[zach915m]

Using the BOKEH video has been initiated!

 

[erics75]

Using the BOKEH video has been initiated!

So am I committing blasphemy watching the Bokeh video with my AC?

 

[zach915m]

So am I committing blasphemy watching the Bokeh video with my AC?

It's OK because a father must watch (or listen) to news about his son. #bokehdaddy

 

[kumar402]

It's OK because a father must watch (or listen) to news about his son. #bokehdaddy

watching via VC #bokehgranddaddy?

 

[Sword of Damocles]

When changing pads, does anybody stretch the edge by sticking index finger inside the pad and using thumb outer side? Like this I could change pads in 1-2 minutes, but it required more force than with other models. I use my other hand to prevent the pad slipping off from the other side of the cup.

So many "other" words... My English really lazy and bad today.

 

[erics75]

When changing pads, does anybody stretch the edge by sticking index finger inside the pad and using thumb outer side? Like this I could change pads in 1-2 minutes, but it required more force than with other models. I use my other hand to prevent the pad slipping off from the other side of the cup.

So many "other" words... My English really lazy and bad today.

To get the alternate pads on mine i had to first pre-stretch the ear pads pretty aggressively. Kind of like how you roll up a tight sock and stretch it outward to make it looser. Then I did pinch the end flaps and yank hard with the opposite end pinned against the flange. I yanked and moved the end flaps slowly this way until the pad was fully seated. I thought for sure they were gonna rip, but they were fine. I tried flipping the flap over like the video, but it would always end up coming loose somehow and i'd get pretty mad. just gotta be rough with it, it likes it hahaha.

 

[erics75]

watching via VC #bokehgranddaddy?

hmmm so if the AC is the daddy, who's mommy? Auteur?

 

[Clemmaster]

hmmm so if the AC is the daddy, who's mommy? Auteur?

Eikon

 

[Bling527]

When changing pads, does anybody stretch the edge by sticking index finger inside the pad and using thumb outer side? Like this I could change pads in 1-2 minutes, but it required more force than with other models. I use my other hand to prevent the pad slipping off from the other side of the cup.

So many "other" words... My English really lazy and bad today.

Yes this is what I do.

 

[AnamCeoil]

My Bokeh is probably around 150ish hours in now and seems to have settled. I don't notice any changes sonically day to day now, whereas last week it was almost a daily discovery what new aspect I'd hear different. I've been using the Bokeh at work, at home, for music, for games, for movies, anything and everything I can throw at it, it handles with aplomb. Zach is quite the madman to make such an amazing sounding headphone and price it at the bottom of the price list. But don't let that price fool you, this headphone competes with anything else in the ZMF lineup and beyond. If you're a detail-head and love headphones like the Utopia, etc. then you might not be as impressed. But for those who forego details for musicality, and love a warm engaging listen, it's tough to beat, even within the hallowed ZMF halls. I know i'm a baseless fanboy, but I'm loyal by listen, not by person or logo/brand. If I didn't honestly love the sound, I'd jump ship without hesitation.

A few things I've noticed now that my unit seems to be broken in. First, it's not as ham fisted and stiff sounding as it was out of the box. Transients have rounded just a bit and have a more liquid/wet characteristic to them vs the slightly stiff and blunt out of box performance. Also the bass, though still insanely potent, seems to have mellowed out some. Maybe it's brain burn in (most likely), but I don't find it as overbearing with the protein pads as I did. Not that I disliked it before, quite the contrary, but I did note it could dominate my attention. And to some extent it still does, but only because it's so dam fun sounding. The bass is quickly becoming my favorite of the ZMF lineup. It's also transmitting more nuance than it did when new. It's still not as subtle and delicate/nuanced as the AC, but it's noticeably better than out of the box. Finally, the stage seems different. I can't put my finger on it, it's subtle, but it's different. How so I'm still gathering thoughts, but i'm guessing it has to do with the more relaxed drivers giving more subtle spatial cues. I'll add more thoughts as they come to me.

I'll add I found a great budget solution that drives the Bokeh well with incredible synergy. I picked up an iFi Zen Dac 2 and Zen Can combo awhile back when someone was fire selling them in the classifieds, mostly for curiosity. Never used it that much, but figured I'd give the stack a try with the Bokeh. I loved what I was hearing. The Zen stack isn't the most resolving, but it's smooth and dynamic, which pairs well with the similar Bokeh. The bass was slamming, no glare up top, and overall I quickly forgot I wasn't on tubes and got lost to the music. I briefly tried the bass boost but that was way too much bass for me. But I did like the cross feed button quite a bit. It gave the Bokeh an almost surround system type soundstage. Not the most natural sounding, but really fun with games and orchestral pieces.

Finally I wanted to expand on my thoughts on the Bokeh with acoustic music. If you need ultra resolution to break down the plankton in the recording, then look elsewhere. But if you listen for the emotion of the music, IMO the Bokeh is every bit as good as any of the ZMFs in the lineup. It has a wonderful balance of full but not overly forward mids, very present but non-fatiguing upper mids/treble, and of course that luscious bass. What I found with acoustic music, especially jazz and singer/songwriter tracks was it quickly engaged me with it's macro presentation, and is more than resolving enough to give me all the elements I need to hear, without overwhelming me with micro detail. Grain of salt I am not a detail head. I don't put much emphasis in resolution, I value coherency and engagement at a macro level above all else. But jazz beats just got into my head immediately and had me tapping my toes and bobbing my head. Very engaging. Orchestral pieces were intimate sounding but not overly so, I could break down what I needed to, and it sounded quite good. I'd still take the Atrium open for it's more expansive stage, but the Bokeh was every bit as fun. Finally vocalists, especially soloists, where quite enthralling. The subtle breaths and volume gradients came through with good separation and presence. But the overall tone was just on pointe. I have a soft spot for the song Ave Maria and spent a few hours just listening to the many renditions of it on Tidal. I loved the more sparse sets that put the instruments far in the background so the singer was front and center. I adore Aaron Neville's rendition, and must have repeated it a dozen times. I've listened to that track on all my headphones regularly throughout the years, and the Bokeh nails it as good as any. Twist my arm and I'll put the Auteur OG and Atrium open slightly ahead of it for it's slightly silkier and nuanced performance, but for pure goosebumps the Bokeh delivered as good as any.

Oh man, these kinds of write ups just whet my appetite and impatience even more

Love to hear the feedback about the Zen stack; until I got my A20, I was really happy with that pairing with my Atticus strangely enough - much more so that the high (120) or mid (35- which I actually liked the most of the OI settings) output impedence options on the Project Ember II. I found the Zen stack to drive it surprising well so really looking forward to seeing how it combines with the Bokeh. In the meantime I'll content myself with building my anticipation and living vicariously through reviews such as these- thanks for sharing!

 

[Bowbow]

Curious about Bokeh! I heard from my friends that it fits well with Be2 Pads. I guess this could be a competitive product against mere 109 pro

 

[erics75]

Curious about Bokeh! I heard from my friends that it fits well with Be2 Pads. I guess this could be a competitive product against mere 109 pro

i ordered solid lamb be2 pads today to test on the Bokeh and AC so i'll report back when they show up and i test them out.

 

[erics75]

Oh man, these kinds of write ups just whet my appetite and impatience even more

Love to hear the feedback about the Zen stack; until I got my A20, I was really happy with that pairing with my Atticus strangely enough - much more so that the high (120) or mid (35- which I actually liked the most of the OI settings) output impedence options on the Project Ember II. I found the Zen stack to drive it surprising well so really looking forward to seeing how it combines with the Bokeh. In the meantime I'll content myself with building my anticipation and living vicariously through reviews such as these- thanks for sharing!

yeah that Zen stack is surprisingly good, it's not overly analytical like most solid state amps i've used. it's got a nice smoothness and warmth to it that's great for a tube lover like myself. i'll put more time in with it to give more meaningful impressions, but i'll say i did not notice i was on solid state with it like i do the Schiit Midgard or Jot 2. I was able to just focus on the music and enjoy. with the Midgard i get what i call "digital glare" or "solid state harshness" that i tend to note with almost all solid state amps i try. but the Zen stack lacked it. it was a bit soft and smoothed over, so you do seem to pay a penalty on the resolution front. but i think it actually works out great if you're like me and like warm smooth tube amps vs really neutral solid state gear. i did love the A20, wish i had it still to compare to the Zen stack.

 

[djentbat]

Using the BOKEH video has been initiated!

Zach, do you have a play list for the all the music you include in the product demos? In particular I loved the songs in the homage trailer haha

 

[zach915m]

Zack, do you have a play list for the all the music you include in the product demos? In particular I loved the songs in the homage trailer haha

Homage trailer I believe is in the description of the YouTube page, but I can start listing the songs I use for each video in the video description as I did for Homage.

Also - I stopped monetizing our video's so I'm getting rid of ads as well and I can use music that's better, I'm glad you're enjoying it! This video has John Butler - Wade in the Water, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Derek Trucks/Susan Tedeschi both playing their versions of "Keep your Lamp Trimmed and Burning."