Which manufacturers of $1k+ headphones have top-notch customer service and repairs?

[Rackhour]

I'm becoming interested in having a TOTL pair and call it good with home listening. To that end, I'm looking at various brands and becoming turned off by what feels like limited customer service, or paying X% of MSRP for an exchange if something breaks. I want to make an effort towards using and maintaining good gear and hopefully reduce waste.

By top-notch CS, I do NOT mean that they provide freebies, repair stuff for free, do free exchanges or anything like that. My idea of top-notch is predictability; if an inquiry is made, there is almost always an informative response within a few business days or so. If something breaks, there actually is a repair option rather than outright swapping it for half the MSRP. When pads and other consumables wear out, I want easy access to equivalent parts, AND will gladly pay for them.

Going through some of the forums, it seems like ZMF fits the bill here. Are there other makers worth considering?

 

[moriez]

if an inquiry is made, there is almost always an informative response within a few business days or so. If something breaks, there actually is a repair option rather than outright swapping it for half the MSRP. When pads and other consumables wear out, I want easy access to equivalent parts, AND will gladly pay for them.

You may have read or think otherwise but in my experience Audeze ticks those boxes on the condition you buy new so that you get the full 3-year warranty. The question however when considering them is: what, when IF encountering driver failure after 3 years? A costly affair of give or take $450.

I remember a very unsatisfying CS experience with Focal once and there's probably another company I turn away from. Pretty safe bets are Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic.

 

[Monsterzero]

ZMF has the absolute best customer service in the industry, bar none.
Oh, also lifetime warranty on drivers too.

 

[Rackhour]

ZMF has the absolute best customer service in the industry, bar none.
Oh, also lifetime warranty on drivers too.

Would I like the Atticus if I like the ER4XR and the HD598 - something mostly neutral with some bass?

 

[wenbinbin2010]

Would I like the Atticus if I like the ER4XR and the HD598 - something mostly neutral with some bass?

Atticus is their warmest (dynamic) headphone. Eikon is more neutral, though the ZMF house sound across all of their headphones is more warm. You can get closer to neutral with pad changes (there's an excellent diagram on their website).

 

[Rackhour]

Atticus is their warmest (dynamic) headphone. Eikon is more neutral, though the ZMF house sound across all of their headphones is more warm. You can get closer to neutral with pad changes (there's an excellent diagram on their website).

You're talking about this chart, right?

So you're saying that even at the most neutral on the chart, ZMF still has some bass of sorts?

 

[wenbinbin2010]

Yep that's the chart! Oh absolutely will still have bass. I can't imagine you would be anything but happy with any of these headphones, when compared to the two existing headphones you have listed (HD598 and ER4XR). They're all a huge step up.

EDIT: If you email ZMF directly, they give great advice on which headphones and pads would fit your sonic preferences, based on previous headphone favorites.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

-1 for Audeze service
+1 for Shure
I haven't had anything to deal with on my other headphones or IEMs and I hope it stays that way.

 

[ksorota]

ZMF has just about the best service that i have experienced, and that’s not limited to the headphone market. You’ll find most of the smaller outfits have excellent service with a more direct line to the owner/person who can get it done!

re. Atticus...I found it to be too warm and thought the Auteur was a much better headphone for more music, plus with pad changes you can bring up the warmth if desired. Don’t forget that the wood can be heavy for long listening and it’s something to get used to.

DCA also excellent service, generally can help when any issues arise. Same with campfire audio

That being said, Hifiman had provided me excellent customer service over the years. I think part of it is that I always reach out to the active members here who put together the loaner tours.

One last thought... with whoever you go with, make sure if issues come up that you deal with their customer service before coming into the forums and complaining that something broke. Give them a chance to make it right!

good luck

 

[Rackhour]

Yep that's the chart! Oh absolutely will still have bass. I can't imagine you would be anything but happy with any of these headphones, when compared to the two existing headphones you have listed (HD598 and ER4XR). They're all a huge step up.

EDIT: If you email ZMF directly, they give great advice on which headphones and pads would fit your sonic preferences, based on previous headphone favorites.

I did just that and sent an email asking for potential recommendations. Thanks for the suggestion!

ZMF has just about the best service that i have experienced, and that’s not limited to the headphone market. You’ll find most of the smaller outfits have excellent service with a more direct line to the owner/person who can get it done!

re. Atticus...I found it to be too warm and thought the Auteur was a much better headphone for more music, plus with pad changes you can bring up the warmth if desired. Don’t forget that the wood can be heavy for long listening and it’s something to get used to.

DCA also excellent service, generally can help when any issues arise. Same with campfire audio

That being said, Hifiman had provided me excellent customer service over the years. I think part of it is that I always reach out to the active members here who put together the loaner tours.

One last thought... with whoever you go with, make sure if issues come up that you deal with their customer service before coming into the forums and complaining that something broke. Give them a chance to make it right!

good luck

Thanks for replying!

Question to you both (and anyone else stopping by): What would you say make $1k+ headphones worth it? I am not trying to troll here; the most expensive pair I have is the ER4XR which I bought at MSRP of $300? $350? And I consider them to be the best purchase I ever made as far as headphones and IEMs are concerned. To me, this would be a significant jump in tiers as I have never fully experienced the likes of a Senn HD600, 650, Fostex and many more I'm forgetting that cost more than $300 but less than $1k. My only experience with a DAC/amp was a Sound Blaster Bluetooth device that I bought mostly for the dual equal output than anything else.

Based on my limited headphone knowledge and overall consumer experiences with all kinds of products, I'm trying to place a greater focus on longevity, access to repairs and spare parts. I am also tired with dealing with warranty policies that limit you to the nation of purchase (currently working overseas from my home country with the possibility of extending for a few more years). That was my impetus for looking at high-end stuff to begin with. I don't want speakers mostly because of logistics, but I do want to enjoy my music and feel that headphones are the better way in my circumstances.

I'm leaning a little more towards open-backs, as I can always consider cheaper closed-backs if I want something for commuting or getting out of the house.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I don't have a pair of ZMF but to me it's obvious they're worth it. It's mostly a handmade product. What I expect to get when I spend a lot of money on something is quality parts, good engineering, a great build, and great service. Of course, the performance you want and the sound signature you want have to be there. That last part is more variable and hard to define. The other stuff is more obvious. Look at the work that goes into a pair of ZMFs, the custom wood, the time Zach spends getting everything perfect etc. Labor is probably the most expensive aspect and when labor is cheap so is the result in most cases.

I think you're right to look to the future, how will a product hold up, how available are parts etc. On this account Sennheiser scores very high. They have a long history of those models you mentioned and a lot of parts are available. You can build an HD 25 from parts. And there is an aftermarket for Sennheiser since until recently they didn't change things much or have too many models. Fostex parts are hard to get and very expensive.

One thing to note is that the HD 600 (and by extension the HD 650) scale hugely with better and better amps. In some ways they're difficult to beat even for 5X the price or more. But you'll never know it until you hear them out of a great amp and a really good source. Other headphones like Fostex don't scale as much. They're great, my new TH900 is quickly becoming one of my favorite all-around cans. But they don't need a killer amp to do their thing.

 

[ksorota]

What would you say make $1k+ headphones worth it?

Short answer...nothing

Longer Answer: The progression of moving from a 50$ headphone to a 2000$ headphone should be a journey of sorts. It is hard to appreciate the nuance of a more expensive set of headphones unless you have sort of run the gamut. What is really eye opening is how good some of the 300-350$ headphones are...prime example being the HD600 which is one of my top 5 headphones that I have tried, and possibly number 3. Example, HD600 on Liquid Platinum with good tubes sounds much better to my ears than the Ether C Flow on GSX Mini...basically half the cost for more (not sure how to put a number on more, but 40-50% more) enjoyment. Plus that extra cash could go to other things.

The hardest part of finding a high end headphone worth it is that it is not just the headphone, but it is the whole system. When you have a high end 1k+ headphone, you also need to have a higher end amplifier/DAC/music source or you are missing out on the benefits of spending the big bucks. Like I said though, its a journey. Many have found that it is not the price that dictates how well a headphone sounds, and in some cases they can be disappointing.

Best bet is to be able to try out some headphones before buying, which is really tough right now. I was lucky to be able to get in on some loaner tours over the last few years and really test out some good gear. The set of headphones that really opened my eyes to high end were the Focal Elex...they opened the flood gates to the sub 1k market, then pushed me up to the higher end. I finally managed to realize where my preferences lie, and now I have HD600/6XX and HE6 as my headphones of choice.

If you want to go ultimate...Verite C is universally praised and you will not do better with reliability or service from ZMF. Problem is, it takes time to realize where your sonic preferences are and you might not like the Verite, or need to move that high up the chain. You may want to. check out a Sundara and a HD660 and make sure you have a good source. Live with those a little while, then use that metric to help you decide how to move up.


BTW what is your source/amp setup?

 

[Monsterzero]

I did just that and sent an email asking for potential recommendations. Thanks for the suggestion!



Thanks for replying!

Question to you both (and anyone else stopping by): What would you say make $1k+ headphones worth it? I am not trying to troll here; the most expensive pair I have is the ER4XR which I bought at MSRP of $300? $350? And I consider them to be the best purchase I ever made as far as headphones and IEMs are concerned. To me, this would be a significant jump in tiers as I have never fully experienced the likes of a Senn HD600, 650, Fostex and many more I'm forgetting that cost more than $300 but less than $1k. My only experience with a DAC/amp was a Sound Blaster Bluetooth device that I bought mostly for the dual equal output than anything else.

Based on my limited headphone knowledge and overall consumer experiences with all kinds of products, I'm trying to place a greater focus on longevity, access to repairs and spare parts. I am also tired with dealing with warranty policies that limit you to the nation of purchase (currently working overseas from my home country with the possibility of extending for a few more years). That was my impetus for looking at high-end stuff to begin with. I don't want speakers mostly because of logistics, but I do want to enjoy my music and feel that headphones are the better way in my circumstances.

I'm leaning a little more towards open-backs, as I can always consider cheaper closed-backs if I want something for commuting or getting out of the house.

I have owned, or heard/ reviewed every ZMF dynamic headphone, except for the Eikon. ZMF def has a "house sound". Warm, fantastic mids, fantastic bass, gently rolled off highs. Impactful, engaging, textured, musical.
I would say the Auteur is the most neutral sounding of the bunch, and Zach himself says the same thing.

RE: Would a $1K be worth the money? If your plan is to plug a ZMF into a Sound Blaster, then the answer is no. You will not be doing the headphones, the music, your ears, and your pocketbook any favors. ZMF headphones are fairly easy to drive, with a sensitivity in the high 90s, but they are 300 ohms, and most will agree they sound their best via a tube amp. Some folks have found certain solid state amps that sound good with ZMFs though. I would investigate the various headphones ZMF offers, pick one or two, and then ask in the respective threads for amp recs.

If you do not want to invest in upstream gear, like amps DACs, etc, I would look for a headphone that has a low impedance, high sensitivity similar in specs to the headphones you currently own. As to which would sound great and offer fantastic customer service, I have no idea.

 

[Rackhour]

Short answer...nothing

Longer Answer: The progression of moving from a 50$ headphone to a 2000$ headphone should be a journey of sorts. It is hard to appreciate the nuance of a more expensive set of headphones unless you have sort of run the gamut. What is really eye opening is how good some of the 300-350$ headphones are...prime example being the HD600 which is one of my top 5 headphones that I have tried, and possibly number 3. Example, HD600 on Liquid Platinum with good tubes sounds much better to my ears than the Ether C Flow on GSX Mini...basically half the cost for more (not sure how to put a number on more, but 40-50% more) enjoyment. Plus that extra cash could go to other things.

The hardest part of finding a high end headphone worth it is that it is not just the headphone, but it is the whole system. When you have a high end 1k+ headphone, you also need to have a higher end amplifier/DAC/music source or you are missing out on the benefits of spending the big bucks. Like I said though, its a journey. Many have found that it is not the price that dictates how well a headphone sounds, and in some cases they can be disappointing.

Best bet is to be able to try out some headphones before buying, which is really tough right now. I was lucky to be able to get in on some loaner tours over the last few years and really test out some good gear. The set of headphones that really opened my eyes to high end were the Focal Elex...they opened the flood gates to the sub 1k market, then pushed me up to the higher end. I finally managed to realize where my preferences lie, and now I have HD600/6XX and HE6 as my headphones of choice.

If you want to go ultimate...Verite C is universally praised and you will not do better with reliability or service from ZMF. Problem is, it takes time to realize where your sonic preferences are and you might not like the Verite, or need to move that high up the chain. You may want to. check out a Sundara and a HD660 and make sure you have a good source. Live with those a little while, then use that metric to help you decide how to move up.


BTW what is your source/amp setup?

I can relate to your comment about this being a journey, and going from phone-box earphones to Shure SE215 and then to the 4XR was basically an exponential curve. I like the 4XR so much that I pretty much stopped looking at IEMs altogether except for cheap Bluetooth ones for working out; even out of the box with the stock triple-flange tips, they are such a great fit and everything sounds fantastic to me.

And yeah, physically trying headphones is just not feasible at the moment for obvious reasons. Maybe if I were in some place like Taiwan or Australia where things are far more under control, I could walk outside and try something, but even without the pandemic, I don't have any headphone boutiques around me.

So far, I don't have much regarding equipment. I have no amp or DAC (@Monsterzero, the SB is long gone now) because I am working overseas and keeping things generally light and few. My primary source is a MacBook or a stock iPod Classic depending on whether I'm listening at my desk or in bed. If I get an amp and/or DAC in the short term, it's going to be one of the smaller, portable ones like a Chord Mojo.

I have owned, or heard/ reviewed every ZMF dynamic headphone, except for the Eikon. ZMF def has a "house sound". Warm, fantastic mids, fantastic bass, gently rolled off highs. Impactful, engaging, textured, musical.
I would say the Auteur is the most neutral sounding of the bunch, and Zach himself says the same thing.

RE: Would a $1K be worth the money? If your plan is to plug a ZMF into a Sound Blaster, then the answer is no. You will not be doing the headphones, the music, your ears, and your pocketbook any favors. ZMF headphones are fairly easy to drive, with a sensitivity in the high 90s, but they are 300 ohms, and most will agree they sound their best via a tube amp. Some folks have found certain solid state amps that sound good with ZMFs though. I would investigate the various headphones ZMF offers, pick one or two, and then ask in the respective threads for amp recs.

If you do not want to invest in upstream gear, like amps DACs, etc, I would look for a headphone that has a low impedance, high sensitivity similar in specs to the headphones you currently own. As to which would sound great and offer fantastic customer service, I have no idea.

Thanks for chiming in and the recommendation. I'll put that on a list for now.

The Sound Blaster is long gone by now; it broke down past its warranty period and I didn't see any worth in reviving it at that time.

 

[ksorota]

I would suggest getting the Campfire Audio Cascades to pair with the Mojo. These headphones are one of my favorite and do not get enough attention. They can also be driven out of a phone or the mojo very easily. They soundstage really well, but also isolate so you can use them while commuting, in bed, or just for overall enjoyment.

I bought a second hand pair that was damaged, I messaged CA and they took care of the repairs, not questions asked...I just had to pay shipping to them! Get yourself the larger pads and you are all set. They are portable, the mojo fits nicely in the case with the headphones with the only negative being the cable. The cable is ok, the connectors are just too heavy for it though.