[Captaine73]

That why we are all different... What is not significant for me could be huge for someone else... I did the comparison with someone who has much more experience as headhifier and owe several ortho/planar and lyr, mjolnir; he had the same conclusion. I don't say that the magni is better, I just have hard time to justify the price difference but eh that's all the concept of hifi, a 'little' better could cost 4-5x the already good gear. 

 

[Thujone]

  That why we are all different... What is not significant for me could be huge for someone else... I did the comparison with someone who has much more experience as headhifier and owe several ortho/planar and lyr, mjolnir; he had the same conclusion. I don't say that the magni is better, I just have hard time to justify the price difference but eh that's all the concept of hifi, a 'little' better could cost 4-5x the already good gear. 

I would agree with you considering the T50RP doesn't really "scale" very well. As long as it's getting good, clean power, it sounds basically the same on different amps.

 

[Fearless1]

  I would agree with you considering the T50RP doesn't really "scale" very well. As long as it's getting good, clean power, it sounds basically the same on different amps.

To my ears, I find the ZMF/MadDog/Thunderpants (all of the T50rp mods I own) to be extremely finicky with amp/source. I think they sound thin with the O2/Magni, a bit more full bodied with a more powerful(warmer) SS amp, and really well balanced off of a tube hybrid or a warm vintage receiver. I realize the tubes bring forth a coloration of sound, but do not discount the power/headroom.  A redone vintage receiver and the ZMF is an amazing combo. I think they do scale quit significantly, not to the point of an HD650, but I can definitely hear a major difference in sound presentation.
 
I honestly hear less of a difference with amping the LCD-2 with different amps then the ZMF.

 

[Captaine73]

I would agree with you assessment of the magni feeling "thinner" than the lyr. You actually discribe it much better than I would. What I noticed is that the lyr gave a sort of emotion to the voices...the issue is that I don't know if it was real or just because I knew that it was a the tube amp costing 5x the magni...
So you own a thanderpants..., I am jumping in the DYI wooden T50rp and i am very curious to see how it could compare to the ZMF.

 

[Fearless1]

I would agree with you assessment of the magni feeling "thinner" than the lyr. You actually discribe it much better than I would. What I noticed is that the lyr gave a sort of emotion to the voices...the issue is that I don't know if it was real or just because I knew that it was a the tube amp costing 5x the magni...
So you own a thanderpants..., I am jumping in the DYI wooden T50rp and i am very curious to see how it could compare to the ZMF.

Sound wise, the MadDogs and the ZMF blow the Thunderpants out of the water in clarity, sound stage and separation. The Thunderpants has a good bass response and thick midrange and astheticlly are beautiful, but in a blind taste test the MadDog/ZMF would win hands down. I often thought of contacting Zach to see of he could do his thing to them, but they have a charm to them.

 

[rock&rollfrenchfries]

I agree that these are sensitive to the signature of the amp/ also nicely responsive to eqing with a good eq. Likewise they are revealing of a fakey sounding windows eq or many average portable player eqs.
 
And yes even these v1s can bang pretty good if you like to eq with a good eq or if your source at least is a little bassy. Then these are gonna be at least what i would call nice and full.
 
Having gone from the cmoy which was of course muddy and underpowered to the magni which was too thin and edgy and after sending that back I'm just now trying this denon avr-87 reciever sitting here that I never considered before. Thats the best thing so far. The adjustability is nice and although I dont think it's known to be a prticularly awesome headphone reciever, it sounds clean enough for now while i hunt me down a nice big untrimmed 70s receiver. This direction has also inspired me to do my room up with some nice vintage stereo speakers as well to match it. err. maybe not vintage speakers... we'll see whats best for the buck.
 
Anyway yes there is of course a certain signature that the headphones share across all sources so far. 
 
One word that comes to mind is hypnotic. Just the right kindof dark. Nothing is exaggerated but it will sort of surprise you with nice twinkles and sounds will jump out at you when the track truly calls for it. 
 
Realizing now that I landed me an awesome choice for some headphones. I am sort of kicking myself for keeping it bare bones package. I should have went for the zpex or even the balanced. I want to see just how much more awesome something already awesome could possibly be. We all know that feeling.

 

[grizzlybeast]

To my ears, I find the ZMF/MadDog/Thunderpants (all of the T50rp mods I own) to be extremely finicky with amp/source. I think they sound thin with the O2/Magni, a bit more full bodied with a more powerful(warmer) SS amp, and really well balanced off of a tube hybrid or a warm vintage receiver. I realize the tubes bring forth a coloration of sound, but do not discount the power/headroom.  A redone vintage receiver and the ZMF is an amazing combo. I think they do scale quit significantly, not to the point of an HD650, but I can definitely hear a major difference in sound presentation.

I honestly hear less of a difference with amping the LCD-2 with different amps then the ZMF.

+1
They suffer from bad pairings specifically in the bass.

 

[Textfeud]

+1
They suffer from bad pairings specifically in the bass.

I hope your recommended Nuforce Icon DAC will do them justice 

 

[grizzlybeast]

  I hope your recommended Nuforce Icon DAC will do them justice 

yep they should. I am rocking the nuforce ha 200. thats why I stuck with Nuforce. The hdp got bad reviews but people that have had both the icon dac and the hdp say it does better and is cheaper. 

 

[crazywipe]

I just placed an order!!!  All Glossy black ZMF v2 ZPEX with ALO CRYO COPPER option. Plus Copper stranded wire. A bass Cannon
 
Zack Called this: "prototype" to me sounds better the "black panther" 
 
I made this image just for fun

 

[uncola]

You're gonna love them crazywipe, my zmf v1 balanced with canare rewiring are my forever phones.  The only thing I'd upgrade to is electrostatic if somehow I won the lottery  Even my V1 have plenty of bass when run from my mjolnir.  I listen to EDM and they totally satisfy my bass needs

 

[grizzlybeast]

  I just placed an order!!!  All Glossy black ZMF v2 ZPEX with ALO CRYO COPPER option. Plus Copper stranded wire. A bass Cannon
 
Zack Called this: "prototype" to me sounds better the "black panther" 
 
I made this image just for fun

got the same color they look pretty dope

 

[Captaine73]

Great for you! Please post your first impressions when you get them!

 

[brooksl]

Hi GrizzlyBeast, Is the copper stranded wire being used as the headphone cable?  Is it the same ALO cryoed copper?

 

[grizzlybeast]

I have mogami hp cable with Alo Cryo SPC internal rewiring.