[nieveulv]

In terms of VO pad rolling, i had some unique experience. At first i disliked the universe leather on a sapele VO and loved the verite pads. Then i switched to the be2 leather and settled there.
Some months later i Got hold of an african blackwood VO and loved the universe leather pads the most. Albeit on a different backend.

Maybe due to wood variation or backend difference or even minor unit variations. Theres no 1 pad that is best i think. The african blackwood with universe leather was magical though.

For the Atrium, I loved the stock universe pads (i removed the mesh), and the auteur suede, while i disliked the be2 and auteur leather.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Hello,
I ordered you when I was still clearing my Atrium Bocote.
They were recommended to me by Zach himself instead of the Be2.
Unfortunately I can't say anything because my Atrium is still in the making and I expect it to arrive in May at the earliest.

And then it still has to be tuned in, so it will be a while before I have a chance to try it.

Here's some of the stuff Zach wrote about the ultra perf, that's all he said but it's enough to convince me.

I think if you were to change one out it might be worth trying the Caldera Ultra Perf instead of the BE2 - I've found it gives a somewhat similar sound but with better staging.

That's really interesting information there. I will give it a try!

 

[Chris Kaoss]

In terms of VO pad rolling, i had some unique experience. At first i disliked the universe leather on a sapele VO and loved the verite pads. Then i switched to the be2 leather and settled there.
Some months later i Got hold of an african blackwood VO and loved the universe leather pads the most. Albeit on a different backend.

Maybe due to wood variation or backend difference or even minor unit variations. Theres no 1 pad that is best i think. The african blackwood with universe leather was magical though.

For the Atrium, I loved the stock universe pads (i removed the mesh), and the auteur suede, while i disliked the be2 and auteur leather.

I've settled with the universe leather pads on my Desert Ironwood too.
Can't speak about any differences in hardness of the wood, but whether I plug the VO to the Mojo (mid-centric), R28 ( clear and more "analog") or TA-26 (mellow with great body), it just sounds fantastic.
Slightly different, but great in all variations.

 

[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

Speaking of pads, has anyone tried the Caldera Ultra Perforated pads with the Atrium? I imagine they'd make them brighter but I could be wrong.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-atrium-new-open-back-co-flagship.962609/post-17487511

I gave some initial impressions on the atrium (cocobolo) with a few pads including Caldera Ultra perf.

Separately I find it interesting to see people comment on the sound differences between different woods. I imagined there wouldn't be so much difference on open headphones as there would on closed. I'm happy with the cocobolo though. It's just so perrrrty...

 

[JackarlTwo]

I was listening to Neil Young tonight and the album On The Beach came on. It's almost like Atrium is tuned perfectly for this album and type of music. It's warm, it's spacious and sounds "analog" for a lack of a better word. Particularly the title track and the following song 'Motion Pictures', you can hear the drums way out in the distance but not in an artificial way. I think I'm about 170 hours in listening to Atrium and they've been my daily drivers for the past month and a half and I can't seem to get tired of the sound. Alright, enough gushing.

 

[YtseJamer]

I believe it may have already been mentioned in this thread, but I wanted to emphasize that the Atrium (with the BE2 pads) and Icon Audio HP8 amplifier complement each other exceptionally well, resulting in a remarkable synergy.

 

[cementnothing]

I believe it may have already been mentioned in this thread, but I wanted to emphasize that the Atrium (with the BE2 pads) and Icon Audio HP8 amplifier complement each other exceptionally well, resulting in a remarkable synergy.

How does this amp affect the Atrium's sound? I'm super interested in the Atrium, and even more interested in pairing it with some tubes.

 

[YtseJamer]

How does this amp affect the Atrium's sound? I'm super interested in the Atrium, and even more interested in pairing it with some tubes.

The Atrium sounds phenomenal with the HP8, the midrange is liquid smooth and well-balanced with no recession whatsoever, the highs are clear and this is the most 3D I've heard the Atrium so far. The bass is super tight and very impactful too. Compared to other amplifiers that I've tested with the Atrium, the HP8 produces a warmer and fuller sound.

 

[cementnothing]

The Atrium sounds phenomenal with the HP8, the midrange is liquid smooth and well-balanced with no recession whatsoever, the highs are clear and this is the most 3D I've heard the Atrium so far. The bass is super tight and very impactful too. Compared to other amplifiers that I've tested with the Atrium, the HP8 produces a warmer and fuller sound.

When I finally pick up the Atrium, I'm gonna look into this. The price will set me back for a long while before I can switch over to a tube amp, but for now my A90D/D90LE stack will work. Thanks for the response!

 

[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

Today I decided to do a closed-back shootout between my collection, but just for fun I thought I'd use my Atrium as the reference to see what came closest.

I won't bore you with the closed back details.

I used Losing My Religion on Qobuz as the test track because 1 - I love it, and 2, it's so strangely recorded, it can really help with sorting the diamonds from the dirt when comparing HPs.

What I came here to say is, the Atrium, unlike any headphone I've ever heard, has the ability to make me feel like I'm listening to that song on the original SM900 tape reel it was probably recorded on. Other headphones can present detail, space etc etc... None have made me experience this level of richness to the sound. (running it off a Mojo 2).

The Atrium makes me feel like I'm travelling through time and space....Just... So.. Good!

 

[Failed Engineer]

I took the Atrium for a stroll through 80s radio hits and the nostalgia was off the charts. There's an emotional component to it linking it to childhood memories but that was one of the most satisfying listening sessions I can remember having in a long long time. Boston, Whitesnake, Journey, Aerosmith, Starship, Van Halen, Depeche Mode, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Don Henley, Steve Winwood, Def Leppard, Foreigner, etc.

This is why I spend money on this stuff.

 

[Deleeh]

Mine will be delivered in the middle of next week if Fedex doesn't screw up again.
So you can imagine how long the month was for me when I ordered the Atrium bocote at the beginning of April .

Really looking forward to it and also being on board to share some great experiences.
I have already read about it, now I can experience it soon.

 

[G8torbyte]

I took the Atrium for a stroll through 80s radio hits and the nostalgia was off the charts. There's an emotional component to it linking it to childhood memories but that was one of the most satisfying listening sessions I can remember having in a long long time. Boston, Whitesnake, Journey, Aerosmith, Starship, Van Halen, Depeche Mode, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Don Henley, Steve Winwood, Def Leppard, Foreigner, etc.

This is why I spend money on this stuff.

True, it is a fun journey. After I purchased the Atrium in Apr'22 I revisited much of my old collections and it was great listening how it brought new life to the memories. And with the quality of the imaging, staging and Zach's damping system I found things I never noticed before. For instance, in Def Leppard's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" after the guitar intro and before the main vocals start, I hear someone jibbering in the background.

 

[Deleeh]

Hello,

I have a stupid question for you.
How did it go with you if you had Fedex deliver to Europe?

I got an email from them telling me in writing that Fedex represents me in customs matters and they want an invoice.
Something like I authorised Paypal to make the payment is enough for them, they told me on the phone.

Seems to be a bit of a cramp.
It's not the first time I've done this and I've never had any problems.

 

[George Hincapie]

Hello,

I have a stupid question for you.
How did it go with you if you had Fedex deliver to Europe?

I got an email from them telling me in writing that Fedex represents me in customs matters and they want an invoice.
Something like I authorised Paypal to make the payment is enough for them, they told me on the phone.

Seems to be a bit of a cramp.
It's not the first time I've done this and I've never had any problems.

I'm not sure I understand the problem. FedEx collect the VAT/Duty on the value of goods on behalf of the Inland Revenue agency for your country. Entirely normal.