ZMF ATRIUM REVIEW
Obligatory Intro
Zach Mehrbach’s latest creation has finally arrived, and it’s everything you’d expect it to be. That is unless you were wanting a headphone using planar magnetic drivers. Hopefully someday, but his time around Zach runs it back to one of his favorites, the 300ohm bio-cellulose driver. The Atrium uses a reengineered and overall improved bio-cell driver compared to the Auteur and Eikon. Improvements include more powerful N52 magnets and an overall lowered THD. Most impressive is the new patent pending Atrium Damping System. This design, along with the largest grill yet to date on a ZMF, help make the Atrium the most open sounding headphone in ZMF’s line-up. Stock wood will be cherry, with various LTD releases to follow, starting with Bubinga and then Koa.
To evaluate the Atrium I listened to it for several hours right out of the case. I then proceeded to do a burn-in for around 150 hours. From pre-to-post burn-in, I noticed a more consistent and smoother sound. Make of that what you will, but I’ve experienced similar results on other new ZMF headphones. Lastly, we all hear differently and have our own sonic preferences, so just as with any other audio equipment, I highly suggest hearing them yourself if possible.
My primary chain used is as follows:
Tidal/FLAC>Singxer SU-1>Schiit Yggdrasil A1>DNA Stratus/Glenn OTL/OG Cavalli Liquid Gold>Atrium
*Note that all opinions on the Atrium in this review will be ONLY using the stock perforated lambskin Universe pads. I will be writing a separate in-depth pad review on all the viable ZMF pads for the Atrium soon. Also unless noted, I used the solid Titan mesh for my evaluation.*
Build and Accessories
The Atrium is quite a sight to behold. My review pair uses the stock cherry wood (aged cherry optional), which smells as good as it looks. The cups feature numerous vent cuts on its front and sides, essentially blending what you’d find on the Verite Open and Auteur. It comes with all black hardware as well as the new leather crescent headband (vegan suede optional). I never had any issues with the previous ZMF headband, but the crescent band is quite comfortable and a welcome upgrade. The 467 gram weight of the stock Atrium (with magnesium chassis) never feels heavy, and is comfortable for many hours of continuous use. As mentioned before, the grill is the largest on any ZMF to date and uses a mesmerizing neo-gothic design. The Atrium will come with a hard Seahorse travel case and a ZMF OFC cable with your choice of termination. Two pads will also be included with the Atrium, one being the stock perforated leather Universe pads, and the other your choice.
Sound
If you’re familiar with the “ZMF sound,” then it will come as no surprise that it’s garnered quite a following over the years. Before I get into detail on the Atrium’s sound… I…
Hmmmmmm.
You know, I’m just not feeling this. Most likely this will just be another run of the mill review like so many others (which are probably better), so I think it’s time to switch things up a little.
TOP TEN REASONS TO BUY AN ATRIUM
(in no particular order)
#1: The Mid-range Brings All the Boys to the Yard
Anyone who’s heard a ZMF headphone knows Zach puts a lot of thought into tuning the midrange for each model. And the end result is, well they’re always good… just like pizza. So it ultimately comes down to, what kind of pizza is the Atrium’s mids? First let's examine some other ZMF headphones. I like to think of the Atticus and Aeolus mids like Chicago Deep Dish pizza: thick, comforting and oh so very filling. The Verite Open/Closed, well they’re like a classic Neapolitan: highly refined, elegant, and easily edible. And the Atrium’s mids? Well that easy one, Tavern Style pizza. I’m sure some of you are wondering, what’s Tavern Style pizza? That’s exactly my point. The Atrium’s mids remind me of Tavern Style pizza because it’s delicious and no one ever feels the need to talk about it.
Until I started writing my review, I honestly didn’t think much about the Atrium’s mids. And that alone says a lot in itself. There’s nothing uneven or out of place sounding with the Atrium’s mid-range. It blends in perfectly with the rest of the Atrium’s sound, and that’s a good thing. A really good thing. A short, stocky, slow-witted bald man once said, “not showing off, not falling behind.” That, my friends, is the Atrium’s midrange.
#2: Living in a Bubble (is underrated)
One of the first things that stood out to me when listening to the Atrium was its presentation and sense of scale. The sound is BIG. So big in fact I wondered if Zach had somehow crammed in a larger diameter driver. Turns out that wasn’t the case, it was merely the implementation of the new Atrium Dampening System (patent pending). So what exactly does that mean? In layman’s terms, it helps control and optimize sound waves via dampening and airflow. In turn when music gets to your ears, it sounds better. Or something like that, it could just be some kind of voodoo witchcraft for all I know. For you smarty-pants who want more in depth details, here is a link to ZMF’s website:
https://www.zmfheadphones.com/atrium-patent
Back to the staging. It has good width, but far from the widest I’ve heard on a headphone. What really captivated me was the pronounced staging height and remarkable front-to-rear depth. Add all of these aspects together and what do you end up with? A bubble. Well technically it’s more of an oblate spheroid (or so Google tells me), but you get the idea. Either way the staging is impressive and quite intoxicating. Coupled with the fact that it feels natural and never artificial, well I’d say poppycock if I hadn’t already heard it myself.
“3D” gets thrown around a lot these days, and that can be a hard thing to quantify in headphones. In this case I’ll allow it as it’s an appropriate description of how most music sounds on the Atrium. This is even more true on well mixed and mastered songs. Quite a few times I was caught off guard by instrument placement and where certain sounds were emanating from. I really can’t stress enough that the Atrium’s staging prowess is one of its most alluring and immersive traits. You won’t be disappointed.
#3: You Can’t Put a Price on Art
Yes, that subtitle is just pure click-bait. I’m not going to delve into that philosophical debate, so let me get to the point. Apparently you can put a price on art, the Atrium starts out at $2499.99. And I refer to the Atrium as art in the sense that: you’re getting a product designed by an individual, the item is brought to fruition using unique materials, each unit is handcrafted and hand assembled. Regarding the pricing, I think in today's market where many TOTL headphones cost upwards of $4000, the Atrium is a bargain. I’m sure some people will take issue with me calling it “a bargain,” but I just call it how I see it. Also feel free to take the time and imagine an appropriate luxury or supercar analogy, it’s basically the same thing. I’d do it myself but I’m already way behind on writing this review.
The Atrium aesthetically is arguably the apex of ZMF’s astonishing assortment of models announced to date (try saying that five times fast.) Any picture of the Atrium will do far more good than me describing them with adjective after adjective. I know it’s been said to death, but you are indeed getting a handcrafted, heirloom quality piece that’s assembled right outside of Chicago. Also keep in mind that no matter what ZMF headphone you get, it’s going to be a one of one unit. This is even more pronounced with the stabilized sets, which no doubt will make their Atrium debut sometime later this year.
#4: More Like AIR-trium?
First let me temper expectations as that subtitle might be a little misleading. These aren’t super airy headphones like the Sennheiser HD800, Focal Clears or even HD600’s. I’m not sure we’ll ever see headphones quite like that from ZMF, but considering my poor showing in this year’s NCAA bracket, I’m not a reliable source for speculation. Dare I say that the Atrium is somewhat of a Super HD650? I spent quite a lot of time recently with the 650’s writing my ZMF Sennheiser pad review (shameless plug, link below), so I feel pretty locked in on their sound. I know in the past there have been similar claims like this about other headphones, most of them not living up to expectations (talking about you Focal Elear.) But I believe the Atrium is right there in the ballpark with the Sennheiser HD650, at least on a spiritual level.
What I am certain of is that Atrium lives up to its name. They are and are the most open sounding ZMF thus far. This was my initial feeling upon first hearing the Atriums, and I still feel the same after listening to them for many, many hours. I'll delve into more on this later, but you can also further improve the Atrium’s “air” by pad swapping and using different values of Titan mesh.
#5: Baby Got Bass
I mentioned previously how staging was one of the first things that stood out to me when hearing the Atrium. The other attribute that caught my attention, the BASS. And while I don’t know exactly what it’s in reference to, I’m positive I once overheard someone say, “it’s all about that bass.” How very true indeed.
As the kids would say, bio-cellulose drivers just hit different. I’ve always loved the way they reproduce bass, and one of the oldest headphones in my stable, a modded Fostex TH-900, is still my go to for electronic music. So what makes bio-cellulose drivers so good at producing outstanding bass? Well, I… I don’t actually don’t know the answer to that question. Whatever it is, I’m glad Zach decided to take the Auteur driver and take it up a notch.
There’s nothing quite like the THWACK of a bass drum. And that one word sums up the Atrium’s bass, THWACK. The bio-cell driver’s snappy attack really accentuates percussion instruments. Even more impressive is the weight they convey of each instrument, reminding me of the texture that some early planar magnetic drivers had. Another benefit of the dampening system is that bass never feels like it’s getting in the way of other frequencies. It’s one of the harder things to put into words about the Atrium, so I’ll just leave it as being very unique sounding. All in all, there’s nothing I can nitpick about the Atrium’s low end response. Even the sub bass is solid for an open back dynamic driver headphone. If it sounds like I’m gushing, I am, and I’m not ashamed of it.
#6: Tolerance is a Virtue
When some TOTL headphones get slapped by a poorly recorded song, they crumple and start crying. That’s not the case with the Atrium, which leans into it and keeps the show going. Yes, that is a cringeworthy Will Smith/Chris Rock reference, which I’m sure everyone is sick of even after a few days. So my sincere apologies if you’re reading this 6 months from now.
What I was trying to say is, everything that I’ve listened to on the Atrium for the past month has sounded great. Even notorious poorly mastered and recorded songs have been listenable on the Atrium. So what about those brick walled, dumpster fire casualties of the Loudness War? Unfortunately the Atrium can’t perform actual miracles, but they still sound better than if you had a LCD5 or Utopia. Personally I think having that kind of versatility is a very underrated aspect of a headphone. It’s not only myself who has observed this. I’ve spoken to several other people with pre-release Atrium’s and they’ve all said the same thing.
If you’re concerned about the Atrium’s resolving ability, have no worry as it is quite capable. It’s not a super detailed juggernaut, but it doesn’t need to be. Nor would I really want it to be. For context I’d put it a few notches above the Auteur and nipping on the heels of the Verites.
#7: Tweakers Delight
True to their modding roots, ZMF has conveniently made fine tuning the Atrium’s sound simple and affordable. Pad swapping is by far the easiest way to adjust the sound to your liking. The Atrium is just like other ZMF’s in that pad swapping is quick and easy. If I can do it with my sausage fingers, then you can as well. I personally use the hook-and-push method. That’s where you hook the lip of the pad on the mounting surface, and gradually push the rest of the lip onto the ring through the ear cavity. You can also use the inside-out method that Zach demonstrates here:
.
The stock pads installed on the Atrium are perforated lambskin Universe pads. Right out of the gate I felt extremely happy with how the Uni pads performed. I didn’t even consider swapping them out initially. BUT, if you’ve read any of my previous pad reviews, you know I’m far too curious to not get my roll on. So in the near future I’ll be posting a full comparison of all Zach sanctioned Atrium pads, and maybe even a few wildcard pads as well.
The other option to tweak the Atrium’s sound, in particular the treble response, is changing the driver's frontal dampening. My review unit came with the solid Titan mesh installed, and I found the highs to be in line with my personal tastes. There is also a fully perforated Titan mesh that’s used on the Aeolus. This mostly boosts the presence and brilliance regions by a few db. The other option is to completely remove the front dampening mesh. Those results are similar to the perforated mesh, but a little more hot and uneven. Going forward the stock version that will be installed on the Atrium will be somewhere in between the solid and fully perf mesh. I’ve not heard this version, but it should be a great compromise. Upon purchase you can also request to have the solid mesh or fully perforated mesh installed. My recommendation, start out with the stock mesh. Then later on you can always install the fully perforated or solid mesh yourself. Here’s a video of Zach demoing the install of the titan mesh:
#8: FOMO is Real
The question you should really be asking yourself is, can you afford NOT to buy an Atrium? When everyone starts receiving their sets in the upcoming weeks, and you’re still listening to your Driftwood Aeolus, how will you feel? My guess, most likely despondent, remorseful and possibly even a little angry. You could have been listening to the new Tears For Fears album (which is surprisingly good) on an aged Cherry Atrium. Or even your favorite thirteen and a half hour long Phish bootleg (not my thing, but jam on). Just think about all the sweet pictures you could have taken of the Atrium with the rest of your gear. Not to mention the opportunity to get some amazing shots of your Bubinga Atrium while on a Sunday picnic. How many likes are you missing out on by not posting those pics on Head-Fi and Instagram?
Wow, that was some really scary stuff. I almost got triggered just writing that. My advice, just go with your heart. You can always worry about your wallet later. Oh and also don’t consult your significant other, that's always a BAD idea…
#9: Just Say No to Sibilance
Zach Mehrbach has successfully run an ongoing anti-sibilance campaign for many years now. Some say his vigilance was born after listening to a pair of Ultrasone Edition 10’s. It’s a well known fact a traumatizing life experience like that can change a man, and usually not in a good way. Thankfully that doesn’t appear to be the case with Mr. Mehrbach, who has fully recovered and rededicated his life to preventing treble related tragedies around the world. If that’s not a hero, then I don’t know who is.
True to the rest of the ZMF lineup, the Atrium has very smooth and well tuned upper frequencies. Not once did I have any issues with the treble, even with notoriously spicy songs. I also tend to listen to music at louder levels (don’t tell my mom) and still I didn’t encounter any problems. As I mentioned earlier, you can boost the highs by using the fully perforated titan mesh or even completely removing the mesh. With the solid mesh installed, I never really found myself wanting any more treble extension out of the Atrium. In general, I think most fans of current ZMF offerings will be quite happy with Atrium’s treble. After all, Zach’s got your back.
#10: Dial (708) ZMF-HELP (actually please don’t, that # is not affiliated with ZMF)
A sometimes overlooked factor in purchasing a headphone is; what type of experience will you have if something goes wrong? What happens if after three and a half years, one of your subatomic level planar-magnetic diaphragms goes boom? You’re probably going to be crap out of luck, but if you purchased an Atrium directly from ZMF, you’d be taken care of. Because at ZMF, each driver comes with a lifetime guarantee, and that’s pretty crazy if you think about it. I’m not aware of many audio manufactures offering lifetime warranties on any of their products these days. Not only that, you’ll also receive a two year warranty from the date of purchase on all mechanical parts. INSANITY! For more in depth details, please see the ZMF website. I’ve already padded this review far too much, and I’d be surprised if many of you made it this far.
From personal experience and reading about many other Head-fi members' feedback, ZMF’s customer service is outstanding. Zach, Bevin and their team will respond to your issues and questions in a timely manner. Turnaround times for repairs have also improved and are usually resolved in 1-2 weeks. Even wait times for new headphones to be completed have been greatly reduced. For example, some people who ordered the new Koa Verite Closed upon launch have already received them in under two weeks. If you remember how long the wait for the Eikon was after purchase, that’s quite an astounding difference.
Conclusion
All jokes aside, the Atrium is truly a fantastic headphone, and in my opinion ZMF’s best offering to date. In my mind there’s an ironclad reasoning for that claim. When evaluating the Atrium, I found myself constantly getting lost in the music. Instead of taking notes, comparing it to other headphones or breaking down songs, I just listened. And I kept on listening. Just me and the music. In the end, isn’t that what it’s really all about? I think A LOT of people are going to fall in love with the Atrium, just like I have.
ZMF SENNHEISER 6** PAD REVIEW https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zmf-sennheiser-6-pads-review.25732/
ZMF VÉRITÉ OPEN PAD REVIEW https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/zmf-vÉritÉ-open-pad-review.25765/
