[yrstruly]

I have heard the entire lineup, except for the CC and BO, and the VC's are still my favorite. That being said, I love them all.

It's literally a perfect headphone lol.

I don't have a good ear, I'm not a musician, and it's been entirely too long since I've heard acoustic instruments live, but I'd rank the ZMFs I've heard like this (all with some pad rolling but typically with the stock ones, from an Yggy A2 and DNA Stratus chain unless otherwise noted):

1. Caldera: the most tonally convincing and realistic of the lineup. (Auditioned in my home system for 5 days)
2. Auteur Classic: less resolving and not as good at textures as the Caldera, but this headphone's arguably the most neutral of the lineup and sounded glorious (to me) and likewise highly convincing. Nothing sounded off from it. (Again, auditioned in my own chain at home for 5 days)
3. Atrium open: the emphasis in the upper-mids/lower treble made certain vocals and instruments sound overly forward in that region (e.g. the piano). I find that emphasis a bit bright and wince-inducing, so I use the solid mesh which makes for a noticeably darker tuning. Even with this darker tonality, lots of instruments sound compelling, if not entirely correct, and electric guitars and electric basses in particular sound great, as do brass and string instruments. (I own a pair).
4. Vérité Open: this is the least convincing of the ZMF lineup I've mentioned so far because of the laidback tuning, which means that vocals and some instruments can sound a bit recessed in the upper parts of the midrange. With that said, it's a great headphone for jazz; double basses sound great (nicely woody and properly hollow), trumpets can be a bit piercing, but that's as they should be, and alto saxes are good, too. (I owned a pair for a few years).
5. Aeolus: I've only heard them briefly at CanJam and they're not to my taste, being overly warm and lacking treble air and extension, which made them sound off to me. But my prejudices here mean you should see what others have to say about the Aeolus. I suspect they're great rock headphones.

Sorry, I've not heard any of the others! I hope this helps.

Cool list. Was just curious to see people's ZMF rankings really, as the sound profile across the ZMF lineup seems to vary in quite a nuanced and artful way.

I get the sense the Auteur/Auteur Classic are a sleeper fav in the lineup - I see pretty much universal praise for them despite them not seeming to get the hype that some of the TOTL ZMFs get.

Interesting that for you the planar set might have the best timbre! Also I guess there's a distinction between "realistic" timbre and people who prefer a more beautified/lush approach to timbre (Verite etc?).

 

[erics75]

I don't have a good ear, I'm not a musician, and it's been entirely too long since I've heard acoustic instruments live, but I'd rank the ZMFs I've heard like this (all with some pad rolling but typically with the stock ones, from an Yggy A2 and DNA Stratus chain unless otherwise noted):

1. Caldera: the most tonally convincing and realistic of the lineup. (Auditioned in my home system for 5 days)
2. Auteur Classic: less resolving and not as good at textures as the Caldera, but this headphone's arguably the most neutral of the lineup and sounded glorious (to me) and likewise highly convincing. Nothing sounded off from it. (Again, auditioned in my own chain at home for 5 days)
3. Atrium open: the emphasis in the upper-mids/lower treble made certain vocals and instruments sound overly forward in that region (e.g. the piano). I find that emphasis a bit bright and wince-inducing, so I use the solid mesh which makes for a noticeably darker tuning. Even with this darker tonality, lots of instruments sound compelling, if not entirely correct, and electric guitars and electric basses in particular sound great, as do brass and string instruments. (I own a pair).
4. Vérité Open: this is the least convincing of the ZMF lineup I've mentioned so far because of the laidback tuning, which means that vocals and some instruments can sound a bit recessed in the upper parts of the midrange. With that said, it's a great headphone for jazz; double basses sound great (nicely woody and properly hollow), trumpets can be a bit piercing, but that's as they should be, and alto saxes are good, too. (I owned a pair for a few years).
5. Aeolus: I've only heard them briefly at CanJam and they're not to my taste, being overly warm and lacking treble air and extension, which made them sound off to me. But my prejudices here mean you should see what others have to say about the Aeolus. I suspect they're great rock headphones.

Sorry, I've not heard any of the others! I hope this helps.

Oh lists are fun!

1. Bokeh: Most fun, most engaging, mostest of the most when it comes to fun. Just grabs and holds my attention best.
2. Atrium Closed: Much like the Bokeh, but with a more restrained treble region and less forward mids. Less exciting than the Bokeh but not by much.
3. Atrium Open: The most refined and balanced sounding ZMF IMO. Best timbre for me. Still exciting like the AC and Bokeh but more mature and refined. A wonderful generalist and go to headphone when I'm listening to top level audiophile grade tracks.
4. Atticus: MY PRECIOUS.... was the reigning engagement champ for me until the Atriums and Bokeh came to town. Still a fun listen, but IMO the newer models are better at fun and just plain better across the board.
5. Auteur: Most neutral of the ZMF lineup and IMO THE best mids for vocals both male and female. A touch leaner than I'd like, but warmer tube amps fix that up nicely. Was my favorite generalist ZMF until the Atrium Open arrived.
6. Eikon: Amazing subbass. Excellent mids. Good treble. All in all a fun and engaging listen. But a bit of upper mid peakyness led to very very mild long session fatigue. Still prefer the Atticus.
7. Aeolus: Much like the Atticus but more refined and balanced. But for me not as engaging or exciting. I'd rather listen to the Atticus.
8. Verite Closed: Great speed and dynamics, but for me a tad harsh and peaky in the upper mids that led to very mild fatigue. Tubes help tremendously but I just don't like metal driver headphones, even a ZMF. They impart a hardness to the transients that ultimately fatigue me on long listens.
9. Verite Open: Similar to the closed model but not as engaging to me. Another metal driver headphone that ultimately led to mild long listening fatigue.

Have not heard the Caldera models so can't comment on them. Also #s 1-3 are so close I could easily reorder them depending on current mood. My quirks: I like warmth and engagement and don't care about technical performance much, especially resolution. All these modern headphones are more than enough resolution for me. I listen for emotional attachment, which I label "engagement" or fun factor. I also listen on tubes, and like a smoother, more organic presentation. I generally don't like metal drivers, they sound harsh to my ears no matter what is done to mitigate this factor. I tend to listen while at work 8ish hours a day, so my listening sessions are LONG. So when I say I was fatigued, that might take 4 hours to get there, like with the Verite models. They're smooth enough that under 4ish hours I'm fine. But all day and my ears hurt. The top 5 headphones on my list cause no general fatigue even after 8 hours of listening.

 

[yrstruly]

Oh lists are fun! Here's my useless input

1. Bokeh: Most fun, most engaging, mostest of the most when it comes to fun. Just grabs and holds my attention best.
2. Atrium Closed: Much like the Bokeh, but with a more restrained treble region and less forward mids. Less exciting than the Bokeh but not by much.
3. Atrium Open: The most refined and balanced sounding ZMF IMO. Best timbre for me. Still exciting like the AC and Bokeh but more mature and refined. A wonderful generalist and go to headphone when I'm listening to top level audiophile grade tracks.
4. Atticus: MY PRECIOUS.... was the reigning engagement champ for me until the Atriums and Bokeh came to town. Still a fun listen, but IMO the newer models are better at fun and just plain better across the board.
5. Auteur: Most neutral of the ZMF lineup and IMO THE best mids for vocals both male and female. A touch leaner than I'd like, but warmer tube amps fix that up nicely. Was my favorite generalist ZMF until the Atrium Open arrived.
6. Eikon: Amazing subbass. Excellent mids. Good treble. All in all a fun and engaging listen. But a bit of upper mid peakyness led to very very mild long session fatigue. Still prefer the Atticus.
7. Aeolus: Much like the Atticus but more refined and balanced. But for me not as engaging or exciting. I'd rather listen to the Atticus.
8. Verite Closed: Great speed and dynamics, but for me a tad harsh and peaky in the upper mids that led to very mild fatigue. Tubes help tremendously but I just don't like metal driver headphones, even a ZMF. They impart a hardness to the transients that ultimately fatigue me on long listens.
9. Verite Open: Similar to the closed model but not as engaging to me. Another metal driver headphone that ultimately led to mild long listening fatigue.

Have not heard the Caldera models so can't comment on them. Also #s 1-3 are so close I could easily reorder them depending on current mood. My quirks: I like warmth and engagement and don't care about technical performance much, especially resolution. All these modern headphones are more than enough resolution for me. I listen for emotional attachment, which I label "engagement" or fun factor. I also listen on tubes, and like a smoother, more organic presentation. I generally don't like metal drivers, they sound harsh to my ears no matter what is done to mitigate this factor. I tend to listen while at work 8ish hours a day, so my listening sessions are LONG. So when I say I was fatigued, that might take 4 hours to get there, like with the Verite models. They're smooth enough that under 4ish hours I'm fine. But all day and my ears hurt. The top 5 headphones on my list cause no general fatigue even after 8 hours of listening.

So interesting that you found the upper mids aggressive on the VC - I find the upper mids really relaxed and love that about them (whereas e.g. the Focal Stellia upper mids are grating). This hobby is so baffling haha. Fair play about hardness to the transients though I do pick that up sometimes.

I am still dying to hear the Atticus. Complete sucker for warm, coloured, fun, polarising headphones and the Atticus seems legendary in this regard.

 

[erics75]

So interesting that you found the upper mids aggressive on the VC - I find the upper mids really relaxed and love that about them (whereas e.g. the Focal Stellia upper mids are grating). This hobby is so baffling haha. Fair play about hardness to the transients though I do pick that up sometimes.

I am still dying to hear the Atticus. Complete sucker for warm, coloured, fun, polarising headphones and the Atticus seems legendary in this regard.

Yeah it's tough to weed through all the online impressions given how varied they are. We all hear very differently, and have very different preferences. So finding consensus is really tough. I tend to take in as much as I can from various sources but triangulate my preferences to theirs. That way when they say "warm" I know what it means to me.

The Atticus is so fun, I cannot recommend enough giving it a listen. I don't know about UK pricing, but here in the states the used prices have plummeted on it, so one could easily get one in the $600ish range. At that price it's a steal, IMO.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the VC. I did like it quite a bit. The bass was a blast, as was the overall tuning. But in the end no matter what gear I had it on, after a few hours my ears would start ringing pretty bad, and become very fatigued. All metal drivers do this to me eventually, but the good ones take awhile to get there, like the VC/VO. Some like the Sundara or Aeon fatigue me very fast, within an hour.

 

[fiascogarcia]

Awesome setup! And that Atrium.... so amazing looking. I'd be curious to know how well the Oor compares to the Decware. I cannot find a solid state amp that truly satisfies, but quite a few ZMF owners have raved about the Oor for theirs. If you just had one amp, would it be tube or solid state for the Atrium?

They're actually quite complementary, and using the OTL as pre-amp to the Oor is great! For Atrium though, playing through the OTL is best!

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

Interesting that for you the planar set might have the best timbre!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I wouldn't be the only person to say the Caldera succeeds in sounding a lot like a dynamic driver headphone, so that might explain it. I'm also a fan of planars (my go-to headphones are modded Audezes).

I get the sense the Auteur/Auteur Classic are a sleeper fav in the lineup - I see pretty much universal praise for them despite them not seeming to get the hype that some of the TOTL ZMFs get.

Yeah, they're kind of the middle child (I nearly wrote spinster aunt) of the lineup, sadly. They don't have an outstanding quality that wows you - or at least, they don't for me. Rather, they do next to nothing wrong. But they really do get tonality and ZMF's take on neutral so right... I prefer the Atrium for its analogue, euphonic warmth and engagement, and couldn't justify the expense of an Auteur Classic alongside it. But I could see people liking it the most. If I had a budget for one headphone in the $1-1.5k range, it'd be a top contender.

 

[Ruiqi]

Oh lists are fun!

1. Bokeh: Most fun, most engaging, mostest of the most when it comes to fun. Just grabs and holds my attention best.
2. Atrium Closed: Much like the Bokeh, but with a more restrained treble region and less forward mids. Less exciting than the Bokeh but not by much.
3. Atrium Open: The most refined and balanced sounding ZMF IMO. Best timbre for me. Still exciting like the AC and Bokeh but more mature and refined. A wonderful generalist and go to headphone when I'm listening to top level audiophile grade tracks.
4. Atticus: MY PRECIOUS.... was the reigning engagement champ for me until the Atriums and Bokeh came to town. Still a fun listen, but IMO the newer models are better at fun and just plain better across the board.
5. Auteur: Most neutral of the ZMF lineup and IMO THE best mids for vocals both male and female. A touch leaner than I'd like, but warmer tube amps fix that up nicely. Was my favorite generalist ZMF until the Atrium Open arrived.
6. Eikon: Amazing subbass. Excellent mids. Good treble. All in all a fun and engaging listen. But a bit of upper mid peakyness led to very very mild long session fatigue. Still prefer the Atticus.
7. Aeolus: Much like the Atticus but more refined and balanced. But for me not as engaging or exciting. I'd rather listen to the Atticus.
8. Verite Closed: Great speed and dynamics, but for me a tad harsh and peaky in the upper mids that led to very mild fatigue. Tubes help tremendously but I just don't like metal driver headphones, even a ZMF. They impart a hardness to the transients that ultimately fatigue me on long listens.
9. Verite Open: Similar to the closed model but not as engaging to me. Another metal driver headphone that ultimately led to mild long listening fatigue.

Have not heard the Caldera models so can't comment on them. Also #s 1-3 are so close I could easily reorder them depending on current mood. My quirks: I like warmth and engagement and don't care about technical performance much, especially resolution. All these modern headphones are more than enough resolution for me. I listen for emotional attachment, which I label "engagement" or fun factor. I also listen on tubes, and like a smoother, more organic presentation. I generally don't like metal drivers, they sound harsh to my ears no matter what is done to mitigate this factor. I tend to listen while at work 8ish hours a day, so my listening sessions are LONG. So when I say I was fatigued, that might take 4 hours to get there, like with the Verite models. They're smooth enough that under 4ish hours I'm fine. But all day and my ears hurt. The top 5 headphones on my list cause no general fatigue even after 8 hours of listening.

Man, I own both the VC and Atticus currently and you're making me want to get a pair of Atrium Closed!

 

[fiascogarcia]

Atrium goodness! Open and closed.

 

[idairyou]

Atrium goodness! Open and closed.

These two make a great pair. I have the Red Heart as well, and I've been breaking in the AC Queensland Maple. I'm pretty sure I can call myself a ZMF fanboy these days. Caldera and Atrium convinced me to give closed backs a try, and I purchased a Bokeh. Was going to wait on the AC till after the Caldera Closed came out and then get the AC in November, but then I found out I was getting a decent bonus at work and the Queensland Maple was too hard to resist knowing I had some extra play money.

 

[OnlySoMany]

Oh lists are fun!

1. Bokeh: Most fun, most engaging, mostest of the most when it comes to fun. Just grabs and holds my attention best.
2. Atrium Closed: Much like the Bokeh, but with a more restrained treble region and less forward mids. Less exciting than the Bokeh but not by much.
3. Atrium Open: The most refined and balanced sounding ZMF IMO. Best timbre for me. Still exciting like the AC and Bokeh but more mature and refined. A wonderful generalist and go to headphone when I'm listening to top level audiophile grade tracks.
4. Atticus: MY PRECIOUS.... was the reigning engagement champ for me until the Atriums and Bokeh came to town. Still a fun listen, but IMO the newer models are better at fun and just plain better across the board.
5. Auteur: Most neutral of the ZMF lineup and IMO THE best mids for vocals both male and female. A touch leaner than I'd like, but warmer tube amps fix that up nicely. Was my favorite generalist ZMF until the Atrium Open arrived.
6. Eikon: Amazing subbass. Excellent mids. Good treble. All in all a fun and engaging listen. But a bit of upper mid peakyness led to very very mild long session fatigue. Still prefer the Atticus.
7. Aeolus: Much like the Atticus but more refined and balanced. But for me not as engaging or exciting. I'd rather listen to the Atticus.
8. Verite Closed: Great speed and dynamics, but for me a tad harsh and peaky in the upper mids that led to very mild fatigue. Tubes help tremendously but I just don't like metal driver headphones, even a ZMF. They impart a hardness to the transients that ultimately fatigue me on long listens.
9. Verite Open: Similar to the closed model but not as engaging to me. Another metal driver headphone that ultimately led to mild long listening fatigue.

Have not heard the Caldera models so can't comment on them. Also #s 1-3 are so close I could easily reorder them depending on current mood. My quirks: I like warmth and engagement and don't care about technical performance much, especially resolution. All these modern headphones are more than enough resolution for me. I listen for emotional attachment, which I label "engagement" or fun factor. I also listen on tubes, and like a smoother, more organic presentation. I generally don't like metal drivers, they sound harsh to my ears no matter what is done to mitigate this factor. I tend to listen while at work 8ish hours a day, so my listening sessions are LONG. So when I say I was fatigued, that might take 4 hours to get there, like with the Verite models. They're smooth enough that under 4ish hours I'm fine. But all day and my ears hurt. The top 5 headphones on my list cause no general fatigue even after 8 hours of listening.

I also enjoy lists. I'm fortunate enough to own every current ZMF headphone at once, and will try to give my best personal feedback.

Please note this list can slightly change based on what listening station I am at, but I will use the Dave/Blu/Viva since it's the best one I have.

Last disclaimer, every ZMF set sounds great, it really just depends what you are going for. My top 3 are the ones I reach for the most often.

1. Atrium Closed / Caldera
I cannot split these two headphones into a number one and number two spot. They are both excellent at what they do, and I adore both of their sound. Just depends on what you are looking for. Atrium is best on copper cable, and Caldera on grand palladium silver. If I had to sell every ZMF I own and keep two, it'd be these. Atrium ever so slightly takes the edge on ultimate clarity, and represents the best I have heard from a dynamic driver. Caldera just sounds good. There is nothing missing from Caldera. You want it, it has it. Reward either of these with a beastly source/dac/amp and you will reap the rewards.

(Placeholder for Caldera Closed. Come on Zach! )

2. Auteur Classic. Just plain wonderful ZMF house sound. It's so laid back and chill, but very fun and detailed. I find it very hard to hate anything about it. Could use a smidge bit more detail, but then I think you'd lose some of its magic.

3. The woman says Atrium Open, and I say Verite Closed. She likes a more open and honest sound, whereas I prefer a bit more romance with spice. Verite Closed is super fast, and fixes for me what the open version lacks, which is a good chunk of slam. This is likely due to me listening to a lot of trance and edm while working, but the Verite Closed also performs well with other genres. Very technical while knowing how to boogie. Did I say it was fast? It's fast.

4. Atrium Open. Hate me, it's fine. Love the headphone, but there are others above that just sound better to me. Maybe not better, but more of a rounded experience. Many will place Atrium Open as their number one, which is great. It's why they make more than one model! Just an overall seller performing set of cans, I just have certain things I like more about the others mentioned above.

5. Verite Open. Probably one of the best for acoustic performances or flac classic rock. Soundstage king. Gives you 4/5 of Susvara for less than half the price.

6. Aeolus. I know it has a lot of fans, but I think it's a bit overly detailed without the oomph to back it up. Like if you took an Atrium Closed and removed 1/3 it's bass. Still a great set, but to my ears there are better from ZMF.

7. Atticus. Fun, funky, and groovy. Bass lacks decay but it does have speed. Not as detailed as others on the list. It really does have its own sound. Not a bad sound at all, but again, there are better sets from ZMF if you pony up the funds.

 

[cats4cans]

My list is simple.

1) A tie between all the models I don’t have yet because FOMO is real and I has it. Probably put the open models before the closed ones, but who are we kidding eventually I’ll want them all. Maybe there’s like a layaway, Patreon, or tithing arrangement. I’ll just have a portion of my income sent directly to ZMF and they’ll send me headphones I don’t have yet over time.
2) This is a tie between all the models I do have because I’m never giving up any of them. In fact, it always bothers me that people actually sell their ZMF headphones in the same way it bothers me when they callously rehome pets.

 

[grant0317]

So interesting that you found the upper mids aggressive on the VC - I find the upper mids really relaxed and love that about them (whereas e.g. the Focal Stellia upper mids are grating). This hobby is so baffling haha. Fair play about hardness to the transients though I do pick that up sometimes.

I am still dying to hear the Atticus. Complete sucker for warm, coloured, fun, polarising headphones and the Atticus seems legendary in this regard.

When I listened to the atticus at my local zmf dealer with the stock ori pads, the treble actually seemed very aggressive to me (something was sibilant in the 15k+ fr) and I did not have access to EQ (dac amp available at my listening booth was the sagra+formula S) compared to my VC. While the atticus did have that warmth and bass presence, its overall signature sounded very V-shaped and the boost to both bass and treble sounded a tad aggressive. Definitely sounded like an older ZMF tuning compared to more modern zmf cans which have a better balance in tonality imo.

 

[unfitstew]

I also enjoy lists. I'm fortunate enough to own every current ZMF headphone at once, and will try to give my best personal feedback.

Please note this list can slightly change based on what listening station I am at, but I will use the Dave/Blu/Viva since it's the best one I have.

Last disclaimer, every ZMF set sounds great, it really just depends what you are going for. My top 3 are the ones I reach for the most often.

1. Atrium Closed / Caldera
I cannot split these two headphones into a number one and number two spot. They are both excellent at what they do, and I adore both of their sound. Just depends on what you are looking for. Atrium is best on copper cable, and Caldera on grand palladium silver. If I had to sell every ZMF I own and keep two, it'd be these. Atrium ever so slightly takes the edge on ultimate clarity, and represents the best I have heard from a dynamic driver. Caldera just sounds good. There is nothing missing from Caldera. You want it, it has it. Reward either of these with a beastly source/dac/amp and you will reap the rewards.

(Placeholder for Caldera Closed. Come on Zach! )

2. Auteur Classic. Just plain wonderful ZMF house sound. It's so laid back and chill, but very fun and detailed. I find it very hard to hate anything about it. Could use a smidge bit more detail, but then I think you'd lose some of its magic.

3. The woman says Atrium Open, and I say Verite Closed. She likes a more open and honest sound, whereas I prefer a bit more romance with spice. Verite Closed is super fast, and fixes for me what the open version lacks, which is a good chunk of slam. This is likely due to me listening to a lot of trance and edm while working, but the Verite Closed also performs well with other genres. Very technical while knowing how to boogie. Did I say it was fast? It's fast.

4. Atrium Open. Hate me, it's fine. Love the headphone, but there are others above that just sound better to me. Maybe not better, but more of a rounded experience. Many will place Atrium Open as their number one, which is great. It's why they make more than one model! Just an overall seller performing set of cans, I just have certain things I like more about the others mentioned above.

5. Verite Open. Probably one of the best for acoustic performances or flac classic rock. Soundstage king. Gives you 4/5 of Susvara for less than half the price.

6. Aeolus. I know it has a lot of fans, but I think it's a bit overly detailed without the oomph to back it up. Like if you took an Atrium Closed and removed 1/3 it's bass. Still a great set, but to my ears there are better from ZMF.

7. Atticus. Fun, funky, and groovy. Bass lacks decay but it does have speed. Not as detailed as others on the list. It really does have its own sound. Not a bad sound at all, but again, there are better sets from ZMF if you pony up the funds.

Yeah lists are quite fun. I will do one as someone who also has all ZMF headphones outside the Bokeh open, closed, and Caldera Closed.

1. Atrium Open
This is my favorite or second favorite HP I own. The bass is present, punchy, and has a good weight to it. The mids are lush. Upper mids gets close to being too much for me but doesn't which helps keep it very lush while not getting shouty. Vocals are very sweet and intimate. Treble is dark but not overly dark. Easily my favorite tonality of all the ZMFs and it works for pretty much any music I play on it. Great soundstage too. Main downside is that it isn't super detailed nor very fast. I haven't heard a HP I would rather use when just trying to sit, relax, and enjoy music. Incredibly romantic and musical sound.

2. Auteur Classic
Lovely balanced presentation with even better bass extension than Atrium Open. Pretty punchy bass. Very pleasant intimate vocals. Treble is laid back but present enough. Very easy to listen to and to me the easiest ZMF to daily drive. More intimate presentation overall than some other ZMFs overall.

(possibly insert Caldera Closed here with thick Pads based on Canjam NYC 2024 impressions but want to properly hear it before saying. But I liked it more than its open counterpart.)

3. Atrium Closed
Lots of bass. Great extention. But did I mention lots of bass! Good subbass punch and subbass focused in general. Overall a really fun v shaped HP. I am not much of a fan of V shaped headphones in general but this one is one I quite enjoy. My main problem with Atrium Closed is it sounds like a worse Atrium Open to me. Does sound pretty open for a closed back though.

(Bokeh Closed could possibly be here but only tried in Canjam. Not sure I will buy them soon as they sound very similar to Atrium Closed)

4. Verite Closed
A good amount of midbass punch. Still v shaped but a more enjoyable v shape like the AC. Relaxed upper mids. Quite fast. Basically a more balanced VO to me despite being a closed back. More technical than either Atrium version.

5. Caldera Open
The best ZMF in terms of details. Good speed. It sounds considerably like a dynamic driver HP despite being a planar. Great bass extention as expected from a planar. One of the most dynamic and punchy bass on a planar I have heard. Not my favorite ZMF HP due to it having a too prominent shouty upper midrange and too spicy treble for me. The mantle mesh and/or Caldera Thick pads do help/fix this but even then I do for sure prefer my first 3 choices over it anyways.

6. Atticus
ZMFs incredibly fun closed back that has a lot of midbass. Has really good midbass kick. The bass almost feels like it envelopes you and the whole sound. Where as Atrium Open is ZMFs most fun HP for a relaxed listen. Atticus is ZMFs most fun HP to me for a lively listen. Incredibly fun for rock even if it isn't the most clear sounding one. Does have a bit of bass bleed so that doesn't help there.

7. Verite Open
I like all above on the list but this is one I have mixed feeling about overall. It has a very holographic and nice soundstage. Good warmth though not as punchy as some other ZMFs. I am very much a mids person so this is main reason I have an issue with the HP. It has the most recessed upper mids of all the zmf open backs to me. I found vocals (mostly female vocals) to be kind thin and off sounding.
On the other end it is really good for acoustic music. The BE2 Perforate lambskin pads helps raises the upper mids so I recommend it for any who find its upper mids too recessed. Also a really lush tube amps helps make the VO shine.

I haven't listened to my Aeolus and Eikon in a long time so not going to rank them or say anything about them. I do like the Eikons but the Atrium Closed to me is like a "super Eikon" so I just use it.

These are just my preferences. I should have probably said it first but like @OnlySoMany some of this list is influenced by how much I use them too. I tend to rotate between most of them. With Atrium Open and Auteur Classic getting extra time compared to the others.

 

[soundchaos]

I also enjoy lists. I'm fortunate enough to own every current ZMF headphone at once, and will try to give my best personal feedback.

Please note this list can slightly change based on what listening station I am at, but I will use the Dave/Blu/Viva since it's the best one I have.

Last disclaimer, every ZMF set sounds great, it really just depends what you are going for. My top 3 are the ones I reach for the most often.

1. Atrium Closed / Caldera
I cannot split these two headphones into a number one and number two spot. They are both excellent at what they do, and I adore both of their sound. Just depends on what you are looking for. Atrium is best on copper cable, and Caldera on grand palladium silver. If I had to sell every ZMF I own and keep two, it'd be these. Atrium ever so slightly takes the edge on ultimate clarity, and represents the best I have heard from a dynamic driver. Caldera just sounds good. There is nothing missing from Caldera. You want it, it has it. Reward either of these with a beastly source/dac/amp and you will reap the rewards.

(Placeholder for Caldera Closed. Come on Zach! )

2. Auteur Classic. Just plain wonderful ZMF house sound. It's so laid back and chill, but very fun and detailed. I find it very hard to hate anything about it. Could use a smidge bit more detail, but then I think you'd lose some of its magic.

3. The woman says Atrium Open, and I say Verite Closed. She likes a more open and honest sound, whereas I prefer a bit more romance with spice. Verite Closed is super fast, and fixes for me what the open version lacks, which is a good chunk of slam. This is likely due to me listening to a lot of trance and edm while working, but the Verite Closed also performs well with other genres. Very technical while knowing how to boogie. Did I say it was fast? It's fast.

4. Atrium Open. Hate me, it's fine. Love the headphone, but there are others above that just sound better to me. Maybe not better, but more of a rounded experience. Many will place Atrium Open as their number one, which is great. It's why they make more than one model! Just an overall seller performing set of cans, I just have certain things I like more about the others mentioned above.

5. Verite Open. Probably one of the best for acoustic performances or flac classic rock. Soundstage king. Gives you 4/5 of Susvara for less than half the price.

6. Aeolus. I know it has a lot of fans, but I think it's a bit overly detailed without the oomph to back it up. Like if you took an Atrium Closed and removed 1/3 it's bass. Still a great set, but to my ears there are better from ZMF.

7. Atticus. Fun, funky, and groovy. Bass lacks decay but it does have speed. Not as detailed as others on the list. It really does have its own sound. Not a bad sound at all, but again, there are better sets from ZMF if you pony up the funds.

Great reviews! Which is your top choice for EDM/trance? That is the majority of my listening along with some rock and I’m looking to add another ZMF alongside the bokeh. I was thinking atrium closed, but would love to hear your thoughts on what you prefer with those genres (and what chain you have them on)

 

[yrstruly]

Bloody love lists. Thanks for sharing, all!