First impressions, no burn-in, out of the box, after a pad swap.
Speaking of pad swaps… they're frankly a pain in the rear but, all things considered, I managed to put on the suede pads despite the threat posed to them by the screws holding the stock burst mesh pads
Before anyone asks, I’m not going to try the other pads I got, f— that, nor did I get other meshes. I did, however, get both the 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced cables. More on this later.
Artisanal and boutique, the Bokeh’s build quality ranges from excellent to very good and is a significant step up from the Grado SR325X which are the best made Grado I have held. The Bokeh look and feel good, feel sturdy, and are surprisingly light.
Comfort is indeed outstanding. I was expecting a much heavier set. Clamp force is perfect. Bottom line, early impressions is that they’re the most comfortable
headphones I’ve owned by a country mile, including while wearing eyeglasses
The reason I went for the suede pads straight away was a question of comfort/breathability. The hybrid and stock pads were backups in case I didn’t really like the tuning with the suedes. Again, more on this later.
The Jotunheim 2 with MultiBit card in low gain provided more than ample power for the Bokeh with a consequent amount of headroom. While I usually prefer a well-implemented single-ended output, I must admit that the Bokeh benefited from the balanced output which gave them more life in the midrange with a bit more detail overall. Balanced offered a relaxed listen, single-ended even more so.
The Sony NW-WM1AM2, uncapped and balanced, provided an equally satisfactory, if not at times better, experience with the added benefit of being able to move around.
It’s still very early to say but the Bokeh indeed seem to have an analog, relaxed yet engaging, tuning allowing the listener to focus on the music and be carried by it. Pad-wise, I’m very happy with the suede and, yes, ignorance is bliss. Again, these are early impressions but I feel the Bokeh fully deserve the current attention surrounding them.
A quick word on price. I cannot but feel that the ZMF Bokeh offer an experience and product, as well as extra pads and cables, at more than fair prices in a hobby which increasingly seems to be aimed at the (very) wealthy. Before all major influencers/reviewers will share their view on them, if nothing else, ZMF should be credited for that.
