[rohit8]

As an EMU Teak owner, the ZMF Atticus and Eikon have always interested me. I primarily listen to hip hop and electronic music - artists like Tiesto, Deadmau5, Drake, The Weeknd, Vacant. etc. Given the extended subbass of the Eikon and the midbass bump of the Atticus, which one would be better for that type of music?

 

[1-MiC]

I listen to a lot of rap, and I enjoy the Eikon with all of it. It’s technicalities make well recording music a great experience, but it’s fun enough for that older, not so well recorded music in my collection.
I was torn on the two as well until I tried the TR-X00’s. They helped me realize I wanted the sub bass of the Eikon, because it works so well with the rap and r&b I listen to.

 

[Kevin.T]

I recently took out my Burson Soloist (1st gen, non-SL) to try with the Atticus. I was previously running the Atticus balanced on my THX 788 alone (cleaner solution for my desk).

I have to say, after listening to this setup for a while, the Atticus feels decidedly tighter, punchier and livelier. Maybe the class A amplification has something to do with it? Or maybe the Burson is just such a nice looking unit, it inspires confidence, haha. Whatever it is, I'm having a good time! I will gladly make space so it can stay on my desk.

Anyone compare Atticus to Focal Radiance or Empyrean ?

I actually auditioned the Radiance yesterday (for an hour, in a quiet room), and the Atticus has been my main headphone for more than 2 months now, so it was my point of reference while doing the audition. Disclaimer: all of the following is "to my ears".

One big takeaway was how much smaller and confined the Radiance sounded compared to the Atticus. It truly sounded like a headphone to me (a closed one, at that). The Atticus has this way of sounding really big: I get lost in its soundscape. During my one hour audition with the Radiance, I was never able to shake off the feeling that I was listening to a headphone that reproduces music. Good detail retrieval, but it's all happening inside the cups and in between the ears, in a manner that sounded kind of artificial to me.

In terms of frequency response / tonality, the Radiance is much "colder" than the Atticus. I know the Radiance is often described as a warm headphone, but being used to the Atticus, it straight up came off as "cold" to me. It sounded a bit nasal in the mids. The Atticus has a really thick midrange (that I love), so maybe I'm just used to that. The Radiance also has that metallic sheen in the upper registers (as with other Focals I've tried before), that the Atticus obviously doesn't have. Because of these qualities, the tonality of this headphone did not gel with me. Bass was good though, no complaints there. Not as bloomy as Atticus, while still being hefty in the mix.

There is one thing I found the Radiance to have over the Atticus: better detail retrieval in the upper registers. Because the Atticus has a thick midrange and a relaxed treble, there are some sounds that are slightly masked sometimes. I'm talking sounds that I can pick out easier even with my HD650. With the Radiance, these sounds were prominent and clear in the mix (clearer than HD650, let alone Atticus). So, if you're craving upper register detail / presence, the Radiance delivers, whereas the Atticus could leave you wanting more.

Overall, I prefer the Atticus to the Radiance by a wide margin. I was expecting a closer race, actually, but that's just good news for my wallet I guess. The set I tried was a demo set from an authorized dealer, that looked as good as new, with a 35% discount on MSRP. I'm almost disappointed I didn't like them more!

 

[Minkypou]

I recently took out my Burson Soloist (1st gen, non-SL) to try with the Atticus. I was previously running the Atticus balanced on my THX 788 alone (cleaner solution for my desk).

I have to say, after listening to this setup for a while, the Atticus feels decidedly tighter, punchier and livelier. Maybe the class A amplification has something to do with it? Or maybe the Burson is just such a nice looking unit, it inspires confidence, haha. Whatever it is, I'm having a good time! I will gladly make space so it can stay on my desk.



I actually auditioned the Radiance yesterday (for an hour, in a quiet room), and the Atticus has been my main headphone for more than 2 months now, so it was my point of reference while doing the audition. Disclaimer: all of the following is "to my ears".

One big takeaway was how much smaller and confined the Radiance sounded compared to the Atticus. It truly sounded like a headphone to me (a closed one, at that). The Atticus has this way of sounding really big: I get lost in its soundscape. During my one hour audition with the Radiance, I was never able to shake off the feeling that I was listening to a headphone that reproduces music. Good detail retrieval, but it's all happening inside the cups and in between the ears, in a manner that sounded kind of artificial to me.

In terms of frequency response / tonality, the Radiance is much "colder" than the Atticus. I know the Radiance is often described as a warm headphone, but being used to the Atticus, it straight up came off as "cold" to me. It sounded a bit nasal in the mids. The Atticus has a really thick midrange (that I love), so maybe I'm just used to that. The Radiance also has that metallic sheen in the upper registers (as with other Focals I've tried before), that the Atticus obviously doesn't have. Because of these qualities, the tonality of this headphone did not gel with me. Bass was good though, no complaints there. Not as bloomy as Atticus, while still being hefty in the mix.

There is one thing I found the Radiance to have over the Atticus: better detail retrieval in the upper registers. Because the Atticus has a thick midrange and a relaxed treble, there are some sounds that are slightly masked sometimes. I'm talking sounds that I can pick out easier even with my HD650. With the Radiance, these sounds were prominent and clear in the mix (clearer than HD650, let alone Atticus). So, if you're craving upper register detail / presence, the Radiance delivers, whereas the Atticus could leave you wanting more.

Overall, I prefer the Atticus to the Radiance by a wide margin. I was expecting a closer race, actually, but that's just good news for my wallet I guess. The set I tried was a demo set from an authorized dealer, that looked as good as new, with a 35% discount on MSRP. I'm almost disappointed I didn't like them more!

those THX amps are known for being quite neutral and * sterile * , for alot of people at least . what your described about burson is how i know those burson amps , its not your eyes

 

[smoothb0re]

How's the Atticus on a hybrid amp like the Liquid Plat? The Aeolus I had before I was forced to sell all of my gear really liked tubes, but is the Atticus too much in the lower freq's when fed some tubes? I'm looking for likely the last high-end hp's I ever get to buy, and I'm starting to think that I might want the Atticus over an Aeolus, but I'm not sure how the Atticus likes hybrid tubes - I'd really like to get this one right. I'm not sure if I have enough for even a B-stock Aeolus anyway though, but I figure an Atticus is in the realm of possible.

 

[erics75]

How's the Atticus on a hybrid amp like the Liquid Plat? The Aeolus I had before I was forced to sell all of my gear really liked tubes, but is the Atticus too much in the lower freq's when fed some tubes? I'm looking for likely the last high-end hp's I ever get to buy, and I'm starting to think that I might want the Atticus over an Aeolus, but I'm not sure how the Atticus likes hybrid tubes - I'd really like to get this one right. I'm not sure if I have enough for even a B-stock Aeolus anyway though, but I figure an Atticus is in the realm of possible.

My experience with hybrid amps and the Atticus is limited to the Schiit Lyr 3 and Vali 2. Overall I did not like either amp with my Atticus. The Lyr was noticeably better overall from a technicalities standpoint, but I found myself a bit disengaged by the pairing. I would feed it way too much volume to pull myself in. I see that as a red flag for poor synergy. The Vali 2 was more engaging to me, but too limited in technical prowess and power. It made the Atticus too bloomy and thick sounding. More fun than the Lyr 3 to me, but still not a good overall pairing.

Honestly I would go pure tube or pure solid state with the Atticus. If you're in the EU maybe a used Feliks tube amp or Lake People solid state? I REALLY loved the Atticus with the Lake People RS-08 and Violectric V100. Engagement factor was through the roof with those amps. They're neutral solid state amps with tremendous dynamic range. I think of them as poor men's Phonitor amps. Same general tuning, with less refinement of the more expensive SPL. I've demo'd the Feliks line and really enjoyed them. If I had not bought a Pendant amp already, I would have purchased an Echo on the spot. Really enjoyed that pairing. Another killer amp for the Atticus is the Schiit Mjolnir 2. It's a tad metallic up top, but nothing a good set of tubes can't mitigate. And man that thing has some dynamic range! Really fun listen. It will be a faster, more aggressive/forward listen vs a tube amp, but man is it fun.

EDIT - Just remembered the Mjolnir 2 is a hybrid! I tend to think of it as a pure tube amp. I'm stupid...
EDIT 2 - A good tube amp that's highly responsive to tube rolling will be just fine with the Atticus. If the tubes you try first are too bassy, roll some more linear tubes in. I'm having great success with the Pendant/Atticus in this regard. I can make the Pendant sound almost solid state-like. And also pretty warm for brighter cans. Best of both worlds

 

[jaker782]

My experience with hybrid amps and the Atticus is limited to the Schiit Lyr 3 and Vali 2. Overall I did not like either amp with my Atticus. The Lyr was noticeably better overall from a technicalities standpoint, but I found myself a bit disengaged by the pairing. I would feed it way too much volume to pull myself in. I see that as a red flag for poor synergy. The Vali 2 was more engaging to me, but too limited in technical prowess and power. It made the Atticus too bloomy and thick sounding. More fun than the Lyr 3 to me, but still not a good overall pairing.

Honestly I would go pure tube or pure solid state with the Atticus. If you're in the EU maybe a used Feliks tube amp or Lake People solid state? I REALLY loved the Atticus with the Lake People RS-08 and Violectric V100. Engagement factor was through the roof with those amps. They're neutral solid state amps with tremendous dynamic range. I think of them as poor men's Phonitor amps. Same general tuning, with less refinement of the more expensive SPL. I've demo'd the Feliks line and really enjoyed them. If I had not bought a Pendant amp already, I would have purchased an Echo on the spot. Really enjoyed that pairing. Another killer amp for the Atticus is the Schiit Mjolnir 2. It's a tad metallic up top, but nothing a good set of tubes can't mitigate. And man that thing has some dynamic range! Really fun listen. It will be a faster, more aggressive/forward listen vs a tube amp, but man is it fun.

EDIT - Just remembered the Mjolnir 2 is a hybrid! I tend to think of it as a pure tube amp. I'm stupid...
EDIT 2 - A good tube amp that's highly responsive to tube rolling will be just fine with the Atticus. If the tubes you try first are too bassy, roll some more linear tubes in. I'm having great success with the Pendant/Atticus in this regard. I can make the Pendant sound almost solid state-like. And also pretty warm for brighter cans. Best of both worlds

I second the recommendation for a neutralish solid state with good dynamics (Lake People, Violectric) for the Atticus/Aeolus if you don't want to mess with tubes. I haven't heard those two amps, but the Jot 2 is a very good pairing with those TPE drivers. Incredible slam and compliments the warm tuning of those two headphones extremely well.

 

[jinxy245]

the Jot 2 is a very good pairing with those TPE drivers.

That I can confirm, I had the Jot 2 on loan and it did incredibly well with my Aeolus...I loved that combo.

 

[Odin412]

That I can confirm, I had the Jot 2 on loan and it did incredibly well with my Aeolus...I loved that combo.

Very interesting. I love the Aeolus and I'm rather tempted by the Jotunheim 2. Did you try both the single-ended and balanced outputs?

 

[Minkypou]

I second the recommendation for a neutralish solid state with good dynamics (Lake People, Violectric) for the Atticus/Aeolus if you don't want to mess with tubes. I haven't heard those two amps, but the Jot 2 is a very good pairing with those TPE drivers. Incredible slam and compliments the warm tuning of those two headphones extremely well.

absolutely love my atticus with my jotunheim 2

 

[jaker782]

Very interesting. I love the Aeolus and I'm rather tempted by the Jotunheim 2. Did you try both the single-ended and balanced outputs?

I did, and didn't spend much time on the SE output as I felt the balanced out provided greater slam, blacker background, better instrument separation, and was a bit more dynamic with the Aeolus. The SE out is a bit warmer and more laid back, which is really nice, but IMO the balanced out is a better match with the Aeolus/Atticus. Even if only using the SE output, Jot 2 is still fantastic, just not as good as the balanced out. I can see the SE out being preferred with brighter headphones though.

 

[jinxy245]

Very interesting. I love the Aeolus and I'm rather tempted by the Jotunheim 2. Did you try both the single-ended and balanced outputs?

I did, and didn't spend much time on the SE output as I felt the balanced out provided greater slam, blacker background, better instrument separation, and was a bit more dynamic with the Aeolus. The SE out is a bit warmer and more laid back, which is really nice, but IMO the balanced out is a better match with the Aeolus/Atticus. Even if only using the SE output, Jot 2 is still fantastic, just not as good as the balanced out. I can see the SE out being preferred with brighter headphones though.

What @jaker782 is saying is the most common reaction, but once I adjusted for volume I honestly didn't hear much of a difference. All unscientific, done by ear etc. etc., but the diferences I heard weren't extreme. My balanced/ SE experiment was with the Verite open though, which may or may not be a contributing factor. Given mine is the less common experience, I imagine the balanced is superior. YMMV of course.

 

[jaker782]

What @jaker782 is saying is the most common reaction, but once I adjusted for volume I honestly didn't hear much of a difference. All unscientific, done by ear etc. etc., but the diferences I heard weren't extreme. My balanced/ SE experiment was with the Verite open though, which may or may not be a contributing factor. Given mine is the less common experience, I imagine the balanced is superior. YMMV of course.

Even though my post may appear so, this is by no means a night and day difference. You *really* have to listen closely and disect the music to discern these differences, and even then, confirmation bias is in full effect which you can't really turn off. And Jinxy makes a good point... the volume is a bit louder on balanced so it definitely does sound much better if you don't volume match. Most noticeable to me is I hear a tighter low end with more slam and a slightly blacker background going balanced. This is a fantastic amp with either output.

 

[AudioDuck]

I second the recommendation for a neutralish solid state with good dynamics (Lake People, Violectric) for the Atticus/Aeolus if you don't want to mess with tubes. I haven't heard those two amps, but the Jot 2 is a very good pairing with those TPE drivers. Incredible slam and compliments the warm tuning of those two headphones extremely well.

Well, I seem to be in a good spot: I already had a Violectric V200 and just bought a Feliks Echo (OTL tubes), with an Atticus coming this summer. Thanks for the good news!
(I love the Echo with my LCD-XCs, and my Elears seem happy either with either amp)

 

[Odin412]

How's the Atticus on a hybrid amp like the Liquid Plat? The Aeolus I had before I was forced to sell all of my gear really liked tubes, but is the Atticus too much in the lower freq's when fed some tubes? I'm looking for likely the last high-end hp's I ever get to buy, and I'm starting to think that I might want the Atticus over an Aeolus, but I'm not sure how the Atticus likes hybrid tubes - I'd really like to get this one right. I'm not sure if I have enough for even a B-stock Aeolus anyway though, but I figure an Atticus is in the realm of possible.

I have an Atticus and a Liquid Platinum and I think that's a very nice combo. Another really nice pairing for the Atticus is the Schiit Lyr 3. I was listening to Depeche Mode using the Atticus/Lyr combo earlier tonight and towards the end of the track 'Pimpf' there's some ambient noise that caused me to jump in my chair. I thought that someone had snuck up behind me - it sounded so lifelike!