[LCMusicLover]

... now the only question is, what wood should you go with? My honest opinion, just choose what looks the best to you ...

... In the end I still stand by my original statement, you should ultimately choose what wood for your Atrium purely for aesthetic reasons...

Too late, already took your advice, Cocobolo Atrium incoming. Kinda funny -- after I had a loaner Atrium I knew I'd end up buying a set, but hadn't really committed to doing it right now. Then I saw that the new LTD was going to be Cocobolo and all hesitation flew out the window ... along with my money

I've been Jonesing for Cocobolo ever since I saw the first coco Auteur. Actually considered selling my Blackwood Auteur to get one, but never could pull the trigger -- love them too much. Apparently patience IS rewarded on occasion.

Now if they'd just hurry up and arrive!

 

[heliosphann]

Too late, already took your advice, Cocobolo Atrium incoming. Kinda funny -- after I had a loaner Atrium I knew I'd end up buying a set, but hadn't really committed to doing it right now. Then I saw that the new LTD was going to be Cocobolo and all hesitation flew out the window ... along with my money

I've been Jonesing for Cocobolo ever since I saw the first coco Auteur. Actually considered selling my Blackwood Auteur to get one, but never could pull the trigger -- love them too much. Apparently patience IS rewarded on occasion.

Now if they'd just hurry up and arrive!

I don't blame you! I was hungry for a Cocobolo, but the Macassar Ebony seduced me away.

 

[hung031086]

I'm happy with stock wood.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Finally got around to pad rolling today with my Atrium.

Here is my listening chain: Bluesound Node 2i > Chord Hugo M Scaler > Chord Hugo TT2 > Ferrum Orr + Hypsos > ZMF Atrium KOA with Norne Drausk cable

The pads I have are: Stock Universe Leather, BE2 Suede, Auteur Hybrid. Of course, all perforated.

Since I received the Atrium, I burned in and listened to them with the Universe Leather pads. This is the sound that I imprinted on. To me, this is what the stock Atrium sound is now. It is to me fairly neutral and sounds great on every source. When I rolled to the BE2 Suede, the soundstage became much more intimate and the bass response became very large. I like this sound, but I would say it is my 3rd favorite of the 3 pads. I will roll to these pads when I want to get into bassy listening mode.

Then, I rolled to the Auteur Hybrid. The sound stage got a lot taller. Bass became deeper and more extended relative to the leather pads and given the much more open sound, the reverb in the mids is much more prominent. This is by far my favorite sound. First of 3. When I rolled back to the stock leather pads, the sound is much more neutral in relation to the Auteur Hybrid sound. The Universe leather pads are my 2nd favorite pads.

Favorite Pads for Atrium: Auteur Hybrid.

I may end up buying the Universe Suede and Auteur Suede to hear how they sound. Universe Suede is my favorite pads for my Verite Closed headphones.

 

[Renexx]

ZMF ATRIUM - HARDWOOD vs. less HARDWOOD​

INTRO RAMBLINGS

So you’ve decided to pull the trigger and buy an Atrium (good call bro), now the only question is, what wood should you go with? My honest opinion, just choose what looks the best to you. Well that was easy. Another write-up in the books! Alright, alright. I know you savages out there want a more comprehensive explanation than just one sentence, so here’s what I found out when comparing a stock Cherry Atrium and a Macassar Ebony Atrium.

Getting a few things out of the way, ZMF only uses premium hardwoods for their headphone cups. Some hardwood however, is much harder than others. For example using the Janka Hardness Scale, the American Cherry wood that ZMF uses is around 950 lbf, where the Macassar Ebony is almost 3220 lbf. That’s a pretty considerable difference, and will most likely be the extreme when comparing two woods used on the Atrium.

This is also not my first rodeo when it comes to comparing two different woods on the same ZMF model. Several years ago I owned a Teak Auteur (OG) and an African Blackwood Auteur (OG) at the same time. While I didn’t do a lengthy write up, I did take notes and many of my findings lined up with what I discovered with the Atriums.


METHOD, THOUGHTS and EXAMPLES

To compare the Cherry and Macassar Ebony Atrium’s, I wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible. I used a wide range of test tracks from various genres, time periods and recording qualities. Universe Perforated Lambskin pads were used on both headphones, as well as stock ZMF cables terminated in 6.35mm. Additionally both headphones had the stock Atrium Titan mesh installed. The Macassar Ebony set had about 160 hours on them, while the Cherry Atrium had around 275-300 hours of use.

Chain: TIDAL>Singxer SU-1>Schiit Yggdrasil A1>DNA Stratus

My general observations on the Cherry vs Macassar Atrium’s are as follows:

CHERRY: Slightly more lively sounding, with longer decay and more reverb. Overall this gives it a somewhat sweeter and more euphonic feel. This is very apparent in most vocals. The Atrium already has a great “analog” sound, and the Cherry wood accentuates that experience even more.

MACASSAR EBONY: A little more heft and control of lower frequencies. Faster transient attack, less decay and not as much reverb. This translates into a marginally more precise, cleaner sound that has a blacker background. Instruments also seem to stand out easier in a mix, especially in less busy passages.

I’d like to stress that these are very small differences, but they are indeed noticeable by closely listening to certain aspects of a song. I really had to focus on specific elements rather than tracks as a whole. Even then on some songs, it was very difficult to notice differences between either set of Atrium.

I also would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the weight differences between both sets. The Cherry Atrium weighs 467g, while the Macassar Ebony set weighs 608g. Both units have a magnesium chassis. That’s a significant difference, and you can certainly notice it when swapping the units on/off your head. My normal listening sessions usually last a few hours at a time, and I’ve not had any issues with the Macassar Ebony set’s weight. Then again I also have the neck and shoulders of a linebacker (flex), so YMMV. Depending on how tolerable you are to a headphone’s weight, and how long you plan to wear them continuously should be factored into your purchase.

Below are a handful of tracks I selected which will hopefully help describe what I heard. Here is a link to the playlist on TIDAL:
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/1b5b0a1e-88f1-4c22-bbeb-6f6b77e15398

To make things easier, Cherry will be abbreviated as “CH”, while Macassar Ebony will be abbreviated as “ME”:

• Johnny Lee Hooker “Shake It Baby” - Snares sound more lively on the CH, cymbals sound more pronounced on the ME, strumming in the left channel sounds more prominent on CH, Bass is slightly elevated more on the ME.
• Mura Masa “Suicide Blades” - Finger snaps/toks sound “snappier” and clearer on the ME, sub bass at :32 digs a little deeper and tighter on the ME, vocal samples sound better on the CH.
• Kvelertak “Mjød” - Opening bassline and drums sound more defined and authoritative on the ME, the guitars (especially the lead) have more energy on the CH.
• Caribou “All I Ever Need” - Opening bass drum is ever so slightly more controlled on ME, vocals sound sweeter on CH, synth line that comes to the front of the mix is at :48 is more distinct on the CH.
• Beyoncé “Die With You” - Vocals are more euphonic and engrossing on the CH, piano stands out more when vocals drop out on the ME.
• Thom Yorke “Atoms for Peace (Four Tet Remix)” - Most of the drums (especially the cymbals) are noticeably more crisp and articulate on the ME, vocals are more pleasing on the CH.
• Holly Cole “Train Song” - Vocals are more lush and seductive on CH, individual instruments are clearer and precise from on the ME.

CONCLUSIONS

In the end I still stand by my original statement, you should ultimately choose what wood for your Atrium purely for aesthetic reasons. ZMF also mirrors these feelings as well: https://www.zmfheadphones.com/wood. However if you are a more discerning individual, there are indeed differences to be found between softer and harder woods for the Atrium. Hopefully this will help you make a decision that works best for you.

Very good comparison. Love it.

Is the staging capabilities the same between cherry and ebony ?


In my experience with the KOA Atrium the Auteur pads let the reverb of the wood shine through more than the stock pads. Will test that again today.
The impact of the wood is pronounced to a lesser degree on Atrium/Auteur than other ZMFs.

 

[Gabola]

Extremely happy to welcome the Atrium Floresta to my ZMF family to join the Cocobolo Aeolus...

 

[heliosphann]

Very good comparison. Love it.

Is the staging capabilities the same between cherry and ebony ?


In my experience with the KOA Atrium the Auteur pads let the reverb of the wood shine through more than the stock pads. Will test that again today.
The impact of the wood is pronounced to a lesser degree on Atrium/Auteur than other ZMFs.

I didn't notice any staging differences between the two sets.

I'll have to swap the Auteur pads on my Ebony soon.

 

[helljudgement]

So I had to send my Atriums to ZMF for repair (broken gimbal from a fall, entirely my fault). I purchased a set of used VOs with the intention of reselling them once the Atriums come back. It's been very interesting listening to the VOs after listening to the Atriums constantly for the past month.

I'd always had a hard time grasping the concept of "fast" headphones, but listening to the Verite after becoming habituated to the Atrium I think I get it now. Mostly I'm noticing how much faster the notes decay on the VO. Generally, while I'm perceiving some increase in clarity in the VOs, the faster decay, as others have noted, detracts from the weight and impact of the music. This is especially noticeable in the midbass, where the weighty impact of the Atrium has been replaced by a comparative lack of dynamism and slam in the VOs.

I'll be curious to see how I feel after my brain gets used to the VOs and I listen to the Atriums after repair. For now, I'd say the VO would probably be the slightly better for headphone for classical music, but for rock, hip-hop, electronica, etc. (which I mostly listen to), I think I strongly prefer the Atrium.

Edit: one thing I'll add is that the VO macrodynamics seem to improve at higher volumes, whereas the Atrium still sounds punchy even at lower volumes.

Buying a headphone that cost as much as the Atrium as a stand in is a pretty ballsy move Interestingly I bought the VO years back due to it's bass weight and tactility so it's interesting to see impressions of relative lack of dynamism for the VO. Though the Atrium does slam like an untamed animal so I can understand the contrast to the VO. The increased in air and tightening of the bass provide a very different experience to the Atrium. I've recently break out my old Ziricote VO with universe pads after having it on BE2 for over a year and it's a refreshing change. The universe pads provides better clarity and focus to the vocals and a much more open soundstage that seemingly wraps around my head. The synergy between the universe pad VO and the DNA Starlett is jaw dropping and my Atrium will likely be pushed aside for a few nights...

 

[GumbyDammit223]

Hi all, while I'm still waiting for my Atria to be built (last update said they're starting to put finish on the Cocobolo), I'm thinking about my future purchase - that is after the CC has solidified from a molten puddle! From my sig, you can see I've been pretty solid into open back headphones. I'd like to dip my toe into the sea of closed back headphones next. The Verite Closed holds a lot of promise for me. How do you think the Verite will complement the Atrium? Thanks!

 

[goldwerger]

Hi all, while I'm still waiting for my Atria to be built (last update said they're starting to put finish on the Cocobolo), I'm thinking about my future purchase - that is after the CC has solidified from a molten puddle! From my sig, you can see I've been pretty solid into open back headphones. I'd like to dip my toe into the sea of closed back headphones next. The Verite Closed holds a lot of promise for me. How do you think the Verite will complement the Atrium? Thanks!

I have both and they are quite different. They seat in the same collection very comfortably. Other than obviously the use case of closed vs open (the VC is remarkably isolating btw), they are also tonally different.

To my ears, the VC is faster, making the attack on note punchier. This makes bass more exact and “punchy”. Very enjoyable for rhythmic music. They reveal treble well but with lower treble energy. Soundstage for closed back is good, and in absolute term less than average but very 3D natural.

The Atrium is slower on the attack, but it’s slower decay creates a very pleasant “analog” like sound that is very natural. It is beautiful with vocals, jazz, acoustics. And it has a large soundstage.

Both headphones in fact are good for all genres, but this is how I tend to use them..

 

[9bphillips]

Hi all, while I'm still waiting for my Atria to be built (last update said they're starting to put finish on the Cocobolo), I'm thinking about my future purchase - that is after the CC has solidified from a molten puddle! From my sig, you can see I've been pretty solid into open back headphones. I'd like to dip my toe into the sea of closed back headphones next. The Verite Closed holds a lot of promise for me. How do you think the Verite will complement the Atrium? Thanks!

I have both the Verite Closed and the Atrium. They compliment each other very well in my opinion. I honestly couldn't say which I like best! They both handle certain genres better than the other but they both handle all genres very well. They are different enough in sound signature to own both for sure.

 

[GumbyDammit223]

Thanks guys! Appreciate the replies!

 

[Thaddy]

Hi all, while I'm still waiting for my Atria to be built (last update said they're starting to put finish on the Cocobolo), I'm thinking about my future purchase - that is after the CC has solidified from a molten puddle! From my sig, you can see I've been pretty solid into open back headphones. I'd like to dip my toe into the sea of closed back headphones next. The Verite Closed holds a lot of promise for me. How do you think the Verite will complement the Atrium? Thanks!

I've had the Aeolus since 2019 and the Verite Closed since the LTD Koa run back in March of this year. I find them to be extremely complimentary, with the Cocobolo Atrium I also have on order most likely fitting in between the two. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Verite Closed. It sounds excellent with my WA22. I consider it a jack of all trades, master of none. It didn't wow me at first, but I've yet to find anything I don't like about it. Zach has excellent instincts when it comes to tuning his headphones.

 

[MWeston]

I have both the Verite Closed and the Atrium. They compliment each other very well in my opinion. I honestly couldn't say which I like best! They both handle certain genres better than the other but they both handle all genres very well. They are different enough in sound signature to own both for sure.

Do you listen to metal, hard rock or stuff with aggressive guitars? If so, which one do you prefer for that genre of music?

 

[Spee2k]

So if you could pick one of the Atrium , VC or VO across all genres what you picking ?