[Monsterzero]

I’ve been listening to a lot of alt folk/country lately. Stuff like Son Volt, James McMurtry, Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, drive-by truckers, The Be Good Tanyas. So Spotify thought it would really be great for me to listen to their alt-country playlist. Since I concurred, I started listening via this chain:

Volumio ==> mScaler ==> TT2 (SE out) ==> BHC ==> Atrium

I was really enjoying every track, and I came to Uncle Tupelo ‘Sandusky’ about the same time I was reading a HEK post about amp pairings. Since I thought that track might play very well on my HEKse, I decided to do a little comparo. The mScaler can act as a digital preamp and the TT2 drives both its SE and balanced outputs, so I was able to compare the mTT2/BHC/Atrium chain to:

Volumio ==> mTT2 (bal out) ==> Audio-gd Master 11 (amp only) ==> HEKse
Volumio ==> mScaler==> Audio-gd Master 11 (DAC/amp) ==> HEKse
Volumio ==> mTT2 (bal out) ==> DSHA-3F ==> HEKse

There are tracks which come across as different but equally enjoyable presentations. But there are many tracks where the BHC/Atrium presentation is much better. Frequently due to superior imaging, but also timbre, especially on vocals. Plus, from any source chain, instruments like banjos and mandolins sometimes sounded too bright/clangy from the HEKse.

But the key point is that every track likes Atrium. And just to show that it’s not just a ZMF/tubes preference:

Volumio ==> mTT2 (bal out) ==> DSHA-3F ==> Atrium

wins just as consistently and convincingly. Of course, the joker in all this is that HEK doesn’t play w/ my BHC and I don’t have a suitably tube-y amp to level the playing field.

Caldera demo coming in two weeks … my wallet is deathly afraid.

Johnny Cash's Def Jam recordings are phenomenal on the Atrium...heck pretty much any ZMF
Also give Blackberry Smoke a listen. Going to my first BBS show next month, totally amped for that!

 

[LCMusicLover]

Johnny Cash's Def Jam recordings are phenomenal on the Atrium...heck pretty much any ZMF
Also give Blackberry Smoke a listen. Going to my first BBS show next month, totally amped for that!

Cash’s voice was made for ZMF … or maybe vice versa

BBS is interesting, sometimes a bit electric-country for my preferences, but definitely some tracks I enjoy.

 

[Monsterzero]

Cash’s voice was made for ZMF … or maybe vice versa

BBS is interesting, sometimes a bit electric-country for my preferences, but definitely some tracks I enjoy.

They do a lot of acoustic shows. Their drummer, Brit has been suffering from a brain tumor. He tries to power through, but some shows he simply cannot answer the bell, so they switch to acoustic shows on the fly.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Has anyone seen/posted a frequency response of the Atrium with the new Caldera Ultra Perforated pads? Sorry if this has been posted before, but I can’t find it.

 

[erics75]

This sounds epic on the Atrium! The forward mids and strong midbass really drive the beats. Love how the Atrium is able to separate everything out nicely without being too diffuse and wide.

 

[JackarlTwo]

Atrium + Rage Against The Machine is such a good combination. Just saying.

 

[G8torbyte]

Atrium + Rage Against The Machine is such a good combination. Just saying.

Yep, many owners here have commented how well the Atrium performs with Hard Rock and Metal.

 

[kumar402]

I’m enjoying incredible synergy atm
I’m not sure if it is Atrium or Freya with Ken Rad VT231 or the DAC or the amp or HQPlayer but the sound is deepest I have heard out of any headphone with incredible imaging and layering. Difficult to take headphone off .

 

[helljudgement]

I’m enjoying incredible synergy atm
I’m not sure if it is Atrium or Freya with Ken Rad VT231 or the DAC or the amp or HQPlayer but the sound is deepest I have heard out of any headphone with incredible imaging and layering. Difficult to take headphone off .

Always wanted to own a Zana Deux but it was already discontinued when I was ready to purchase one. The staging on the Atrium and VO are really deep and provides for a very engaging listening. EC amps have a track record of producing some of if not the deepest and most holographic staging and a great complement to these headphones.

 

[JackarlTwo]

I recently installed the solid mesh and the upper mids and treble got a bit darker which I personally love. Less edgy around 5KHz although I never had an issue. You can't go wrong with either mesh.

 

[aviusmc]

Does anyone have an opinion of the Atrium's ability to reproduce female vocals compared to the Auteur Classic? I've read that the Atrium has better resolving ability, but its limited treble presence compared to the Auteur is what has me thinking that the Auteur might be better in this case, though I've also read that the treble can be improved in the Atrium by taking off the mesh. What do you you all think?

 

[Monsterzero]

Does anyone have an opinion of the Atrium's ability to reproduce female vocals compared to the Auteur Classic? I've read that the Atrium has better resolving ability, but its limited treble presence compared to the Auteur is what has me thinking that the Auteur might be better in this case, though I've also read that the treble can be improved in the Atrium by taking off the mesh. What do you you all think?

My Atrium has the solid mesh on it, so that's on the opposite end of the spectrum of "the no-mesh" option. However last night I listened all night to the Auteur classic and at no time did I feel like I was slumming it, or missing out on something.

IMO the Auteur classic is the best bang for the buck headphone you can get, and while the Atrium just adds more in most areas, the Auteur classic is absolutely a killer sounding headphone.

 

[aviusmc]

My Atrium has the solid mesh on it, so that's on the opposite end of the spectrum of "the no-mesh" option. However last night I listened all night to the Auteur classic and at no time did I feel like I was slumming it, or missing out on something.

IMO the Auteur classic is the best bang for the buck headphone you can get, and while the Atrium just adds more in most areas, the Auteur classic is absolutely a killer sounding headphone.

Excellent, thanks.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Does anyone have an opinion of the Atrium's ability to reproduce female vocals compared to the Auteur Classic? I've read that the Atrium has better resolving ability, but its limited treble presence compared to the Auteur is what has me thinking that the Auteur might be better in this case, though I've also read that the treble can be improved in the Atrium by taking off the mesh. What do you you all think?

I own Auteur Classic (upgraded launch LTD Blackwood) & Cocobolo Atrium.

The biggest ‘female vocal’ difference I hear seems due to the greater headstage depth from Atrium, which results in vocals seeming more forward in the mix from Auteur … for some tracks … depending on the mix. But as far as timbre and tonality, it’s close to a dead heat.

I listen to a LOT of female vocals:

Loreena McKennit, Joni Mitchell, Gretchen Peters, Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, London Grammar, Emma Ruth Rundle, Cowboy Junkies, Etta James, Nina Simone … could go on and on.

I compared Atrium & Auteur from:

Volumio ==> mScaler ==> TT2 ==> Atrium | Auteur
Volumio ==> mScaler ==> Audio-gd Master 11 ==> Atrium | Auteur

Open mesh on both, Eikon perf suede pads on Auteur, Universe perf suede pads on Atrium.

Bothe DAC/amps have dual headphone outputs, so easy to A/B.

My ears/my gear/my opinion of course.

 

[aviusmc]

I own Auteur Classic (upgraded launch LTD Blackwood) & Cocobolo Atrium.

The biggest ‘female vocal’ difference I hear seems due to the greater headstage depth from Atrium, which results in vocals seeming more forward in the mix from Auteur … for some tracks … depending on the mix. But as far as timbre and tonality, it’s close to a dead heat.

I listen to a LOT of female vocals:

Loreena McKennit, Joni Mitchell, Gretchen Peters, Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, London Grammar, Emma Ruth Rundle, Cowboy Junkies, Etta James, Nina Simone … could go on and on.

I compared Atrium & Auteur from:

Volumio ==> mScaler ==> TT2 ==> Atrium | Auteur
Volumio ==> mScaler ==> Audio-gd Master 11 ==> Atrium | Auteur

Open mesh on both, Eikon perf suede pads on Auteur, Universe perf suede pads on Atrium.

Bothe DAC/amps have dual headphone outputs, so easy to A/B.

My ears/my gear/my opinion of course.

Right on, thanks!