[Hifiearspeakers]

Planar vs Dynamics will be different. In general, good planars will have that bass advantage, and struggle with the mids and treble against good dynamics. On soundstage, planars have great separation in general. But good dynamics, to me, have more natural soundstage. Keep in mind that the Verum is still a planar sound.

Compared to HD650, think of the Verum like the HD600. It is more neutral, not laid-back at all. Great extension from bottom all the way to the top. This is an engaging but flowing sound. HD600/650 have TOTL mids and treble tonality. The Verum probably is the planar that I tried that get the closest. The Verum has better macro-dynamics than the HD600/650 though. Makes it a better listen for hard rock.

The Verum also reminds me of my past HE-500. The HE-500 has a lush midrange tonality that I loved, but it came at the cost of detail. The Verum sounds clear, doesn't sacrifice detail, and still manage to come out flowing. The Verum's bass is also layered and extends lower, while the HE-500 sounded one-note. This is Audeze level bass. Reminds me if the LCD-X, which is probably the best bass I've tried.

I haven't tried the HEXv2 unfortunately. The HEXv1 has a good warm-ish laid-back tonality. The kind that you can listen for hours and hours. But it is not a technical headphone. It sounds soft, diffused, and doesn't do details well. Macro-dynamics also suffer. I got bored of it pretty quickly. The Verum is not a warm laid-back phone. It is focused, grounded, and engaging, but I can also listen to it for hours. It has better transients, leading attacks, and dynamics. Bass is far apart in both impact and quality. However, the HEXv1 feels more open and airy than the Verum though. I haven't even touched on price difference and build quality yet, which will be an unfair fight for the hifiman. The HEXv1 was priced at around $1700. The Verum is $350. Even the cable can put HEXv1 cable to shame.

There are quite a few variations of the LCD2 and 3. But I shared my thought against the 2C above. I think of the Verum as a neutral 2C. The Verum is a more versatile can. Also, better detail and clarity.

We can compare the Verum point-by-point with other cans. But there is something about the Verum in totality that just sounds good to me. I have been listening to it a lot lately. Just going through all my playlist. This is a big sound at a small price.

Thanks for that detailed response! You make them sound amazing. It’s hard to believe they’re only $350.

 

[Daimonos]

A quick question: how do I purchase the silver carbon variant of the Verum?

Do I just select carbon on the site and add a comment in the form, or was silver carbon a Kickstarter-only option?

 

[omniweltall]

A quick question: how do I purchase the silver carbon variant of the Verum?

Do I just select carbon on the site and add a comment in the form, or was silver carbon a Kickstarter-only option?

I think they give you the choices in his website. PM him if you wanna be sure. The Kickstarter had the same options as now.

 

[omniweltall]

Thanks for that detailed response! You make them sound amazing. It’s hard to believe they’re only $350.

Anytime bro. Just sharing my thoughts.

It is hard to believe how pricing got out of hand in this hobby. Like Garuspik said, $350 is not cheap for a headphone.

Thing is, price can set a huge expectation bias, especially if people already spent money buying it. Head-fi taught me that.

There are 2 kinds of people in this hobby (over-generalization here)...(1) one that keep searching for their next fix, (2) one looking for sound. For (1), the Verum will be another FOTM, just like every other headphone. You can give him a $50k phone and it will never be enough. This is the main target consumers for the manufacturers. For (2), they find the chain that suits their taste and then mostly focus on the music.

 

[franz12]

...I think of the Verum as a neutral 2C. ...

This is pretty interesting. Does it mean that if either the Sonarwork or Reveal plug-in is applied to the 2C, they sound quite similar each other?

 

[omniweltall]

This is pretty interesting. Does it mean that if either the Sonarwork or Reveal plug-in is applied to the 2C, they sound quite similar each other?

Haha..good question.

I havent tried a "fixed" 2C yet. No doubt the 2C can be further improved even using the velour pads. I have the velour right here, but I dont want to change the stock pads, as it feels really good on the skin lol. Well, they both share that dynamic sound. I'm sure their differences narrow with a "fixed" 2C.

But the difference between them is not only FR. The Verum is cleaner. It has more leading attacks. And it has a thicker and more flowing mids. I'm not reaching out to my HD600/650 as much lately.

The 2C sounds larger and has that build quality that I really like. Audeze are just so handsome. And it is not that expensive either at $700. Depends on your taste. Both are good value, I would say. But If I have to choose one, it is an easy choice.

 

[franz12]

Haha..good question.

I havent tried a "fixed" 2C yet. No doubt the 2C can be further improved even using the velour pads. I have the velour right here, but I dont want to change the stock pads, as it feels really good on the skin lol. Well, they both share that dynamic sound. I'm sure their differences narrow with a "fixed" 2C.

But the difference between them is not only FR. The Verum is cleaner. It has more leading attacks. And it had a thicker and more flowing mids. I'm not reaching out to my HD600/650 as much lately.

The 2C sounds larger and has that build quality that I really like. And it is not that expensive either at $700. Depends on your taste. Both are good value, I would say. But If I gave to choose one, it id an easy choice.

Gotcha. I was thinking about buying LCD2c or LCD-X. I guess I will have to buy this instead!

 

[omniweltall]

Gotcha. I was thinking about buying LCD2c or LCD-X. I guess I will have to buy this instead!

I hate to say this, as I became an Audeze fan after they fix their reliability on the 2017 models onward. But the Verum is the better buy, regardless of price.

I'm keeping my 2C though!!

 

[franz12]

I hate to say this, as I became an Audeze fan after they fix their reliability on the 2017 models onward. But the Verum is the better buy, regardless of price.

I'm keeping my 2C though!!

I agree that the LCDs suffer from uneven tonal balances, but I don't really care because they could be fixed with eq plug-in readily available. And I got a very good result with the lcd2 CB. But if the verum is even better in regards to technicalities, then it's no brainer!

 

[Suppa92]

That's weird. You're outputting the SMSL to the THX 789, right? Shouldn't have any effect, to my knowledge.

I don't have verum 1 yet. I'm just curious whether the amp gonna destroy the verum 1 since i can only use it with balanced dac outputs.

Yes. Dac's Balanaced out Directly connected to the amp. I checked the dac and amp in my one of my buddies place, there's nothing wrong with SU-8 or 789 in SE mode. I think there is a grounding issue in my place, maybe because I have connected my PC to the same power socket in the room.

 

[omniweltall]

I agree that the LCDs suffer from uneven tonal balances, but I don't really care because they could be fixed with eq plug-in readily available. And I got a very good result with the lcd2 CB. But if the verum is even better in regards to technicalities, then it's no brainer!

Actually I was referring to the reliability of their drivers. They used to break all the time in the past. But somehow they fixed it now.

As for that uneven tonality, they still have that now haha. Especially the X.

 

[franz12]

Actually I was referring to the reliability of their drivers. They used to break all the time in the past. But somehow they fixed it now.

As for that uneven tonality, they still have that now haha. Especially the X.

What do you think about their openness? For instance, if I put my hands close to the cups outside, does it affect sounds immediately?
I found that some open headphones like the AFO or the Utopia do not really respond to this experiment. And they sound less open than Hifiman headphones.
Hifiman headphones, which are arguably more open than others, tend to respond to this immediately.

 

[omniweltall]

What do you think about their openness? For instance, if I put my hands close to the cups outside, does it affect sounds immediately?
I found that some open headphones like the AFO or the Utopia do not really respond to this experiment. And they sound less open than Hifiman headphones.
Hifiman headphones, which are arguably more open than others, tend to respond to this immediately.

Let me try anf let u know, mate. Never really tried this before haha

 

[franz12]

Let me try anf let u know, mate. Never really tried this before haha.

Thanks! In fact, I was looking for an open can which sounds less open. It may sound strange, but my hifiman headphone does not cover up any noise in and out. This hifiman headphone requires me to be in a really quiet place, but my house gets noisy pretty often, and then it became not suitable to listen to this completely open headphone.
People seem to say that the Verum sounds less open, and that looks promising to me..

 

[omniweltall]

I agree that the LCDs suffer from uneven tonal balances, but I don't really care because they could be fixed with eq plug-in readily available. And I got a very good result with the lcd2 CB. But if the verum is even better in regards to technicalities, then it's no brainer!

Btw Franz, the Verum is more technical than the 2C. But the LCD-X is also more technical than the 2C as well. The Verum does sound thicker and have more flowing mids, compared to the X. But I think the X has more details. I know you are more concerned about technicalities, as you can fix tonality using the sonarworks. The X is quite a technical phone too, to my memory. Just that I disliked their tonality. If you can fix that, then it might be more of a match with the Verum. Will need to A/B a fixed LCD-X and the Verum to really compare them.

The Verum does not need any EQ though. I'm not using anything on them. It sounds good on everything. Female vocals, rock, jazz, electro.