Finally got my hands on the Atticus a couple of weeks ago, purchased new and have been steadily burning them in. I'm sure I'll get acquainted with the joys of tube amps down the line, but for now I'm just running them from my Mojo 2 and enjoying the pairing immensely. The combination of warmth and fun but not at the expense of detail isn't something I've come across quite like these before.
Thanks for the Atticus amp recs! It good to hear some firsthand feedback on a few more things. I'll likely keep an eye on the used market for a little while for somethijg from Woo, Feliks, or a BHC. If nothing suitable pops up, a new Valhalla or TA-26 should keep me happy. Maybe I could convince a friend more solder-skilled than I to work on a new BHC with me
Two thoughts:
1. The Feliks Audio Echo is MAGIC with the Auteur, and apparently is very good with other ZMFs as well. Stock tubes sound excellent, and down the road you can hunt for NOS (new old stock) 7308 tubes to replace the front (input?) ones… the 7308s I swapped into my Echo are nothing short of phenomenal.
2. Looking at an older string (2018) where this question came up, a Head-fier noted Zach M had recommended the Beyerdynamic A20 amp for the Atticus. It’s a less expensive solid-state option, and they are usually $300 or so used when they pop up.
That said, if $500 or so is within your budget, I really would recommend the Echo. Great amp, well built, tube rolling options, and dead quiet with good tubes.
I took the liberty of tagging you in a classified ad for one in case it’s of interest.
I was reading about ZMF headphones today and found out that the Eikon is being discontinued. Of course, me being a simple minded person wants to try it out. I'm looking all around on the internet for a used Eikon. Does the type of wood make a huge difference in the sound?
Two thoughts:
1. The Feliks Audio Echo is MAGIC with the Auteur, and apparently is very good with other ZMFs as well. Stock tubes sound excellent, and down the road you can hunt for NOS (new old stock) 7308 tubes to replace the front (input?) ones… the 7308s I swapped into my Echo are nothing short of phenomenal.
2. Looking at an older string (2018) where this question came up, a Head-fier noted Zach M had recommended the Beyerdynamic A20 amp for the Atticus. It’s a less expensive solid-state option, and they are usually $300 or so used when they pop up.
That said, if $500 or so is within your budget, I really would recommend the Echo. Great amp, well built, tube rolling options, and dead quiet with good tubes.
I took the liberty of tagging you in a classified ad for one in case it’s of interest.
One reason that Zach has favored the Beyerdynamic A20 as a SS headphone amplifier for ZMF headphones is the 100 ohm output impedance of the A20. (NB: 100 ohms is the output impedance for the high-Z tap on the Pendant SE).
I was reading about ZMF headphones today and found out that the Eikon is being discontinued. Of course, me being a simple minded person wants to try it out. I'm looking all around on the internet for a used Eikon. Does the type of wood make a huge difference in the sound?
I think it depends on who you ask and their system (and ears). ZMF often says you should let your aesthetic preferences guide you, but there are also folks on this forum who hear differences.
Weight is definitely a factor, and the durability of woods will vary (really, their susceptibility to bumps/nicks- not long-term durability).
Personally I would let your eyes guide you more than anything, though if you are sensitive to heavier cans you might want to research weights. Then again, I’ve only heard one pair of ZMFs- my own wenge Auteurs. So I am using research as the basis for my comments.
Finally got my hands on the Atticus a couple of weeks ago, purchased new and have been steadily burning them in. I'm sure I'll get acquainted with the joys of tube amps down the line, but for now I'm just running them from my Mojo 2 and enjoying the pairing immensely. The combination of warmth and fun but not at the expense of detail isn't something I've come across quite like these before.
Finally got my hands on the Atticus a couple of weeks ago, purchased new and have been steadily burning them in. I'm sure I'll get acquainted with the joys of tube amps down the line, but for now I'm just running them from my Mojo 2 and enjoying the pairing immensely. The combination of warmth and fun but not at the expense of detail isn't something I've come across quite like these before.
Congrats, is it your first ZMF? I think its one of Zach's best creations, and a great first-dip into the zmf lineup. Everytime I go from VO, Eikon or Aeolus to Atticus, I'm reminded why its a keeper. Suede Ori pads are perfect for it if you wanna make it a bit more neutral/comfortable.
Congrats, is it your first ZMF? I think its one of Zach's best creations, and a great first-dip into the zmf lineup. Everytime I go from VO, Eikon or Aeolus to Atticus, I'm reminded why its a keeper. Suede Ori pads are perfect for it if you wanna make it a bit more neutral/comfortable.
Thanks mate, it is indeed. Quite surprised how much they’ve hooked me already, even from this portable set-up. I scoured this thread beforehand so I had high hopes, and they’ve certainly not disappointed. Thanks for the pad recommendation too, will definitely give those a try at some point.
I was reading about ZMF headphones today and found out that the Eikon is being discontinued. Of course, me being a simple minded person wants to try it out. I'm looking all around on the internet for a used Eikon. Does the type of wood make a huge difference in the sound?
The Eikon being discontinued is criminal, one of my favorite headphones ever. I guess I'll have to see how the Atrium sounds before I decide whether to sell it or not.
The Eikon being discontinued is criminal, one of my favorite headphones ever. I guess I'll have to see how the Atrium sounds before I decide whether to sell it or not.
If the Eikon is discontinued, will a successor show up in its place? The release of the Atrium bodes well for a new closed-back flagship; the Atrium Closed, perhaps? (DUH...)
However,. that leaves the Atticus as the sole sub-$1,000 dollar product in its closed catalog.
Too many cooks spoil the broth; however, in this case, ZMF's headphones are rather magical - they have never failed to impress, even their open variants, which I'm, admittedly, not a huge fan of (the open design, not the headphones, of course).
I was reading about ZMF headphones today and found out that the Eikon is being discontinued. Of course, me being a simple minded person wants to try it out. I'm looking all around on the internet for a used Eikon. Does the type of wood make a huge difference in the sound?
I heard my friend's cherry Eikon at great length before I purchased my gently used padauk Eikon. There were relatively minor differences:
The Eikon can be a touch assertive in the upper mids, depending on upstream gear & type of/quality of music used. IMO the softer, more resonant cherry wood nudged the sound a bit in the right direction
The Eikon is also capable of ridiculous bass & sub-bass: flat, non-enhanced, dynamic beyond belief, bass that can take your head off (among other things). I suspect the harder padauk helped a bit there, not that the Eikon needed help there.
I don't know what the used market looks like for Eikons. But due to discontinuation, it may heat up shortly. So if I were you I'd get the prettiest one at the best price and let everybody else argue over wood choices.
I've had my Camphor Eikon for just over a year now and still get mesmerized by them - I almost opted for the optional (at the time) Maplewood, but I really like how the Camphor turned out. I will be very curious to see what replaces them - I am assuming a closed version of the Atrium will come out at some point in the near future. Early in the Eikon run they apparently did a Rustic Barnyard Cherry wood version that I would kill to get my hands on a set of - a decade or so back my dad (who's a longtime amateur woodworker) built me a fretless 4 string bass out of these thick planks of Cherry wood he had that were sawmill cut in like, the 1950s - it's bitchin and to the rustic barnyard eikons have almost the same exact hue and coloring to them - would be sick to have a matching headphone to my treasured bass.
I heard my friend's cherry Eikon at great length before I purchased my gently used padauk Eikon. There were relatively minor differences:
The Eikon can be a touch assertive in the upper mids, depending on upstream gear & type of/quality of music used. IMO the softer, more resonant cherry wood nudged the sound a bit in the right direction
The Eikon is also capable of ridiculous bass & sub-bass: flat, non-enhanced, dynamic beyond belief, bass that can take your head off (among other things). I suspect the harder padauk helped a bit there, not that the Eikon needed help there.
I don't know what the used market looks like for Eikons. But due to discontinuation, it may heat up shortly. So if I were you I'd get the prettiest one at the best price and let everybody else argue over wood choices.
I will add that with a well-designed R2R DAC with no over-sampling, any tendency in the Eikon towards undue assertiveness disappears when using a digital source.
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