[DeweyCH]

Thank you so much to @zach915m and @Saberpunch for the kind words, it was fantastic getting to meet you. I have to say, as an aspiring maker, the experience of CanJam this weekend was unbelievable. Everyone - and I mean everyone - that I met was kind, thoughtful, open-minded, and more than willing to talk about nearly anything headphone related. Absolutely wonderful experience, and that's setting aside the obvious listening to six figures worth of headphones and gear.

If you haven't gone to a CanJam and have the chance, you owe it to yourself to go, just for the community.

 

[SpaceInvader77]

Had a good time at CanJam Chicago yesterday. I was able to try out so much, I was a kid in a candy store.

Big shout out to the guys at Bloom Audio for the great conversation and being patient while I tried out every single one of their available IEMs.

I ended up spending quite a bit of time at the Noble Audio booth and may have even walked away with a Ragnar. (Which I am enjoying as we speak)

Overall it was a great time!

 

[shafat777]

Canjam chicago 2023 was literally the best weekend in a really long time. Being a healthcare professional, I don't get a lot of time off on the weekends. Not only I got to meet two of my heroes, @zach915m and @BooUrns and the entire zmf team, I also got to see first hand just how insanely cool this hobby can be. For the first time since I got into this hobby 6 years ago, I felt like I belong in that room where I was not being judged/ridiculed for spending so much money on gears. In fact, I was encouraged to try out different types of headphones and amp/dac that I had never heard of.

However, my biggest achievement from canjam chicago was a somewhat personal one. I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

 

[BarefootDyl]

Canjam chicago 2023 was literally the best weekend in a really long time. Being a healthcare professional, I don't get a lot of time off on the weekends. Not only I got to meet two of my heroes, @zach915m and @BooUrns and the entire zmf team, I also got to see first hand just how insanely cool this hobby can be. For the first time since I got into this hobby 6 years ago, I felt like I belong in that room where I was not being judged/ridiculed for spending so much money on gears. In fact, I was encouraged to try out different types of headphones and amp/dac that I had never heard of.

However, my biggest achievement from canjam chicago was a somewhat personal one. I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

Congrats! Hell of a time to do that, may your wedding planning be not too stressful and may y'all have endless happy years!

 

[AnyDave]

Canjam chicago 2023 was literally the best weekend in a really long time. Being a healthcare professional, I don't get a lot of time off on the weekends. Not only I got to meet two of my heroes, @zach915m and @BooUrns and the entire zmf team, I also got to see first hand just how insanely cool this hobby can be. For the first time since I got into this hobby 6 years ago, I felt like I belong in that room where I was not being judged/ridiculed for spending so much money on gears. In fact, I was encouraged to try out different types of headphones and amp/dac that I had never heard of.

However, my biggest achievement from canjam chicago was a somewhat personal one. I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

Well, you clearly had the best weekend of anybody. Congrats!

 

[goldwerger]

However, my biggest achievement from canjam chicago was a somewhat personal one. I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

Wow, congrats!!

 

[DeweyCH]

Canjam chicago 2023 was literally the best weekend in a really long time. Being a healthcare professional, I don't get a lot of time off on the weekends. Not only I got to meet two of my heroes, @zach915m and @BooUrns and the entire zmf team, I also got to see first hand just how insanely cool this hobby can be. For the first time since I got into this hobby 6 years ago, I felt like I belong in that room where I was not being judged/ridiculed for spending so much money on gears. In fact, I was encouraged to try out different types of headphones and amp/dac that I had never heard of.

However, my biggest achievement from canjam chicago was a somewhat personal one. I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

Huge congratulations!!! What a fantastic weekend that must have been!

 

[vinylrecordust]

Was at the show on Saturday and my WOW moments were the 64 Audio U4S IEMs, which to my ears and for my library killed it. They give you all the great 64 Audio sonics from across their higher end IEMs at ~$1K and there was a show 20% off special. Yes, indeed….I got me set and guys working the booth were a great help! The ZMF room was like being in that friendly neighbors house with amazing audio gear. Donuts and free surprises in plastic eggs were being shared in the room by Bevin, The Atriums with universal pads on the new prototype amp sounded yummy, met the designer from JDs labs, great guy. Listened to Zach’s latest headphone prototype- oh yeah @ ~1k, oh yeah - good times a coming for us headfiers! Atrium on T+A solid state DAC/Amp and Decware OTL amp - one word……DONE!

Some really great people in this hobby!

 

[OptionTrader]

I went to canjam for the headphones, but I came back with a fiancé.

Congrats! I've been married for 43 years now (to the same woman).

I just shudder at the idea of an upcoming fiancé-rolling thread, given the tendency of audiophiles to roll everything else.

 

[DeweyCH]

Congrats! I've been married for 43 years now (to the same woman).

I just shudder at the idea of an upcoming fiancé-rolling thread, given the tendency of audiophiles to roll everything else.

Engagement ring rolling? Get her involved in the everything-rolling game.

 

[DeweyCH]

Limiting my impressions to new release headphones:

Audeze Maxwell: Expectations were high for this one, and it did not disappoint. I knew that it’s more of a mass-market headphone than an audiophile headphone, so I played a lot of my favorite indie pop tracks that have less than perfect recording quality. The Maxwell presented them all in a very favorable light, with a forward and clean sound. Notes were well-separated and the headphone presented detail without putting a microscope to the music. Vocals were very clear and bass was high enough to be enjoyable with pop songs, but didn’t bleed into the mids. I was surprised that there was very little of the reverb/echo effect that characterizes closed backs. On the flip side, soundstage was fairly poor and notes did not have a great sense of weight nor impact. For a $300 “do everything” Bluetooth headphone I think the sound quality is much cleaner and more balanced than Bose / Sony / Beats and it will be my default recommendation for normal people who want normal headphones.

Audeze MM-100: The MM-500 is one of my favorite headphones, so I was eager to see whether Audeze could capture the high level of detail, laser-focused imaging, and balanced frequency response at a much lower price point. I can say they have hit their targets on all three counts. The balanced response with extremely clear mids is almost a carbon copy of its bigger brother. Instrument separation is amazingly good for the price point. I just bought an HD-660 S2 which I enjoy, but found that things get slightly blurred together. The MM-100 is around twice as precise as the Sennheiser in instrument placement and separation. Note decay is razor sharp as opposed to the more gradual decay of the Senn. That’s a quality I like, but I could see how others prefer the more natural decay of the 660 S2. Vocal tracks are where the MM-100 shines, but I did note that vocals sounded slightly artificial or plastic-y, depending on the singer, an effect not present in the more expensive MM-500. The bottom line is that in my opinion, the MM-100 is the best full-size headphone made under $600. The fact that it’s substantially cheaper than many of its rivals from Sennheiser, Moondrop, Hifiman, etc just adds to the amazing value.

Dekoni Cobalt: A bit of a miss in my opinion. Booth rep said they prioritized a balanced response and detail retrieval and cautioned me that it wouldn’t be bass-heavy enough for EDM. I think that to some extent the design targets were met, and it’s definitely leaning towards a neutral-ish sound signature. The problem is that it sounds like I am listening to nice speakers inside of a marble bathroom. The cup resonances are just too high. I actually wrote down “in the cave effect” in my notes. Sadly the Audeze Maxwell paired with my phone was better in every way than the Cobalt run off a decent amp/dac.

Lithium Alkali: This was a surprise. I had never heard of this company before today. I met the designer through random conversation and he graciously let me try his headphone. I ran the Alkali off the T+A HA200 headphone amplifier to ensure that electronics would not limit the performance of the headphones. I think there is a good base here that needs a little more development. The level of detail was very good, especially considering the $600 price point. I was satisfied with soundstage and image separation as well. The problem was that I heard a constant resonance / reverb / echo effect. I have no idea how this is possible because this is a completely open-back design, there is barely any material covering the back of the driver. However, the ear cup is about twice as deep as a typical ear cup. I’m guessing the deep walls of the ear cup may contribute to the reverb effect I heard. If this was eliminated I would rate the headphones as very competitive in the $600 price point.

ZMF closed-back prototype: Not sure what to call this one since there is no name. I only got to listen to one song but impressions were positive. I would rate the detail retrieval as very close to my Focal Clear. The sound was full and warm. Bass was heard, but I felt that the headphone would be a more enjoyable listen if the bass was boosted a bit. That’s just my preference, I only point this out to say that this headphone did not have overwhelming bass. As I listened to a bass solo, I found the transition between bass notes to be blurry, with the notes smearing into each other. The overall FR was slightly V-shaped, but as a fan of neutral headphones I still enjoyed this one. Overall, my listening experience was enjoyable and I could imagine them as perfect office headphones that allow music to be a beautiful background instead of attracting your attention with a false sense of detail or over-emphasized sections of the FR spectrum. If I remember correctly, the target price will be under $1000. I think the more under they get, the more attractive the headphone will be. At a $1000 price point it’s getting dangerously close to ZMF’s other, better headphones.

I’d like to give a big thank you to the ZMF team for answering all my questions. I purchased an Auteur Classic and they were very helpful in my audition process, pointing out different amplifiers to try and why they would / would not be a good match, as well as providing other models to compare. Multiple staff members helped me figure out which of the various woods would best suit me, explain some features of the headphone, the production process, etc. They really went above and beyond what I would expect exhibition booth staff to do and made me feel 100% confident in my purchase. I’m looking forward to buying more ZMF headphones in the future!

So I actually got some great feedback from Dylan @DekoniAudio who recommended I use velour instead of perf. leather memory foam pads for exactly the reason you describe. There was a LOT of brilliant audio people there. Fun to pick brains.

 

[shafat777]

Congrats! I've been married for 43 years now (to the same woman).

I just shudder at the idea of an upcoming fiancé-rolling thread, given the tendency of audiophiles to roll everything else.

Haha I asked @BooUrns if she would let me pawn that diamond ring for atrium closed or the zmf otl and she almost smacked me. Its the first time zmf straight up denied a customer request

 

[PitSteelers69]

This was my first canjam. It was pretty underwhelming. I expected many more vendors. So much gear that was not represented. Being from nowhere Illinois, I really thought it would be my chance to audition a lot of gear.
Being local, ZMF was there in a big way. Kudos to Zach and the team. While the room could/should have been larger, they did a great job with the available space.
About 7 months ago I purchased my first pair of ZMF headphones. The Verite Closed (VC). I was so flipping excited to get them! Unfortunately, they just didn't work out for me. I didn't care for the sound at all. Figuring all ZMFs have a "house tuning", I pretty much wrote them off. As the rest of the show was just so-so, I decided to go in and give them another listen. The new, yet to be named portables, were interesting. Still some tuning work to be done I think. Not bad given the $1000 price point.
Next I listened to the new Atrium Closed (AC). All I can say is WOW! Just amazing. Not at all like the VC, which for me was a pleasant surprise. Over the course of the day Saturday, I probably went back in the room five or six times. I went home with a pair of AC and a Cayin HA-3A amplifier. I had wanted to try that amp for some time but didn't like the idea of shipping it back if I didn't care for it. Zac had a few at the shop and brought one back for me Sunday morning! While I will probably not go back to canjam Chicago, I am indeed a very satisfied ZMF customer.

 

[Skyediver]

Congrats! Hell of a time to do that, may your wedding planning be not too stressful and may y'all have endless happy years!

Congrats, indeed!

This was my first canjam. It was pretty underwhelming. I expected many more vendors. So much gear that was not represented. Being from nowhere Illinois, I really thought it would be my chance to audition a lot of gear.
Being local, ZMF was there in a big way. Kudos to Zach and the team. While the room could/should have been larger, they did a great job with the available space.
About 7 months ago I purchased my first pair of ZMF headphones. The Verite Closed (VC). I was so flipping excited to get them! Unfortunately, they just didn't work out for me. I didn't care for the sound at all. Figuring all ZMFs have a "house tuning", I pretty much wrote them off. As the rest of the show was just so-so, I decided to go in and give them another listen. The new, yet to be named portables, were interesting. Still some tuning work to be done I think. Not bad given the $1000 price point.
Next I listened to the new Atrium Closed (AC). All I can say is WOW! Just amazing. Not at all like the VC, which for me was a pleasant surprise. Over the course of the day Saturday, I probably went back in the room five or six times. I went home with a pair of AC and a Cayin HA-3A amplifier. I had wanted to try that amp for some time but didn't like the idea of shipping it back if I didn't care for it. Zac had a few at the shop and brought one back for me Sunday morning! While I will probably not go back to canjam Chicago, I am indeed a very satisfied ZMF customer.

I hear you on the Chicago being underwhelming thing. Not nearly as many vendors as NY or SoCal but after two years attending, I’m starting to think that’s its charm, as a nice counterbalance to the energy and chaos of its larger location siblings. If the venders/gear you’re interested in are there, it’s so nice to get that extended listening time without much worry about waiting in line. And the slower, chill vibe also helps with catching up with peeps, so I kinda hope it stays this way. I’m happy to save the madness for SoCal.

 

[dbull12]

This post will echo some of what I said in my post in the Atticus and Eikon thread last night, but on Saturday I went to my first CanJam and wanted to give some impressions. I've been interested in headphones for several years but have only ever owned the Hifiman HE400i and HE5XX, and then a couple years ago I got HD 6XXs and stopped paying much attention to the hobby once I had my setup of those being driven by a Modi Multibit and Vali 2+ with a 1950s RCA 6SN7GTB short bottle. Recently I got the Modi Multibit 2 and also switched to a Magni Piety to simplify transporting the amp, and also to avoid diving into the tube rabbit hole for now. I had also been looking for closed backs around $1000, so I decided to go to CanJam to try some out.

I remember after getting the HD 6XXs years ago I felt that the ZMF Aeolus would probably be the ultimate upgrade for me some day, and that seemed to be somewhat true, as I left CanJam with the Atticus. I got to try all the ZMF closed backs on my amp and DAC, and I found the Atticus and VC were my favorites. I maybe marginally preferred the VC (although it was hard to tell with the quick comparisons), but the Atticus was such a good value proposition for me as a budget-constrained grad student, so that's what I felt comfortable buying. After getting home and putting on the suede Ori pads, I'm even more thrilled with my decision!

Meeting Zach and Bevin was a joy, and needless to say they were extremely kind. Also shoutout to Katharine for helping me quite a bit with finding the headphones I wanted to try, sharing my love of the Atticus, and even setting aside the pair that I came back later in the day to buy. Since I was focused on comparing closed backs and also since the room was somewhat loud and packed, I didn't even try any of the ZMF open backs while I was there. However, based on everything I've read I imagine that the Caldera would be the perfect headphone to complement my Atticus, and I think that would be my ideal collection of two headphones. Hopefully in two or three years when I finish my grad program I can get a stabilized set as a present for myself. Although who knows what else ZMF will have come out with by then!

There were many booths I didn't get a chance to visit, but I did get to try the DCA Aeon 2 Noire and Stealth, as well as the Audeze LCD-2 Closed. The DCAs were super comfy and clearly sounded good, but I wasn't able to try them on my amp and DAC and ultimately just didn't feel the same connection that I did with the Atticus. Since I wasn't able to direct A/B the ZMFs with the DCAs and Audezes, I did find it somewhat difficult to keep their differences in mind. Honestly I think my listening memory is just bad, and there was also a lot to take in. What ended up standing out to me from Audeze was not the LCD-2 Closed, but rather the MM-100. One of the employees and I were talking about our shared love of the HD 6XX series, and he recommended I try the MM-100. I was very impressed with them, and my friend who I brought to the show (who isn't at all part of this hobby) actually had her favorite listening experience of the day with the MM-100! I did hear many of the similarities with the HD 6XX since they have a very natural timbre and are similarly tuned. Of course being planars they had wayyyy better sub-bass as well as imaging and soundstage. The vocals were maybe just a bit less intimate than on the HD 6XX. In almost all ways I found them to be an improvement though, and for the $400 price they'll be released at I don't think someone could go wrong with these. I'd say my ears are on the larger side so when I saw their rather small looking cups I was a bit worried, but I found them very lightweight and comfortable and didn't have any issues with the pads pushing against my ears.

My friend and I also got to try the HE-1, and my impressions are largely similar to @tvrboy - I couldn't think of any real weaknesses of the headphones and they sounded ridiculously natural, but for me it wasn't the moment of enlightenment that many seem to experience. I listened to Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead and Wild is the Wild by Nina Simone. I've never heard the guitars on Jigsaw sound so life-like, and the same goes for Nina Simone's vocals and piano. So while the reproduction of the music seemed pretty flawless, I did feel there were quite clear diminishing returns and I can see some people (maybe myself included) preferring a slightly more colored representation of the songs.

It's also fun connecting usernames from this thread to some of the people I saw at CanJam. My friend and I had our HE-1 listening session with @DeweyCH who let me try the Lithium Alkali headphones he made. It was really nice meeting you and briefly chatting during the listening session. I don't believe I gave any impressions in person since I did my listening while you were listening to the HE-1, so I just wanted to include some of my noob-ish impressions here from the few minutes I had with the Alkali. The TLDR is that I thought they sounded excellent and after getting home and checking them out on the Lithium Headphones website, I was shocked that they were $600 and not $1000+. I only heard a few minutes of Us and Them on them, but they struck me as very natural sounding with a satisfying amount of openness and air. Also, I was listening to these right after listening to the HE-1, and I still thoroughly enjoyed those few minutes with them! The tuning also seemed a good fit for my preferences. I'm pretty sensitive to upper mids and lower treble and didn't experience any sort of fatiguing qualities. If I were in the market for an open back dynamic under $1000, I would feel confident picking these just from that short experience. I hope these get the attention I think they deserve, and it seems like there's been a lot of positive feedback from those who tried them at the show, so that's promising!