ATTICUS and EIKON, the new dynamic driver headphones from ZMF
Nov 30, 2021 at 10:04 PM Post #8,716 of 9,714
I'm from Europe - Schiit is hardly avaliable. As for budget - Denafrips Ares II is maximum push.
The Ares II is excellent. If that is your choice, you will not regret the purchase.
 
Nov 30, 2021 at 11:02 PM Post #8,717 of 9,714
Do you find the woo very lush or warm to your ears?
I'm from Europe - Schiit is hardly avaliable. As for budget - Denafrips Ares II is maximum push.
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 12:25 AM Post #8,718 of 9,714
~ I can make the Woo WA2 warm & lush: RCA 6AS7G and Philips BEL 6922 do that for me if I choose. My favourite modus operandi is RFT EZ81s, GEC CV5008s, RFT ECC81s. Not warm, not cold, much air, no glare…definitely not SS.
~ My favoured h/p/a for Atticus, Auteur, Eikon. Likely to be so for Aeolus when that arrives.
 
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Dec 1, 2021 at 7:19 AM Post #8,719 of 9,714
If the Ares does same filter option of NOS/OS like my Pontus 2 I’d get the Ares as the change is very audible. I think it’s fake NOS as where the Holo May isn't. On the Denafrips NOS/OS you’d have to be deaf not to pick it up. Basically I would not run the Denafrips in which ever mode sounds not alive. If I really cared which setting I was using I'd read the manual but with the little led lit sounds best.
 
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Dec 2, 2021 at 12:56 AM Post #8,720 of 9,714
When your listening to atticus and a bass line drops you just say Yes.
It gives you this visceral satisfaction
listening to this jazz hop song with a really thicc bass line
and its just too good
650 gives you solid bass but it doesnt give you that visceral satisfaction
its more balanced and even
and 800S is the most detailed but doesnt have the thiccness that brings the mood and attitude of the streets that the track evokes on atticus and 650
 
Dec 2, 2021 at 7:06 AM Post #8,722 of 9,714
Does anyone know how would ZMF Atticus + Woo Audio WA2 + Denafrips Ares II stack compare with Meze Empyrean + iFi Audio idsd signature? Having classic rock/metal in mind.

These are very different setups and I haven't yet seen their comparison here on HF, but it would be intriguing to read about that for sure :)
 
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Dec 3, 2021 at 3:04 AM Post #8,725 of 9,714
Does anyone know how would ZMF Atticus + Woo Audio WA2 + Denafrips Ares II stack compare with Meze Empyrean + iFi Audio idsd signature? Having classic rock/metal in mind.
The Empy is a very nice sounding headphone, one of the best I've heard. It's also more technically proficient than the Atticus is, so on well mastered 24 bit albums, it can be amazing. However, since most metal has less than stellar production, and often times, downright awful production, the Empy will reveal all that awfulness to the fullest.

In your case, I would choose based upon your listening habits, and your file collection. If you rarely listen to metal and have a lot of audiophile grade albums, then go for the Empy. Otherwise I'd stick with the Atticus. It's much gentler on garbage metal production, which will allow you to still enjoy your fav metal albums.
 
Dec 3, 2021 at 7:40 AM Post #8,726 of 9,714
How does the Atticus compare to the Audeze LCD-3?
I'm looking into the Atticus for mainly EDM listening. I feel the LCD-3 lacks a bit of bass impact which im looking for a side pair to complement it. I really love everything about the LCD-3 sound and was wondering how the Atticus matches up?
 
Dec 3, 2021 at 8:26 AM Post #8,728 of 9,714
How does the Atticus compare to the Audeze LCD-3?
I'm looking into the Atticus for mainly EDM listening. I feel the LCD-3 lacks a bit of bass impact which im looking for a side pair to complement it. I really love everything about the LCD-3 sound and was wondering how the Atticus matches up?
I don’t have an LCD-3 but I do have an LCD-2 and an Atticus (with the ori lambskin pads). I love them both, I think the both have strengths and weaknesses and both suit my taste. It’s hard for me to compare the mids because I EQ them on both my Atticus and LCD-2. I will say that the Atticus mids sound more natural to me but there’s a big dip at around 4k and a big peak at 5k that can make it sound wonky, while the LCD-2 without eq are a bit recessed but still tonally balanced. I enjoy the mids very much on both after a little eq but I found the mids on the Atticus harder to EQ. The treble on the Atticus is reminiscent of my LCD-2: slightly less bright than harman in the lower treble with actually slightly boosted air around 11-15k. This is my preferred treble tonality although the Atticus has a bit more of a peak at around 10k if you’re sensitive to that.

Now about the bass: this is where the Audezes and Atticus diverge the most. The LCD-2, much like the 3 extends flat to 20hz. I boost from about 110hz by 4-6db depending on the track. The Atticus on the other hand has gobs of bass. On some tracks I don’t boost at all, on others I’ll give it 1 or 2db max. I do however cut the mid bass a little bit because I do think it sounds a bit bloated compared to my Audeze. What it does do better than the Audeze is slam. Kick drums feel punchier on the Atticus, partially because of that mid bass hump. That’s why I only eq it down a few db as opposed to eliminating it altogether. The Atticus also does not extend quite as low as the Audezes, however it’s reasonably capable of sub bass if you ask it to with some EQ. The Audeze has better bass imaging and texture IMO. On the Atticus I don’t always have the clearest sense of where the bass is in space. I actually find that the bass imaging is very sensitive to the headphones position on your head. If I don’t have them seated on my head perfectly it’ll sound like the kick drum is off to the left or right.

What’s interesting is I don’t feel like the slam characteristics are apples to apples the Atticus slams harder. I think it’s slammier feeling in the mid bass and upper treble, while the Audeze hits harder in the low bass and mids. E.g. I find I enjoy electronic music that uses sub bass more than mid bass more on the LCDs, and I find snares have a more natural, even punch on the LCDs. The Atticus, as I mentioned, feels slammier on kick drums and the treble feels a little… sparklier? But the mids are super smooth (which is nice in its own way). I do find that my EQ profile affects the impact of the mids a bit but I just can’t tolerate a peak at 5k for extended listening, which is what I mainly use them for.
 
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Dec 3, 2021 at 9:04 AM Post #8,729 of 9,714
How does the Atticus compare to the Audeze LCD-3?
I'm looking into the Atticus for mainly EDM listening. I feel the LCD-3 lacks a bit of bass impact which im looking for a side pair to complement it. I really love everything about the LCD-3 sound and was wondering how the Atticus matches up?

At one time I owned the Atticus & LCD-3 for quite some time they were my two main listens.
I would have been happy forever I think, music never sounded better. Atticus has great slam.

They complimented each other well and you have the open / closed thing as well.
 

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