ZMF BOKEH - Closed Back (Semi-Portable)

[spruce]

Yes if i can i will listen at Canjam UK this July.

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Does anyone think ZMF Bokeh will likely have a discount at Canjam UK if they were guessing?
We in UK already pay £300 more for it than US shoppers.

I’m listening with stock pads, and I do not have 150 hours of burn-in, so please take my comments regarding something harsh in the treble with a grain of salt. As I said, with the Cayin RU7 I am absolutely happy with my Bokeh but currently with other solid state all in one dac/amps, to my ears, something grading/irritating occurs when certain instruments are played. It has a sound that’s particularly hard edged and prolonged if that makes any sense. I’m assuming this may resolve itself overtime. Obviously you will not know until you hear for yourself and there’s a 30 day return policy in place now which is great. I’m listening right now with my Feliks tube amp and the Bokeh sound really great. I would say definitely a stand out among contenders with the level of articulation and timbre/musicality.

I would advise bringing the gear you plan to use your Bokeh with when you listen at Canjam if possible. Interestingly, I’m also a Focal OG owner and I found the treble metallic initially but overtime I did not. In that case, as I am doing now, I simply matched certain gear initially to suit my tastes.

 

[erics75]

I've been enjoying the protein pads a lot lately. I'm split if I prefer the protein or the hybrid ones.
Things I immediately noticed:

• Stronger bass presence
• A more closed in sound. (Better isolation, possibly a smaller soundstage). It sounds like a closed back. Still has that spherical sound, no 3-blob effect going on.
• A more mellow midrange
• Warmer, but hits even harder.

The Bokeh was already really fun with the hybrid pads, and these protein pads turn up the fun dial to 11. Sometimes the bass can be almost too overpowering but honestly I'm loving it. The hybrid pads sound cleaner in the mids and maybe a bit more forward. The hybrid pads are better balanced so it's really going to be up to you which you prefer. I enjoy them both and both pads are worth having in your collection. Happy listening!

Oh yeah, I was dreading pad rolling after reading so many horror stories but they slipped on quite easily for me. I have pad rolled A LOT of with ZMF headphones before though. Required a bit more effort than the round cups, but I used the exact same technique as I usually do: I use my left hand to anchor the lip around the baffle with each finger and use my right hand to work the lip in place underneath the pads (where you would insert the rings/ paracord).

I always end up with the protein pads on mine, no matter how much I like the other pads. I just love the dynamic and explosive nature of those protein pads. It's pure energy listening. It may lack nuance and finesse, but I'll gladly give that up for the fun factor. They're my headbanging rock out set along with my AC w/thick leathers. The AC with protein is pretty fun too

 

[Weissenborn]

Hello,
I recently purchased a used pair of Bokeh closed headphone, and the headphone came with the pads shown in the photos installed.
I can't identify these pads – are they BE2 pads? The box also contained Caldera Suede (top perforated only) and Caldera Lambskin (top perforated only) pads....

 

[erics75]

Hello,
I recently purchased a used pair of Bokeh closed headphone, and the headphone came with the pads shown in the photos installed.
I can't identify these pads – are they BE2 pads? The box also contained Caldera Suede (top perforated only) and Caldera Lambskin (top perforated only) pads....

It's hard to say for certain, but my gut tells me those are Auteur pads. I say so because they have the backside of the pad (behind the ear) thicker than the front. Also, there looks like a mild angling of the back of the pad to the front. Meaning the back is more raised than the front. That angles the cups slightly on your head.

I've never tried the Auteur pads on the BC, they're very different from the Caldera pads. How do you like them? If the headphone sounds oddly tuned or off I'd suggest buying some of the stock pads intended for the BC like the hybrid or protein pads. https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/pads/products/bokeh-pads

 

[Conan1974]

I does not look like Auteur pads.
These are the Auteur Classic pads.

 

[erics75]

I does not look like Auteur pads.
These are the Auteur Classic pads.

The Auteur pads come in both perforated and nonperforated material, so still could be Auteur pads, just not the perf pads of course.

 

[Weissenborn]

@erics75

I would describe the sound as warm, dynamic / punchy with more than slightly recessed highs. It's an easy and fatique free listening....
....but something in the mids / eargain area doesn't sound right to this ears.

 

[Conan1974]

The Auteur pads come in both perforated and nonperforated material, so still could be Auteur pads, just not the perf pads of course.

Ok, i thought it was one pair, i got just one with mine cans.

 

[devilboy]

@erics75

I would describe the sound as warm, dynamic / punchy with more than slightly recessed highs. It's an easy and fatique free listening....
....but something in the mids / eargain area doesn't sound right to this ears.

I believe the open has an upper mid-energy that just doesn't rub me the right way. For example, when playing complex orchestral music and a lot of violins come in, It's kind of screechy and can be painful at times. I had the solid mesh in there with suede pads. Still too aggressive for me.
In the end, I sold the headphone because of that and because of the lack of resolution that I was used to with planars and the like that I've owned...(Susvara, HEK SE, Meze Elite, Warwick Bravura, etc).
However, I believe the tonality, most of the mid-range and separation of instruments are wonderful with the headphone.

 

[Weissenborn]

....for resolution I put my HE1000 Unveiled and for "fun" my good old HE-6 OG (6 screw) on my head !

 

[ch1525i]

Put my ZMF November 2024 Bokeh Closed Stabilized on to work today using the JDS Labs Element IV (first time to try them together) and they are a great match and synergy. The bass and stage seem a little deeper. Nothing harsh at all, just dynamic and outstanding vocals. I would say this better than on the Schiit MMB2 > Vali 3 stack and the MMB2 > piety stack. I'm feeding the Element IV with a used FiiO M23 I just picked up in the classifieds. Next stop using them on the Nitsch Pietus Maximus using the M23, as well. I love these headphones for sure.

My ZMF's include BC rubied limba, BC stabilized, BO Emberstone, Auteur Classic Stabilized, VO Padauk. The AuC was always my favorite but now I'm leaning VO or BC stabilized. This hobby is amazing (and expensive )

 

[rasse1977]

My ZMF's include BC rubied limba, BC stabilized, BO Emberstone, Auteur Classic Stabilized, VO Padauk. The AuC was always my favorite but now I'm leaning VO or BC stabilized. This hobby is amazing (and expensive )

What is the difference in sound between the normal BC and the stabilized version?

 

[Soundizer]

I’m listening with stock pads, and I do not have 150 hours of burn-in, so please take my comments regarding something harsh in the treble with a grain of salt. As I said, with the Cayin RU7 I am absolutely happy with my Bokeh but currently with other solid state all in one dac/amps, to my ears, something grading/irritating occurs when certain instruments are played. It has a sound that’s particularly hard edged and prolonged if that makes any sense. I’m assuming this may resolve itself overtime. Obviously you will not know until you hear for yourself and there’s a 30 day return policy in place now which is great. I’m listening right now with my Feliks tube amp and the Bokeh sound really great. I would say definitely a stand out among contenders with the level of articulation and timbre/musicality.

I would advise bringing the gear you plan to use your Bokeh with when you listen at Canjam if possible. Interestingly, I’m also a Focal OG owner and I found the treble metallic initially but overtime I did not. In that case, as I am doing now, I simply matched certain gear initially to suit my tastes.

Thank you. How are they with Mojo 2 which is the only DAC i have.

 

[spruce]

They sound really good with the Mojo 2 but I personally find the sound too intense for longer listening sessions due to the way I’m hearing hard edged metallic instruments portrayed for example—especially for poorly recorded tracks or certain music. I tried Eq on the Mojo 2 briefly but it did not seem to make a difference in taming that, which again, seems to me to be an attribute of the driver itself similar to the sonic tendencies in planars. These sound relatively fast similar to planars as well. I could be completely wrong but that’s my guess or what I’m hearing.

On the other hand, I’ve been gravitating toward the Cayin RU7 for portable type units as it also sounds good with really nice balance while allowing me to listen longer without fatigue.

Ultimately, I get the sense these may scale moderately and may scale best with some type of conversion/amplification that rolls off those potentially intense harder edges as mentioned above.

I’ve tried the suede pads, which I did not like because it collapsed the sound stage, and I’ve not tried the protein pads yet.

 

[Rowethren]

Yes if i can i will listen at Canjam UK this July.

——————————-

Does anyone think ZMF Bokeh will likely have a discount at Canjam UK if they were guessing?
We in UK already pay £300 more for it than US shoppers.

You do have to remember that prices in the USA are listed without sales tax which is chargeable to some level in most states.

Once you add on VAT and international shipping that brings the price up to £1,036 if you order directly from ZMF vs £1099 from Acorn Audio in the UK.

I would argue that ordering from a local dealer with local warranty is worth an extra £63. That is certainly the route I went.