Here are links to the Live Stream with ZMF and my video on the Atrium. Cheers!
ZMF Atrium - new open-back co-flagship
- Thread starter DeweyCH
- Start date
Intro
As always I’ll begin with sincere thanks to Zach & all of ZMF for their generosity. Somehow I was fortunate enough to be on the loaner for the Atrium, one of ZMF’s newest and co-flagship with the Verite lineup. The Atrium is a departure from other ZMF headphones in a variety of ways.The concept behind the Atrium includes a new patent pending dampening/airflow scheme combined with an updated biocellulose driver, and the result is IMO a captivating listening experience. I won’t go into the details of the Atrium nor the patent since so many have already covered that better than I could, and you can check out the ZMF website HERE to find out more about the Atrium itself and HERE for more about the patent.
Fit & Comfort
Like every ZMF IMO the appearance, fit & finish is Sterling. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Atrium ticks all the boxes for me and is a beauty to behold.
Physically, the screen on the headphone is larger than any ZMF so far, and the Gothic flair appeals to me. The set I have is a beautifully finished Cherry wood, and comfort is everything I’ve come to expect from ZMF. That is to say very comfortable despite the approximately 490 gram weight. I have always found the headband they utilize to distribute the weight beautifully.
Review Details
Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.
My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCan (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). Although all ZMF headphones seem to have a distinct preference for tubes, the Atrium also sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned the headphone for over 100 hours before critical listening. I found the Atrium relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones (the Verite series is a bit more efficient), however there is assuredly a benefit to be had from a better audio chain.
Isolation
The Atrium is now the most “open” headphone in the ZMF lineup, though it is still not as open sounding as an open Focal or the Sennheiser 600 or 800. It still sounds more like a partially open design to me. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and the sonic presentation is remarkably “airy” and “open” but there is still a bit of isolation when compared to an HD650 or something similar.
Sound
(EDIT: all listening impressions were done with a solid metal mesh filter over the driver which is to be replaced in production models by a perforated mesh similar to but different than the Aeolus mesh.)
This headphone adheres to what Zach is calling “ZMF Neutral”. Those familiar with ZMF won’t have any problem understanding what that means. I think it’s fair to say that ZMFs in general have a rich and full bass response almost across the board, and a more relaxed treble than many other manufacturers would be comfortable with. I have always enjoyed the “house sound” myself, and the Atrium is my favorite example to date. There is a unique sound to any biocellulose driver I’ve ever heard, and I enjoy it. There is a smoothness, but it’s not overly soft IMO. The transients are not as sharp as beryllium but there is still plenty of snap when required. Changing pads will alter the sound, if not the nature of the Atrium and I’ll include a bit after I touch on the basic sound.
The bass is full and rich without being overly sluggish. It extends deep and feels powerful yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound for my tastes. There is a tactile quality I rarely experience with headphones, and I think it’s not due to the quantity of bass as much as the movement of air or some other factor. It makes listening an absolute joy for me. There is a bit more mid bass than sub bass but again I don’t find it to be overdone. Excellent detail from acoustic bass and deep drum hits.
The mids are the most even and the least “peaky” that I can recall from ZMF. I’ve always experienced a bit of fatigue from the mids of the Auteur after a while, but not so the Atrium. There is still a lush feeling in the mids, but it never crosses into being husky or anything unnatural to my ear. Vocals male & female, piano, violin all sounded clear and detailed.
The highs while not the most airy & extended I found to be wholly satisfyingly. This could be due to advancing age/hearing loss but I didn’t feel too much information was lacking, if at all. That being said I doubt these would satisfy a “treble head”. There was sufficient ring to cymbals and the like, and harmonics were audible. Not the strong suit of the Atrium to be sure, but I didn’t find it lacking.
Resolution is fitting of a TOTL headphone IMO, though it might not be on the level of the “detail giants” out there like the Utopia or HD800. Maybe slightly behind ZMFs own Verite, there is enough information discernible even if it’s not presented in your face. The search for a musicians finest breath and every audience member’s cough never thrilled me, but I can hear fingers sliding on frets and bowstrings being plucked quite well.
One of the most engaging aspects of the Atrium IMO is the sense of space it renders to the listener. This is also the most difficult aspect to try and articulate, at least for me. The Headstage doesn’t come off as exaggerated (I’m looking at you HD800) but it does feel deep and wide with good height. I hesitate to use this phrase because it is somewhat hyperbolic but there is a certain “3d-ness” there that I don’t experience with other headphones. The Verite series has it’s own similar quality, but the Atrium presents it differently. Whereas the Verite has a sense of wide open space and excellent imaging, I think the atrium gives a better sense of instruments being in that space, if that makes sense. I guess the best way I can put it is that live music just sounds more “live” to me.
Pads
One aspect of headphone listening that I enjoy is being able to dial in my sonic preferences with a change of pads, and fortunately ZMF likes to accommodate that little proclivity. Zach has been a leader in offering a variety of options to fine tune your listening experience, so I would be remiss not to touch on pads.
After the kudos, I’ll also include what is probably my biggest gripe, which is the difficulty I have in identifying pads. I do keep them organized in zip-locks, and ZMF now seems to ship them in larger more durable zip-locks of sorts which is a great help. However once out of the baggie, they can be comically difficult to identify. I usually write up some index cards to keep in the proper pad until use, but I still got turned around/distracted & mixed them up at one point. Fortunately Zach was quite helpful assisting my to identify which was which. One suggestion I heard was using a laundry marker on the inner cloth which is a good idea, but I’d appreciate if there were some sort of tagging for rapid I.D.
Included with the loaner were the Universe pads, the BE2 pads and the Auteur Pads all of which were lambskin. Each pad did bring something worthwhile to the sonic pallet IMO.
Universe Pads
These are the stock option. The have the largest headstage and the most prominent bass response. Little to no bleeding into the mids, which are rather linear overall. On the flip side of that coin I also found that they had the most delicate treble of the three.
BE2 pads
Bass is more subdued/neutral yet still has plenty of punch. A touch of a sub bass boost I think. I found the treble to be slightly lifted/clearer and not emphasized so much as clarified. The stage is smaller but not collapsed, mids are still magical, and I found no sibilance.
Auteur pads
These are the most linear/neutral pads of the three to my ears. These brings mids out a bit more, and I found vocals both male & female to be hypnotic. While bass and treble are still present, they are slightly more subdued overall. I didn’t find anything lacking, I wasn’t yearning for more bass/treble. While the headstage was probably the smallest of the three it still felt wide & deep, probably due to the Atrium’s uncanny ability to paint a sonic landscape.
Some Comparisons
The most obvious comparison would be to ZMF’s other flagship the VO. I did cover this somewhat throughout, but I’ll summarize again here. I find the VO to be a bit better at retrieving fine details, but the difference isn’t stark. The Verite has a few more peaks & valleys in the mids, whereas the Atrium’s deviations are less pronounced. Transients are faster, sharper with the VO and the Atrium is more visceral. VO goes a bit deeper into the sub-bass I think, again not night & day. Headstage is a similar size & shape between the two I think, VO a bit wider, Atrium deeper but I find the presentation different. It is likely a coin toss as to which you might prefer, but my preference is for the Atrium.
My usual daily driver is the Aeolus. I’ve become addicted to it’s forgiving qualities and (for me) an ear friendly sound. The Atrium is more detailed overall, picking up more “plankton” even though there’s more treble energy found in the Aeolus. Like the VO Aeolus has more peaks & valleys in the midrange in comparison to the Atrium. Also like the VO there is a little more sub bass extension to be found with the Aeolus, but the bass overall is a bit looser and less nuanced. Not surprisingly, headstage is no contest with the Atrium being wider, deeper, and taller than the Aeolus.
End Words
Once again ZMF has created a wonderfully tuned beautifully crafted headphone. I have to admit that I am quite tired of the current trend of TOTL headphones being ever more expensive. Make no mistake that the Atrium is expensive as well, but it is more accessible than many other flagships. Having (mostly?) handmade headphones with replaceable parts and stellar customer service adds quite a bit to the value IMO. I also enjoy supporting a smaller business as opposed to the corporate owned factories churning out mostly plastic headphones. In the end you might think this sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into buying this headphone myself. If so, you might not be wrong.
The Atrium will be available for purchase on April 1st 2022
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/stock-headphones/products/atrium
As always I’ll begin with sincere thanks to Zach & all of ZMF for their generosity. Somehow I was fortunate enough to be on the loaner for the Atrium, one of ZMF’s newest and co-flagship with the Verite lineup. The Atrium is a departure from other ZMF headphones in a variety of ways.The concept behind the Atrium includes a new patent pending dampening/airflow scheme combined with an updated biocellulose driver, and the result is IMO a captivating listening experience. I won’t go into the details of the Atrium nor the patent since so many have already covered that better than I could, and you can check out the ZMF website HERE to find out more about the Atrium itself and HERE for more about the patent.
Fit & Comfort
Like every ZMF IMO the appearance, fit & finish is Sterling. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Atrium ticks all the boxes for me and is a beauty to behold.
Physically, the screen on the headphone is larger than any ZMF so far, and the Gothic flair appeals to me. The set I have is a beautifully finished Cherry wood, and comfort is everything I’ve come to expect from ZMF. That is to say very comfortable despite the approximately 490 gram weight. I have always found the headband they utilize to distribute the weight beautifully.
Review Details
Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.
My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCan (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). Although all ZMF headphones seem to have a distinct preference for tubes, the Atrium also sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned the headphone for over 100 hours before critical listening. I found the Atrium relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones (the Verite series is a bit more efficient), however there is assuredly a benefit to be had from a better audio chain.
Isolation
The Atrium is now the most “open” headphone in the ZMF lineup, though it is still not as open sounding as an open Focal or the Sennheiser 600 or 800. It still sounds more like a partially open design to me. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and the sonic presentation is remarkably “airy” and “open” but there is still a bit of isolation when compared to an HD650 or something similar.
Sound
(EDIT: all listening impressions were done with a solid metal mesh filter over the driver which is to be replaced in production models by a perforated mesh similar to but different than the Aeolus mesh.)
This headphone adheres to what Zach is calling “ZMF Neutral”. Those familiar with ZMF won’t have any problem understanding what that means. I think it’s fair to say that ZMFs in general have a rich and full bass response almost across the board, and a more relaxed treble than many other manufacturers would be comfortable with. I have always enjoyed the “house sound” myself, and the Atrium is my favorite example to date. There is a unique sound to any biocellulose driver I’ve ever heard, and I enjoy it. There is a smoothness, but it’s not overly soft IMO. The transients are not as sharp as beryllium but there is still plenty of snap when required. Changing pads will alter the sound, if not the nature of the Atrium and I’ll include a bit after I touch on the basic sound.
The bass is full and rich without being overly sluggish. It extends deep and feels powerful yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound for my tastes. There is a tactile quality I rarely experience with headphones, and I think it’s not due to the quantity of bass as much as the movement of air or some other factor. It makes listening an absolute joy for me. There is a bit more mid bass than sub bass but again I don’t find it to be overdone. Excellent detail from acoustic bass and deep drum hits.
The mids are the most even and the least “peaky” that I can recall from ZMF. I’ve always experienced a bit of fatigue from the mids of the Auteur after a while, but not so the Atrium. There is still a lush feeling in the mids, but it never crosses into being husky or anything unnatural to my ear. Vocals male & female, piano, violin all sounded clear and detailed.
The highs while not the most airy & extended I found to be wholly satisfyingly. This could be due to advancing age/hearing loss but I didn’t feel too much information was lacking, if at all. That being said I doubt these would satisfy a “treble head”. There was sufficient ring to cymbals and the like, and harmonics were audible. Not the strong suit of the Atrium to be sure, but I didn’t find it lacking.
Resolution is fitting of a TOTL headphone IMO, though it might not be on the level of the “detail giants” out there like the Utopia or HD800. Maybe slightly behind ZMFs own Verite, there is enough information discernible even if it’s not presented in your face. The search for a musicians finest breath and every audience member’s cough never thrilled me, but I can hear fingers sliding on frets and bowstrings being plucked quite well.
One of the most engaging aspects of the Atrium IMO is the sense of space it renders to the listener. This is also the most difficult aspect to try and articulate, at least for me. The Headstage doesn’t come off as exaggerated (I’m looking at you HD800) but it does feel deep and wide with good height. I hesitate to use this phrase because it is somewhat hyperbolic but there is a certain “3d-ness” there that I don’t experience with other headphones. The Verite series has it’s own similar quality, but the Atrium presents it differently. Whereas the Verite has a sense of wide open space and excellent imaging, I think the atrium gives a better sense of instruments being in that space, if that makes sense. I guess the best way I can put it is that live music just sounds more “live” to me.
Pads
One aspect of headphone listening that I enjoy is being able to dial in my sonic preferences with a change of pads, and fortunately ZMF likes to accommodate that little proclivity. Zach has been a leader in offering a variety of options to fine tune your listening experience, so I would be remiss not to touch on pads.
After the kudos, I’ll also include what is probably my biggest gripe, which is the difficulty I have in identifying pads. I do keep them organized in zip-locks, and ZMF now seems to ship them in larger more durable zip-locks of sorts which is a great help. However once out of the baggie, they can be comically difficult to identify. I usually write up some index cards to keep in the proper pad until use, but I still got turned around/distracted & mixed them up at one point. Fortunately Zach was quite helpful assisting my to identify which was which. One suggestion I heard was using a laundry marker on the inner cloth which is a good idea, but I’d appreciate if there were some sort of tagging for rapid I.D.
Included with the loaner were the Universe pads, the BE2 pads and the Auteur Pads all of which were lambskin. Each pad did bring something worthwhile to the sonic pallet IMO.
Universe Pads
These are the stock option. The have the largest headstage and the most prominent bass response. Little to no bleeding into the mids, which are rather linear overall. On the flip side of that coin I also found that they had the most delicate treble of the three.
BE2 pads
Bass is more subdued/neutral yet still has plenty of punch. A touch of a sub bass boost I think. I found the treble to be slightly lifted/clearer and not emphasized so much as clarified. The stage is smaller but not collapsed, mids are still magical, and I found no sibilance.
Auteur pads
These are the most linear/neutral pads of the three to my ears. These brings mids out a bit more, and I found vocals both male & female to be hypnotic. While bass and treble are still present, they are slightly more subdued overall. I didn’t find anything lacking, I wasn’t yearning for more bass/treble. While the headstage was probably the smallest of the three it still felt wide & deep, probably due to the Atrium’s uncanny ability to paint a sonic landscape.
Some Comparisons
The most obvious comparison would be to ZMF’s other flagship the VO. I did cover this somewhat throughout, but I’ll summarize again here. I find the VO to be a bit better at retrieving fine details, but the difference isn’t stark. The Verite has a few more peaks & valleys in the mids, whereas the Atrium’s deviations are less pronounced. Transients are faster, sharper with the VO and the Atrium is more visceral. VO goes a bit deeper into the sub-bass I think, again not night & day. Headstage is a similar size & shape between the two I think, VO a bit wider, Atrium deeper but I find the presentation different. It is likely a coin toss as to which you might prefer, but my preference is for the Atrium.
My usual daily driver is the Aeolus. I’ve become addicted to it’s forgiving qualities and (for me) an ear friendly sound. The Atrium is more detailed overall, picking up more “plankton” even though there’s more treble energy found in the Aeolus. Like the VO Aeolus has more peaks & valleys in the midrange in comparison to the Atrium. Also like the VO there is a little more sub bass extension to be found with the Aeolus, but the bass overall is a bit looser and less nuanced. Not surprisingly, headstage is no contest with the Atrium being wider, deeper, and taller than the Aeolus.
End Words
Once again ZMF has created a wonderfully tuned beautifully crafted headphone. I have to admit that I am quite tired of the current trend of TOTL headphones being ever more expensive. Make no mistake that the Atrium is expensive as well, but it is more accessible than many other flagships. Having (mostly?) handmade headphones with replaceable parts and stellar customer service adds quite a bit to the value IMO. I also enjoy supporting a smaller business as opposed to the corporate owned factories churning out mostly plastic headphones. In the end you might think this sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into buying this headphone myself. If so, you might not be wrong.
The Atrium will be available for purchase on April 1st 2022
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/stock-headphones/products/atrium
Last edited:
jonathan c
Headphoneus Supremus
Thorough, well writtenIntro
As always I’ll begin with sincere thanks to Zach & all of ZMF for their generosity. Somehow I was fortunate enough to be on the loaner for the Atrium, one of ZMF’s newest and co-flagship with the Verite lineup. The Atrium is a departure from other ZMF headphones in a variety of ways.The concept behind the Atrium includes a new patent pending dampening/airflow scheme combined with an updated biocellulose driver, and the result is IMO a captivating listening experience. I won’t go into the details of the Atrium nor the patent since so many have already covered that better than I could, and you can check out the ZMF website HERE to find out more about the Atrium itself and HERE for more about the patent.
Fit & Comfort
Like every ZMF IMO the appearance, fit & finish is Sterling. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Atrium ticks all the boxes for me and is a beauty to behold.
Physically, the screen on the headphone is larger than any ZMF so far, and the Gothic flair appeals to me. The set I have is a beautifully finished Cherry wood, and comfort is everything I’ve come to expect from ZMF. That is to say very comfortable despite the approximately 490 gram weight. I have always found the headband they utilize to distribute the weight beautifully.
Review Details
Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.
My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCan (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). Although all ZMF headphones seem to have a distinct preference for tubes, the Atrium also sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned the headphone for over 100 hours before critical listening. I found the Atrium relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones (the Verite series is a bit more efficient), however there is assuredly a benefit to be had from a better audio chain.
Isolation
The Atrium is now the most “open” headphone in the ZMF lineup, though it is still not as open sounding as an open Focal or the Sennheiser 600 or 800. It still sounds more like a partially open design to me. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and the sonic presentation is remarkably “airy” and “open” but there is still a bit of isolation when compared to an HD650 or something similar.
Sound
This headphone adheres to what Zach is calling “ZMF Neutral”. Those familiar with ZMF won’t have any problem understanding what that means. I think it’s fair to say that ZMFs in general have a rich and full bass response almost across the board, and a more relaxed treble than many other manufacturers would be comfortable with. I have always enjoyed the “house sound” myself, and the Atrium is my favorite example to date. There is a unique sound to any biocellulose driver I’ve ever heard, and I enjoy it. There is a smoothness, but it’s not overly soft IMO. The transients are not as sharp as beryllium but there is still plenty of snap when required. Changing pads will alter the sound, if not the nature of the Atrium and I’ll include a bit after I touch on the basic sound.
The bass is full and rich without being overly sluggish. It extends deep and feels powerful yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound for my tastes. There is a tactile quality I rarely experience with headphones, and I think it’s not due to the quantity of bass as much as the movement of air or some other factor. It makes listening an absolute joy for me. There is a bit more mid bass than sub bass but again I don’t find it to be overdone. Excellent detail from acoustic bass and deep drum hits.
The mids are the most even and the least “peaky” that I can recall from ZMF. I’ve always experienced a bit of fatigue from the mids of the Auteur after a while, but not so the Atrium. There is still a lush feeling in the mids, but it never crosses into being husky or anything unnatural to my ear. Vocals male & female, piano, violin all sounded clear and detailed.
The highs while not the most airy & extended I found to be wholly satisfyingly. This could be due to advancing age/hearing loss but I didn’t feel too much information was lacking, if at all. That being said I doubt these would satisfy a “treble head”. There was sufficient ring to cymbals and the like, and harmonics were audible. Not the strong suit of the Atrium to be sure, but I didn’t find it lacking.
Resolution is fitting of a TOTL headphone IMO, though it might not be on the level of the “detail giants” out there like the Utopia or HD800. Maybe slightly behind ZMFs own Verite, there is enough information discernible even if it’s not presented in your face. The search for a musicians finest breath and every audience member’s cough never thrilled me, but I can hear fingers sliding on frets and bowstrings being plucked quite well.
One of the most engaging aspects of the Atrium IMO is the sense of space it renders to the listener. This is also the most difficult aspect to try and articulate, at least for me. The Headstage doesn’t come off as exaggerated (I’m looking at you HD800) but it does feel deep and wide with good height. I hesitate to use this phrase because it is somewhat hyperbolic but there is a certain “3d-ness” there that I don’t experience with other headphones. The Verite series has it’s own similar quality, but the Atrium presents it differently. Whereas the Verite has a sense of wide open space and excellent imaging, I think the atrium gives a better sense of instruments being in that space, if that makes sense. I guess the best way I can put it is that live music just sounds more “live” to me.
Pads
One aspect of headphone listening that I enjoy is being able to dial in my sonic preferences with a change of pads, and fortunately ZMF likes to accommodate that little proclivity. Zach has been a leader in offering a variety of options to fine tune your listening experience, so I would be remiss not to touch on pads.
After the kudos, I’ll also include what is probably my biggest gripe, which is the difficulty I have in identifying pads. I do keep them organized in zip-locks, and ZMF now seems to ship them in larger more durable zip-locks of sorts which is a great help. However once out of the baggie, they can be comically difficult to identify. I usually write up some index cards to keep in the proper pad until use, but I still got turned around/distracted & mixed them up at one point. Fortunately Zach was quite helpful assisting my to identify which was which. One suggestion I heard was using a laundry marker on the inner cloth which is a good idea, but I’d appreciate if there were some sort of tagging for rapid I.D.
Included with the loaner were the Universe pads, the BE2 pads and the Auteur Pads all of which were lambskin. Each pad did bring something worthwhile to the sonic pallet IMO.
Universe Pads
These are the stock option. The have the largest headstage and the most prominent bass response. Little to no bleeding into the mids, which are rather linear overall. On the flip side of that coin I also found that they had the most delicate treble of the three.
BE2 pads
Bass is more subdued/neutral yet still has plenty of punch. A touch of a sub bass boost I think. I found the treble to be slightly lifted/clearer and not emphasized so much as clarified. The stage is smaller but not collapsed, mids are still magical, and I found no sibilance.
Auteur pads
These are the most linear/neutral pads of the three to my ears. These brings mids out a bit more, and I found vocals both male & female to be hypnotic. While bass and treble are still present, they are slightly more subdued overall. I didn’t find anything lacking, I wasn’t yearning for more bass/treble. While the headstage was probably the smallest of the three it still felt wide & deep, probably due to the Atrium’s uncanny ability to paint a sonic landscape.
Some Comparisons
The most obvious comparison would be to ZMF’s other flagship the VO. I did cover this somewhat throughout, but I’ll summarize again here. I find the VO to be a bit better at retrieving fine details, but the difference isn’t stark. The Verite has a few more peaks & valleys in the mids, whereas the Atrium’s deviations are less pronounced. Transients are faster, sharper with the VO and the Atrium is more visceral. VO goes a bit deeper into the sub-bass I think, again not night & day. Headstage is a similar size & shape between the two I think, VO a bit wider, Atrium deeper but I find the presentation different. It is likely a coin toss as to which you might prefer, but my preference is for the Atrium.
My usual daily driver is the Aeolus. I’ve become addicted to it’s forgiving qualities and (for me) an ear friendly sound. The Atrium is more detailed overall, picking up more “plankton” even though there’s more treble energy found in the Aeolus. Like the VO Aeolus has more peaks & valleys in the midrange in comparison to the Atrium. Also like the VO there is a little more sub bass extension to be found with the Aeolus, but the bass overall is a bit looser and less nuanced. Not surprisingly, headstage is no contest with the Atrium being wider, deeper, and taller than the Aeolus.
End Words
Once again ZMF has created a wonderfully tuned beautifully crafted headphone. I have to admit that I am quite tired of the current trend of TOTL headphones being ever more expensive. Make no mistake that the Atrium is expensive as well, but it is more accessible than many other flagships. Having (mostly?) handmade headphones with replaceable parts and stellar customer service adds quite a bit to the value IMO. I also enjoy supporting a smaller business as opposed to the corporate owned factories churning out mostly plastic headphones. In the end you might think this sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into buying this headphone myself. If so, you might not be wrong.
The Atrium will be available for purchase on April 1st 2022
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/stock-headphones/products/atrium
!
Yeah! I’m hoping to get a bunch of videos finished next week! To include VO and VC comparisons.I caught both of them, very chill!
Is the VC comparison incoming?
Hifiearspeakers
Headphoneus Supremus
This was a very helpful review! Thanks!Intro
As always I’ll begin with sincere thanks to Zach & all of ZMF for their generosity. Somehow I was fortunate enough to be on the loaner for the Atrium, one of ZMF’s newest and co-flagship with the Verite lineup. The Atrium is a departure from other ZMF headphones in a variety of ways.The concept behind the Atrium includes a new patent pending dampening/airflow scheme combined with an updated biocellulose driver, and the result is IMO a captivating listening experience. I won’t go into the details of the Atrium nor the patent since so many have already covered that better than I could, and you can check out the ZMF website HERE to find out more about the Atrium itself and HERE for more about the patent.
Fit & Comfort
Like every ZMF IMO the appearance, fit & finish is Sterling. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Atrium ticks all the boxes for me and is a beauty to behold.
Physically, the screen on the headphone is larger than any ZMF so far, and the Gothic flair appeals to me. The set I have is a beautifully finished Cherry wood, and comfort is everything I’ve come to expect from ZMF. That is to say very comfortable despite the approximately 490 gram weight. I have always found the headband they utilize to distribute the weight beautifully.
Review Details
Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.
My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCan (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). Although all ZMF headphones seem to have a distinct preference for tubes, the Atrium also sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned the headphone for over 100 hours before critical listening. I found the Atrium relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones (the Verite series is a bit more efficient), however there is assuredly a benefit to be had from a better audio chain.
Isolation
The Atrium is now the most “open” headphone in the ZMF lineup, though it is still not as open sounding as an open Focal or the Sennheiser 600 or 800. It still sounds more like a partially open design to me. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and the sonic presentation is remarkably “airy” and “open” but there is still a bit of isolation when compared to an HD650 or something similar.
Sound
This headphone adheres to what Zach is calling “ZMF Neutral”. Those familiar with ZMF won’t have any problem understanding what that means. I think it’s fair to say that ZMFs in general have a rich and full bass response almost across the board, and a more relaxed treble than many other manufacturers would be comfortable with. I have always enjoyed the “house sound” myself, and the Atrium is my favorite example to date. There is a unique sound to any biocellulose driver I’ve ever heard, and I enjoy it. There is a smoothness, but it’s not overly soft IMO. The transients are not as sharp as beryllium but there is still plenty of snap when required. Changing pads will alter the sound, if not the nature of the Atrium and I’ll include a bit after I touch on the basic sound.
The bass is full and rich without being overly sluggish. It extends deep and feels powerful yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound for my tastes. There is a tactile quality I rarely experience with headphones, and I think it’s not due to the quantity of bass as much as the movement of air or some other factor. It makes listening an absolute joy for me. There is a bit more mid bass than sub bass but again I don’t find it to be overdone. Excellent detail from acoustic bass and deep drum hits.
The mids are the most even and the least “peaky” that I can recall from ZMF. I’ve always experienced a bit of fatigue from the mids of the Auteur after a while, but not so the Atrium. There is still a lush feeling in the mids, but it never crosses into being husky or anything unnatural to my ear. Vocals male & female, piano, violin all sounded clear and detailed.
The highs while not the most airy & extended I found to be wholly satisfyingly. This could be due to advancing age/hearing loss but I didn’t feel too much information was lacking, if at all. That being said I doubt these would satisfy a “treble head”. There was sufficient ring to cymbals and the like, and harmonics were audible. Not the strong suit of the Atrium to be sure, but I didn’t find it lacking.
Resolution is fitting of a TOTL headphone IMO, though it might not be on the level of the “detail giants” out there like the Utopia or HD800. Maybe slightly behind ZMFs own Verite, there is enough information discernible even if it’s not presented in your face. The search for a musicians finest breath and every audience member’s cough never thrilled me, but I can hear fingers sliding on frets and bowstrings being plucked quite well.
One of the most engaging aspects of the Atrium IMO is the sense of space it renders to the listener. This is also the most difficult aspect to try and articulate, at least for me. The Headstage doesn’t come off as exaggerated (I’m looking at you HD800) but it does feel deep and wide with good height. I hesitate to use this phrase because it is somewhat hyperbolic but there is a certain “3d-ness” there that I don’t experience with other headphones. The Verite series has it’s own similar quality, but the Atrium presents it differently. Whereas the Verite has a sense of wide open space and excellent imaging, I think the atrium gives a better sense of instruments being in that space, if that makes sense. I guess the best way I can put it is that live music just sounds more “live” to me.
Pads
One aspect of headphone listening that I enjoy is being able to dial in my sonic preferences with a change of pads, and fortunately ZMF likes to accommodate that little proclivity. Zach has been a leader in offering a variety of options to fine tune your listening experience, so I would be remiss not to touch on pads.
After the kudos, I’ll also include what is probably my biggest gripe, which is the difficulty I have in identifying pads. I do keep them organized in zip-locks, and ZMF now seems to ship them in larger more durable zip-locks of sorts which is a great help. However once out of the baggie, they can be comically difficult to identify. I usually write up some index cards to keep in the proper pad until use, but I still got turned around/distracted & mixed them up at one point. Fortunately Zach was quite helpful assisting my to identify which was which. One suggestion I heard was using a laundry marker on the inner cloth which is a good idea, but I’d appreciate if there were some sort of tagging for rapid I.D.
Included with the loaner were the Universe pads, the BE2 pads and the Auteur Pads all of which were lambskin. Each pad did bring something worthwhile to the sonic pallet IMO.
Universe Pads
These are the stock option. The have the largest headstage and the most prominent bass response. Little to no bleeding into the mids, which are rather linear overall. On the flip side of that coin I also found that they had the most delicate treble of the three.
BE2 pads
Bass is more subdued/neutral yet still has plenty of punch. A touch of a sub bass boost I think. I found the treble to be slightly lifted/clearer and not emphasized so much as clarified. The stage is smaller but not collapsed, mids are still magical, and I found no sibilance.
Auteur pads
These are the most linear/neutral pads of the three to my ears. These brings mids out a bit more, and I found vocals both male & female to be hypnotic. While bass and treble are still present, they are slightly more subdued overall. I didn’t find anything lacking, I wasn’t yearning for more bass/treble. While the headstage was probably the smallest of the three it still felt wide & deep, probably due to the Atrium’s uncanny ability to paint a sonic landscape.
Some Comparisons
The most obvious comparison would be to ZMF’s other flagship the VO. I did cover this somewhat throughout, but I’ll summarize again here. I find the VO to be a bit better at retrieving fine details, but the difference isn’t stark. The Verite has a few more peaks & valleys in the mids, whereas the Atrium’s deviations are less pronounced. Transients are faster, sharper with the VO and the Atrium is more visceral. VO goes a bit deeper into the sub-bass I think, again not night & day. Headstage is a similar size & shape between the two I think, VO a bit wider, Atrium deeper but I find the presentation different. It is likely a coin toss as to which you might prefer, but my preference is for the Atrium.
My usual daily driver is the Aeolus. I’ve become addicted to it’s forgiving qualities and (for me) an ear friendly sound. The Atrium is more detailed overall, picking up more “plankton” even though there’s more treble energy found in the Aeolus. Like the VO Aeolus has more peaks & valleys in the midrange in comparison to the Atrium. Also like the VO there is a little more sub bass extension to be found with the Aeolus, but the bass overall is a bit looser and less nuanced. Not surprisingly, headstage is no contest with the Atrium being wider, deeper, and taller than the Aeolus.
End Words
Once again ZMF has created a wonderfully tuned beautifully crafted headphone. I have to admit that I am quite tired of the current trend of TOTL headphones being ever more expensive. Make no mistake that the Atrium is expensive as well, but it is more accessible than many other flagships. Having (mostly?) handmade headphones with replaceable parts and stellar customer service adds quite a bit to the value IMO. I also enjoy supporting a smaller business as opposed to the corporate owned factories churning out mostly plastic headphones. In the end you might think this sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into buying this headphone myself. If so, you might not be wrong.
The Atrium will be available for purchase on April 1st 2022
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/stock-headphones/products/atrium
TheMiddleSky
Headphoneus Supremus
Excellent review!Intro
As always I’ll begin with sincere thanks to Zach & all of ZMF for their generosity. Somehow I was fortunate enough to be on the loaner for the Atrium, one of ZMF’s newest and co-flagship with the Verite lineup. The Atrium is a departure from other ZMF headphones in a variety of ways.The concept behind the Atrium includes a new patent pending dampening/airflow scheme combined with an updated biocellulose driver, and the result is IMO a captivating listening experience. I won’t go into the details of the Atrium nor the patent since so many have already covered that better than I could, and you can check out the ZMF website HERE to find out more about the Atrium itself and HERE for more about the patent.
Fit & Comfort
Like every ZMF IMO the appearance, fit & finish is Sterling. Aesthetics are subjective, but the Atrium ticks all the boxes for me and is a beauty to behold.
Physically, the screen on the headphone is larger than any ZMF so far, and the Gothic flair appeals to me. The set I have is a beautifully finished Cherry wood, and comfort is everything I’ve come to expect from ZMF. That is to say very comfortable despite the approximately 490 gram weight. I have always found the headband they utilize to distribute the weight beautifully.
Review Details
Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.
My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Bifrost 2 to either my ifi Pro iCan (1st version) or ZMF Pendant (also 1st version). Although all ZMF headphones seem to have a distinct preference for tubes, the Atrium also sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned the headphone for over 100 hours before critical listening. I found the Atrium relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones (the Verite series is a bit more efficient), however there is assuredly a benefit to be had from a better audio chain.
Isolation
The Atrium is now the most “open” headphone in the ZMF lineup, though it is still not as open sounding as an open Focal or the Sennheiser 600 or 800. It still sounds more like a partially open design to me. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and the sonic presentation is remarkably “airy” and “open” but there is still a bit of isolation when compared to an HD650 or something similar.
Sound
This headphone adheres to what Zach is calling “ZMF Neutral”. Those familiar with ZMF won’t have any problem understanding what that means. I think it’s fair to say that ZMFs in general have a rich and full bass response almost across the board, and a more relaxed treble than many other manufacturers would be comfortable with. I have always enjoyed the “house sound” myself, and the Atrium is my favorite example to date. There is a unique sound to any biocellulose driver I’ve ever heard, and I enjoy it. There is a smoothness, but it’s not overly soft IMO. The transients are not as sharp as beryllium but there is still plenty of snap when required. Changing pads will alter the sound, if not the nature of the Atrium and I’ll include a bit after I touch on the basic sound.
The bass is full and rich without being overly sluggish. It extends deep and feels powerful yet manages not to overwhelm the rest of the sound for my tastes. There is a tactile quality I rarely experience with headphones, and I think it’s not due to the quantity of bass as much as the movement of air or some other factor. It makes listening an absolute joy for me. There is a bit more mid bass than sub bass but again I don’t find it to be overdone. Excellent detail from acoustic bass and deep drum hits.
The mids are the most even and the least “peaky” that I can recall from ZMF. I’ve always experienced a bit of fatigue from the mids of the Auteur after a while, but not so the Atrium. There is still a lush feeling in the mids, but it never crosses into being husky or anything unnatural to my ear. Vocals male & female, piano, violin all sounded clear and detailed.
The highs while not the most airy & extended I found to be wholly satisfyingly. This could be due to advancing age/hearing loss but I didn’t feel too much information was lacking, if at all. That being said I doubt these would satisfy a “treble head”. There was sufficient ring to cymbals and the like, and harmonics were audible. Not the strong suit of the Atrium to be sure, but I didn’t find it lacking.
Resolution is fitting of a TOTL headphone IMO, though it might not be on the level of the “detail giants” out there like the Utopia or HD800. Maybe slightly behind ZMFs own Verite, there is enough information discernible even if it’s not presented in your face. The search for a musicians finest breath and every audience member’s cough never thrilled me, but I can hear fingers sliding on frets and bowstrings being plucked quite well.
One of the most engaging aspects of the Atrium IMO is the sense of space it renders to the listener. This is also the most difficult aspect to try and articulate, at least for me. The Headstage doesn’t come off as exaggerated (I’m looking at you HD800) but it does feel deep and wide with good height. I hesitate to use this phrase because it is somewhat hyperbolic but there is a certain “3d-ness” there that I don’t experience with other headphones. The Verite series has it’s own similar quality, but the Atrium presents it differently. Whereas the Verite has a sense of wide open space and excellent imaging, I think the atrium gives a better sense of instruments being in that space, if that makes sense. I guess the best way I can put it is that live music just sounds more “live” to me.
Pads
One aspect of headphone listening that I enjoy is being able to dial in my sonic preferences with a change of pads, and fortunately ZMF likes to accommodate that little proclivity. Zach has been a leader in offering a variety of options to fine tune your listening experience, so I would be remiss not to touch on pads.
After the kudos, I’ll also include what is probably my biggest gripe, which is the difficulty I have in identifying pads. I do keep them organized in zip-locks, and ZMF now seems to ship them in larger more durable zip-locks of sorts which is a great help. However once out of the baggie, they can be comically difficult to identify. I usually write up some index cards to keep in the proper pad until use, but I still got turned around/distracted & mixed them up at one point. Fortunately Zach was quite helpful assisting my to identify which was which. One suggestion I heard was using a laundry marker on the inner cloth which is a good idea, but I’d appreciate if there were some sort of tagging for rapid I.D.
Included with the loaner were the Universe pads, the BE2 pads and the Auteur Pads all of which were lambskin. Each pad did bring something worthwhile to the sonic pallet IMO.
Universe Pads
These are the stock option. The have the largest headstage and the most prominent bass response. Little to no bleeding into the mids, which are rather linear overall. On the flip side of that coin I also found that they had the most delicate treble of the three.
BE2 pads
Bass is more subdued/neutral yet still has plenty of punch. A touch of a sub bass boost I think. I found the treble to be slightly lifted/clearer and not emphasized so much as clarified. The stage is smaller but not collapsed, mids are still magical, and I found no sibilance.
Auteur pads
These are the most linear/neutral pads of the three to my ears. These brings mids out a bit more, and I found vocals both male & female to be hypnotic. While bass and treble are still present, they are slightly more subdued overall. I didn’t find anything lacking, I wasn’t yearning for more bass/treble. While the headstage was probably the smallest of the three it still felt wide & deep, probably due to the Atrium’s uncanny ability to paint a sonic landscape.
Some Comparisons
The most obvious comparison would be to ZMF’s other flagship the VO. I did cover this somewhat throughout, but I’ll summarize again here. I find the VO to be a bit better at retrieving fine details, but the difference isn’t stark. The Verite has a few more peaks & valleys in the mids, whereas the Atrium’s deviations are less pronounced. Transients are faster, sharper with the VO and the Atrium is more visceral. VO goes a bit deeper into the sub-bass I think, again not night & day. Headstage is a similar size & shape between the two I think, VO a bit wider, Atrium deeper but I find the presentation different. It is likely a coin toss as to which you might prefer, but my preference is for the Atrium.
My usual daily driver is the Aeolus. I’ve become addicted to it’s forgiving qualities and (for me) an ear friendly sound. The Atrium is more detailed overall, picking up more “plankton” even though there’s more treble energy found in the Aeolus. Like the VO Aeolus has more peaks & valleys in the midrange in comparison to the Atrium. Also like the VO there is a little more sub bass extension to be found with the Aeolus, but the bass overall is a bit looser and less nuanced. Not surprisingly, headstage is no contest with the Atrium being wider, deeper, and taller than the Aeolus.
End Words
Once again ZMF has created a wonderfully tuned beautifully crafted headphone. I have to admit that I am quite tired of the current trend of TOTL headphones being ever more expensive. Make no mistake that the Atrium is expensive as well, but it is more accessible than many other flagships. Having (mostly?) handmade headphones with replaceable parts and stellar customer service adds quite a bit to the value IMO. I also enjoy supporting a smaller business as opposed to the corporate owned factories churning out mostly plastic headphones. In the end you might think this sounds like I’m trying to talk myself into buying this headphone myself. If so, you might not be wrong.
The Atrium will be available for purchase on April 1st 2022
https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/stock-headphones/products/atrium
I think based on how you describe soundstage, Atrium could be better structured in imaging compared to Verite.
Not sure if you mean that I came across as as saying Verite was better at imaging, but I don't think that's the case. Verite has really good imaging, and the Atrium does as well IMO. I find them to be more different than better...Verite might be more precise on some tunes, but I felt the opposite with others . Can't explain why really...
Good stuff as usual bro! You and your videos are a big reason why I own my VC, of which I am still completely enamored with and can't get enough of. As someone who listens to quite a bit of Electronica, I loved the end of the video when you said listening to that genre is like a religious experience. After hearing that, I am chomping at the bit to hear this headphone on my Pendant SE with my current tube combo. Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you sir for the kind words, and you're welcome!
Yeah, I really do not have the vocabulary necessary to describe the Atrium w/ electronica in a better way. It's wild!
My Impressions
First of all thanks to Zach for letting me evaluate these. I’ve had them on hand for 3 weeks now, let them burn in 50 hours or so after an initial couple hour listen.
TLDR: Perhaps the Goldilocks or Greatest Hits ZMF with the natural, mid-forward neutral-ish sound of the Auteur, most of the detail that the Verites have, the best bass of the lineup to my ears, much of the fun of the Atticus, sounding the most open and having completely different staging than all the others. They’re deserving of their co-TOTL status and are exceptionally so with poor recordings.
Background:
I’ve been in the hobby a little over 3 years, and quickly went from a 6XX with a $99 dac/amp to headphones in the $2k range and eventually the same for amps. Got my first ZMFs in late 2019, a used Atticus and Verite Open and in a year or so I’d owned every model. Like many headphones it took me some weeks to really appreciate them, but then they quickly became my favorites.
I have zero musical training, have never played an instrument, and don’t listen to classical. So I don’t know how this or that instrument is supposed to sound and don’t have a great grasp on describing in much more detail beyond bass, mids, and treble. I go for difference from the rest of my collection, wide soundstage and just overall enjoyment. I’m not a critical listener, and often my listening is while I’m spending hours on my computer.
I approach headphones a bit like I did when I was into wine, in that I don’t care if it’s supposed to be fancy, expensive, prestigious, grown in the best regions and such, but I do care whether I like it or not since I’m enjoying for the pleasure of it and not to impress or validate anyone else. I have widely varying tastes, enjoying some oddballs like the HD700 & HD820, a little experience with electrostats and planars, and feel the Orpheus is the best sounding experience I’ve ever had.
I’m in my early 50s, have mild hearing loss above 4k, more above 8k, hear nothing over 13k, but none of my hearing loss below that is even at “moderate” levels so maybe just a bit worse than average overall for my age. I never EQ but have nothing against it. I’ll probably delve into playing with it eventually.
My musical tastes are pretty varied, a lot of music from the late 60s to late 80s, a bit of Country (female singers only though), 90s dance/circuit party music & techno along with more recent EDM like Infected Mushroom, some R&B, a lot of pop, little to no rap, classical, metal, opera, or jazz, a smattering of Hawaiian music heavy on slack key guitar and ukulele, some musicals, and hard to characterize artists like Bjork.
Importantly, nearly all the below is based on using suede pads, which are not the pads used when this was being developed, and they tend to increase treble over lambskin. I use suede because I’m vegan, but also because real or even vegan leather makes my face sweat very quickly since it’s always at least warm and usually humid where I live. I imagine I’d use suede even if there were vegan leather versions which sounded exactly like lambskin ones for that reason. Use of suede is also true for any comparison comments I make. For direct comparing I used the same suede pad versions on both headphones to minimize pad-related differences.
Build and initial impressions:
The ones I was loaned are the stock Cherry and black. They’re lightweight, very comfortable, and for whatever reason I have to wear them on the smallest setting, perhaps because the headband is more pointy and taller on the one I have than the crescent on my VO. If you have a small head you may need some headband adjusting or will need to put them on the lowest/smallest rod setting. As shown in my avatar I tend to prefer flashy and different and like having a collection of very different looking and interesting headphones sitting on my desk. The subtle beauty of the Cherry wood is growing on me and they’re the most elegant looking set of ZMFs I’ve had. The black grills disappear some in dim lighting, but do clearly catch the light when it’s bright.
My favorite headphones have been the VO & VC (preferring the VO lately), followed by the Auteur. My listening is usually Chord TT2->Pendant SE with a preference for tubes with wide and unique staging.
My first impression with a Hugo 1 without any other headphones around was that they very obviously had the ZMF house sound and reminded me of the Auteur and without direct comparing felt they were very similar but had better technical performance. Zach had given me no info about them, which was smart and didn’t bias me in any particular direction. I recognized the grill as having the same old church stained glass inspiration as the Auteur, making me wonder if they were a super-Auteur or something. I told myself I probably wouldn’t buy them because there was overlap with the Auteur. Well that lasted all of a day, lol, and I will be purchasing the Koa version once available. They’re also different enough from the Auteur that I’m keeping both.
Anyway, here’s my collection of thoughts and comparisons rather than a formal review.
Bass, treble & mids:
I’m very impressed by the bass on these. There is a weightiness and punchiness to them I find very gratifying. A nice track to show off the bass on the Atrium is about 11 seconds in on Beyonce’s Partition, which sounds better on the Atrium than my other headphones. The Atrium are not bass canons nor overly warm. Like most aspects of the Atrium, the bass for me is just right. Compared to the Auteur, the Atrium bass is more present and full and feels like it lingers more giving body to the soundscape while on the Auteur it's more like it comes and goes. After a long Atrium listen, the Auteur does feel like it’s missing something. Recently rolled a tube combo in my Pendant SE which is providing the most impressive bass I've heard from it yet, and comparing with the VO, the Atrium just has more heft and thickness to the bass. Doing a sub bass test using "Why So Serious" around 3:30 from the Dark Knight soundtrack I'd give the nod to the Verite, though both are very impressive. The suede pads do diffuse some of the bass slam.
One of my favorite Prince albums is “Parade” which has more punchy bass than his other pre-90s albums. The recording itself isn’t great. It’s never sounded better than on the Atrium with the BE2 suede pads. There’s just a punchiness with those pads which I don’t get with the other suedes. The Atrium has the most punchy bass of the ZMFs for me.
I also feel like the treble is just right. Again suede pads are brighter, so I’ve not yet played around with different mesh options because I don’t feel any need to make them sound brighter. Going back to the Auteur after a long listen, the treble on the Auteur just seems a bit too much, which I’ve not thought before.
The forwardness of the mids is in between the Auteur & Verite Open. Vocals are just lovely and even sibilant recordings have little to none of that on the Atrium. I get more sibilance on the Auteur, something I never thought about until directly comparing to the Atrium. Like the Auteur it has this natural/organic very real sound to it that's very pleasant to my ears.
Soundstage:
As far as soundstage, being a lover of wide soundstages and sounds coming from outside the head, the Atrium is up there with the HD700 & 800 and Arya without sounding unnatural. I experience the Verite Open as having just so much going on and really being enveloped in this 3D soundscape while the Auteur is a more "traditional" (for lack of a better word) experience. The Atrium sort of splits the difference. It just feels like there is more there on the Atrium than the Auteur and it's got different staging than both. I did spend a little time with the stock lambskin Universe pads today after suedes exclusively for 3 weeks, and the soundstage with them is indeed more 3D, and overall the Atrium sounds better on them than any of the suedes I’ve been using.
One aspect of the soundstage is how it can make sounds seem eerily real and behind you. In a video there was a dog not visible behind the camera and I had to check multiple times to make sure it wasn't one of my dogs who always lays on the bed behind my desk/headphone station.
I've also noticed on some EDM little sounds coming from off in the distance enough again to have me need to make sure it wasn't some noise nearby not coming from the Atrium. For example, at the end of a dance song some piano came on from a distance, like from where my foot was! On both the VC and Atticus the piano was heard (and lost some) between my ears blended with the rest of the music. The soundstage is so different from the other ZMFs that it's indeed like hearing my music all over again for the first time. Some Jack Johnson song I’ve heard hundreds of times, noticed the background vocals off to the left on a track, and really never noticed them at all before.
With my iMac setup on my desk, I’ve occasionally mistakenly had sound coming from my desktop speakers while listening to headphones. More than any other ZMF I’ve had to take my headphones off to make sure those speakers aren’t on because some sounds are very external and seem several feet away. Most bizarre and impressive, at times I’ve felt bass on my body like my desk is vibrating like it would if I had a subwoofer on. How is that even possible?
I think the Verites have the edge as far as being holographic and having the most plankton, the latter of which I’m ambivalent about anyway.
Details:
The Atrium is very detailed. Comparing to the VO & Auteur it sort of splits the difference on details, but closer to the Verite. Being not quite as detailed as the Verites is one of the best things about the Atrium. It’s a big part of why it’s the best headphone I’ve heard with crappy recordings. Harshness, sounding like music is coming out of can or AM radio, overly loud recordings and such the Atrium sort of smooths over all that. Some have said it’s the most “analog” sounding ZMF and I’d agree with that, making me think more of the warmth and smoothness of vinyl than typical sound of CD rips and other digital sources. The Atrium is a very forgiving headphone without compromising details like other headphones which temper harsh recordings. Graininess is simply not present. Even on good recordings, the detail can be too much on the Verite. On one song from a girl group, each singer is incredibly distinct and one clearly can’t sing which the VO exposes. On the Atrium the voices are blended together how I think they’re supposed to sound. It’s certainly more enjoyable on the Atrium.
Also spent some time with some rock tracks which are less than ideal on the Verite, and again, the Atrium seems to just gloss over the harshness in crappy recordings. Nothing sounds "bad" on them, which I can't always say on the Verites, Arya, and 800SDR.
One of my favorite albums is Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. Even the 24/96 version doesn’t sound like a great recording. With the Atrium it’s the best I’ve heard it. I find myself thinking the same thing about a lot of recordings in my collection.
Other:
The Verite Open still sounds the most lush/full of the headphones in my collection (though not by much over the Atrium), and always seems like there's just so much going on in the music. I think the Atrium are ultimately better for casual listening while doing other things on my computer, while the Verites really almost demand one's attention. I wouldn't describe any ZMFs as laid back, but these are compared to the Verite, without seeming lacking (as I find others I'd describe as laid back).
Another aspect the Atrium is better on is through the TT2 directly. The TT2 is incredibly detailed and the amp can be a little sharp for my tastes, so I almost always use it just as a DAC. Since it can play 2 headphones at once, it makes for great A/Bing for someone like me who doesn’t have great sound memory. The Atrium is pretty fantastic on it, while the Verites come across as much more harsh on the TT2.
The Atrium is fantastic on acoustic music. I’d still give the nod to the Auteur & Eikon specifically for that, as guitar, banjos, ukulele just have a magic to them on that driver. It’s similarly fantastic on vocals, but again, the Auteur being even more mid-forward that’s maybe the best ZMF for uncomplicated songs with prominent vocals (a lot of Dido for example).
I feel like I'm not having strong preferences with the suede pads, and maybe the differences are less than on some of the other models. I could live with any of them as my only pads. The Auteur suedes are the most airy/spacey and open sounding to my ears, with the BE2 suedes having the best bass and being the most punchy. I expect I’ll use those two the most.
Conclusion:
Sorry this was so long and not especially technically proficient. Again, keep in mind all the impressions and comparisons are using suede pads. I think the lambskin options are probably better overall and bring more of the 3Dness, lushness, and amazing bass.
Overall the Verites remain my favorites, but the Atrium are very close and much better on bad recordings, and somewhat better on vocals and acoustic music. I was concerned the Atrium could make me want to sell my Auteur, but those still have their best aspects of the lineup and are maybe even more forgiving on bad recordings (though at the expense of detail and soundstage).
I think the Atrium is going to be a less divisive headphone than the Verite Open. The Atrium has the best balance overall of the ZMFs. Like the Aeolus, the Atrium is probably the best bet for those who have never heard a ZMF. It’s not “too” anything for me. For me it also doesn’t demand TOTL sources or even necessarily tubes and is fantastic out of the original Hugo and presumably others in that price range. It took me some time to really be wowed by the Atrium, which has been true for me of other ZMFs and other brands. I really think they do need burn in and I always advise people not to render judgement on ZMFs, especially if the brand is new to them, until they’ve both burned in and tried various pads. They all do so much so well that they deserve the time to appreciate their strengths.
The last thing I need is another headphone, having neither the time nor desk space at this point. Nevertheless one is being ordered and I’m excited to compare the Koa Atrium to the Cherry before I send that one back.
First of all thanks to Zach for letting me evaluate these. I’ve had them on hand for 3 weeks now, let them burn in 50 hours or so after an initial couple hour listen.
TLDR: Perhaps the Goldilocks or Greatest Hits ZMF with the natural, mid-forward neutral-ish sound of the Auteur, most of the detail that the Verites have, the best bass of the lineup to my ears, much of the fun of the Atticus, sounding the most open and having completely different staging than all the others. They’re deserving of their co-TOTL status and are exceptionally so with poor recordings.
Background:
I’ve been in the hobby a little over 3 years, and quickly went from a 6XX with a $99 dac/amp to headphones in the $2k range and eventually the same for amps. Got my first ZMFs in late 2019, a used Atticus and Verite Open and in a year or so I’d owned every model. Like many headphones it took me some weeks to really appreciate them, but then they quickly became my favorites.
I have zero musical training, have never played an instrument, and don’t listen to classical. So I don’t know how this or that instrument is supposed to sound and don’t have a great grasp on describing in much more detail beyond bass, mids, and treble. I go for difference from the rest of my collection, wide soundstage and just overall enjoyment. I’m not a critical listener, and often my listening is while I’m spending hours on my computer.
I approach headphones a bit like I did when I was into wine, in that I don’t care if it’s supposed to be fancy, expensive, prestigious, grown in the best regions and such, but I do care whether I like it or not since I’m enjoying for the pleasure of it and not to impress or validate anyone else. I have widely varying tastes, enjoying some oddballs like the HD700 & HD820, a little experience with electrostats and planars, and feel the Orpheus is the best sounding experience I’ve ever had.
I’m in my early 50s, have mild hearing loss above 4k, more above 8k, hear nothing over 13k, but none of my hearing loss below that is even at “moderate” levels so maybe just a bit worse than average overall for my age. I never EQ but have nothing against it. I’ll probably delve into playing with it eventually.
My musical tastes are pretty varied, a lot of music from the late 60s to late 80s, a bit of Country (female singers only though), 90s dance/circuit party music & techno along with more recent EDM like Infected Mushroom, some R&B, a lot of pop, little to no rap, classical, metal, opera, or jazz, a smattering of Hawaiian music heavy on slack key guitar and ukulele, some musicals, and hard to characterize artists like Bjork.
Importantly, nearly all the below is based on using suede pads, which are not the pads used when this was being developed, and they tend to increase treble over lambskin. I use suede because I’m vegan, but also because real or even vegan leather makes my face sweat very quickly since it’s always at least warm and usually humid where I live. I imagine I’d use suede even if there were vegan leather versions which sounded exactly like lambskin ones for that reason. Use of suede is also true for any comparison comments I make. For direct comparing I used the same suede pad versions on both headphones to minimize pad-related differences.
Build and initial impressions:
The ones I was loaned are the stock Cherry and black. They’re lightweight, very comfortable, and for whatever reason I have to wear them on the smallest setting, perhaps because the headband is more pointy and taller on the one I have than the crescent on my VO. If you have a small head you may need some headband adjusting or will need to put them on the lowest/smallest rod setting. As shown in my avatar I tend to prefer flashy and different and like having a collection of very different looking and interesting headphones sitting on my desk. The subtle beauty of the Cherry wood is growing on me and they’re the most elegant looking set of ZMFs I’ve had. The black grills disappear some in dim lighting, but do clearly catch the light when it’s bright.
My favorite headphones have been the VO & VC (preferring the VO lately), followed by the Auteur. My listening is usually Chord TT2->Pendant SE with a preference for tubes with wide and unique staging.
My first impression with a Hugo 1 without any other headphones around was that they very obviously had the ZMF house sound and reminded me of the Auteur and without direct comparing felt they were very similar but had better technical performance. Zach had given me no info about them, which was smart and didn’t bias me in any particular direction. I recognized the grill as having the same old church stained glass inspiration as the Auteur, making me wonder if they were a super-Auteur or something. I told myself I probably wouldn’t buy them because there was overlap with the Auteur. Well that lasted all of a day, lol, and I will be purchasing the Koa version once available. They’re also different enough from the Auteur that I’m keeping both.
Anyway, here’s my collection of thoughts and comparisons rather than a formal review.
Bass, treble & mids:
I’m very impressed by the bass on these. There is a weightiness and punchiness to them I find very gratifying. A nice track to show off the bass on the Atrium is about 11 seconds in on Beyonce’s Partition, which sounds better on the Atrium than my other headphones. The Atrium are not bass canons nor overly warm. Like most aspects of the Atrium, the bass for me is just right. Compared to the Auteur, the Atrium bass is more present and full and feels like it lingers more giving body to the soundscape while on the Auteur it's more like it comes and goes. After a long Atrium listen, the Auteur does feel like it’s missing something. Recently rolled a tube combo in my Pendant SE which is providing the most impressive bass I've heard from it yet, and comparing with the VO, the Atrium just has more heft and thickness to the bass. Doing a sub bass test using "Why So Serious" around 3:30 from the Dark Knight soundtrack I'd give the nod to the Verite, though both are very impressive. The suede pads do diffuse some of the bass slam.
One of my favorite Prince albums is “Parade” which has more punchy bass than his other pre-90s albums. The recording itself isn’t great. It’s never sounded better than on the Atrium with the BE2 suede pads. There’s just a punchiness with those pads which I don’t get with the other suedes. The Atrium has the most punchy bass of the ZMFs for me.
I also feel like the treble is just right. Again suede pads are brighter, so I’ve not yet played around with different mesh options because I don’t feel any need to make them sound brighter. Going back to the Auteur after a long listen, the treble on the Auteur just seems a bit too much, which I’ve not thought before.
The forwardness of the mids is in between the Auteur & Verite Open. Vocals are just lovely and even sibilant recordings have little to none of that on the Atrium. I get more sibilance on the Auteur, something I never thought about until directly comparing to the Atrium. Like the Auteur it has this natural/organic very real sound to it that's very pleasant to my ears.
Soundstage:
As far as soundstage, being a lover of wide soundstages and sounds coming from outside the head, the Atrium is up there with the HD700 & 800 and Arya without sounding unnatural. I experience the Verite Open as having just so much going on and really being enveloped in this 3D soundscape while the Auteur is a more "traditional" (for lack of a better word) experience. The Atrium sort of splits the difference. It just feels like there is more there on the Atrium than the Auteur and it's got different staging than both. I did spend a little time with the stock lambskin Universe pads today after suedes exclusively for 3 weeks, and the soundstage with them is indeed more 3D, and overall the Atrium sounds better on them than any of the suedes I’ve been using.
One aspect of the soundstage is how it can make sounds seem eerily real and behind you. In a video there was a dog not visible behind the camera and I had to check multiple times to make sure it wasn't one of my dogs who always lays on the bed behind my desk/headphone station.
I've also noticed on some EDM little sounds coming from off in the distance enough again to have me need to make sure it wasn't some noise nearby not coming from the Atrium. For example, at the end of a dance song some piano came on from a distance, like from where my foot was! On both the VC and Atticus the piano was heard (and lost some) between my ears blended with the rest of the music. The soundstage is so different from the other ZMFs that it's indeed like hearing my music all over again for the first time. Some Jack Johnson song I’ve heard hundreds of times, noticed the background vocals off to the left on a track, and really never noticed them at all before.
With my iMac setup on my desk, I’ve occasionally mistakenly had sound coming from my desktop speakers while listening to headphones. More than any other ZMF I’ve had to take my headphones off to make sure those speakers aren’t on because some sounds are very external and seem several feet away. Most bizarre and impressive, at times I’ve felt bass on my body like my desk is vibrating like it would if I had a subwoofer on. How is that even possible?
I think the Verites have the edge as far as being holographic and having the most plankton, the latter of which I’m ambivalent about anyway.
Details:
The Atrium is very detailed. Comparing to the VO & Auteur it sort of splits the difference on details, but closer to the Verite. Being not quite as detailed as the Verites is one of the best things about the Atrium. It’s a big part of why it’s the best headphone I’ve heard with crappy recordings. Harshness, sounding like music is coming out of can or AM radio, overly loud recordings and such the Atrium sort of smooths over all that. Some have said it’s the most “analog” sounding ZMF and I’d agree with that, making me think more of the warmth and smoothness of vinyl than typical sound of CD rips and other digital sources. The Atrium is a very forgiving headphone without compromising details like other headphones which temper harsh recordings. Graininess is simply not present. Even on good recordings, the detail can be too much on the Verite. On one song from a girl group, each singer is incredibly distinct and one clearly can’t sing which the VO exposes. On the Atrium the voices are blended together how I think they’re supposed to sound. It’s certainly more enjoyable on the Atrium.
Also spent some time with some rock tracks which are less than ideal on the Verite, and again, the Atrium seems to just gloss over the harshness in crappy recordings. Nothing sounds "bad" on them, which I can't always say on the Verites, Arya, and 800SDR.
One of my favorite albums is Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black. Even the 24/96 version doesn’t sound like a great recording. With the Atrium it’s the best I’ve heard it. I find myself thinking the same thing about a lot of recordings in my collection.
Other:
The Verite Open still sounds the most lush/full of the headphones in my collection (though not by much over the Atrium), and always seems like there's just so much going on in the music. I think the Atrium are ultimately better for casual listening while doing other things on my computer, while the Verites really almost demand one's attention. I wouldn't describe any ZMFs as laid back, but these are compared to the Verite, without seeming lacking (as I find others I'd describe as laid back).
Another aspect the Atrium is better on is through the TT2 directly. The TT2 is incredibly detailed and the amp can be a little sharp for my tastes, so I almost always use it just as a DAC. Since it can play 2 headphones at once, it makes for great A/Bing for someone like me who doesn’t have great sound memory. The Atrium is pretty fantastic on it, while the Verites come across as much more harsh on the TT2.
The Atrium is fantastic on acoustic music. I’d still give the nod to the Auteur & Eikon specifically for that, as guitar, banjos, ukulele just have a magic to them on that driver. It’s similarly fantastic on vocals, but again, the Auteur being even more mid-forward that’s maybe the best ZMF for uncomplicated songs with prominent vocals (a lot of Dido for example).
I feel like I'm not having strong preferences with the suede pads, and maybe the differences are less than on some of the other models. I could live with any of them as my only pads. The Auteur suedes are the most airy/spacey and open sounding to my ears, with the BE2 suedes having the best bass and being the most punchy. I expect I’ll use those two the most.
Conclusion:
Sorry this was so long and not especially technically proficient. Again, keep in mind all the impressions and comparisons are using suede pads. I think the lambskin options are probably better overall and bring more of the 3Dness, lushness, and amazing bass.
Overall the Verites remain my favorites, but the Atrium are very close and much better on bad recordings, and somewhat better on vocals and acoustic music. I was concerned the Atrium could make me want to sell my Auteur, but those still have their best aspects of the lineup and are maybe even more forgiving on bad recordings (though at the expense of detail and soundstage).
I think the Atrium is going to be a less divisive headphone than the Verite Open. The Atrium has the best balance overall of the ZMFs. Like the Aeolus, the Atrium is probably the best bet for those who have never heard a ZMF. It’s not “too” anything for me. For me it also doesn’t demand TOTL sources or even necessarily tubes and is fantastic out of the original Hugo and presumably others in that price range. It took me some time to really be wowed by the Atrium, which has been true for me of other ZMFs and other brands. I really think they do need burn in and I always advise people not to render judgement on ZMFs, especially if the brand is new to them, until they’ve both burned in and tried various pads. They all do so much so well that they deserve the time to appreciate their strengths.
The last thing I need is another headphone, having neither the time nor desk space at this point. Nevertheless one is being ordered and I’m excited to compare the Koa Atrium to the Cherry before I send that one back.
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