[AnyDave]

I really like the comparisons that come up now and again between the VO and Atrium. It helps me waffle back and forth over and over and over again.

There is no right answer.
There is no wrong answer.

Maybe eventually I’ll have to get both. Especially if I keep reading these forums.

That's where I ended up. Depending on the system and the day, I prefer one over the other.

 

[Wes S]

I'd say to take all reviews with a grain of salt but was curious with the first half of your statement. I've heard some of the amps the reviewer mentioned(Ferrum/SPL/Violectric/Cayin) on various ZMF models and they sounded very good. Is there a reason why you'd find those gear not suited for high impedance dynamic drivers?

Lack of a proper tube amp.

 

[JerseyD]

Big thanks for all the helpful comments, i will just get a nice VO, i will probably wait until november.
I also borrowed the Caldera before, it was really good, but it did overlap a lot with the Susvara and i like the Sus more, so it doesn't do anything new and special for me.
I haven't heard the HD600 (blasphemy i know), but i (strongly) dislike the HD6XX since it has a small soundstage, rolloff on both ends (and i like treble), and three blob imaging. You get nice mids, so what. So i am absolutely NOT looking for a "super HD650" (which many claim the Atrium Open is), in my opinion the 6XX is overrated, i don't like it.

So i will get a VO and be very happy with it.
Thanks again, that was extremelly helpful, perfect example why i love this forum!

Not to throw you off your plans, but you may also want to consider the Auteur Classic, which has a more sparkly treble that the VO. The VO is more mids-focused, while the Auteur Classic is more even top to bottom. I find the VO to have a more solid bass, and more weight through the bass and mids. However, the treble is somewhat muted in comparison to the Auteur which is more about space, air and delicacy.

 

[Tchoupitoulas]

I’m working on hearing a pair of Atriums with the solid mesh now. I had a pair of the solid mesh sent to a friend with an Atrium and am hoping to hear it soon.

What else changed between the Atrium mesh and solid mesh for you besides the midrange tuning?

The essential difference between the meshes is that the solid one makes for a darker sound signature. The following are from impressions I posted (here) after hearing two Atriums in my system for a good week each:

Mesh and Pad Rolling
The solid mesh Atrium has a much darker sound than the vented one. The vented mesh makes for a less dark, more neutral sound, one that has a bit more of an edge to it. That edge involves either a greater awareness of the 5.5 kHz peak or a forwardness somewhere in the upper-mids and perhaps lower treble (or both). I couldn’t tell for sure.

Solid mesh:

• The Auteur pads doubled down on the dark sound signature
  • They also had the unfortunate effect of softening the sound too much
  • This took two forms:
    • Reducing the slam of the headphones
    • Rounding out the leading edges of notes
      • in other words, the transient response’s attacks were too soft, making the overall sound pillowy
      • Note that I’m using a fairly wet and rounded amp
        • As a result, the sound was too warm and almost muffled
• The Universe were my goldilocks pads:
  • the bass was glorious – deep, strong, plenty hard-hitting – and not overdone
  • the transients remained perfectly snappy but not overly so (I don’t think these headphones can be too aggressive in their attack)

Vented mesh:

• The Universe pads make for the brightest, most fatiguing sound
  • I should hasten to add that these aren’t inherently bright headphones, I’m just sensitive to certain peaks and upper-mids and lower treble emphasis
• The Be2 pads make the Atrium a bit darker and bassier but the fatigue is still there, albeit less so
• The hybrid Universe pads (i.e. partly lambskin, partly suede) took the vented mesh Atrium closer to the solid mesh one
  • with my VO, the hybrid pads dull the transients and have other unwanted effects; this was less apparently the case with the Atrium

 

[haasaaroni]

The essential difference between the meshes is that the solid one makes for a darker sound signature. The following are from impressions I posted (here) after hearing two Atriums in my system for a good week each:

Mesh and Pad Rolling
The solid mesh Atrium has a much darker sound than the vented one. The vented mesh makes for a less dark, more neutral sound, one that has a bit more of an edge to it. That edge involves either a greater awareness of the 5.5 kHz peak or a forwardness somewhere in the upper-mids and perhaps lower treble (or both). I couldn’t tell for sure.

Solid mesh:

• The Auteur pads doubled down on the dark sound signature
  • They also had the unfortunate effect of softening the sound too much
  • This took two forms:
    • Reducing the slam of the headphones
    • Rounding out the leading edges of notes
      • in other words, the transient response’s attacks were too soft, making the overall sound pillowy
      • Note that I’m using a fairly wet and rounded amp
        • As a result, the sound was too warm and almost muffled
• The Universe were my goldilocks pads:
  • the bass was glorious – deep, strong, plenty hard-hitting – and not overdone
  • the transients remained perfectly snappy but not overly so (I don’t think these headphones can be too aggressive in their attack)

Vented mesh:

• The Universe pads make for the brightest, most fatiguing sound
  • I should hasten to add that these aren’t inherently bright headphones, I’m just sensitive to certain peaks and upper-mids and lower treble emphasis
• The Be2 pads make the Atrium a bit darker and bassier but the fatigue is still there, albeit less so
• The hybrid Universe pads (i.e. partly lambskin, partly suede) took the vented mesh Atrium closer to the solid mesh one
  • with my VO, the hybrid pads dull the transients and have other unwanted effects; this was less apparently the case with the Atrium

This is perfect! Thanks so much.

 

[JackarlTwo]

 

[JackarlTwo]

Early 3 am sunrise. I was listening to music and they look so good in natural light. It's super hard to capture with a phone while being a potato photographer myself, but here you go. My pictures don't do justice of how beautiful this wood is.

 

[g0ldl10n]

AO shines so bright with strings.. absolutely perfect!

“Lux Aeterna” - Kronos Quartet​

 

[helljudgement]

Recently discovered a band called toe and was introduced to the world of Math Rock and what a treat it was. Definitely one of my favorite discovery of this year and will definitely be exploring more of this genre for months to come. The Atrium is simply sublime with this genre.

 

[UnfetteredWandering]

@zach915m , for those of us who own a Macassar Ebony Atrium, which polish do you recommend?

I've seen Osmo, Mohawk, and Martin Guitar polishes mentioned in various threads, but I am unsure which would be best for the finish that was used on the Macassar Ebony Atriums.

 

[aloki]

it’s been said in other threads if it has a shiny/glossy finish, any of the above. If it has a matte finish, avoid polishing except maybe wiping with a micro fiber cloth.

 

[helljudgement]

I recently move my Verite Silver cable from my VO to my Atrium and found it rather interesting.
Still not sure which combination I prefer but a very good pairing nonetheless.

Weeks into listening and I've decided that the Verite Silver Cable is best paired with my Verite. Despite all the positives that the cable brings to my Atrium I find it a bit too much for long listening. The Silver cable does bring more emphasis to the the Atrium's midrange, which when coupled with the Auteur pads and vented mesh is simply too forward for me. Still a good cable to pair with the Atrium and I suspect it will synergize well with the solid mesh and Universe pad combination. To my ears, the Verite silver synergizes much better with my VO w/Universe pads.

 

[jonathan c]

That's where I ended up. Depending on the system and the hour, I prefer one over the other.

FTFY…[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]

 

[zach915m]

@zach915m , for those of us who own a Macassar Ebony Atrium, which polish do you recommend?

I've seen Osmo, Mohawk, and Martin Guitar polishes mentioned in various threads, but I am unsure which would be best for the finish that was used on the Macassar Ebony Atriums.

it’s been said in other threads if it has a shiny/glossy finish, any of the above. If it has a matte finish, avoid polishing except maybe wiping with a micro fiber cloth.

Yeah the Macassar is best suited to be wiped dry, if the wood gets dirty the best polish/cleaner is either microcrystalline wax which is best buffed on, or osmo wax finish cleaner, which unfortunately I think can only be bought in a giant can.

The Mohawk will work, but may dull the finish more than I'd like, and won't provide any benefit IMHO.

 

[AnyDave]

Yeah the Macassar is best suited to be wiped dry, if the wood gets dirty the best polish/cleaner is either microcrystalline wax which is best buffed on, or osmo wax finish cleaner, which unfortunately I think can only be bought in a giant can.

The Mohawk will work, but may dull the finish more than I'd like, and won't provide any benefit IMHO.

What do you think of this?

https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-XTL-8004-Wax-Polish-65ml/dp/B003AJWN62

I have a small can of this and have liked it in other applications.