[AudioDuck]

In other news it was recently discovered that the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ in England was actually a giant stabilised Atrium Closed.

Who woulda thought?

It must be using the new 30,000 mm ZMF driver! Imagine the bass!

Or, wait- could that be a prototype Caldera Closed?!

 

[idairyou]

Or, wait- could that be a prototype Caldera Closed?!

How would Zach get that into the exhibit hall?!

 

[AnyDave]

In other news it was recently discovered that the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ in England was actually a giant stabilised Atrium Closed.

Who woulda thought?

Unfortunately, the wait time on getting another one like that is quite long.

 

[kaeswiss]

In other news it was recently discovered that the ‘Dragon’s Eye’ in England was actually a giant stabilised Atrium Closed.

Who woulda thought?

You guys shouldn't underestimate Zach. The man is already ahead of schedule with a prototype.

 

[marcus2704]

..

 

[marcus2704]

Just looking for a little advice, I am yet to hear a ZMF headphone but I look to be purchasing Atrium Closed over this weekend. My use for this is as a daily headphone, partnered with a Feliks Euforia EVO tube amp. I listen mainly to bass-driven music like hip-hop, electronic and so on, so bass and treble are important to me. Hopefully it is a good partner for my EVO.

Couple or questions regarding the order I am building:
- Is the magnesium worth the extra £250 over the aluminium? Its quite a chunk of cash, so I am thinking probably not.
- I expect to be using this via XLR, should I therefore choose the option of OFC on the XLR cable, or the 6.35?
- For bass/treble, are the standard pads suitable, or is there a preferred alternate I could look to purchase?
- Aged cherry or non-aged, help me decide, its driving me nuts

 

[hanumanbob]

Just looking for a little advice, I am yet to hear a ZMF headphone but I look to be purchasing Atrium Closed over this weekend. My use for this is as a daily headphone, partnered with a Feliks Euforia EVO tube amp. I listen mainly to bass-driven music like hip-hop, electronic and so on, so bass and treble are important to me. Hopefully it is a good partner for my EVO.

Couple or questions regarding the order I am building:
- Is the magnesium worth the extra £250 over the aluminium? Its quite a chunk of cash, so I am thinking probably not.
- I expect to be using this via XLR, should I therefore choose the option of OFC on the XLR cable, or the 6.35?
- For bass/treble, are the standard pads suitable, or is there a preferred alternate I could look to purchase?
- Aged cherry or non-aged, help me decide, its driving me nuts

Why don’t you buy one used here? The wood choice is mostly aesthetic although some say there is a lot difference between hard and soft wood. Get an XLR. I also think for your choices solid state amp might be better. Just make a decision and then live with it for a while. Then you can experiment but don’t try and solve everything. Have fun

 

[marcus2704]

Why don’t you buy one used here? The wood choice is mostly aesthetic although some say there is a lot difference between hard and soft wood. Get an XLR. I also think for your choices solid state amp might be better. Just make a decision and then live with it for a while. Then you can experiment but don’t try and solve everything. Have fun

I am in the UK unfortunately, and although I would usually buy a used headphone from here I find the asking prices are quite high compared to what I can pay from a store here (£2199).

I was torn between the Caldera and Atrium Closed, but given I have the EVO research suggests to me that the Atrium Closed may be better suited to it than the Caldera. I guess if the retailer I bought the EVO from would take it back in exchange for a Violectic V550, than it does open up the option for the Caldera for me.

 

[oldmankensey]

Listening to “Romantic Warrior” by Return to Forever on AC. The wow factor is off the charts. I’m continually amazed at the amount of bass, but also how it doesn’t overwhelm the sound and everything still seems balanced.

 

[AnyDave]

You guys shouldn't underestimate Zach. The man is already ahead of schedule with a prototype.

How heavy is it?

 

[JerseyD]

Just looking for a little advice, I am yet to hear a ZMF headphone but I look to be purchasing Atrium Closed over this weekend. My use for this is as a daily headphone, partnered with a Feliks Euforia EVO tube amp. I listen mainly to bass-driven music like hip-hop, electronic and so on, so bass and treble are important to me. Hopefully it is a good partner for my EVO.

Couple or questions regarding the order I am building:
- Is the magnesium worth the extra £250 over the aluminium? Its quite a chunk of cash, so I am thinking probably not.
- I expect to be using this via XLR, should I therefore choose the option of OFC on the XLR cable, or the 6.35?
- For bass/treble, are the standard pads suitable, or is there a preferred alternate I could look to purchase?
- Aged cherry or non-aged, help me decide, its driving me nuts

The AC (or any ZMF dynamic driver headphone) should pair beautifully with your EVO (better than the Caldera you were considering). The OFC cable is “better” than the “stock” cable, so if you plan to use XLR more, go for the OFC XLR. Only problem with the OFC cable is its stiffness. Zach is supposedly coming out with a braided OFC soon. Maybe ask him about that!

With the cherry, which is not very heavy, you don’t need the magnesium, IMO. I prefer the non-aged, but that is entirely up to you! No pad advice, since I only have the AO, not closed. Good luck! As many of us here have learned, once you get a ZMF, you tend to get more of them. I’m limiting myself to two, for different genres of music, but some here have MANY.

 

[hanumanbob]

One note tho, I do not believe the AC is a great all rounder if you are going to have only one HP, For vocals, jazz, classical, the AO and Caldera are much better. The AC is very warm (furry to my ears) in the mids.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Just looking for a little advice, I am yet to hear a ZMF headphone but I look to be purchasing Atrium Closed over this weekend. My use for this is as a daily headphone, partnered with a Feliks Euforia EVO tube amp. I listen mainly to bass-driven music like hip-hop, electronic and so on, so bass and treble are important to me. Hopefully it is a good partner for my EVO.

Couple or questions regarding the order I am building:
- Is the magnesium worth the extra £250 over the aluminium? Its quite a chunk of cash, so I am thinking probably not.
- I expect to be using this via XLR, should I therefore choose the option of OFC on the XLR cable, or the 6.35?
- For bass/treble, are the standard pads suitable, or is there a preferred alternate I could look to purchase?
- Aged cherry or non-aged, help me decide, its driving me nuts

I’ve owned many ZMFs over the years and I’ve always opted for the cheaper aluminum chassis. It’s less likely to chip like the painted magnesium, and to me the weight savings aren’t worth the extra expense.

I think you should go with XLR for the OFC cable on the order. That being said, if you email ZMF after placing your order you should be able to get both cables with XLR if you ask nicely.

The stock Lambskin Caldera Thin pads offer the most bass of the 4 sets of pads I got with my AC, so I think you should be good there. If you opt for the Auteur Hybrid Solid pads as an alternative, I believe they will bring the bass up from the stock pads. I haven’t heard those, but the guy from PassionForSound on YouTube prefers those pads.

I personally prefer the look of the normal cherry cups over the aged Cherry, but that’s totally up to you and what you like.

Hope this helps!

 

[JackarlTwo]

I’ve owned many ZMFs over the years and I’ve always opted for the cheaper aluminum chassis. It’s less likely to chip like the painted magnesium, and to me the weight savings aren’t worth the extra expense.

As far as I know that shouldn't be an issue anymore since they changed the process a few years ago. Mine has a magnesium chassi and after ~500+ hours of use in a year they're still "like new". But I agree, it's probably not worth it for just the weight difference. It's mostly an aesthetic/ feel upgrade. I do prefer the feel of magnesium over aluminium, YMMV of course.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

As far as I know that shouldn't be an issue anymore since they changed the process a few years ago. Mine has a magnesium chassi and after ~500+ hours of use in a year they're still "like new". But I agree, it's probably not worth it for just the weight difference. It's mostly an aesthetic/ feel upgrade. I do prefer the feel of magnesium over aluminium, YMMV of course.

I agree, the magnesium chassis is definitely more durable these days. I have bought used models with the magnesium chassis, so I don’t have an issue with it overall, but when buying new I always go with aluminum.