[Leto Dal]

I don’t see an issue with the tone, just a concerned customer who is apparently not completely satisfied with his purchase. Which is not per se a ZMF fault, but an expectations thing. Most of us are expecting to flawless finishes when we purchase something for thousands of dollars. Which is apparently not possible with some woods and woodworking techniques.

As much as I am in love with my own stabilised AC unit, both looks and sound-wise I was surprised about the amount of finish irregularities like small dents on one of the cups, since before making the purchase I spoke with few other stabilised owners and they could report only 1-2 small irregularities. So guess I was just “unlucky” in that regard while getting one of the more unique and detailed looking stabilised units I ever saw.
Still after Zach explained their approach with stabilised woods I know what to expect now and maybe I will go for a none stab set on my next ZMF purchase if I want a smooth finish let’s say like on my Redheart Caldera.

I think it’s all about communicating and setting up the expectations, which ideally should happen before the purchase, not after. A small paragraph might not be enough. Pics and close ups of the potential finish on the product page in QC section should work better than any words.

Saying this I think Zach and Bevin are doing a fantastic job customer support-wise, just few thoughts from my end as from someone who works in luxury product design field.

 

[TsKen]

I'm getting the feeling that you're trolling, so this is the last I'll respond to you about this. You first claim you don't know what I'm talking about not jumping to conclusions, when I explain, very clearly, where the jumping was, I suddenly have a "fanboy hat." Lol, ok. I would encourage anyone to gather information from both sides about any subject, whether it involves a company I like or not.

I did not criticize asking a question, but as you can see of the 4 quotes I pulled from your original statement, only one of those was a question. Two of those were commentary on the quality of QC, again without obtaining all of the information, which you curiously chose not to address in your most recent response.

Or go ahead and stress yourself out without really needing to, you do you, dude. The original subject has been addressed: if there are physical issues with a headphone, ZMF will more than likely work with the owner to fix those and if there is an aesthetics question, put it in a note and the ZMF team will do their best to accommodate, even if not, then ZMF will likely still try to work with the owner within reason.

Im just going to email Zach directly next time. Like you went on a whole essay because i asked a couple of questions about the quality control on the cups which Zach answered himself. And now im supposed to explain myself? For what?

Telling me Zach will help me doesnt change a single thing about this whole situation. You would have to send it back regardless which will take up more of your time and Zach's time. If Zach says its normal then im gonna just take it for what it is and keep it. If i end up unlucky with one with blemished, then thatd be a bummer but i probably wont send it back. Im not trying to wait any longer than what it is by sending it back. But is there something wrong with me hoping my first pair will end up with no blemishes like the pairs that everyone else posted?

And im asking questions because i dont know the facts lol but i should go fact check myself first before asking questions right? Like what are you even saying here?

 

[Deleeh]

Hello,

I have been working in the metal sector for 20 years.
And there, too, there are sometimes inexplicable things on certain parts.
Sometimes the metal structure has a hidden crack that is almost invisible or something similar.
Whether this has come from melting or from pure processing can usually no longer be said later.
But it does happen.

It is similar with wood, there are also sometimes inexplicable things.
Cracks may have formed in the wood itself that are not even visible during production.
Among other things, even when the wood block is milled, you don't see anything at first.

Cracks can actually also be caused by manufacturing processes, as a lot of energy forces act on the workpiece to be machined.
But also other things, not just cracks alone.

In the case of wood, other things can play a role, such as the environment of the tree, the health of the tree and other such things.
The trees that are felled have not been there for 10 years, but much longer.
And the tree is exposed to many conditions from the natural side.
Winter, storms, drought years and things like that in all the tree years.
Consider that there are trees that have been standing for 60,70,80 or more years before they have to be felled.
That is a human life or more roughly speaking.

Even Zmf has no influence on such things.
There are also types of wood that are not good to work with, and the same is true for metal or plastic.
Sometimes there are things, especially with wood, that only become noticeable when it goes into action.
That is, only when it has been working well for 100 hours does it crack.
My Auteur occasionally cracks on the left side when it hasn't been used for a long time. This happens.

There is a video on YouTube where Zach also shows that pores in the wood are filled.
I also bought a Salire as a B stick that was repaired and still works.
So there are possibilities.

The other thing is of course even if the Zmf are well packed I will say that there are shipping companies that do not treat packages with love.
Small packages are on the bottom and then a heavy one comes on top, or flies around in the area during the journey and so on.
If the wood was already injured, it doesn't take much more.

 

[Wes S]

is it Knot or Bore like below.
Are these Bore cause of concern in general for ZMF headphones?

I have some of those bores on my Ambrosia Maple VC's and love them. They let you know the wood is real and I love the natural look. Nothing is perfect in Nature and it's the little things like bores and knots that add character and this is no cause for concern whatsoever.

 

[ken6217]

I’m not directing this to the issue recently stated with the olive AC.

I think the prudent thing to do when someone has an issue with a headphone is to contact ZMF directly. Zach gets on top of anything immediately and really does a great job.

It is pointless to post on the forum a question regarding if something has a potential QC issue or not since nothing can be resolved in this way anyway. No one on the forum is going to know what Zach knows, and the they won’t be able to resolve your problem anyway. The only one that’s going to know the answers, and the only one that has the ability to remedy the situation, if it needs being remedied is Zach.

 

[Wes S]

I’m not directing this to the issue recently stated with the olive AC.

I think the prudent thing to do when someone has an issue with a headphone is to contact ZMF directly. Zach gets on top of anything immediately and really does a great job.

It is pointless to post on the forum a question regarding if something has a potential QC issue or not since nothing can be resolved in this way anyway. No one on the forum is going to know what Zach knows, and the they won’t be able to resolve your problem anyway. The only one that’s going to know the answers, and the only one that has the ability to remedy the situation, if it needs being remedied is Zach.

Well said, and I concur.

 

[UnfetteredWandering]

I think it’s all about communicating and setting up the expectations, which ideally should happen before the purchase, not after. A small paragraph might not be enough. Pics and close ups of the potential finish on the product page in QC section should work better than any words.

Saying this I think Zach and Bevin are doing a fantastic job customer support-wise, just few thoughts from my end as from someone who works in luxury product design field.

I agree - and I must say the ZMF owners community does bear some responsibility in setting those expectations.

We often post pictures of nearly flawless ear cups or praise the high quality of the headphones. This is the expected norm. However, we should not turn into a bunch of brand apologists when somebody’s experience does not match the dominant narrative. Our identity and ZMF’s reputation is not so fragile that we must come rushing to their aid. And if there is actually a genuine problem, keeping that problem hidden to private messenger leads to artificially high expectations.

Let us all contribute to new ZMF owners being happy ones - checks, knots, and all.

 

[EagleKent]

Sorry, can't help myself

 

[SlothRock]

Honestly in my note to the ZMF team and to Zach I was pretty annoyingly over the top about how much figuring I want on my set. If I got that pair I’d be in love! Knots or not it is one of the most highly figured olive sets I’ve seen posted so far. Beautiful imo!

 

[ken6217]

Honestly in my note to the ZMF team and to Zach I was pretty annoyingly over the top about how much figuring I want on my set. If I got that pair I’d be in love! Knots or not it is one of the most highly figured olive sets I’ve seen posted so far. Beautiful imo!

I can see you’re knot kidding around.

 

[TsKen]

I’m not directing this to the issue recently stated with the olive AC.

I think the prudent thing to do when someone has an issue with a headphone is to contact ZMF directly. Zach gets on top of anything immediately and really does a great job.

It is pointless to post on the forum a question regarding if something has a potential QC issue or not since nothing can be resolved in this way anyway. No one on the forum is going to know what Zach knows, and the they won’t be able to resolve your problem anyway. The only one that’s going to know the answers, and the only one that has the ability to remedy the situation, if it needs being remedied is Zach.

Im glad the other guy shared his qc experiences as it helped set a expectation for me before i will receive my pair in a couple of weeks. Since i know its normal for them to contain bores i wont be as disappointed when i receive mine if they do end up with bores. And if i end up getting a perfect pair without bores, then even better!

Its just weird this is a forum and you are encouraging people to not share their bad experiences. Like are we suppose to only discuss the good here?

 

[ken6217]

Im glad the other guy shared his qc experiences as it helped set a expectation for me before i will receive my pair in a couple of weeks. Since i know its normal for them to contain bores i wont be as disappointed when i receive mine if they do end up with bores. And if i end up getting a perfect pair without bores, then even better!

Its just weird this is a forum and you are encouraging people to not share their bad experiences. Like are we suppose to only discuss the good here?

That was not my intention or meaning. My point was that if you have an issue with your product and you have questions, why wouldn’t you go to the person that made it for you first? Is there anybody on the forum thats going to resolve the issue for you?

All you are you going to get are opinions, and you know what they say about opinions.

Back to the original palace. If I recall, the guy was freaking out and saying that there was a dent and a crack in his headphone. I think talking to Zach would have alleviated his concerns more than any of us could.

 

[VanHai]

Honestly in my note to the ZMF team and to Zach I was pretty annoyingly over the top about how much figuring I want on my set. If I got that pair I’d be in love! Knots or not it is one of the most highly figured olive sets I’ve seen posted so far. Beautiful imo!

I have to agree with you the headphones have the most beautiful grain from the picture. I have a pair of Auteur in Ambrosia Maple with lots of knots and i love it, but the knot on the AC is DENTED and has a small crack.

I have experience working with hardwood, even a small crack will develop to a bigger crack eventually. I am sorry that i opened a can of worms, but Zach have contacted me and he will exchange for another set of AC.

Bottom line, i am very happy with customer service from ZMF and will buy more in the future.

 

[SlothRock]

I have to agree with you the headphones have the most beautiful grain from the picture. I have a pair of Auteur in Ambrosia Maple with lots of knots and i love it, but the knot on the AC is DENTED and has a small crack.

I have experience working with hardwood, even a small crack will develop to a bigger crack eventually. I am sorry that i opened a can of worms, but Zach have contacted me and he will exchange for another set of AC.

Bottom line, i am very happy with customer service from ZMF and will buy more in the future.

Ahh OK - like you said, it's super hard to tell from the picture but if it was dented with cracks then you probably did the right thing. Regardless if intended or not, you need to get the set that satisfies your own personal requirements for the $$ spent. I do appreciate you posting here regardless - I love ZMF but I agree with other folks saying both the great and the not-so-great should be posted so people can get a full picture/expectations are set. It doesn't harm ZMF's brand in any way and, in fact, strengthens their brand because it shows how far they're willing to go for customers to be happy. It's why I will always have a ZMF headphone has part of my 2 headphone collection. They got me as a customer for life

 

[Leto Dal]

That was not my intention or meaning. My point was that if you have an issue with your product and you have questions, why wouldn’t you go to the person that made it for you first? Is there anybody on the forum thats going to resolve the issue for you?

All you are you going to get are opinions, and you know what they say about opinions.

Back to the original palace. If I recall, the guy was freaking out and saying that there was a dent and a crack in his headphone. I think talking to Zach would have alleviated his concerns more than any of us could.

It was obviously not just about questions but sharing a rare negative experience. Which is as valuable as positive feedback for people that are considering a purchase. I think a headphone forum is first and foremost a place where people should be able to exchange opinions and experiences with each other.