[bigjako]

I really think it's a spiritual successor to both. To me, the Auteur OG was wet and syrupy, organic and analog. It was the slowest headphone I'd ever had, in a good (great) way - leading notes were playing even as trailing notes were decaying away. It was luscious and warm. The Atrium has that same flavor, but the Atrium damping system spreads and spaces all that out so instead of a pool of warm, syrupy goo that you get lost in like a warm, fuzzy blanket, there's so much more separation and more speed to it (though I don't think people would call the Atrium fast).

That's where it reminds me of the Atrium, which had more separation and peaks and valleys. The Atrium has those peaks and valleys but with more prominent mids than the Aeolus, which to me is a more balanced sound, less of the V-shape that I felt the Aeolus had.

I think the Atrium is the robo-spawn love child of the Auteur and the Aeolus, who took the strengths of each and addressed some (most?) of the weaknesses.

 

[wolfstar76]

Bought the Tuba for my Atrium, looking forward to hear a significant difference in Atrium's performance from my FA-10.

 

[robo24]

They're pricey but not horribly pricey used, go for Amperex late 1950s D getters. I went through probably 20 different EL-84 pairs on my Tuba and the Amperex were by far the best, giving a bit more bass to the Tuba.

 

[wolfstar76]

They're pricey but not horribly pricey used, go for Amperex late 1950s D getters. I went through probably 20 different EL-84 pairs on my Tuba and the Amperex were by far the best, giving a bit more bass to the Tuba.

Thanks, another rabbit hole I am in .

 

[jinxy245]

I really think it's a spiritual successor to both. To me, the Auteur OG was wet and syrupy, organic and analog. It was the slowest headphone I'd ever had, in a good (great) way - leading notes were playing even as trailing notes were decaying away. It was luscious and warm. The Atrium has that same flavor, but the Atrium damping system spreads and spaces all that out so instead of a pool of warm, syrupy goo that you get lost in like a warm, fuzzy blanket, there's so much more separation and more speed to it (though I don't think people would call the Atrium fast).

That's where it reminds me of the Atrium, which had ore separation and peaks and valleys. The Atrium has those peaks and valleys but with more prominent mids than the Aeolus, which to me is a more balanced sound, less of the V-shape that I felt the Aeolus had.

I think the Atrium is the robo-spawn love child of the Auteur and the Aeolus, who took the strengths of each and addressed some (most?) of the weaknesses.

For those of you who have heard them all, would you say the Atrium is more of a big-brother/evolution of the Auteur or the Aeolus?
I am thinking Auteur since they both have the biocellulose drivers, but the descriptors people use (lush, organic) make me think Aeolus. Or perhaps neither?
Thanks.

I'm in agreement with @bigjako , it really has a lot in common with both IME. I have more time with Aeolus, so take it with a grain of salt, but the Atrium has that biodynamic style organic tone, and a closer to Aeolus warmth with great detail & an enthralling headstage (YMMV ofc). It's not the fastest driver if that's your preference, That's the VO/Caldera, but Atrium is in no way sluggish IMO.

 

[Mike C]

Thank you for your information. I'm going to give the 6H5C a try. That sounds very intriguing.

I have to agree with the Crack vs more expensive amps. Both my Mainline and especially the Mogwai are much better amps from a technical perspective but I still enjoy listening to the Crack as much as the Mainline and right behind the Mogwai (which is the perfect combination of technical prowess, power, and tube lushness for my preferences). The price to performance ratio of the humble Crack is off the charts. Every ZMF I've tried with the Crack sounds downright sublime.

And if you can build or upgrade the Crack with Kemet DC-link output capacitors (100uF, rated about 800V for safety and reliability) you will be even more amazed.
They are big caps so it's not easy. But extending the case downwards might be OK, and of course it's necessary to use flying leads from the places on the PCB.
I'd suggest doing a lashup to try them, tape them to the outside of the case (be careful not to leave the terminals exposed), see if you like the result. They do need quite a lot of running in so don't reject them out of hand.
I use these as output caps on my best OTL amp and recommend them for a very good reason.

 

[Mike C]

Just a note to say how much I enjoy the music suggestions and samples here, always interesting when folks say why they enjoy music via the Atrium. I accept it would not be right to turn this forum into a music thread, but my view is that music is what matters most; when people explain how the Atrium contributes to enjoyment I think it becomes relevant and acceptable.

Here goes:


Oh the delicacy! The realism, the feeling she is right there singing gently to me personally. Transparency, naturalness, details all absolutely there with the Atrium without needing any enhanced treble to give these things. I just love this song.



I found this song by a UK folk singer and knew it by the McGarrigles and by Linda Ronstadt; I remembered that I preferred Linda's version so I bought the CD 'Get Closer' even though I'd say it's a very poor album.
But this song is beautiful. What's more, I find it compelling in this way; I feel that I'm travelling across the USA with her. Yes, a bit silly .... but that's how I feel.
And getting the feelings, the emotions, this really matters - and that's something that I find the Atrium does to perfection.

 

[helljudgement]

For those of you who have heard them all, would you say the Atrium is more of a big-brother/evolution of the Auteur or the Aeolus?
I am thinking Auteur since they both have the biocellulose drivers, but the descriptors people use (lush, organic) make me think Aeolus. Or perhaps neither?
Thanks.

Not as warm as the Aeolus and not as creamy and neutral as the Auteur. You'll hear plenty of similarities with both headphones but at the same time it's not quite a direct successor to either. I doubt you'll find it disappointing if you liked either of those headphone.

Based off my listening to the Auteur(not classic) and Aeolus.

Also since you've brought up I do find myself more interested in hearing the Auteur Classic over the new Caldera but that's going off tangent.

 

[Dawgfish]

And if you can build or upgrade the Crack with Kemet DC-link output capacitors (100uF, rated about 800V for safety and reliability) you will be even more amazed.
They are big caps so it's not easy. But extending the case downwards might be OK, and of course it's necessary to use flying leads from the places on the PCB.
I'd suggest doing a lashup to try them, tape them to the outside of the case (be careful not to leave the terminals exposed), see if you like the result. They do need quite a lot of running in so don't reject them out of hand.
I use these as output caps on my best OTL amp and recommend them for a very good reason.

Thank you for your suggestion. I've actually been thinking of upgrading the caps in my non Speedball Crack. My Mainline has updated Mundorf 100uF caps and you are right they are quite large. I was going to go with Mundorfs again with the Crack but you have me curious about the Kemets now.

I've upgraded caps in several speakers and electronic components in the past so I totally hear you on the burn in part. Its been my experience new caps generally take about 100-200 hours to burn in. Usually its worth it though. Thanks again for the great suggestion!

 

[Mike C]

Thank you for your suggestion. I've actually been thinking of upgrading the caps in my non Speedball Crack. My Mainline has updated Mundorf 100uF caps and you are right they are quite large. I was going to go with Mundorfs again with the Crack but you have me curious about the Kemets now.

I've upgraded caps in several speakers and electronic components in the past so I totally hear you on the burn in part. Its been my experience new caps generally take about 100-200 hours to burn in. Usually its worth it though. Thanks again for the great suggestio

As I'm sure you know, there are few film caps in large uF values e.g. 100uF which works well with Atrium. Few of them are that good. I have used 100uF Mundorf EVO oil and they are good, very similar to the Kemet but expensive and very large. I tend to think that the Kemet are a touch more transparent, very much like no cap, so if you want pure fidelity they are a fine choice. They won't massage or tailor the sound, but IMO they have no faults; none of the tizz that some cheaper film caps can have.

DC link caps are strange things. It seems they are tolerant of small failures of the dielectric so they lose some capacitance over time. Significant AC on them will make this worse, so I don't use them in power supplies (though as a final cap it may be OK). The AC signal to headphones is very small indeed which is good. I use 800V rated DC link caps for safety, run at about 200V, and I recommend this.

50uF caps might work well, which gives a wider choice, but still few top quality types.

Just FYI, not relevant here; after trying many caps I settled on Mundorf silver/gold/oil caps (the top black ones), very good indeed. But I have a new favourite; Vcap ODAM. Highly natural sound.

 

[goldwerger]

Just FYI.. we now have a deviated thread for ZMF amps (with heavy doze of tube experts in it):

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-un-official-amp-thread-for-zmf-headphones.965309/

 

[dingeth]

Hi All

(cross post from the Verite Open thread)

I've got upgraditis again, and was looking for some advice from existing ZMF owners. I currently have the Focal Clear (OG) as my daily, and I really enjoy the tonality, punchiness, and versatility of them as I tend to listen to a wide variety of genres. I find the comfort great on the Focals as well, as the weight is not too bad. I had the LCD2C's previously, and the weight on those did get to me after about 2 hours. (I think 500g is just about the upper limit of what I'd consider comfy for prolonged periods of time)

I am, however, looking for a bit of a change, and I figured that the ZMF Verite Open or Atrium might be a nice alternative, without sacrificing too much in terms of a solid tonality (I do occasionally use EQ, but would prefer that the stock tonality is good as well).

So basically, what I'm after is something with good punchiness and clarity, but with added detail and space (soundstaging on the Clears are ok, but not the widest. That said, soundstage is not really the priority). Something I can enjoy for hours without any fatigue (the Clears do occasionally cause some fatigue over time, depending on the genre I'm listening to) is generally what I have gathered from reading reviews of ZMF headphones.

For those that have listened to both, what would the recommendation be? And would it be a worthwhile upgrade in terms of technicalities etc., or a bit of a side-grade at this level?

The other alternative would be to maybe stick to what I know, in the sense of chasing an OG Utopia instead.

P.S., I would likely be looking at chasing a used pair in either case, so the used prices of the ZMF's would be closer to the price of a used Utopia (around the $2000 mark).

Thanks in advance

 

[steve468]

Hi All

(cross post from the Verite Open thread)

I've got upgraditis again, and was looking for some advice from existing ZMF owners. I currently have the Focal Clear (OG) as my daily, and I really enjoy the tonality, punchiness, and versatility of them as I tend to listen to a wide variety of genres. I find the comfort great on the Focals as well, as the weight is not too bad. I had the LCD2C's previously, and the weight on those did get to me after about 2 hours. (I think 500g is just about the upper limit of what I'd consider comfy for prolonged periods of time)

I am, however, looking for a bit of a change, and I figured that the ZMF Verite Open or Atrium might be a nice alternative, without sacrificing too much in terms of a solid tonality (I do occasionally use EQ, but would prefer that the stock tonality is good as well).

So basically, what I'm after is something with good punchiness and clarity, but with added detail and space (soundstaging on the Clears are ok, but not the widest. That said, soundstage is not really the priority). Something I can enjoy for hours without any fatigue (the Clears do occasionally cause some fatigue over time, depending on the genre I'm listening to) is generally what I have gathered from reading reviews of ZMF headphones.

For those that have listened to both, what would the recommendation be? And would it be a worthwhile upgrade in terms of technicalities etc., or a bit of a side-grade at this level?

The other alternative would be to maybe stick to what I know, in the sense of chasing an OG Utopia instead.

P.S., I would likely be looking at chasing a used pair in either case, so the used prices of the ZMF's would be closer to the price of a used Utopia (around the $2000 mark).

Thanks in advance

I owned a pair of Clears at one point, maybe a couple of years ago now. I’ve also owned the Utopia at the same time as the VO. The VO, to my ears, was on the same level as Utopia technicality-wise, with a more pleasing sound signature and much better soundstage. Definitely worth the upgrade from Clears.

But for what you’re looking for, a non-fatiguing sound, I think Atrium might be better. To my ears, the Atrium is very even in the treble until the very upper registers, where it fades a little. For some people I think the upper frequencies are what cause fatigue.

The VO is the opposite in the treble, where the upper mids/lower treble dip, but the upper frequencies are more present. It’s a brighter, more sharp sound.

It also depends on your equipment; on solid state, I thought the Clears fared well. When I moved to tubes, however, I just didn’t like how they sounded - too dark and muffled. So if you’re set with solid state, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a jump from clears to ZMFs.

 

[johnnypaddock]

I owned a pair of Clears at one point, maybe a couple of years ago now. I’ve also owned the Utopia at the same time as the VO. The VO, to my ears, was on the same level as Utopia technicality-wise, with a more pleasing sound signature and much better soundstage. Definitely worth the upgrade from Clears.

But for what you’re looking for, a non-fatiguing sound, I think Atrium might be better. To my ears, the Atrium is very even in the treble until the very upper registers, where it fades a little. For some people I think the upper frequencies are what cause fatigue.

The VO is the opposite in the treble, where the upper mids/lower treble dip, but the upper frequencies are more present. It’s a brighter, more sharp sound.

It also depends on your equipment; on solid state, I thought the Clears fared well. When I moved to tubes, however, I just didn’t like how they sounded - too dark and muffled. So if you’re set with solid state, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a jump from clears to ZMFs.

I'd agree that the Verité has more of a sharp/defined sound in the high frequencies than the Atrium, but in my experience it's less pronounced with Universe pads. All system dependent as well, as you said.

 

[steve468]

I'd agree that the Verité has more of a sharp/defined sound in the high frequencies than the Atrium, but in my experience it's less pronounced with Universe pads. All system dependent as well, as you said.

Yeah, pad rolling is the great advantage of ZMFs. I was listening to VO with BE2 pads last night, which is the most Utopia-like setup, i.e. most treble-present. So that’s what was on my mind when I wrote that. But VO can definitely be made a warmer headphone with pad swaps, you’re right.