Just checking back in to say, I spent all day yesterday going back and forth between the VC's (my daily drivers for the past 2 years) and the Bokeh, and I have some interesting results to say the least.
Spoiler alert. . .The Bokeh have become my new daily driver.
The VC's have speed that is incredible while having a delicate touch/refinement and smoothness to them at the same time. They make it sound like whatever I am listening to is happening live right there in my room. They do however have a bit of bite up top though (that I have never noticed until the Bokeh entered my life
), and the bass is incredibly detailed and has good weight and sustain, yet doesn't quite have the weight and punch of the Bokeh. The VC's sound more "Hifi" and transparent and are incredible headphones no doubt, with very unique flavoring, having a bit of middbass bloom and a few dips and peaks up top to balance things out, giving them bite in some areas and smoothness in others. The staging is more diffused and the images are a bit less defined and spread out with the VC's, vs. the tighter and better layered images with the Bokeh and it's ADS.
I have to say the Bokeh gets the win for the most fun headphone and my new favorite ZMF in the lineup. The Bokeh makes it sound like you are transported to wherever the music is happening, instead of being so transparent like with the VC's of which make everything sound like it's happening right there in my room. Two totally different presentations of awesomeness if you ask me.
The ADS (Atrium Damping System) in the Bokeh really lets things breathe and you can hear more detail and little nuances in the mids come through as a result, despite not being quite as fast as the VC. The Bokeh is still super quick sounding, but just not quite as fast as the VC. It's easier to listen to the Bokeh at loud volumes for longer periods of time without any fatigue. Bass is weightier and more in your face with Bokeh but not quite as detailed, yet still really really well done. The Bokeh has better balance through the mids up into the highs and it's incredible how it is trading blows with the VC! The Bokeh is more euphonic throughout the mids as well, and with a smoother transition into the highs, it's so addictive and easy to listen to. The staging of the Bokeh with the ADS really is something special and is probably my favorite thing about this headphone other than the super fun bass response, and euphonic mids. The ADS creates space and lets details come through without sounding forced at all, and the layering and separation of the images is fantastic. The ADS (Atrium Damping System) is amazing in the Bokeh!
This is just a brief summary of the differences between the two, and it's going to take me more time to fully understand all the differences between them, and I will share more on that when I do my final review. However, for now I will say the Bokeh and VC's are both here to stay. The Bokeh have become my daily drivers, but the VC's will still get their time to shine and aren't going anywhere.
What I have learned so far after spending a week with the new Bokeh, is that this headphone transports me to another place with the musicians, and I just can't get enough! Every song sounds different than I have ever heard them sound before and the music is so engaging it's addictive. To top it all off, this headphone is an absolute genre slayer! Talk about saying one more song over and over, this phenomenon is bound to happen with the Bokeh, and it is really hard to put them down once you start listening.
Zach you seriously outdid yourself with the Bokeh! This headphone scales extremely well off my HA300mk2, and also sings like crazy off my RU7 dongle, and is a real game changer for me. The Bokeh may be the most affordable headphone in the lineup, but it is by no means the least fun or least capable, and is just another flavor of ZMF awesomeness that definitely deserves a spot in the lineup.
I plan to do more listening and comparing all this week, and hope to have my final review up by Friday. I will say this now though, if you own any ZMF's and are looking to add another fun one to the stable this headphone is a no brainer. The Bokeh has it's own sound and own unique magic, that would be right at home in any ZMF fan's stable.
Happy Listening!