[robo24]

I just got the ZMF VCs and they are really not impressing me. Is there a specific pair of pads I need to put on it? Or do they need to be burned in for a long time?

Both. I prefer the Universe Suede and also like the BE-2 Suede. The standard Auteur pads are actually about my least favorite but many prefer them. The issue may also be your amp, depending on what it is.

 

[squeakez]

Our headphones definitely need burn in and a chain that suits your preferences best. Being high impedance the sound can change a lot based on the amp, along with different pads it can definitely be a little confusing. If you want to send us an email we're always happy to help even if you didn't buy directly from us. We also have a pads chart that can be useful if trying to figure out where to go with pads: https://www.zmfheadphones.com/zmfpads



Hey I'm so sorry you had a bad experience! Our headphones are definitely finicky because of some of the reasons stated above. Usually when I see a post saying that their $100 headphones sounded better than any of ours it's usually because the same amp was used for two drastically opposing headphone designs. In the case of the sundara, a lower impedance planar, it takes exactly the opposite type of power a ZMF would. So a low impedance out amp with a low of current between 10-75 ohms. Our headphones will open up a lot with amps that have more mW at 300 ohms, and a slightly higher impedance. A lot of this comes down to subjectivity, but comparing our headphones on the same system as a sundara will often lead to one performing FAR better than the other, in either direction.

Ofcourse they also could just not be for you, the VC is a headphone with the ZMF flavour for sure. Thank you for trying them!

I understand what you are saying about amp dependence and thought that might be the issue. An audio friend nearby let me borrow his ZMF Pendant amp for a month so I got to spend some quality time with what was supposed to be a perfect match. It still didn't do it for me. The engagement factor was just missing compared to the Sundaras on the iFi system.

 

[squeakez]

How does it compare to the se-monitor5?

I would say the VCs were a much better sounding headphone to me than the SE-Monitor5, but I also thought the Monitor5s were one of the worst headphones I ever heard so I'm probably not the best person to make that comparison.

 

[dougms3]

I would say the VCs were a much better sounding headphone to me than the SE-Monitor5, but I also thought the Monitor5s were one of the worst headphones I ever heard so I'm probably not the best person to make that comparison.

Really?

You are the first person I've heard that did not like the se monitor5. What didn't you like about them?

Ive tested out the he6se and found them to have better soundstage but nowhere near the se-monitor5 in every other category. The resolution was not even comparable.

 

[squeakez]

Really?

You are the first person I've heard that did not like the se monitor5. What didn't you like about them?

Ive tested out the he6se and found them to have better soundstage but nowhere near the se-monitor5 in every other category. The resolution was not even comparable.

I only listen to EDM through headphones so there are quite a few very popular and highly regarded headphones that I didn't like because they just weren't right for EDM. For instance, sound stage isn't very important to me. They were very "thin" sounding to me and harsh. I think most head-fi members have a broader range of music genres than I do so take my opinion with a bottle of salt .

 

[Lickumms]

The E-MU wood series is available on Drop again. If you want a great, bass heavy, closed back headphone I highly recommend them. https://drop.com/buy/emu-wood-series-headphones

 

[plakat]

I only listen to EDM through headphones so there are quite a few very popular and highly regarded headphones that I didn't like because they just weren't right for EDM. For instance, sound stage isn't very important to me. They were very "thin" sounding to me and harsh. I think most head-fi members have a broader range of music genres than I do so take my opinion with a bottle of salt .

EDM is also my main genre for headphone listening, so I think this perspective is not only fully valid, but also important.

I've once heard a loudspeaker manufacturer demo their newest set at a trade show with triangle. I'm hesitant to call it music... just pure triangle. Nice... but does any one listen to something like that at home? For pleasure? Not so sure...

What I want to say is, while its nice to demo very specific facets using specialized recordings, or cater to a specific customer group, this may not say much about what I'd use said product for. And in the end I buy headphones to enjoy *my* music -- if they don't work with electronica including EDM, I won't buy it. It's that simple.

And while many keep on saying that only "real" instruments can show what a reproduction system is capable of, I don't think so: electronic music just has different requirements, such as the ability to reproduce extremely deep bass of very fast artificial transients. And many kinds of electronic music do include voices, which is one of the most challenging things to reproduce. So EDM is not simple to do... lots of bass is most definitely not sufficient, but the challenges are rather foreign to many headphone manufacturers I think.

 

[Nostoi]

While I always liked the original DT770 design, the new DT 700 does look much more sophisticated. I like it even better than the DT1770.
And yes, the more I listen to them, the more I like them. They are lively without stressing me, clear without that details-in-your-face attitude, presenting bass, mids and treble well balanced, emphasizing some parts each. Well done.

I'm looking forward to your opinion on them. And yes, the pads are at least as comfortable as they look in the pictures. Picking them up I have to make sure that I grab the cups also, the pads are so soft that I'm having a hard time lifting them up holding them just on the pads. Hard to describe...

Overall they are much more comfortable than I expected, clamping force seems a bit strong on first contact. Yet the pads and the headband work really well. I had to extend them 3 points farther than the DT-770 btw.

Just got the DT700 Pro. First impressions: nice! The re-styling is very nice, indeed. Build is solid and robust. Pads are a total pleasure. Seal is spot on, even with thick glasses the seal is very good. Cable is...meh. No issues with sound, but texture is a bit cheap/rubbery. I'll likely replace with Forza cable.

First impressions of sound: they've retained the core FR of the DT770/1770 but without the slightly accented top end. Everything still feels airy and crisp but without it being strident. I'm very glad Beyer didn't go in the consumer direction of the 3rd gen T5/T1 by making it overly warm.

Bass is punchy, controlled. More texture/depth/detail than 770 with better control than 1770, which I always felt was too boomy. Bass reaches low, sub-bass is articulate with no distortion. Drivers feel coherent and capable of handling extreme loads (i.e., Hans Zimmer etc).

Mids are good! Guitars sound well defined with good definition. Vocals have a good body to them.

In terms of soundstage/space/width, not the widest sounding headphones but everything sounds coherent. Layering and separation is impressive given the price. Excellent value for money, indeed.

If I could find a case for these, I think they'd be excellent portable cans. Well played, Beyer.

 

[Chris Kaoss]

Just got the DT700 Pro. First impressions: nice! The re-styling is very nice, indeed. Build is solid and robust. Pads are a total pleasure. Seal is spot on, even with thick glasses the seal is very good. Cable is...meh. No issues with sound, but texture is a bit cheap/rubbery. I'll likely replace with Forza cable.

First impressions of sound: they've retained the core FR of the DT770/1770 but without the slightly accented top end. Everything still feels airy and crisp but without it being strident. I'm very glad Beyer didn't go in the consumer direction of the 3rd gen T5/T1 by making it overly warm.

Bass is punchy, controlled. More texture/depth/detail than 770 with better control than 1770, which I always felt was too boomy. Bass reaches low, sub-bass is articulate with no distortion. Drivers feel coherent and capable of handling extreme loads (i.e., Hans Zimmer etc).

Mids are good! Guitars sound well defined with good definition. Vocals have a good body to them.

In terms of soundstage/space/width, not the widest sounding headphones but everything sounds coherent. Layering and separation is impressive given the price. Excellent value for money, indeed.

If I could find a case for these, I think they'd be excellent portable cans. Well played, Beyer.

May you add a picture with the MSR7B for comparison pls?
I don't get the size of the BD atm.

Thank you very much.

 

[Nostoi]

May you add a picture with the MSR7B for comparison pls?
I don't get the size of the BD atm.

Thank you very much.

I'm afraid the MSR7B are in my office and I'm at home, but I can add WP900 for comparison, which are about same size?

 

[Chris Kaoss]

I'm afraid the MSR7B are in my office and I'm at home, but I can add WP900 for comparison, which are about same size?

Thanks.
Don't know the WPs physically, but the 7b.
If they share the same size, they're good to go with, i think.

Really appreciate your time. )

 

[Nostoi]

Thanks.
Don't know the WPs physically, but the 7b.
If they share the same size, they're good to go with, i think.

Really appreciate your time. )

Here you go below. WP900 have very similar dimensions to MSR7B. 700 are certainly beefier in size. No question of which has better pads. But both WP900 and MSR7B have foldable cups, so are inherently portable. 700 are in theory portable, but you'd need a suitable case and a rucksack. MSR7B have similar FR to 700, but 700 feel to be better in every respect, especially mids/bass. WP900 very, very different to 700 in every respect. BTW: 700 can be driven from portable source, but they seem to me to still thrive on power. I would definitely recommend a decent DAP and/or portable amp if you're going portable rather than phone.

 

[P007]

I only listen to EDM through headphones so there are quite a few very popular and highly regarded headphones that I didn't like because they just weren't right for EDM. For instance, sound stage isn't very important to me. They were very "thin" sounding to me and harsh. I think most head-fi members have a broader range of music genres than I do so take my opinion with a bottle of salt

EDM is also my main genre for headphone listening, so I think this perspective is not only fully valid, but also important.

I've once heard a loudspeaker manufacturer demo their newest set at a trade show with triangle. I'm hesitant to call it music... just pure triangle. Nice... but does any one listen to something like that at home? For pleasure? Not so sure...

What I want to say is, while its nice to demo very specific facets using specialized recordings, or cater to a specific customer group, this may not say much about what I'd use said product for. And in the end I buy headphones to enjoy *my* music -- if they don't work with electronica including EDM, I won't buy it. It's that simple.

And while many keep on saying that only "real" instruments can show what a reproduction system is capable of, I don't think so: electronic music just has different requirements, such as the ability to reproduce extremely deep bass of very fast artificial transients. And many kinds of electronic music do include voices, which is one of the most challenging things to reproduce. So EDM is not simple to do... lots of bass is most definitely not sufficient, but the challenges are rather foreign to many headphone manufacturers I think.

I listen to a LOT of electronic music, and for me having a wide soundstage (like the T5) is important for this genre since many albums have more spatial mixes than other genres that are more typically geared towards stereo reproduction.

In my comparisons between the Aeon2 Noire and the Beyer T5, I think it shows a little what kind of music each producer uses in consideration....and I don't find it accidental that the German company has my choice for cans more suitable to electronic music. The DCA Noire's are really good too, excellent at capturing a natural reverb and live sound, but you can imagine that they are perfect for jazz, classic rock, and good as well for electronic...but just missing the extra spatial dimension and touch of bass that works well with the Beyers.

There are many who look down on electronic, or confuse it as being just EDM, but is super broad and generally involves more modern/forward looking production styles.

 

[Malevolent]

Thank you my friend!

It is very interesting information indeed. To be honest I am all into this Japanese quality and was leaning towards the Fostex TH900 mk2 more. But after considering all this info I think my second pair could be something in contrast with Denon D7200. One thing I know for sure is that I am getting the D9200 as well as everybody just keep praising them. I believe they will be my end game. I have EQ D7200 so they sound more brighter and closer to D9200 and cant wait to compare these.

But back to the topic, the TH900mk2 although look great, I think I would not enjoy headphones without quality and detailed mids. They are important to me. Plus I certainly not enjoying sharp highs. The ZMF Eikon is looking very attractive but I am doubt they will be anywhere close to the D9200. The Atticus I have not seen many positive reviews about them, they are lacking in some areas.

On the other side I am thinking more about the Aeon 2 Noire as they are looking stunning, they isolate well and looking very comfortable. Plus I have many headphones but no planar ones, it could be ideal contrast to the Denon I am looking for. Another good thing about them is the price.

Are there any other closed quality cans in the range up to 1500$ that should be considered? Anything good in terms of sound quality from JVC or Audio-Technica?
I listen to everything EDM, jazz, soundtracks but also watching movies and gaming little bit, the Denons suits me well here.

If you want something that's more balanced, and a greater fit for a wider variety of genres, the AH-D9200 would be the better bet. The Denon doesn't slam as hard in the lows, but the texture, layering and articulation in the low-end is just as impressive as the Fostex.

If mids are very crucial to your choice of music, the TH900 Mk2 might not be the perfect tool for the job - a midrange recession robs the headphone of critical body and weight in its reproduction of key vocals and instruments; mind you, they don't sound bad, the mids just don't appear as vivid or as luscious as a headphone that's more midrange focused, such as the Vérité Closed or the AH-D9200.

Up to the sub-$2,000 range, my recommended pick would always be the AH-D9200. Audio-Technica makes a good variety of headphones, too, such as the ATH-AWKT, but they aren't as engaging or as exciting as the aforementioned cans in this post.

If you want to go down the planar route, you could also try the Audeze LCD-XC.

 

[Malevolent]

I had them for about 3 months. I burned them in for 100 hours and tried 3 different sets of pads - Universal Lambskin, Auteurs, and BE2s. They never impressed me. My $350 Sundaras were heads and shoulders better to my ears. $2500 and 12 weeks of waiting. So far my most disappointing audio purchase.

I'm sorry to hear that you weren't happy with the Vérité Closed. It's a big chunk of change to lose, but I'm hoping that you could either recoup some of the funds through a sale, or that you grow to love the headphones.

Out of curiosity, what is it about them that you dislike?