It does suck not being able to sample, and I realize I say this from the privileged position of having a foot in the door by owning a couple sets, but honestly if you can afford it I'd just jump on the next used one that you see. Worst case scenario you don't like it, you'll be able to recoup all of your expenses or very close to it as these things have really held their value and sell quickly. I've never had to wait more than a week to move any ZMF I've owned.
Also, I think we have different definitions of lo fi haha! I'm into plenty of the cleaner stuff you mentioned (that last Vanum record was something) but I'm referring more to things like Paysage d'Hiver, early Blut Aus Nord, Burzum and Darkthrone, etc which are all pretty incredible albums hiding under borderline offensively bad recordings. Then again, I do also agree that the shittiness of said recordings contributes to the vibe (especially Paysage).
Ultimately, perhaps barring those few examples, I don't think anything you're into would sound bad on either ZMF that you're looking at even if I'd favour the Aeolus personally.
Certainly reassuring! I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for a used pair of Aeolus. Like you said, ZMF cans really don't seem to depreciate on the used market so no fear of not being able to offload them if they're not to my liking.
And yes, we certainly do have different definitions of lo fi! I really dig Blut Aus Nord Halluinogen but their early releases are a bit too raw for my liking. I can appreciate the sound and the feeling they're trying to evoke with it though. The early Paysage stuff is TRULY lo fi haha. I wasn't a big black metal fan up until the past few years... I've certainly grown to appreciate the genre more and more and it's now probably my most regularly listened to metal subgenre. Vanum Ageless Fire is a fantastic album.
Thanks for this! I didn't know about Every Noise at Once, but this is perfect for someone like me who still buys all my music physically but still wants ways to sample new stuff first. So frustrating when bands don't have a Bandcamp set up.
The only caveat is that ENAO is limited to what's available on Spotify, so if you tend to listen to more obscure fare it won't show up. I tend to use Last.FM if I'm doing some really deep dives and looking for artists that are similar to other artists.
And yes, Paysage just wouldn't be themselves without that paper thin recording LOL. They're a band I use as a litmus test for if headphones are too sharp. It should be abrasive, but not painful to listen to.
Certainly reassuring! I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for a used pair of Aeolus. Like you said, ZMF cans really don't seem to depreciate on the used market so no fear of not being able to offload them if they're not to my liking.
And yes, we certainly do have different definitions of lo fi! I really dig Blut Aus Nord Halluinogen but their early releases are a bit too raw for my liking. I can appreciate the sound and the feeling they're trying to evoke with it though. The early Paysage stuff is TRULY lo fi haha. I wasn't a big black metal fan up until the past few years... I've certainly grown to appreciate the genre more and more and it's now probably my most regularly listened to metal subgenre. Vanum Ageless Fire is a fantastic album.
Definitely the best way to go about it if unsure. Really though, I find all ZMF's to have a mid emphasis (even the more neutral models) that just works with guitar based music. Outside of my 650's, I've yet to find another headphone that has that same "it" thing for what I listen to and perhaps more importantly, I've stopped looking.
I took a minute to come around on Hallucinogen just because I didn't expect it at all after the return to token black metal followed by a return to industrial infused heaviness of the previous two albums, but it's great. You might like the '777' trilogy - it's not as raw as the earlier stuff and is one hell of a trip if you go back-to-back-to-back as it basically covers the gamut style-wise.
Yeah, Paysage has to be the least dynamic recordings known to man haha. BUT, cranked up to an acceptable volume it really does become an entire mood in itself. I do prefer his comparatively higher fi albums like Das Tor and the one from last year, Im Wald when it comes down to it though I suppose. I got into black metal in the late 90s/early 2000s and it's been like a disease ever since! One of my favourite genres by far, though at the same time can totally understand why people hate it.
The only caveat is that ENAO is limited to what's available on Spotify, so if you tend to listen to more obscure fare it won't show up. I tend to use Last.FM if I'm doing some really deep dives and looking for artists that are similar to other artists.
And yes, Paysage just wouldn't be themselves without that paper thin recording LOL. They're a band I use as a litmus test for if headphones are too sharp. It should be abrasive, but not painful to listen to.
Haha, it quite literally sounds like white noise on some headphones or if I have a head cold. The irony of me dumping thousands into audio gear to listen to this stuff 80% of the time is not lost on me.
Haha, it quite literally sounds like white noise on some headphones or if I have a head cold. The irony of me dumping thousands into audio gear to listen to this stuff 80% of the time is not lost on me.
I totally recognize this... the irony and being aware of it ... Back in the day Vlad Tepes tape recordings used to be on Spotify. I was just looking for it, but no longer there. It would be hilarious to listen to that ultra-lofi stuff with a high end setup...
Haha, it quite literally sounds like white noise on some headphones or if I have a head cold. The irony of me dumping thousands into audio gear to listen to this stuff 80% of the time is not lost on me.
This reminds me of the headphone show podcast on youtube, the episode with oratory1990 I think it was, where they (in good spirit) laughed about listening to high end gear with black metal (or something like that). And I was like "hey, I totally do that..." lol. There's plenty of pretty well produced black metal though but I guess it all sounds the same to someone who doesn't like heavier music at all.
Haha, it quite literally sounds like white noise on some headphones or if I have a head cold. The irony of me dumping thousands into audio gear to listen to this stuff 80% of the time is not lost on me.
LMAO my dude, I am there with you. Not at that price bracket (at the moment...) but I listen to a ton of garbage level production music on good gear and it does feel kinda funny. You think about Varg using a broken radio with a plastic microphone to record and we're over here fiddling with cables and amps...
This reminds me of the headphone show podcast on youtube, the episode with oratory1990 I think it was, where they (in good spirit) laughed about listening to high end gear with black metal (or something like that). And I was like "hey, I totally do that..." lol. There's plenty of pretty well produced black metal though but I guess it all sounds the same to someone who doesn't like heavier music at all.
It's actually pretty nuts how metal can run the gamut as far as recording quality goes. Honestly, I really dig that part too vs a lot of the other music types that I'm into. I like that a lot of it is about mood and engineered as such. There's seemingly more effort being put into the album format as a whole. If you look at some really thick/dense doom stuff like Fuoco Fatuo and Abyssal, some of the earlier albums are pretty dynamic sounding whereas both of their last releases are just thick dense slabs of sound with very little dynamics at first glance. There's a ton of blast beats and changes thrown in that you almost don't even notice at first, but if you're in the right headspace they're just wild albums to listen to. Same with Portal; one of my all time favourites but every album is pretty wildly different from a production standpoint and it makes them feel like really cohesive and unique things.
LMAO my dude, I am there with you. Not at that price bracket (at the moment...) but I listen to a ton of garbage level production music on good gear and it does feel kinda funny. You think about Varg using a broken radio with a plastic microphone to record and we're over here fiddling with cables and amps...
Haha I know! It's also weird because I don't really subscribe to the cable thing so much, just because I know the random stuff that's being used to make the recordings and play the shows (I'm a guitarist) and it certainly ain't magically imbued copper unicorn hairs, and yet here I am comparing a couple $1k pairs of headphones with an album that could've been recorded on someone's answering machine in the 90's.
I got the FH7 recently too, enjoying it and I don't typically like IEMs. Using at work during lunch smartphone-->UAPP-->Lotoo Paw S1-->FH7 via balanced cable. Very nice for this use case, all fits my scrubs pockets.
I got the FH7 recently too, enjoying it and I don't typically like IEMs. Using at work during lunch smartphone-->UAPP-->Lotoo Paw S1-->FH7 via balanced cable. Very nice for this use case, all fits my scrubs pockets.
It's awesome, actually. It's the best iem I've ever owned, though I'm not a huge iem guy. I have it hooked up to my home system now (Jotunheim 1 - lol - SE on low gain from my Modius). I use it with my LG phone around the house. My wfh situation is probably going to be permanent, so I haven't felt the need to upgrade my portable setup, though I may change my mind.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
