First time with Atrium on Feliks Envy vs Chord DAVE solo...
Having had to sell my last Atriums to fund my Feliks Envy purchase, I managed to get some Atriums back again. I previously had them on a XIAUDIO Formula S and Powerman. But boy are they absolutely singing on this Envy.
Elrog ER300b with Brimar CV1988s. Chord DAVE as DAC. Only stock cable for now, but I have a Danacables Nirvana incoming for multiuse with an incoming LCD-4. I won't get into pad swaps for now because that's a whole other thing, but for reference I'm just using stock Universe perf.
I've been such a planar guy since getting into headphones because my 'thing' has always been chasing resolution and detail. Once I got to the end of that rainbow (relatively for me), I realised how much I enjoy a warm, softer tone than the rather clinical tone my chain was giving me.
Since moving to the Envy, all that has changed, and with the Atrium...wow! Those gorgeous mids, the lush laid-back treble, and deep rumbling bass that's also effortlessly clean.
ZMF Atrium on Chord DAVE solo
One of the advantages of having an amp/dac is just plugging headphones in when you don't want to wait for tubes to warm up, especially one with as capable an amp as DAVE's.
Tonally, the Atriums always deliver. Whether it's on a Ifi Go Blu (the soundstage does fairly collapse on that, mind) or the Envy. And the DAVE is no different.
I don't care about the supposed thinness of the DAVE. I've simply never heard that. All I've heard on the DAVE is a profound musicality. Even solo. And the Atrium demonstrates what the DAVE does: presents music in a heavenly natural manner. There's no colouration or tricks.
Of course, the Atrium bring a hint of darkness in tonality, but timbre and warmth are sublime. Yes, detailing isn't at LCD-5 or Susvara levels. But that's fine. I can listen to Atrium for hours. There is simply no fatigue with these ever. Even on the DAVE it's not incredibly resolving. But it's not gloopy tubey smeary soft mess.
So I was interested to hear the effect of moving them to tubes...
ZMF Atrium on Feliks Envy (w/ Elrog 300b and Brimar CV1988 and DAVE as DAC)
As I hit play on track 1, I prepared myself for softness. And it is definitely softer than solo DAVE. But not at the expense of details. It's warmth and a dark embery glow
on top of what the DAVE gives you.
Also, as you would expect it's stage that really delivers with the Envy. Imaging expands outwards, stage widens. And there's a richness and warmth of a whole order higher than the DAVE.
It's an absolutely gorgeous sound. Breathtaking really. It's a sound that I could listen to forever.
I've heard clearer vocals. I've heard more natural vocals. But I have never heard vocals as effortlessly and beautifully rendered as on Atrium.
Gagging Order by Radiohead a prime example, which on Susvara sounds a little distant. On Atrium, Thom Yorke has pulled up a stool right next to you to play. It honestly made me tear up a bit.
NB: I should note, I'm getting a very slight hum on medium gain when there's silent background. When on low gain it goes away. But stage and tonality takes a big hit.
Atrium and tube pairings
I did a 300b tube-upgrade comparison yesterday with Elrogs vs Western Electric. One track I noted in favour of the Elrogs was Nick Drake's Hazey Jane II, a beautiful, dreamy tune of acoustic bliss. Listening on Susvara for the comparison was intended to get as neutral tonal results as possible. But the Elrogs with the Atrium bring back a lot of what the Western Electric tubes bring, which is a slightly slower speed which really tells with Nick Drake and Neil Young and the like.
It's something I hadn't paid much thought to until tonight: the impact of different tubes with different headphones. This is just reinforcing for me that the Elrogs are really for me. If I can get this warm and rich tone from music via the Atriums, then that's fantastic. Now, I haven't used the Atrium with WE yet, and maybe that will throw a spanner in the works, and I will try it.
But if Nick Drake's
At the Chime of a City Clock is anything to go by on Atrium, then the Elrogs are more than delivering on gorgeous mids and laidback treble. And that's exactly what I want from this headphone.
And it's a headphone I will NEVER EVER let go of again.