[heliosphann]

I'm lost regarding the classifieds now that Devbrada is down.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Pics or it didn't happen...

Here's what my ACs look like. They look even better in real life

 

[heliosphann]

Here's what my ACs look like. They look even better in real life

Amazing!

I agree, it's really hard to capture the Burl magic in pictures.

 

[fotodomp]

Finally had the chance to unbox my pair of redwood ACs, here is a quick unedited photo in indoor lighting. Cloudy outside so no good sunlight to test outdoor lighting, but I will update if the colour looks different with sunlight. Also they are very comfy and lightweight, quite pleased overall. My pair has a few scuffs but I guess redwood is very soft and it’s easy for it to pick up wear, just a little concerning considering the price of the unit.

 

[zach915m]

My pair has a few scuffs but I guess redwood is very soft and it’s easy for it to pick up wear, just a little concerning considering the price of the unit.

Anything on a new headphone should be innate to the wood or wipe off with the included cloth. If there's any workmanship error we will swap it out immediately, just send me an email - zach@zmfheadphones.com

 

[erics75]

One thing that really stands out to me on the Atrium Closed (AC) is how open it sounds. I do not get that closed in feel most closed back sets give. Yes there's a bit of pressure build up from the bass, but it seems to dissipate without over pressurizing. And the stage is so well spaced and holographic. It's amazing how far closed headphones have come from when I started (ATH M50). That thing sounded like the music was inside your brain, in the middle of your skull. The AC projects a nice spherical soundscape with excellent placement and dimension. Layering is especially impressive. When instruments overlap, it's easy to pick the two apart from each other, even if they exist on the same sonic plane. I forget i'm listening to a closed headphone, it's so open. Even my beloved Atticus can't match the AC's spatial abilities. Notes that overlap and blur on the Atticus are well separated and resolved on the AC. Even comparing the AC and Atrium Open (AO), I don't perceive a huge leap in staging and separation going to the open set. Yes the AO is better in the soundstage department, but not by a large degree. At least not to my aged ears. The AO projects a slightly larger overall sound sphere, but I don't feel penalized going back to the AC. That's impressive to me.

 

[senseitedj]

One thing that really stands out to me on the Atrium Closed (AC) is how open it sounds. I do not get that closed in feel most closed back sets give. Yes there's a bit of pressure build up from the bass, but it seems to dissipate without over pressurizing. And the stage is so well spaced and holographic. It's amazing how far closed headphones have come from when I started (ATH M50). That thing sounded like the music was inside your brain, in the middle of your skull. The AC projects a nice spherical soundscape with excellent placement and dimension. Layering is especially impressive. When instruments overlap, it's easy to pick the two apart from each other, even if they exist on the same sonic plane. I forget i'm listening to a closed headphone, it's so open. Even my beloved Atticus can't match the AC's spatial abilities. Notes that overlap and blur on the Atticus are well separated and resolved on the AC. Even comparing the AC and Atrium Open (AO), I don't perceive a huge leap in staging and separation going to the open set. Yes the AO is better in the soundstage department, but not by a large degree. At least not to my aged ears. The AO projects a slightly larger overall sound sphere, but I don't feel penalized going back to the AC. That's impressive to me.

to my ears, the biggest difference between AO and AC is in the soundstage. AO is larger and instruments seem to come from somewhere out there in infinity. AC has a smaller soundstage but the placement of instruments is more well defined.

 

[robo24]

Just a week with my AC and finally spent some time quickly A/Bing since my amp has 2 sockets which are the same as far as power and impedence.

It really is amazing how little difference there is in the soundstage, with the AC sounding more forward but nearly as expansive and open seeming. It's loud at night where I live and them being closed makes a huge difference, especially at low volume. I remember thinking when I got the AO that I'd be completely happy with the same sound, just in a closed headphone and so far that's very much what it is, in the best way. I'm sure my thoughts will change and differences will become more apparent, as I initially didn't find the 2 Verites as different as I do know. Also about 100 hours on the AC so could still change some, though much less than the first 50 hours.

I'm using Auteur suede on the AO and Caldera suede on the AC. Also have spent a little time with a loaner pair of regular (not stock thin) Caldera lambskin, and the suedes don't have quite the bass boost over the AO that the lambskin do. With the two suede pads I've mostly been using, it's actually easy to forget which headphone I have on after a couple minutes. A new track may start when I've got the AC on and it just sounds so open and expansive that it must be the Open, but isn't. The most obvious difference aside from bass is a bit of sparkle on the AC, which seems to bring out a bit more detail in that region and is something I am personally loving. It's not to the degree of an HD800, which became annoying after awhile. Overall so far I'm having a slight preference for the Closed over the Open.

Also glad I waited for the Redwood burl, which is shockingly light weight and I've yet to see pics of one I didn't find stunning. It also makes me very curious how a Blackwood or other high janka AC would sound in comparison. It will be very hard to resist having 2 ACs if Blackwood, or Macassar or Black & White Ebony ever become options. That this is the first ZMF I'd seriously consider having 2 of says a lot.

Have done a bit of comparing with the VC and so far I'm feeling like the AC has dethroned the VC as my favorite closed back. They're also as differrent from each other as the VO is vs. the AO. Have compared even less with the Eikon which also has Caldera suede pads, but the AC is on another level, just as the AO is vs. the OG Auteur, while also having a clear sonic family resemblance.

Perhaps just coincidence, but it seems like whichever is the 2nd headphone using the same driver, at least seems to get better reviews and is generally seen as a bit better. See Eikon to OG Auteur, Atticus to Aeolus, VO to VC, and now AO to AC (though reviews seem equally glowing for both Atriums). Perhaps that additional time gives Zach the opportunity to refine the sound a bit more with a year or so more extracting the last little bit of performance and ideal tuning despite all the other differences going from open to closed or vice versa. Given that I can't even imagine how much I'm going to enjoy a closed Caldera!

Now what do we all have to do to get a law passed mandating a paid week off every time one gets a new ZMF?

 

[goldwerger]

It will be very hard to resist having 2 ACs if Blackwood, or Macassar or Black & White Ebony ever become options. That this is the first ZMF I'd seriously consider having 2 of says a lot.

As an owner of Macassar Ebony AO and Black & White Ebony AC, I can’t recommend them enough. These are heavy woods (550-600 gram) but, beyond their beauty (the winning point for me), their hardness provides that extra crispness and speed that really works well to complement the decay of these headphones and offer that extra resolution and clarity (to my ears).

Have done a bit of comparing with the VC and so far I'm feeling like the AC has dethroned the VC as my favorite closed back.

A conclusion which also surprised me eventually.

 

[senseitedj]

After listening to the ACs for an extended period of time, I've decided to keep them and finally join the ZMF family.

What sold me compared to other HPs was its addictive bass and natural timbre whilst still being very detailed. The large soundstage is remarkable for a closed headphone.

Without further ado, I post some day 1 pictures of the cups to share how they look before we compare their aging over time.

 

[goldwerger]

After listening to the ACs for an extended period of time, I've decided to keep them and finally join the ZMF family.

What sold me compared to other HPs was its addictive bass and natural timbre whilst still being very detailed. The large soundstage is remarkable for a closed headphone.

Without further ado, I post some day 1 pictures of the cups to share how they look before we compare their aging over time.

Congrats! and great looking headphones (and amp)

 

[senseitedj]

Congrats! and great looking headphones (and amp)

A high-impedance driver and good tube amp are a match made in audio Nirvana

 

[goldwerger]

A high-impedance driver and good tube amp are a match made in audio Nirvana

Amen

 

[hanumanbob]

Does anyone have a head comparison to open and closed version?
Thanks

 

[Clemmaster]

Does anyone have a head comparison to open and closed version?
Thanks

No, nobody ever wrote a comparison in the last 118 pages.