Indeed. Listening tonight to Caldera and Susvara out of the Aegis. It has an impedance switch, and it rocks.
EDIT: just switched to the Atrium, and indeed it drives all three exceptionally well.
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ZMF Atrium - new open-back co-flagship
- Thread starter DeweyCH
- Start date
EDIT: just switched to the Atrium, and indeed it drives all three exceptionally well.
I'd say it's definitely not as simple as that. The only absolute truth is that what sounds good, sounds good, whatever type it is. Fortunately there is lots of good info here on what does work well, take note.
I'm sure there are great solid state amps that give excellent results with Atrium, so even the general preference here for tubes isn't an absolute truth.
Transformer coupled amps can be superb; technically, they avoid having a cathode follower output stage and some folks dismiss the CF circuit as inherently bad. I don't, but there are some bad examples out there and it takes some doing to get this circuit to sound good. Also, TC headphone amps can use some great triodes in a way that might not be appropriate in an OTL amp; I've built several of each type.
I've heard a tube pre and solid state power amp to sound very good indeed in a speaker system, so I don't dismiss this out of hand. If you are constrained, you might try a tube preamp; a used one at a good price you could sell on later. Or build a bottlehead foreplay!
To drive two very different phones to a good quality, it is likely that a TC tube amp with switched output impedance would be good; but to match the sound of a good OTL needs very good output transformers and these are expensive so an amp to do justice to both phones will be costly.
You are thinking well; do note the good advice here from others.
I'm very surprised but Electronic based music sounds excellent on the Atriums as well. Man this timbre is off the charts. Something about this bio cellulose driver makes things sound so real. 
After listening to the Atriums with the Universe leather pads, I switched to the Be2 Suede and I'm loving this sound. That little bit of treble clarity did wonders for what I like to hear, and it still keeps that "off the charts timbre" as @Somatic says. I'm feeling like most of the rest of you - it's so enjoyable that I don't want to switch to another headphone!
Ok, I tested these out. They definitely add more sub bass and even mid bass. Soundstage condenses a tad. All air is gone. What I didn't like was mid bass bleeds into the lower mids. For example listening to non EDM/Rock music like Cry Me a River - Julie London ... the upright bass is very over powering and the overall FR doesn't seem balanced.Holy Moly Ravioli - Brainwavz XL Micro Suede just got delivered and, "why hello Bass, nice to meet you"
I have the Brainwavz XL PU Leather Perforated set, the ones that were used on some dudes review on YT that said they were the best thing since sliced bread om the Atriums, but they were horrific IMHO - they were way way way too dark, literally lost nearly all of the lovely highs.
However, these micro suede pads are a different story - they still result in an overall darker sound signature, but the highs are not completely lost. Do I think everyone would enjoy these, definitely not, however, if you are at all a "bass head" at times, I think you most certainly would! The bass actually rumbles the soul with these while retaining the upper range sufficiently well.
Take/Five - Pompiie .. great song to test out bass on any pair of headphones!
If one is going for a bass head can that is also detailed etc. I would recommend the Solitaire P. That things knocks the socks off the Atriums with these pads.
Sorry not trying to diminish your enjoyment. We all have different ears and I am looking for a different sound signature from the Atriums. Thank you. Appreciate the listen.
No worries man - I have found the pad recommendations on forums and even recommendations on vendors websites to be vastly different than what I personally experience. Like you said, everyone hears/enjoys things differently, and "Sound Quality" (disregarding obviously terrible SQ to everyone) is probably one of the most subjective things out there.
They are fun though. I'll listen to them for a bit more. Thanks again.
How do you compared these to the BE2 suede Pref again?
Do you use eq at all?They are fun though. I'll listen to them for a bit more. Thanks again.
How do you compared these to the BE2 suede Pref again?
Here, I will A/B them right now for you without eq and let you know.
With the Brainwavz pads, these are my eq settings
It's a new transformer coupled DIY amp, with an impedance switch in the back, pretty much tailored for ZMF dynamics and Caldera. It was built and designed by @L0rdGwyn
you can check out more info on it in his thread.
L0rdgwyn claims its a super easy build, and if you can build a Bottlehead Crack you can build the Aegis.
I'll be doing a review of it in a few weeks
No I don't use EQ anymore. Using Exclusive mode on Qobuz. I have no ill will towards EQ but I need sample rates to change on the fly.Do you use eq at all?
Here, I will A/B them right now for you without eq and let you know.
With the Brainwavz pads, these are my eq settings
The project hasn't been released yet, I am working on the materials, it will be up in 2-3 months I'd estimate. It is a true DIY project, I will provide directions on where to source the parts, BOM document, step-by-step build instructions, etc. The information will be exhaustive. It is pricey as far as DIY projects go, I don't have an exact figure yet but in total the cost of parts is upwards of $2K, but you will know exactly where that money is going, into high-quality componentry, a high quality chassis, etc. I have placed a very high priority on making the circuit easy to build, the bulk of the circuitry is designed onto PCBs for that reason, so point-to-point wiring is very minimal. It uses all Lundahl inductors, three transformers and three chokes, Jupiter signal path capacitors, ELMA impedance switch. When the project is officially released, I'll make an announcement.
ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
I've been looking for a DIY amp project - this might be the one that tips me over the edge! What skill level is needed to do this one?
Very minimal. If the directions are followed closely, it is a simple build. You essentially need to be able to follow directions closely, do some simple point-to-point wiring, and solder components to a PCB. I can build this amplifier from scratch in 6 hours, faster than any other amplifier I've designed. There are lead times on some of the components, 4-5weeks on average, so most of the work is gathering all of the parts and proper equipment. I will cover all of that in the build document. And obviously proper electrical safety will be paramount as tube amplifiers operate at high voltages, so this will be emphasized as well.
I will also add that this circuit uses an output topology that is not found in any commercial tube amplifier, which gives it very low distortion and a low output impedance for a tube amplifier. As such, it is very well-suited for driving planars.
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ColSaulTigh
Headphoneus Supremus
Count me in! Is there any kind of mailing list/newsletter I need to sign up for to get updates, or is there a separate thread for it started I can watch?
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