*This is not an "official" review. More like a brief comparison with a couple pictures. I found myself with all 3 ZMF dynamics and figured I could write a short(ish) comparison of the two closed backs, maybe it will help some decide on which one would suite them best. My sound preferences are just slightly warm of neutral and my main setup I use is Gumby -> ZDS. The pic below is from Zachs site. I didn't have any pics from when I had both these headphones together at one time.
A Tale of Two ZMFs: Atticus & Eikon
While I had the Auteur for review I found myself in a unique position of having all three ZMF dynamics on hand and on the same equipment, so I decided to do a write up of the two closed backs as well. This will be a combined, brief comparative impressions of both the Atticus and Eikon. I won't go into as much detail here as I did on my Auteur review. I touched on both these headphones compared to Zachs new open dynamic in my Auteur review.
Intro / Build / Comfort
These are handmade headphones made by Zach and maybe 1 or 2 other people that help him. The Atticus uses a TPE dynamic driver while the Eikon uses a biocellulose design. Both come in the same housing design. That means just like the Auteur, they are entirely made from wood, metal and genuine leather. Build quality is top notch. Due to the materials used, these headphones are a little heavy in comparison to something like the HD800. They wear their weight well due to the ergonomic headband/strap design, but if you find yourself sensitive to heavy headphones do try and demo one first. Personally I could wear these for hours while heavy headphones like the Audeze LCD series and older Hifiman models were way too heavy for me. The current default wood is Camphor which weighs noticeably less than the outgoing Paduak version.
Bass
Atticus: Extension here is good, however it is centered around the mid-bass. Upper bass doesn't have any noticeable bleed into the the mids. Percussion hits strong with the elevation. Bass is very fast and clean. Easily keeps up with even the most demanding metal music.
Eikon: Extension is EXCELLENT. Seriously, if you are a sub bass fanatic then stop everything and at least try and audition the Eikon. Sub bass is boosted above the mid bass giving deep bass tracks noticeable thump not heard in many other headphones. Playing Daft Punk - Doin it Right is an experience best heard. With mid bass and upper bass being pretty linear into the mids, no bleed to be found at all. Very good transition.
Mids
Atticus: Zach is not one to leave you wanting for a midrange. Lower mids are full and male vocals have excellent texture and weight to them. Upper mids are smooth and present enough to give the lower levels of female vocals that same sense of realism and texture that this headphone can do with male vocals. Guitar crunch here is excellent which is a must for any metal-head like me.
Eikon: Mids are very linear. Whereas some vocals will stand out more on the Atticus, they are more linear here. Vocals are still very good, nothing is recessed, it just doesn't pop out as much like they do on the Atticus. Guitar crunch is also not as forward but in line with the other instruments. I find piano to be especially fantastic on the Eikon.
Treble
Atticus: The upper mids to lower treble transition is smooth and natural, not unlike the HD650 which is the king in mids-treble transition in my eyes. The Atticus at least meets the HD650 head to head here. Compared to the Eikon and Auteur, the treble is a bit more subdued in level across the board. Think ZMF Ori and less ZMF Blackwood (planars). The detail is there, but it is not in your face. This is not unlike the HD650. Extension is good.
Eikon: Mids to treble transition is a tiny bit rougher here than it is on the Atticus. There seems to be a small peak around 5k. Nothing huge like the spike at 6k on the HD800, some may not even notice it, kind of gear dependant and how sensitive to that area you are. After that everything is smooth sailing. Treble has great extension and is more present than on the Atticus. Extension here is really good and maybe a hair better than on the Atticus. It may sound like it has much more due to the treble being more upfront here than on the Atticus.
Soundstage
Both the Atticus and Eikon has a good soundstage. The Atticus is a little larger, which may be surprising due to the more subdued treble region, could be due to the thicker pads among other small differences. The Eikon is no slouch here either though. They both put many other closed backs in this price range to shame. Air and the space around instruments is very good.
Gear Pairing
Atticus: This one is a bit more tricky than the Eikon. The treble is a little subdued on the Atticus and if you pair it with gear that is too dark you could exacerbate this. You want something with good speed, attack and something closer to neutral. Some examples of amps I have experience with that would pair well: Schiit Asgard 2, Valhalla 2 (if you use some good 6CG7 tubes to extend the bass a bit, don't go crazy here though. Save for a better amp, not $200 tubes), Jotunheim. Eddie Current BW (if you like some slamming bass), EC ZDS (this will really show how good of a soundstage this has for a closed back). DNA Stratus (earlier versions of this may be a little too warm).
Eikon: As long as you have good gear and not mushy, poorly made amps you should be good. The Eikon is a headphone that will sound good out of just about anything. Any of the amps listed above would work well in addition to: Schiit Vali 2. DNA Sonett, Sonett 2, any version of Stratus.
For DACs, anything with good resolve at its price point that isn't rolled off or veiled. Anything by Schiit (Modi Multibit may be a bit too warm for the Atticus for some however). The Metrum Amethyst I had on loan from Zach was really good (pair it with a more neutral amp with good bass control). I was also a fan of the Soekris 1541 that I heard with my Auteur.
Comparisons
Ether C/C Flow: I was not a fan of the Ether C, either model. The original is pretty linear if a bit hot in the highs. The main issue was that it just sounded rather dull. Dynamics were gone and everthing sounded closed in. The C Flow helped with the closed in sound but that was primarily because it was tuned with a big boost in the already sometimes hot treble. If your looking for that linear sound the Ether C has, I would look at the Eikon instead, albeit with a bit of Zachs house sound attached so not completely flat.
LCD-XC & Sony Z1R: I'm putting these both in one section because I have the same problem with both of them. They both have a wonky FR that instead of adding "flavor" just detracts from the music. The Atticus has a romantic "flavor" while still retaining good transitions between lows-mids-highs with excellent dynamics and plankton. The Sony also exibits some noticeable distortion in the bass which leads to a somewhat muddy presentation.
Which one is for you?
The $1,000 question. Which should you buy? The Atticus is the most similar to Zachs previous planar headphones, especially the Ori. The Ori was inherently limited by the T50rp driver it used. While a great headphone, Zach was really able to go all out with his house sound with the Atticus. The Eikon most resembles the Blackwood from his planar lineup. A tasteful sub bass boost with a mostly linear response through the mids and highs.
I feel like the default response is mostly going to be the Eikon. It is a great all-rounder that will sound good with just about any genre while not being very picky about what you plug into it. The Atticus on the other hand is what I call a specific genre master. It is not good with everything, but it masters the genres it is good with. This is flat out the best headphone I have ever used for metal. Having said that, if your target FR is something that the Atticus gives you, then go for it. Don't let me tell you which one you should get if you prefer the sound signature of the Atticus over the Eikon as an all rounder.
For pricing, I really can't complain with both models sitting under $1.5k (Atticus $1.1k / Eikon $1.4k). It's main competition in other closed backs are all more expensive for the most part and sound worse.
Conclusion
Zach has turned the closed back headphone game over on its head in my opinion with these two headphones. Nothing comes close. Ether C/C Flow, LCD-XC, Sony Z1R, they all come with baggage and the usual "it's good...for a closed headphone". The Eikon and Atticus are just plain good, period.
.They are the Ori pads?
