[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Sound staging is very well done. It’s not hugely expansive, but is still larger than average. Interestingly, in certain songs, the Vibro Mk II really opens up, allowing for an almost symphonic experience. However, these songs are few and far between. Instrumental separation is excellent, with no noticeable smudging, blurring, or background loss. Furthermore, Luke and Zach did a great job engineering the Vibro Mk II to be airy, but not thin. You never get the feeling that any two instruments are on top of each-other, something I hadn’t experienced before I’d hear the Mk II.[/color]

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-Packaging / Unboxing-​

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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]I received a thoroughly used loaner unit, so it arrived in a very nondescript white box with a peeling-ZMF sticker on top. I won’t be taking any pictures, since it in no way represents what a retail unit will look like.[/color]

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-Build-​

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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Construction Quality[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Zach and Luke did an excellent job transforming what I would call a visually uninspiring pair of headphones, the Fostex t50rp, to a solid and plush looking one. It’s evident, even after the use my loaner unit has gone through, that these things are meant to last. From the removable head-band cushion to the dense wood-cups, I find the workmanship to be remarkable.[/color]
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]Comfort[/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The Vibro Mk II is rather heavy for a pair of headphones, owing mostly to the large amount of cushioning and the wooden cups. However, even after listening for well over three hours, I found them to not be too noticeable. The weight distribution is designed well, and keeps my head feeling perfectly fine — something that I cannot say for the majority of headphones, both on and over-ear, that I’ve tried. ZMF offers three kind of ear pads, built from either lambskin, cowhide, or “protein”. All three offerings are angled, giving the your headphones very good isolation regardless of which kind you choose.[/color]

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-Summary-​

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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)]The ZMF x Vibro Mk II is a power-hungry planar-magnetic headphone with a warm, yet versatile, sound signature sure to make you smile. Its relaxed and mellow sound signature will let you sink into the music you are listening to, and its comfort is second to none. Factor in the phenomenal support you get from Zach at ZMF and if you’ve got the cash, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value.[/color]

Images showing my pair can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/H9gt0

 

Design, Comfort, and Build Quality

Right up front, I want to say that I am a sucker for wood grain. My dad used to make hard wood furniture, and as such I’ve always grown up seeing beautifully stained woods around. I guess I carried over that taste to headphones.

As such, when I initially saw photos of the ZMF x Vibro Mk. II’s, I was immediately struct by the stained wood cups. When I decided to order a pair, I opted for the “Burst” finish with “Rust” stain. The photos provided here are courtesy of Zach himself, and do a fairly good job of showing off how impressive this finish is. But, in person, it is even more impressive. My pair have Zebra Wood cups, which has a beautiful wood grain in my opinion.

As for comfort, these are moderately heavy headphones. I haven’t weighed my pair exactly, but they certainly feel a good bit heavier than my HD600’s. However, due to the pilot pad and large, plush ear pads I find these incredibly comfortable and have worn them for 4+ hours straight at work without any problems.

 

Sound

First and foremost, I am generally powering these through a Schiit Bifrost Uber and Lyr 2, with Amperex White Label 6DJ8’s (Made in Holland variety). Subjectively, due to the tubes, I consider this setup a tad warm through all of my headphones. But, this is a slight effect that doesn’t seem to massively change the frequency response of my headphones.

In addition, I also found my preference with the bass ports was one port plugged. Thus, all of my impressions below are based on having one port plugged.

The bass response on these headphones is wonderful in my opinion. To my ears, these have a nice, controlled bass that is a bit higher than neutral, with very good extension and impact. Comparing the bass to my HD600, the mid-bass is more pronounced and the sub-bass is significantly more present. To my ears, there was no bass bleed into the lower midrange either, similar to the HD600.

The midrange itself has wonderful detail and texture to it, and is a bit forward compared to my HD600’s. I find this to be very desirable, as it really makes vocals and mid-range instruments sound fantastic. This forward nature is not excessive though, and transitions very smoothly into the treble.

The treble has a nice amount of extension, air, and crispness to it. I do not find them to be sibilant or harsh at all, although subjectively I find the top end extension to be just a bit less than my HD600’s.

In terms of sound stage, I was extremely impressed with these. Comparing their sound stage to my HD600’s, I found they both have excellent instrument separation and placement, but found the Vibro’s to be a bit more intimate by a very small amount. In terms of height, I think the sound stage of both is almost the same. But, the width is just a hair narrower on the Vibro’s. While the sound stage is not going to be massive like the AKG Q/K700 series, I find both of these headphones to be very realistic in their presentation.

 

Customer Service

One aspect that I want to highlight in reviewing these is just how amazing Zach’s customer service skills are. Dealing with him has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. He really cares about his customers and puts in the extra effort to communicate clearly and openly.

In addition, the one-of-a-kind nature of every pair of his headphones is something to highlight as well. They truly do give off the impression that someone has put their time in to build them by hand and both look and feel premium.

How far can mods take a headphone's performance? That's the key question when looking at headphones like ZMF Headphone's Vibro Mark II; but instead of answering the question, the Vibro has opened the door of awareness to whole new possibilities! Yes, ZMF has objectively improved the technical performance from the original, subjectively changed the flavor to amazing tonal richness, and re-forged the set to make a strong new impression.



Sound Signature
I invited a music enthusiast friend over, let's call him "Tin Ears" to protect his freedom to blurt out his unfiltered mind and reflect his gear-noob status. On the way, he was very excited as we talked about different technical aspects of sound and songs that would really strike us in the feels, but I refused to tell him how the Vibro sounded to me or hype him other than to say he was in for a treat. He walked in, continuing the conversation, but I cut him off with "Here... Have some chocolate!"

"Woah the wood looks amazing! These pads are HUGE!!"

He put them on. I started playing one of his favorites, The English Beat's "I Confess."

"Holy [nsfw] man. Holy [NSFW]!" Pause... "Damn, this is so good, it makes me want to... To punch a hole in the wall, hahaha!"

The Vibro MkII is, on the frequency graphs, definitely colored and a "fun" headphone with a moderate V-shape (what I'd call a "u" shape). The response starts out with a few decibels bass boosted above neutral that smoothly curves down partway into the midrange, levels out, and starts lifting up a few decibels into the treble "hump" (smoother than your typical "spike") peaking at around 7kHz, beginning to roll back down around 9kHz, and coming back to level with the mids around 12-13kHz and continuing to smoothly roll off past the audible hearing range. So, yeah - energetic midbass and plenty of sub-bass extension (especially with a more-powerful-than-average amp and a DAC better than your phone), nicely balanced against the treble lift. To make a “fun” sound signature, the fundamental midrange needs to be relatively lower so that there is some excitement at the extremes. I specify "u" shape because the slope is gentle; still the mids have a nice presence.

Beyond the frequency range, the Vibro is also endowed with rich timbre, unforced detail, and low fatigue from the treble. I hear the thicker, richer timbre and I think of another headphone that tried to have similarly solid mids/midbass (introduced at $1k, now selling for half that) while also having good detail, soundstage, transparency... and this Vibro achieves that solid weightiness without the bloom, slower decay, nor sacrifice as much of inner detail as that other headphone. Note attack has a solid THUMP that can be felt on the surface of the ear. The Vibro doesn't decay as sharply as my Vintage Stax (what does?!), but coming from another mid-fi headphone like my AKG K612, the Vibro will raise the bar for resolution without sounding artificially enhanced or pressed into the spotlight. Since it doesn't try too hard to spotlight detail from etched or spiked treble, it's easier to listen to for longer times. As a closed headphone, it presents soundstage depth differently than an open headphone, but if you get used to it, the Vibro will show you a room inside your head and do a Hi-Fi job of strongly placing each instrument distinct from each other with only a little concentration. The headphone definitely encourages you to sink in and in and in, and then grooves you with some serious mojo.

What does this mean? I can listen to Margot sing "Walking After Midnight" (Cowboy Junkies, Trinity Session) and really enjoy the varying softness of the electric guitar plucks, hear the ambient decay from Margot's tapping foot inside the church with surprisingly good imaging from a closed headphone, and actually enjoy the spice from the harmonica's high notes. I LOVE the impact of the drums and great gritty texture of the bass guitar on "Heart of the Sunrise" by Yes. I can play an intense game of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 or Destiny without the crack of guns or booms of grenades fatiguing me, yet still use virtual surround processing to predict right when an enemy will appear around the corner and that I'll have to escape that firefight coming up from behind. The thunder inside the Vault of Glass in Destiny sounds so cool and powerful. The Vibro sounds especially magic with Electronica, Alternative, Rock, Jazz, Pop... Not the last word in detail for large orchestral ensembles or recreating the sound of standing out in the rain, but the Vibro still plays with the intensity of the musicians. Go ahead and put anything on, you'll have a good time.



Design
Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise, but the carved wood earcups, super-plush pads, planar magnetic drivers contribute a lot to the sound and ergonomics. Vibro Mk II's start their life as a Fostex TRP-series headphone (Fostex is an OEM Manufacturer). Vibro Labs lathes out the jointly-designed earcups out of "A solid block of premium forestry" as per ZMF's website; mine is carved out of a dense but sustainable Sapele wood, most are Cherry. Meanwhile, Zach tunes and rewires the drivers with premium OCC Litz copper, reassembles the headphone with some massively thick pads and the customer's choice of earcup and adjustment "arm" finish. The cables have a new mini-XLR detachable system that clicks into place smoothly and solidly; Zach (and his wife) make them out of 4-strand wire and terminate the cable with whatever plug the customer wants. I suggest 1/4" or XLR.

A factory-stock Fostex T50RP is pretty good, but a Vibro coaxes better sonic refinement and comfort (and aesthetics) out of what parts are reused. A Vibro is more comfortable due to the significantly more deeply plush, malleable, and slightly more breathable earpads and plush "pilot pad" headband. The wood and padding put the Vibro on the heavier side of headphones, plus they're pretty large, but I wore them while gaming for 5 hours with minor weight shifts, and I don't mind wearing them 1-2 hours without fussing with them (at room temperature). The Vibro MkII cups also have a cool cup mounting system, with wiggle room to pivot the cups a bit in any direction to sit flush against your ears and head. The earcups also have three tuning ports which add about +1 dB of midbass for each unplugged port; I most often listened with the default two-pegged-ports which is just slightly "fun" of neutral but still seems faithful of timbre, while all ports unplugged made my bassy V-Moda M-100 seem redundant. The bass tuning plugs are fun, but feel more like different favors of one headphone rather than 4 different headphones. Go back to the T50RP, and the sound will be more etched in the treble and have more bloom in the midbass, with less pleasurable and believable timbre.



Part of the Vibro's impact and... vibrancy comes from the different-than-usual Planar Magnetic drivers. Most headphones use the Dynamic cone drivers like most home-theater speakers use, but Planar drivers use a super low-mass film that can change direction super fast from the electromagnets set on one or both sides of the film. The much flatter waves and speedy responsiveness from the film benefit the listener with less distortion and basically immunity to effects from an amplifier's output impedance. The downside is that the Vibro is the most power hungry headphone I have had in my house, yet. At work, I had to turn up my poor iPhone 5s to just two ticks shy of maximum volume to get my regular listening volume, and even max was less than what several coworkers wanted to set it. The darling O2 amp on 3x gain can reach adequate volume easily, but still sounds a bit dull and fails to articulate the bass and soundstage depth as well as my more transparent Cavalli Liquid Carbon (connected via XLR) and Theta Basic II DAC at home... The Vibro definitely scales up with a better system.




Cool Factor
Want a unique headphone? One with that hand-crafted feel, with natural wood grain (that you can still feel) in either nude "natural," "stained," or "burst" finish echoing acoustic guitars, one that is collectable and just perhaps as much an heirloom to an audiophile as a Gibson is to a musician? The Vibro delivers.

Secondly, or perhaps more importantly, you'll want to hold onto your custom Vibro because it sounds so addicting. I'm a firm believer that there is no single "best" headphone that will be everyone's favorite... but Tin Ears was just one among three friends, three family members, five coworkers, two GameStop workers ("Astros are best!"), and one random customer at GameStop who all wanted to listen to several songs, all heard something new, all came away impressed, and half softly spoke expletives. That makes the Vibro a pretty easy recommendation. Even if you one day get a technically better performing summit-fi headphone costing twice as much or more, the Vibro still earns its place as the non-fatiguing, toe-tapping alternative for when a harmonica sounds too shrill or a j-pop singer is too sibilant.


Best Use Scenario
The Vibro MKII is best kept near a desk at home or work where you can connect it to a brawny amp and set it down when you need to get up and walk somewhere. The pads and cups seal in the sound quite well with above-average closed headphone comfort, so the Vibro serves well in an environment where you need to cut down ambient noise but you can't wear IEMs because you frequently need to hear a coworker or say hi to your Fiancé/Spouse (face the door!!).


Overall, the Vibro is pretty close to ideal for what I would look for in a closed headphone. It is pretty much for home use, is a little heavy, and requires a desktop-class amp, but it has great strengths in addicting sound, extended-wear comfort, good sound seal and isolation, and frankly is a unique looking headphone with that "custom, handmade" feel. It satisfies on it's own against many hi-fi headphones in the sub-$600 bracket, but also makes a great compliment to own alongside a very technical, transparent headphone that may stray too close to analytical for some songs. You might as well spring for the stain or "burst" finish if you like that look, and a stand or the case, because the Vibro will be just as much a conversation starter as a Swarvosky Crystal statuette. The slight cost will be amortized as the Vibros will be around for a loooooong time for you, for whenever you want to bring some magic to the most popular music genres on the planet.

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I'd like to give a big Thank You to Zach of ZMF for letting me borrow these Vibro's after I asked to review them. I also appreciated Zach's quick service when I had a shorting issue with one of the cables... it was well worth hearing the headphone on my best setup!