[zach915m]

Nice pictures man!
And the barnyard cherry does look very nice I must say. I really dig both the color and it's matte, raw look.
Looks a lot better than standard cherry and Padauk if you ask me.

Thanks man. I agree - when I saw the darker colour of the barnyard finish I knew I had to have it (and Cocobolo being just a few hundred dollars too far for my budget). Wasn't much of a fan of the reddish pad auk or light yellow cherry - although the darker camphor is also gorgeous. One day I'd love to see a bocote or zebra wood version. I may just keep mine matte, or - depending on feedback from Zach and others - give it a light polish with a tung oil (or similar) to bring out that beautiful grain and add some shine without harming the dark colour base.

I think the barnyard cherry looks super sweet as well! There were a couple early sets that we experimented with and @gLer has one of them. I think it's super cool but after conferring with our staff we all decided to go with a still matte but ever so slightly more "substantial" finish that is hand-wiped instead of sprayed. They were both great looking but we agreed the slightly warmer look we settled on will probably be more popular. I will post some pics later today as we finish a few sets.

That set above and actually has an oil "sealer" already and then a sprayed varnish on top of it. So probably best to just clean it as needed with a micro-suede cloth. I am not sure how reintroducing oil over the sprayed finish will interact. That finish may look like raw wood but that is just how that finish is formulated.

For all our headphones I really like martin guitar polish, because it just cleans the surface.

@gLer - those pics are absolutely stunning!!!! It's super cool that we are now represented in South Africa.

 

[zach915m]

Hey guys! Just a reminder that today is the last day to get in on the auteur discount pre-order prices and the LTD Cocobolo and Barnyard Cherry sets. We have four barnyard cherry units left that would ship before xmas.

I am estimating that current auteur orders taken will be delivered in February. It's always exciting to be able to share these headphones with everyone after working long hours to make them come to life! Thank you!

The barnyard cherry will more closely have this color and sheen:



and teaser pic of the auteur:

 

[xenithon]

Proud to be part of team ZMF South Africa!

 

[Jmitchell]

After running both Atticus and Eikon for months I’ve decided to note my findings.

Both have a similar sound but the differences became more obvious over time. Atticus is the overall smoother headphone, almost sounds planar in its smoothness. Atticus is more micro detailed and has a smooth treble, slight sweetness to it’s sound. The Atticus also hits harder, so hard that I’ve yet to feel such impact from another headphone.

Eikon sounds a little rougher, edgier and gritty but has a more even FR. Bass extension is more linear but for most music neither suffer from roll off. Eikon has a more airy treble but Atticus has a sweeter, more smooth treble. Eikon is a little leaner, dryer. Eikon presents voices leaner, less romantic and present but it doe transition better due to the more linear bass to mids. Voices sound more powerful on Atticus, more emotional. I find I feel the music more with the more fast, dynamic Atticus.

Atticus and Eikon pair great with the Kenzie, Eddie current range. Both scale, TPE drivers scale more. I think the TPE drivers are better than the BC drivers.

 

[whirlwind]

Thanks Zach, I shall be picking up some martin guitar polish

 

[moedawg140]

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present my Atticus. As far as I know (and @zach915m please correct me if I'm wrong) this is the first barnyard cherry Atticus in the wild (and also one of only two Atticus in South Africa - and possibly Africa). And before you ask, no, I didn't jump the queue; this is an A-stock Atticus with B-stock cups that Zach used to experiment with the cherry oxidisation process, and was kind enough to offer me. It uses a different and more complex process to the one he finally settled on, so yours will likely look slightly different, probably with a touch more shine. I'm yet to decide whether to keep mine this fine matte finish, or treat it with an oil or rub to bring out more of the grain and give it some more lustre. Working on that with Zach - but if anyone with carpentry experience has any suggestions, feel free. In the meantime, the sound is what really matters, and my pre-burn-in initial impressions make this the best closed headphone I've ever heard - with the best mids of any headphone (open or closed) I've had the privilege of auditioning. More to follow in the days and weeks ahead. Enjoy the gallery below.

Great post, and gorgeous pictures!

 

[crossfire]

I personally prefer the barnyard cherry over the cocobolo. I always love the vintage headphone looks.

 

[mwhals]

@zach915m I think also mentioned Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen & Conditioner is good for the wood too.

 

[captkirk]

I personally prefer the barnyard cherry over the cocobolo. I always love the vintage headphone looks.

Ditto.

And the matte finish on @gLer’s is fueling massive jealousy.

 

[gLer]

Ditto.

And the matte finish on @gLer’s is fueling massive jealousy.

Thanks man, except I'm really itching to get a bit more sheen into it. Might try some of that Birchwood polish at some stage to get it closer to Zach's final version. @zach915m what did you do differently to get the sheen finish?

 

[gLer]

Hey guys, I've done some searching on this thread and other forums but haven't seen a conclusive take on the Atticus paired with the Darkvoice 336SE. I'm looking to dip my toes into the tube world - specifically for the Atticus - but also possibly for the LCD-2F. Both my headphones are driven beautifully by the iDSD Micro (as a DAC) and the Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp (both warm of neutral with plenty of power), but I was hoping to diversify a bit and get some gooey but clean tube flavour to my sound on occasion. Not looking to replace my SS setup, so no need for a TOTL tube amp in that regard, but rather something well made, well reviewed, and that allows for possible experimentation. So around the $300 mark would be within reason. Thoughts and suggestions welcome (especially Darkvoice impressions).

 

[Jmitchell]

Hey guys, I've done some searching on this thread and other forums but haven't seen a conclusive take on the Atticus paired with the Darkvoice 336SE. I'm looking to dip my toes into the tube world - specifically for the Atticus - but also possibly for the LCD-2F. Both my headphones are driven beautifully by the iDSD Micro (as a DAC) and the Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp (both warm of neutral with plenty of power), but I was hoping to diversify a bit and get some gooey but clean tube flavour to my sound on occasion. Not looking to replace my SS setup, so no need for a TOTL tube amp in that regard, but rather something well made, well reviewed, and that allows for possible experimentation. So around the $300 mark would be within reason. Thoughts and suggestions welcome (especially Darkvoice impressions).

Atticus is like a more energetic, faster and better version of the LCD-2. I’d sale the Audeze and grab yourself a better amp like Moj2, DNA, even a Crack + Speedball for the pure engagement and fun factor.

 

[gLer]

Atticus is like a more energetic, faster and better version of the LCD-2. I’d sale the Audeze and grab yourself a better amp like Moj2, DNA, even a Crack + Speedball for the pure engagement and fun factor.

Thanks for the input. Don’t really want to sell the LCD as I like to have an open headphone and also enjoy the planar sound - quite different to the Atticus and more suitable for certain genres. Also more laid back. Excuse my ignorance but what’s the moj2 and DNA?

 

[Jmitchell]

Thanks for the input. Don’t really want to sell the LCD as I like to have an open headphone and also enjoy the planar sound - quite different to the Atticus and more suitable for certain genres. Also more laid back. Excuse my ignorance but what’s the moj2 and DNA?

The whole planar sound doesn’t really fly compared to Atticus as the A extends just as deep in the bass with faster, better macro dynamics. Despite being semi open the Atticus also throws a bigger sound out in all directions I personally think it’s a waste owning both when you could sale the lesser headphone that loses in all areas and keep your Atticus with a really good amp and have an end game set up. Just my 2C. School Moj 2 is a hybrid amp that sounds extremely impactful and dynamic. It pairs well with Atticus because they’re both very fast and hard hitting bits of gear. DNA makes great amps like the Sonnet 2 worth looking into along with the Kenzie. The Darkvoice is okay but won’t do your Atticus any favours. Atticus thrives on good systems.

 

[gLer]

The whole planar sound doesn’t really fly compared to Atticus as the A extends just as deep in the bass with faster, better macro dynamics. Despite being semi open the Atticus also throws a bigger sound out in all directions I personally think it’s a waste owning both when you could sale the lesser headphone that loses in all areas and keep your Atticus with a really good amp and have an end game set up. Just my 2C. School Moj 2 is a hybrid amp that sounds extremely impactful and dynamic. It pairs well with Atticus because they’re both very fast and hard hitting bits of gear. DNA makes great amps like the Sonnet 2 worth looking into along with the Kenzie. The Darkvoice is okay but won’t do your Atticus any favours. Atticus thrives on good systems.

Thanks again. Will agree to disagree on the LCD-2 Can’t find the Moj 2 online. The Sonnet 2 must be one of the ugliest amps I’ve ever seen. I’m sure it’s very good but wouldn’t be able to look at it. Not set on the DV but also not looking to spend big bucks on tubes when I already have a great (endgame for my needs) SS setup.

Edit: figured you meant the Schitt Mjolnir 2.