ZMF Aeolus Impressions thread

[Zeppo19]

I have been wanting a pair of ZMFs for years, for one or another reason i never got around to it, until now… Headphoneauditions in Amsterdam had a good deal on an Aeolus (i know how to pronounce it, Hercules TLJ anyone!? ), complete with a pentaconn cable, since i will be driving them from a DAP i need all the help i can get, so i bought them. (Great shop btw, Stephan is quick on the mail, knowledgeable and quick to ship)

The came with perforated universals and i am listening to a reel to reel DSD rip of Pink Floyd’s The Wall on an AK SE300 (my C9 is still charging). I should not have waited as long as i have. Thick, musical, analog, forgiving, great comfort… When i came to Mother, well, there were tears involved.

Looking forward to pairing it with the C9 and a Hiby R8ii which is coming in, should be good for some more tears.

 

[Odin412]

I have been wanting a pair of ZMFs for years, for one or another reason i never got around to it, until now… Headphoneauditions in Amsterdam had a good deal on an Aeolus (i know how to pronounce it, Hercules TLJ anyone!? ), complete with a pentaconn cable, since i will be driving them from a DAP i need all the help i can get, so i bought them. (Great shop btw, Stephan is quick on the mail, knowledgeable and quick to ship)

The came with perforated universals and i am listening to a reel to reel DSD rip of Pink Floyd’s The Wall on an AK SE300 (my C9 is still charging). I should not have waited as long as i have. Thick, musical, analog, forgiving, great comfort… When i came to Mother, well, there were tears involved.

Looking forward to pairing it with the C9 and a Hiby R8ii which is coming in, should be good for some more tears.

Congratulations! For pure musical enjoyment there are very few headphones as good as the Aeolus IMHO.

 

[Gubretti]

J

Has anyone else had issues with the Aeolus causing strain/discomfort in their lower neck? I can wear my Auteur Classics for 4+ hours with no issues, but the Aeolus makes me SORE. The pair I have is older and doesn't have the crescent headband, but I'm not sure if I should try to put a co-pilot or just switch out the headband to the crescent style. Hopefully someone else could chime in if they experienced this.

Just checking back in from my previous post. Bought a lambskin co-pilot (easier to install than the crescent headband) and it has completely resolved the previous weight issues. Highly recommended, and it just velcros on.

 

[jonathan c]

Congratulations! For ***pure musical enjoyment*** there are very few headphones as good as the Aeolus IMHO.

*** Head-Fiers, mark those words !!

 

[pk4425]

Congratulations! For pure musical enjoyment there are very few headphones as good as the Aeolus IMHO.

Agreed! Listening to a superb "Sunday morning" playlist I found on Qobuz on my Aeolus this Sunday morning while drinking coffee and browsing headphone forums before I return to work ...

 

[Dede1982]

Hey, I just wanted to share my experience with the Aeolus. It's my first venture into the world of ZMF.

I traded it for the Sendy Peacock with another head-fier and damn, it blows me away!

The mids, the dynamics and the comfort are outstandig. Everything just sounds so right and full of soul- warm but not muddy, lush but not lacking details.

They compliment my HK1000 v2 very nicely. Sure, the Hifiman technically is another beast and it resolves like hell, but for just enjoying the music the Aeolus is hard to beat.

The chain I am enjoying them from PC/Tidal -> Burson Conductor 3 Reference (DAC-mode) -> Vincent KHV-200 (hybrid tube-amp).

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Glad to hear new people enjoying these. I've had mine since 2020. Many other headphones have come and gone, including other ZMFs, but the Aeolus stays. Very enjoyable always.

 

[jonathan c]

Hey, I just wanted to share my experience with the Aeolus. It's my first venture into the world of ZMF.

I traded it for the Sendy Peacock with another head-fier and damn, it blows me away!

The mids, the dynamics and the comfort are outstandig. Everything just sounds so right and full of soul- warm but not muddy, lush but not lacking details.

They compliment my HK1000 v2 very nicely. Sure, the Hifiman technically is another beast and it resolves like hell, but for just enjoying the music the Aeolus is hard to beat.

The chain I am enjoying them from PC/Tidal -> Burson Conductor 3 Reference (DAC-mode) -> Vincent KHV-200 (hybrid tube-amp).

.... and if you can locate / purchase a Beyerdynamic A20 (solid-state h/p/a with an unusual 100-ohm output impedance), Aeolus will freely soar !!

 

[Pharmaboy]

.... and if you can locate / purchase a Beyerdynamic A20 (solid-state h/p/a with an unusual 100-ohm output impedance), Aeolus will freely soar !!

Pretty much any OTL tube amp will do the trick, as well.

 

[MacMan31]

Hey, I just wanted to share my experience with the Aeolus. It's my first venture into the world of ZMF.

I traded it for the Sendy Peacock with another head-fier and damn, it blows me away!

The mids, the dynamics and the comfort are outstandig. Everything just sounds so right and full of soul- warm but not muddy, lush but not lacking details.

They compliment my HK1000 v2 very nicely. Sure, the Hifiman technically is another beast and it resolves like hell, but for just enjoying the music the Aeolus is hard to beat.

The chain I am enjoying them from PC/Tidal -> Burson Conductor 3 Reference (DAC-mode) -> Vincent KHV-200 (hybrid tube-amp).

That Vincent amp looks awesome. I need to get myself another set of Aeolus.

 

[iPaintCode]

I find the Mojo 2’s EQ does magic with the Aeolus, makes a great headphone even greater. There’s an area with most pads that would get a little too forward for my taste on tracks I like and the Mojo 2 EQ was magical. If you haven’t tried, worth checking out. I have the Mojo 2 feeding a Violectric v280 and run the Aeolus balanced for extra power needed, also have an older ZMF collab tube amp but like the Violectric v280 a little better.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Violectric v280

Now you're talking. That's my newest toy.

 

[jonathan c]

Now you're talking. That's my newest toy.

When ?

 

[Pharmaboy]

When ?

Picked up a gently used one a couple months ago. Have been playing around with it ever since:

• Compared it head-to-head via headphones with the V281 (several times) in main system with MHDT Labs Orchid as DAC
• Did lots of listening in side system with Metrum Onyx as DAC
• 1-2 wks ago rolled two stock amps in the V280 to Sparkos SS3602s, and have done listening a couple times to figure out how the sound changed (more tonight)

Rolling opamps aside, I conclude the V280 comes very close to the sound of the V281 (as it should--they use identical amp sections descended from your legendary V200), which = a win for any amp. It's also smaller and somewhat easier to place in cramped space than the V281, though both are compact compared to full frame amps.

The V280 continues my Violectric/Lake People winning streak; gives me another reason to stay a fanboy.

 

[smodtactical]

Glad to hear new people enjoying these. I've had mine since 2020. Many other headphones have come and gone, including other ZMFs, but the Aeolus stays. Very enjoyable always.

What else has stayed with you? What other ZMFs came and went ?