[JerseyD]

Totally agree with you on the Atticus

"I say check out an Atticus. I would say it’s the most “ZMF sound” of the whole lineup" - haasaaroni

As someone trying to decide what my first ZMF will be, this is getting pretty frustrating. Working my way through all the forum threads on each model has been fun, but has not lead me to a firm decision. Every model seems to have its fans and advocates for it being the "first" ZMF to try. I guess that's a good thing, having such enthusiastic fans. Was so close to buying an Auteur Classic, but weighing the possibility of shooting for the Atrium. The Auteur Classic would allow me to buy a nice tube amp at the same time - so there's that in its favor. Now the Atticus fans have spoken and proclaimed it the "most ZMF." What to do? (And please don't say to buy them all!)

 

[AudioDuck]

"I say check out an Atticus. I would say it’s the most “ZMF sound” of the whole lineup" - haasaaroni

As someone trying to decide what my first ZMF will be, this is getting pretty frustrating. Working my way through all the forum threads on each model has been fun, but has not lead me to a firm decision. Every model seems to have its fans and advocates for it being the "first" ZMF to try. I guess that's a good thing, having such enthusiastic fans. Was so close to buying an Auteur Classic, but weighing the possibility of shooting for the Atrium. The Auteur Classic would allow me to buy a nice tube amp at the same time - so there's that in its favor. Now the Atticus fans have spoken and proclaimed it the "most ZMF." What to do? (And please don't say to buy them all!)

Apologies if you’ve already described this (please copy/paste if you have):
- Do you prefer/need an open-back or closed-back?
- What are your musical tastes?
- What virtues do you value in a headphone (ie deep bass, wide soundstage, clarity/detail, neutrality or all-out fun, etc.)?
- Do you have a budget in mind (sounds like $2,000-2,500)?

Some of these will actually eliminate some of the ZMFs more readily- the Atticus, for example, is a lot of things, but “neutral” is not one of them. But if you love rock and mid-bass-heavy music and fun is the priority, it’s the headphone for you.

It sound like disturbing others/having sound leakage in/out isn’t an issue, though, and I can’t think of a great reason you’d want to go closed-back unless you are really into deep bass (ie Eikon would be the ideal choice).

It also does not sound like very detailed sound/airiness is of the utmost importance (ie the two Verités), so those might be out.

More info will help us give feedback- “the most ZMF house sound” is a bit more subjective.

 

[haasaaroni]

"I say check out an Atticus. I would say it’s the most “ZMF sound” of the whole lineup" - haasaaroni

As someone trying to decide what my first ZMF will be, this is getting pretty frustrating. Working my way through all the forum threads on each model has been fun, but has not lead me to a firm decision. Every model seems to have its fans and advocates for it being the "first" ZMF to try. I guess that's a good thing, having such enthusiastic fans. Was so close to buying an Auteur Classic, but weighing the possibility of shooting for the Atrium. The Auteur Classic would allow me to buy a nice tube amp at the same time - so there's that in its favor. Now the Atticus fans have spoken and proclaimed it the "most ZMF." What to do? (And please don't say to buy them all!)

I agree with @AudioDuck, the more info we have the better! I think the reason so many people recommend so many different zmf’s is that they don’t compete with each other. They’re all simply different musical experiences.

I’ll try to be more specific. The reason I singled out the Atticus is that it’s the cheapest in the lineup, and it’s also the one I personally fell in love with the most when I heard all the sub-verite models a few years ago. It has a really fun sound, with tons of impact, a not-so-forward, but extremely lush and musical midrange, and gently rolled off treble. The forward midrange if the Auteur Classic (and Atrium) is different in my mind, pulling back on the ZMF sound slightly to have a more “neutral” presentation. I really love mine. The Atticus, on the other hand, is just pure ZMF-flavored fun. I would pick up a pair myself, but I want to limit the number of headphones I own at one time to not turn my bedroom into a ZMF showroom Hope this helps a little more.

 

[JerseyD]

Apologies if you’ve already described this (please copy/paste if you have):
- Do you prefer/need an open-back or closed-back?
- What are your musical tastes?
- What virtues do you value in a headphone (ie deep bass, wide soundstage, clarity/detail, neutrality or all-out fun, etc.)?
- Do you have a budget in mind (sounds like $2,000-2,500)?

Some of these will actually eliminate some of the ZMFs more readily- the Atticus, for example, is a lot of things, but “neutral” is not one of them. But if you love rock and mid-bass-heavy music and fun is the priority, it’s the headphone for you.

It sound like disturbing others/having sound leakage in/out isn’t an issue, though, and I can’t think of a great reason you’d want to go closed-back unless you are really into deep bass (ie Eikon would be the ideal choice).

It also does not sound like very detailed sound/airiness is of the utmost importance (ie the two Verités), so those might be out.

More info will help us give feedback- “the most ZMF house sound” is a bit more subjective.

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

 

[Exekuhtor]

I just picked up a VC, first impressions are in the associated thread, i love it.
Only cons: sound isolation is worse than Elegia.

 

[AudioDuck]

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

Aha! This helps a lot, thank you.

Based on your preferred sound signature and no need for a closed-back, the Auteur Classic or Atrium are definitely the right choices. You would then get the benefits of a more realistic sound stage as well from them. If you have a solid-state amp right now that doesn’t gel well with high-impedance headphones, getting the Auteur Classic and an OTL tube amp would be the best move in my view.

Options would include the Woo Audio WA2, a Feliks Audio amp, and there is a reasonably-priced MicroZOTL in the classifieds here, I think- apparently magic with ZMFs- much like the WA2. I’d jump on the MicroZOTL asap- they are hardly ever available used and it’s under $900 I think. ADDED LINK: https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/lta-microzotl-mz2-mint.32039/

(Please note: I have no connection to the seller, for better or worse. This is simply a good deal on an excellent amp from what I’ve read about it and the feedback from trusted Head-Fi members. Caveat emptor and all that. )

And if you ever need a closed-back (change of life circumstances etc), I’d highly recommend the Eikon. It works very well with the genres/sound sig you want, but the open-back options are a better fit for you at the moment.

 

[AudioDuck]

I just picked up a VC, first impressions are in the associated thread, i love it.
Only cons: sound isolation is worse than Elegia.

The big thing to note with a VC is that it literally *sounds like an open-back* (it’s truly impressive), yet provides some isolation (albeit not as much as other closed-backs, as noted above).

In the case of the member seeking guidance here, I wonder if the VC is a good fit w/regards to sound sig and amp pairing…

 

[haasaaroni]

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

I hate to complicate things further, but if jazz is your jam, nothing beats the Verite Open for me. So much detail, separation, and vibrancy to the sound. For an all rounder, though, the Auteur Classic (and Atrium) will do all those genres - jazz, rock, and classical - beautifully. Especially vocally-centered music. I personally didn’t like the Verite Open much for rock, but it was also great for classical. The Auteur classic and Atrium will really respond well to different source chains too, so you can really tailor it to the sound you want.

And with that, I’ll shut up. Now I’m sure I’m not helping

 

[AudioDuck]

The Auteur classic and Atrium will really respond well to different source chains too, so you can really tailor it to the sound you want.

I will add that you see two common factors among ZMF fans on Head-Fi: Tube (often OTL) amps and R2R DACs if they are using digital sources.

Both of these components arguably put music first, rather than perfect scientific measurements.

 

[jonathan c]

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

• I agree with @AudioDuck regarding ZMF Atrium or ZMF Auteur Classic: especially as to soundstaging and tonal balance, which in those two headphones seem right for you.
• I also own a Woo Audio WA2 (OTL) which is fantastic with high-impedance headphones such as ZMFs. I recommend also an OTC tube headphone amplifier for Atrium / Auteur Classic. It is the Icon Audio HP8 MK-II Signature ($1865 USD, without Bluetooth). Why? Because it exhibits in spades the sonic attributes that you seek. The HP8 is a wondrous fit to Atrium / Auteur Classic. Please refer to the “Icon Audio HP8” thread in Head-Fi for more commentary (not just by me!)

 

[robo24]

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

Auteur Classic
Something like the Bottlehead Crack is generally a great place to start as far as affordable tube amps if that also fits your budget. Feliks Echo is also a great option.

 

[JerseyD]

Based on your preferred sound signature and no need for a closed-back, the Auteur Classic or Atrium are definitely the right choices. You would then get the benefits of a more realistic sound stage as well from them. If you have a solid-state amp right now that doesn’t gel well with high-impedance headphones, getting the Auteur Classic and an OTL tube amp would be the best move in my view.

Options would include the Woo Audio WA2, a Feliks Audio amp, and there is a reasonably-priced MicroZOTL in the classifieds here, I think- apparently magic with ZMFs- much like the WA2. I’d jump on the MicroZOTL asap- they are hardly ever available used and it’s under $900 I think. ADDED LINK: https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/lta-microzotl-mz2-mint.32039/

Thanks! I've heard the MZ2 and it does sound incredible (and that's a great deal), but I would prefer a tube amp that can breathe a little extra life into the Ether 2 as well, so OTL may not be my best bet.

 

[jonathan c]

I will add that you see two common factors among ZMF fans on Head-Fi: Tube (often OTL) amps and R2R DACs if they are using digital sources.

Both of these components arguably put music first, rather than perfect scientific measurements.

I will add to these observations that with headphones such as ZMF Atrium and ZMF Auteur (OG + Classic), the presentational differences between R2R DACs and ‘sigma delta’ chip DACs are quite discernible. To use a TV picture analogy, think ‘natural’ versus ‘vivid’.

 

[JerseyD]

I recommend also an OTC tube headphone amplifier for Atrium / Auteur Classic. It is the Icon Audio HP8 MK-II Signature ($1865 USD, without Bluetooth). Why? Because it exhibits in spades the sonic attributes that you seek. The HP8 is a wondrous fit to Atrium / Auteur Classic.

I have actually been debating between the Icon HP8 Mk.II and the Quicksilver HPA. People seem to love them both. The HP8 is more flexible with its output gain switch, but I have read of people's concerns about the availability and cost of 6SN7(CV181) tubes. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks!

 

[Pharmaboy]

Thanks -
- Don't need closed-back.
- Listening to acoustic small-group jazz mostly, a fair amount of rock and some classical.
- Looking for slightly elevated bass with great texture that does not encroach on the mids; clarity and instrument separation; non-fatiguing treble (I find myself ripping the Grados from my head after a while). I find the Ether 2 a bit lean at times, so looking for more fullness/lushness.

I think you're describing the Aeolus. The fullness/lushness can be tempered easily w/pad rolling, if you'd like.