[givemetacos]

It seems the overwhelmingly positive opinions of the Eikon and Atticus have been on tube amps. I had the Atticus on a Burson V2+ and didn't care for it at all. I too kept reading on how amazing the bass is on the Atticus but I simply wasn't getting anywhere near what I considered to be sufficient, much less amazing. My 400i planars went deeper especially on electronic drum and bass. I listen to a lot of classical and jazz and everything sounded a bit too veiled for me.
I've since replaced the Atticus with an Audeze and I'm quite happy.

I bet the Atticus sounds great with a nice OTL but what I heard didn't jive with what I've read in this thread.

It should be clear you aren't mistaking sub-bass and mid-bass. For comparing to a planar like the 400i, the Eikon is the one that reaches down low through sub-bass and has even more quantity of sub-bass rumble than most planars. And I have extensively auditioned the entire Hifiman line including the 400i, and own the M1060 and LCD-2. The Eikon is absolutely on that level of sub-bass. The Atticus has a very specific mid-bass bump. So even though it can reproduce low sub-bass well, it gets over shadowed by mid-bass. This creates that warm, bloomy, thick body in the sound, something more similar to the presentation in TH-X00 or the Fostex variants. In that regard, it is a very bassy headphone. I can't even think of another headphone that is more bassy than Atticus. If you don't find the mid-bass levels to be stronger than the 400i, I would recommend burning it in more (if yours is new) and also just play around with fit and clamp to make sure you are getting a perfect seal.

Here's the FR comparison so you can see what I mean:

 

[rgs9200m]

I'm using my Atticus (camphor wood) with solid state (Rudistor RP010B + Chord Hugo TT).

These are some stream-of-consciousness impressions [mini review] from a long listening session last night (after about 4 months of ownership/break-in). They do benefit from break-in.

Soooo great... Balanced sound/perfectly tuned sweet highs/liquidity all around/deep bass/speed and details in the hard-to-get-right upper bass.

Very nice percussion (not sloppy or hung-over). Even things like bongos that are hard to get transparent and fast. And tambourines are just right, not tinny or thin or artificially metallic or too sharp.

Very non fatiguing and good detail showing through at the same time. Good speed and decay. Harmonic and resonant piano.

Flesh and blood vocals somehow as pleasing as I've ever heard with headphones.

Instruments like woodwinds (sax/clarinet) and brass(trumpet and even tuba) have a nice combination of bite and continuous flow and presence.

DHC OCC balanced cable is a big plus.

The Atticus is definitely in the can't-stop-listening camp for me.

I have LCD4s and think the world of them and love the "big sound" and super resolution, but somehow I keep turning to the Atticus because they sink in on an unquantifiable emotional level.

The Atticus sound is just "of a piece" (I guess coherent is the word); nothing stands out as something that doesn't fit in the whole presentation. I think that's my definition of natural.

I'm just guessing and sensing that these were just obsessively tuned (and tuned some more) by ear to just get something that sounds right overall rather than trying to meet some particular aspect of sound or theoretical standard. If I had done the tuning, this is what I would have aimed for.

 

[felix3650]

Having heard and owned both Ori (Cocobolo) and Eikon (Padauk), I can say from memory that the Eikon had a relatively more dynamic sound, something akin to a good set of speakers. You could notice mostly in reverbs and bass notes. A more natural way of driver vibration that also translates to the sound. Not that the Ori is dry or less dynamic, but it has that planar character that tends to be sharp on some notes and with a faster decay. Soundstage I prefered the Eikon, more depth and realism, also the pad cavity is larger for a more open sense. The Ori needs a good amount of power to really shine. The Eikon on the other hand is very efficient, even sounding good out of my Galaxy S7. The Ori would pair excellent to something like the Milo. The Eikon pairs better with tube amps (Taboo MK4, Mogwai, Glenn OTL etc) even though it was great with the Liquid Carbon too.

 

[whirlwind]

I'm using my Atticus (camphor wood) with solid state (Rudistor RP010B + Chord Hugo TT).

These are some stream-of-consciousness impressions [mini review] from a long listening session last night (after about 4 months of ownership/break-in). They do benefit from break-in.

Soooo great... Balanced sound/perfectly tuned sweet highs/liquidity all around/deep bass/speed and details in the hard-to-get-right upper bass.

Very nice percussion (not sloppy or hung-over). Even things like bongos that are hard to get transparent and fast. And tambourines are just right, not tinny or thin or artificially metallic or too sharp.

Very non fatiguing and good detail showing through at the same time. Good speed and decay. Harmonic and resonant piano.

Flesh and blood vocals somehow as pleasing as I've ever heard with headphones.

Instruments like woodwinds (sax/clarinet) and brass(trumpet and even tuba) have a nice combination of bite and continuous flow and presence.

DHC OCC balanced cable is a big plus.

The Atticus is definitely in the can't-stop-listening camp for me.

I have LCD4s and think the world of them and love the "big sound" and super resolution, but somehow I keep turning to the Atticus because they sink in on an unquantifiable emotional level.

The Atticus sound is just "of a piece" (I guess coherent is the word); nothing stands out as something that doesn't fit in the whole presentation. I think that's my definition of natural.

I'm just guessing and sensing that these were just obsessively tuned (and tuned some more) by ear to just get something that sounds right overall rather than trying to meet some particular aspect of sound or theoretical standard. If I had done the tuning, this is what I would have aimed for.

I love reading this...I will be ordering the Atticus in no more than a month from now...I am pretty stoked to hear them with some blues music.

 

[Nick-s-f]

@Pharmaboy Thanks again.

According to Zach, Camphor will become the primary wood for Att/Eik. Padauk and Cherry will eventually run out.

 

[headfirocks]

Has anyone done a direct comparison of different woods on Atticus? Everyone seems to talk about Cherry on Atticus but one of the faster woods might make for a better blend. I don't know if I've read anything from someone who tried more than one.

 

[dunkyboy]

Ok, it's been a fair bit of time since I posted my first impressions of the Eikons, and I have a lot to add.

To be blunt: the Schiit Lyr (original) and Chord Mojo are not suitable to drive the Eikons. They both sound great, but “great” sells the Eikons short. I needed to hear them out of an OTL tube amp, so ordered a Valhalla 2. That drives the Eikons properly, despite an over-hot treble (with stock Voskhod Rockets).

And oh my lord do they sound good! It's a little hot, but this is the best treble I've heard on headphones bar none! It sounds like hyperbole, but the only headphones I've heard* that are in the same ballpark are Stax SR2020 electrostats I owned years ago (which were flawed in many ways the Eikons are not). It's silky, extended, airy, clean, refined, detailed, and natural. Headphones basically never get treble right - but the Eikons, driven by the Valhalla, do!

With both the Mojo and the Lyr, the treble on the Eikon is present, smooth, and inoffensive (which is better than most headphones manage!) but uneven, a bit grainy, and unextended up high. This corresponds with what I’ve heard about Sennheiser 600/650s - that with most amps they sound grainy and veiled up top but with an OTL tube amp, the veil is lifted - so I’m guessing it’s an electrical/impedance matching thing, where the OTL couples properly with the high-impedance coils? But who knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With the Chord Mojo

The Mojo is interesting. At home, straight out of my MacBook Pro and driving be Eikons, it sounded a little congested and messy in the mids & treble. Busy tracks were hard to listen to, and I had to ride the volume a lot. At work, where I feed it through an iFi iPower USB, all the mess is gone, and it sounds great! So make sure you’re feeding your Mojo a high-quality USB signal.

And it really does work well with the Eikons - better than the Lyr. It’s very open, detailed, clear, and tonally colorful. Until I heard the Valhalla, the Mojo was my pick to drive them.

With the Schiit Lyr

This really kicks the Eikons up the arse, with tons of power and drive (more so than the Mojo). It also adds a layer of creamy smoothness that might appeal to some, but I felt it bleaches tones and smooths over texture. Bass is also woolier/muddier than the Mojo. Very enjoyable though.

With Amperex Orange Globes, there’s too much warmth - sounds just right with the Voskhod Rockets.

Vs MrSpeakers Alpha Primes

At this point, I was sort of torn because my beloved Alpha Primes (driven by the Mojo) still did a number of things better than the Eikons. They were less “sexy”, without that glorious ZMF mid tone, and they were more closed-in and much less dynamic. But they were more transparent, more resolved (better “plankton”?), had better tonal color - and better treble.

In short, the Primes were weaker in some areas than the Eikons, but what they did they did without flaws. Whereas the Eikons kicked ass and sounded great, but had some clear flaws - mainly in the treble & upper mids.

Enter Valhalla

So then I bought a Valhalla (2) to try. And now i know my Alpha Primes are history. It really is transformational with the Eikons. On the Valhalla, these are far and away the best headphones I’ve ever heard.

And it’s not just the treble. On the Valhalla, the Eikons’ soundstage is huge - with the right track played loud, it really consumes your sensory universe in a wonderful way. Mid tones are gloriously rich and colorful. Overall it’s refined and completely grainless. And there’s an effortless that’s so hard to find with headphones.

That said it isn’t a flawless combo. The Valhalla has a lean balance and although the treble is glorious, it is a little too hot. It’s so sweet and beautiful though that it almost never seems to offend (and I’m the kind of guy who gets easily offended by a hot treble!)

Interestingly, while rolling in the Amperex OGs does improve the balance, I still prefer the Rockets. The OGs just aren’t as clean or even-handed, especially in the bass. I definitely will be hunting for the perfect warmer-tilted tubes though (not looking forward to the expense!)

I also am now itching to try other OTL amps. I can’t quite justify a $1000+ amp like a Decware just yet (still trying to explain to my wife why I have several ~$1000 headphones in the house!) but I want to try some other flavors of budget OTLs. Bottlehead Crack is top of my list, though maybe some chi-fi would be fun?

Vs My Home Speaker Rig

I’m a speakers guy first and foremost, and have an all-tube, all-Audio Note system at home (DAC3->Oto Phono SE Sig->AN-E LX HE) that I love. No headphones I’ve heard have ever come close. The Eikons+Valhalla are the closest I’ve heard.

Obviously it’s unfair comparing a $500 DAC plus a $350 amp to an $8,000+ combo (it’s less unfair comparing a $1400 headphone to $9,000 speakers though!) But with that incredible OTL treble, the Eikons aren’t completely embarrassed by the big rig! I need to try my DAC3 into the Valhalla+Eikons...

On the Physical Design

I love how the Eikons look, but I have some quibbles.

The pads are a little too narrow for my ears, contacting my lobes in places. One of them is also a bit loose and often swivels out of position and has to be fixed. The sizing adjustment is also too loose and has to be readjusted pretty much every time I put them on. And I can’t see a way to tighten it (unlike the Fostex band on the Alpha Primes, which can be tightened with a screwdriver). The pads are very comfortable but get a little hot (again, unlike the Alpha Primes). I also don’t like how the cups swivel freely all the way round. When you pick them up from a surface, or place them down, you have to be careful that a cup doesn’t swivel down and bang on the surface, which would surely scuff the varnish of the cups or paint of the metal fittings.

And they are heavy (I have camphor cups). You do notice the weight on your neck after a while. Doesn’t bother me much, though the clamping force is a bit weak given the weight - it’s easy to turn your head too fast and have the cups slip out of place.

But these are niggles.

And Then I Bought Atticus

Before the Valhalla arrived, I felt the Eikons were so close to being great but not quite - so I wanted to hear the Atticus in case they got closer to greatness. They arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing. (They’re a demo pair of Zach’s so I figure burn-in isn’t a concern. Cherry cups.) It’s been fascinating.

First impression out of the Valhalla: yikes, these are nowhere near as good as the Eikons! Mids and bass were uneven and the sound was quite closed-in and congested. Unlike the Eikons, they really couldn’t hold a groove! Vocals and guitars sounded great but everything else was a bit of a mess! Disappointing to say the least!

Then I tried driving them straight out of the Mojo... aha! Magic! Now they sound tight, coherent, even-handed - in short, really good! Tonal balance is great, and it’s nice to have a break from the hot treble of the Eikon+Valhalla! Vocals and mid-forward instruments sound phenomenal! Sax especially sounds sexy af. They kick like a mule in the bass and have great groove.

Now the treble via the Mojo is excellent, but not at the level of the Eikon+Valhalla. It’s more like the Alpha Primes - detailed, clean, clear, but lacking a bit of sweetness and air.

The soundstage is huge and enveloping - but not as huge as the Eikons.

And there’s a thickness to the mids and midbass that can sound great with a lot of tracks but becomes a little wearing on others (dense mixes, mainly).

So for now, I still prefer the Eikons. But it’s only been 24 hours. (I'd also say that if I hadn't heard the Eikons, I would be very happy with the Atticus!)

Next step is to try the Atticus with my Lyr (at work) - should be interesting. And I’m thinking I’ll take both the Eikon and Atticus to Audio46 (a few blocks from the office, in midtown Manhattan) and try them both with whatever amps they’ve got on demo…

I’m really curious what amps people have found synergize best with Atticus? Given they seem to like solid state, but are high-impedance… what works best?

I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to get to know the Atticus better.

Dunc

P.S. - Zach has been great at every step of my indecisive journey - I really appreciate it!

*Disclaimer: I haven't heard a lot of modern high-end headphones, but have been on a headphone journey for many years. I’ve owned: Senn 495, 600, 650, 25 II-1, Denon D5K, AKG Q701, K550, the Stax 2020s, MrSpeakers Alpha Dog, Alpha Prime, Audeze EL-8C, ZMF Purple Hearts. I’ve heard many more, and have spent quality time with the likes of: MrSpeakers Ether C Flow, Aeon, Beyer DT-880s, AKG 812s, Oppo PM-3, Shure 1540, Senn Momentums, B&Ws, HifiMans, Grados (though not the high-end)...

 

[Erikson2k]

Ok, it's been a fair bit of time since I posted my first impressions of the Eikons, and I have a lot to add.

To be blunt: the Schiit Lyr (original) and Chord Mojo are not suitable to drive the Eikons. They both sound great, but “great” sells the Eikons short. I needed to hear them out of an OTL tube amp, so ordered a Valhalla 2. That drives the Eikons properly, despite an over-hot treble (with stock Voskhod Rockets).

And oh my lord do they sound good! It's a little hot, but this is the best treble I've heard on headphones bar none! It sounds like hyperbole, but the only headphones I've heard* that are in the same ballpark are Stax SR2020 electrostats I owned years ago (which were flawed in many ways the Eikons are not). It's silky, extended, airy, clean, refined, detailed, and natural. Headphones basically never get treble right - but the Eikons, driven by the Valhalla, do!

With both the Mojo and the Lyr, the treble on the Eikon is present, smooth, and inoffensive (which is better than most headphones manage!) but uneven, a bit grainy, and unextended up high. This corresponds with what I’ve heard about Sennheiser 600/650s - that with most amps they sound grainy and veiled up top but with an OTL tube amp, the veil is lifted - so I’m guessing it’s an electrical/impedance matching thing, where the OTL couples properly with the high-impedance coils? But who knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With the Chord Mojo

The Mojo is interesting. At home, straight out of my MacBook Pro and driving be Eikons, it sounded a little congested and messy in the mids & treble. Busy tracks were hard to listen to, and I had to ride the volume a lot. At work, where I feed it through an iFi iPower USB, all the mess is gone, and it sounds great! So make sure you’re feeding your Mojo a high-quality USB signal.

And it really does work well with the Eikons - better than the Lyr. It’s very open, detailed, clear, and tonally colorful. Until I heard the Valhalla, the Mojo was my pick to drive them.

With the Schiit Lyr

This really kicks the Eikons up the arse, with tons of power and drive (more so than the Mojo). It also adds a layer of creamy smoothness that might appeal to some, but I felt it bleaches tones and smooths over texture. Bass is also woolier/muddier than the Mojo. Very enjoyable though.

With Amperex Orange Globes, there’s too much warmth - sounds just right with the Voskhod Rockets.

Vs MrSpeakers Alpha Primes

At this point, I was sort of torn because my beloved Alpha Primes (driven by the Mojo) still did a number of things better than the Eikons. They were less “sexy”, without that glorious ZMF mid tone, and they were more closed-in and much less dynamic. But they were more transparent, more resolved (better “plankton”?), had better tonal color - and better treble.

In short, the Primes were weaker in some areas than the Eikons, but what they did they did without flaws. Whereas the Eikons kicked ass and sounded great, but had some clear flaws - mainly in the treble & upper mids.

Enter Valhalla

So then I bought a Valhalla (2) to try. And now i know my Alpha Primes are history. It really is transformational with the Eikons. On the Valhalla, these are far and away the best headphones I’ve ever heard.

And it’s not just the treble. On the Valhalla, the Eikons’ soundstage is huge - with the right track played loud, it really consumes your sensory universe in a wonderful way. Mid tones are gloriously rich and colorful. Overall it’s refined and completely grainless. And there’s an effortless that’s so hard to find with headphones.

That said it isn’t a flawless combo. The Valhalla has a lean balance and although the treble is glorious, it is a little too hot. It’s so sweet and beautiful though that it almost never seems to offend (and I’m the kind of guy who gets easily offended by a hot treble!)

Interestingly, while rolling in the Amperex OGs does improve the balance, I still prefer the Rockets. The OGs just aren’t as clean or even-handed, especially in the bass. I definitely will be hunting for the perfect warmer-tilted tubes though (not looking forward to the expense!)

I also am now itching to try other OTL amps. I can’t quite justify a $1000+ amp like a Decware just yet (still trying to explain to my wife why I have several ~$1000 headphones in the house!) but I want to try some other flavors of budget OTLs. Bottlehead Crack is top of my list, though maybe some chi-fi would be fun?

Vs My Home Speaker Rig

I’m a speakers guy first and foremost, and have an all-tube, all-Audio Note system at home (DAC3->Oto Phono SE Sig->AN-E LX HE) that I love. No headphones I’ve heard have ever come close. The Eikons+Valhalla are the closest I’ve heard.

Obviously it’s unfair comparing a $500 DAC plus a $350 amp to an $8,000+ combo (it’s less unfair comparing a $1400 headphone to $9,000 speakers though!) But with that incredible OTL treble, the Eikons aren’t completely embarrassed by the big rig! I need to try my DAC3 into the Valhalla+Eikons...

On the Physical Design

I love how the Eikons look, but I have some quibbles.

The pads are a little too narrow for my ears, contacting my lobes in places. One of them is also a bit loose and often swivels out of position and has to be fixed. The sizing adjustment is also too loose and has to be readjusted pretty much every time I put them on. And I can’t see a way to tighten it (unlike the Fostex band on the Alpha Primes, which can be tightened with a screwdriver). The pads are very comfortable but get a little hot (again, unlike the Alpha Primes). I also don’t like how the cups swivel freely all the way round. When you pick them up from a surface, or place them down, you have to be careful that a cup doesn’t swivel down and bang on the surface, which would surely scuff the varnish of the cups or paint of the metal fittings.

And they are heavy (I have camphor cups). You do notice the weight on your neck after a while. Doesn’t bother me much, though the clamping force is a bit weak given the weight - it’s easy to turn your head too fast and have the cups slip out of place.

But these are niggles.

And Then I Bought Atticus

Before the Valhalla arrived, I felt the Eikons were so close to being great but not quite - so I wanted to hear the Atticus in case they got closer to greatness. They arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing. (They’re a demo pair of Zach’s so I figure burn-in isn’t a concern. Cherry cups.) It’s been fascinating.

First impression out of the Valhalla: yikes, these are nowhere near as good as the Eikons! Mids and bass were uneven and the sound was quite closed-in and congested. Unlike the Eikons, they really couldn’t hold a groove! Vocals and guitars sounded great but everything else was a bit of a mess! Disappointing to say the least!

Then I tried driving them straight out of the Mojo... aha! Magic! Now they sound tight, coherent, even-handed - in short, really good! Tonal balance is great, and it’s nice to have a break from the hot treble of the Eikon+Valhalla! Vocals and mid-forward instruments sound phenomenal! Sax especially sounds sexy af. They kick like a mule in the bass and have great groove.

Now the treble via the Mojo is excellent, but not at the level of the Eikon+Valhalla. It’s more like the Alpha Primes - detailed, clean, clear, but lacking a bit of sweetness and air.

The soundstage is huge and enveloping - but not as huge as the Eikons.

And there’s a thickness to the mids and midbass that can sound great with a lot of tracks but becomes a little wearing on others (dense mixes, mainly).

So for now, I still prefer the Eikons. But it’s only been 24 hours. (I'd also say that if I hadn't heard the Eikons, I would be very happy with the Atticus!)

Next step is to try the Atticus with my Lyr (at work) - should be interesting. And I’m thinking I’ll take both the Eikon and Atticus to Audio46 (a few blocks from the office, in midtown Manhattan) and try them both with whatever amps they’ve got on demo…

I’m really curious what amps people have found synergize best with Atticus? Given they seem to like solid state, but are high-impedance… what works best?

I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to get to know the Atticus better.

Dunc

P.S. - Zach has been great at every step of my indecisive journey - I really appreciate it!

*Disclaimer: I haven't heard a lot of modern high-end headphones, but have been on a headphone journey for many years. I’ve owned: Senn 495, 600, 650, 25 II-1, Denon D5K, AKG Q701, K550, the Stax 2020s, MrSpeakers Alpha Dog, Alpha Prime, Audeze EL-8C, ZMF Purple Hearts. I’ve heard many more, and have spent quality time with the likes of: MrSpeakers Ether C Flow, Aeon, Beyer DT-880s, AKG 812s, Oppo PM-3, Shure 1540, Senn Momentums, B&Ws, HifiMans, Grados (though not the high-end)...

Any specific track recommendations with the eikon Valhalla combo you'd like to mention?

 

[dunkyboy]

Any specific track recommendations with the eikon Valhalla combo you'd like to mention?

Really briefly:

Adele - First Love, for wide-open female vocals
Lydia Ainsworth - Moonstone, for insane soundstage, dynamics, and incredible mid/midbass tone
The National - The Rains of Castomere, for the most incredible deep male baritone
Beck - Wow, for incredible soundstage, a pure, powerful bass tone, and fantastic groove
Arctic Monkeys - Arabella, for base texture and kick, and phenomenal groove
Allen Toussaint - St. James Infirmary, for huge sound, picked acoustic guitar, hand-claps, tambourine, beautiful double-bass, and huge, sonorous piano (and more of that stellar groove )
Cannonball Adderley Quintet - Stars Fell On Alabama - sexeh sax and tons of cymbal action

Things like hand-claps, tambourines, cymbals, high-hats, and breathy vocals in particular highlight the stunning treble. I'll make a note of specific tracks as I hear ones that really call it out.

Dunc

 

[Hansotek]

Ok, it's been a fair bit of time since I posted my first impressions of the Eikons, and I have a lot to add.

To be blunt: the Schiit Lyr (original) and Chord Mojo are not suitable to drive the Eikons. They both sound great, but “great” sells the Eikons short. I needed to hear them out of an OTL tube amp, so ordered a Valhalla 2. That drives the Eikons properly, despite an over-hot treble (with stock Voskhod Rockets).

And oh my lord do they sound good! It's a little hot, but this is the best treble I've heard on headphones bar none! It sounds like hyperbole, but the only headphones I've heard* that are in the same ballpark are Stax SR2020 electrostats I owned years ago (which were flawed in many ways the Eikons are not). It's silky, extended, airy, clean, refined, detailed, and natural. Headphones basically never get treble right - but the Eikons, driven by the Valhalla, do!

With both the Mojo and the Lyr, the treble on the Eikon is present, smooth, and inoffensive (which is better than most headphones manage!) but uneven, a bit grainy, and unextended up high. This corresponds with what I’ve heard about Sennheiser 600/650s - that with most amps they sound grainy and veiled up top but with an OTL tube amp, the veil is lifted - so I’m guessing it’s an electrical/impedance matching thing, where the OTL couples properly with the high-impedance coils? But who knows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With the Chord Mojo

The Mojo is interesting. At home, straight out of my MacBook Pro and driving be Eikons, it sounded a little congested and messy in the mids & treble. Busy tracks were hard to listen to, and I had to ride the volume a lot. At work, where I feed it through an iFi iPower USB, all the mess is gone, and it sounds great! So make sure you’re feeding your Mojo a high-quality USB signal.

And it really does work well with the Eikons - better than the Lyr. It’s very open, detailed, clear, and tonally colorful. Until I heard the Valhalla, the Mojo was my pick to drive them.

With the Schiit Lyr

This really kicks the Eikons up the arse, with tons of power and drive (more so than the Mojo). It also adds a layer of creamy smoothness that might appeal to some, but I felt it bleaches tones and smooths over texture. Bass is also woolier/muddier than the Mojo. Very enjoyable though.

With Amperex Orange Globes, there’s too much warmth - sounds just right with the Voskhod Rockets.

Vs MrSpeakers Alpha Primes

At this point, I was sort of torn because my beloved Alpha Primes (driven by the Mojo) still did a number of things better than the Eikons. They were less “sexy”, without that glorious ZMF mid tone, and they were more closed-in and much less dynamic. But they were more transparent, more resolved (better “plankton”?), had better tonal color - and better treble.

In short, the Primes were weaker in some areas than the Eikons, but what they did they did without flaws. Whereas the Eikons kicked ass and sounded great, but had some clear flaws - mainly in the treble & upper mids.

Enter Valhalla

So then I bought a Valhalla (2) to try. And now i know my Alpha Primes are history. It really is transformational with the Eikons. On the Valhalla, these are far and away the best headphones I’ve ever heard.

And it’s not just the treble. On the Valhalla, the Eikons’ soundstage is huge - with the right track played loud, it really consumes your sensory universe in a wonderful way. Mid tones are gloriously rich and colorful. Overall it’s refined and completely grainless. And there’s an effortless that’s so hard to find with headphones.

That said it isn’t a flawless combo. The Valhalla has a lean balance and although the treble is glorious, it is a little too hot. It’s so sweet and beautiful though that it almost never seems to offend (and I’m the kind of guy who gets easily offended by a hot treble!)

Interestingly, while rolling in the Amperex OGs does improve the balance, I still prefer the Rockets. The OGs just aren’t as clean or even-handed, especially in the bass. I definitely will be hunting for the perfect warmer-tilted tubes though (not looking forward to the expense!)

I also am now itching to try other OTL amps. I can’t quite justify a $1000+ amp like a Decware just yet (still trying to explain to my wife why I have several ~$1000 headphones in the house!) but I want to try some other flavors of budget OTLs. Bottlehead Crack is top of my list, though maybe some chi-fi would be fun?

Vs My Home Speaker Rig

I’m a speakers guy first and foremost, and have an all-tube, all-Audio Note system at home (DAC3->Oto Phono SE Sig->AN-E LX HE) that I love. No headphones I’ve heard have ever come close. The Eikons+Valhalla are the closest I’ve heard.

Obviously it’s unfair comparing a $500 DAC plus a $350 amp to an $8,000+ combo (it’s less unfair comparing a $1400 headphone to $9,000 speakers though!) But with that incredible OTL treble, the Eikons aren’t completely embarrassed by the big rig! I need to try my DAC3 into the Valhalla+Eikons...

On the Physical Design

I love how the Eikons look, but I have some quibbles.

The pads are a little too narrow for my ears, contacting my lobes in places. One of them is also a bit loose and often swivels out of position and has to be fixed. The sizing adjustment is also too loose and has to be readjusted pretty much every time I put them on. And I can’t see a way to tighten it (unlike the Fostex band on the Alpha Primes, which can be tightened with a screwdriver). The pads are very comfortable but get a little hot (again, unlike the Alpha Primes). I also don’t like how the cups swivel freely all the way round. When you pick them up from a surface, or place them down, you have to be careful that a cup doesn’t swivel down and bang on the surface, which would surely scuff the varnish of the cups or paint of the metal fittings.

And they are heavy (I have camphor cups). You do notice the weight on your neck after a while. Doesn’t bother me much, though the clamping force is a bit weak given the weight - it’s easy to turn your head too fast and have the cups slip out of place.

But these are niggles.

And Then I Bought Atticus

Before the Valhalla arrived, I felt the Eikons were so close to being great but not quite - so I wanted to hear the Atticus in case they got closer to greatness. They arrived yesterday and I’ve been playing. (They’re a demo pair of Zach’s so I figure burn-in isn’t a concern. Cherry cups.) It’s been fascinating.

First impression out of the Valhalla: yikes, these are nowhere near as good as the Eikons! Mids and bass were uneven and the sound was quite closed-in and congested. Unlike the Eikons, they really couldn’t hold a groove! Vocals and guitars sounded great but everything else was a bit of a mess! Disappointing to say the least!

Then I tried driving them straight out of the Mojo... aha! Magic! Now they sound tight, coherent, even-handed - in short, really good! Tonal balance is great, and it’s nice to have a break from the hot treble of the Eikon+Valhalla! Vocals and mid-forward instruments sound phenomenal! Sax especially sounds sexy af. They kick like a mule in the bass and have great groove.

Now the treble via the Mojo is excellent, but not at the level of the Eikon+Valhalla. It’s more like the Alpha Primes - detailed, clean, clear, but lacking a bit of sweetness and air.

The soundstage is huge and enveloping - but not as huge as the Eikons.

And there’s a thickness to the mids and midbass that can sound great with a lot of tracks but becomes a little wearing on others (dense mixes, mainly).

So for now, I still prefer the Eikons. But it’s only been 24 hours. (I'd also say that if I hadn't heard the Eikons, I would be very happy with the Atticus!)

Next step is to try the Atticus with my Lyr (at work) - should be interesting. And I’m thinking I’ll take both the Eikon and Atticus to Audio46 (a few blocks from the office, in midtown Manhattan) and try them both with whatever amps they’ve got on demo…

I’m really curious what amps people have found synergize best with Atticus? Given they seem to like solid state, but are high-impedance… what works best?

I’ll report back once I’ve had a chance to get to know the Atticus better.

Dunc

P.S. - Zach has been great at every step of my indecisive journey - I really appreciate it!

*Disclaimer: I haven't heard a lot of modern high-end headphones, but have been on a headphone journey for many years. I’ve owned: Senn 495, 600, 650, 25 II-1, Denon D5K, AKG Q701, K550, the Stax 2020s, MrSpeakers Alpha Dog, Alpha Prime, Audeze EL-8C, ZMF Purple Hearts. I’ve heard many more, and have spent quality time with the likes of: MrSpeakers Ether C Flow, Aeon, Beyer DT-880s, AKG 812s, Oppo PM-3, Shure 1540, Senn Momentums, B&Ws, HifiMans, Grados (though not the high-end)...

First off, great impressions! Thank you for putting in the time and effort.

Second, if you've got the time to wait for top quality but not a ton of $$$ to spend, definitely look into the Glenn OTL. For less than $1k, it's definitely in the conversation for the top tube amp under $2.5k, IMHO. It's one of my personal favorites for the all the ZMFs (especially Atticus)... up there with the DecWare CSP3 and the Ampsandsound Agartha (though I wish Agartha was a tad quieter).

 

[heliosphann]

Has anyone done a direct comparison of different woods on Atticus? Everyone seems to talk about Cherry on Atticus but one of the faster woods might make for a better blend. I don't know if I've read anything from someone who tried more than one.

Zach has stated due to the internal design of the Atticus/Eikon, the wood differences are very minimal to the overall SQ. That being said the differences have been discussed several times in the thread.

 

[headfirocks]

I'm also very curious to hear about amp pairings with the Atticus, especially solid-state and those with preamp tubes. How is the Linear Tube Audio amp with them?

 

[headfirocks]

Zach has stated due to the internal design of the Atticus/Eikon, the wood differences are very minimal to the overall SQ. That being said the differences have been discussed several times in the thread.

If I find that the Cherry Atticus is too muddy with complex music, could one of the faster woods make enough of a difference to "fix" it?

 

[devilboy]

I didn't care for the Atticus at all with my Burson V2+.

From what I'm reading, it needs to be paired with an OTL amplifier. I simply can't understand how the Burson would be inadequate. It's a hell of a headphone amplifier. I know that Atticus has a 300 ohm input impedance but it just doesn't make sense to me. I really don't see what all the hype is about.

 

[devilboy]

I'm unsubscribing from this thread.