ZMF Bokeh - Open Back Headphones

[theveterans]

To the Bokeh Open lovers - have you found it pairs well with any solid state amps? With some of the comments re it having a more pronounced (aggressive?) treble response than most ZMFs, I wonder whether solid state wouldn’t work so much and ideally you stick to tubes with this one?

Glad my playlist is Bokeh Approved!

Can't wait for you to try the Cyan 2 + Homage with your Bokeh Open and hear your impressions! Found some fresh music I think you'll like!

Had some fun with @Basstutum with Bokeh Open (stock hybrid pads and stock mesh) with the ZMF Homage and Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC (NOS only).

TLDR: The synergy between Bokeh Open and ZMF Homage is OUTSTANDING! Definitely get the Homage if you're looking for an exceptional sounding SS amp for BO!

ZMF Homage (47-ohm impedance switch) has this "sweetness" or warmth to its character that brings fullness to Bokeh Open's sound while at the same time eliminating any treble harshness and upper mid "shout" that BO can exhibit if it's not on tubes or a less compatible/synergistic SS amps. Aside from that, Homage is pretty holographic sounding for a SS amp which BO easily reproduces. The black background / dynamic presentation of the Holo Cyan 2 is also present and is definitely contributing to the overall fun sound with the Bokeh Open.

In comparison with DIY Aegis, I seriously think Homage has taken the place for me by a small margin. The biggest reason is that while Aegis presents a rounder, larger volume of bass, it did not have that level of treble control that the Homage did with Bokeh Open, making some of the tracks slightly thinner sounding with the Aegis! On the first few seconds of listening, I told Basstutum, I cannot believe how warm sounding Bokeh sounds like through the Homage, so much so that I think it did definitely out-synergize both Aegis and ampsandsound Forge!

What can I say more,

texture = wow, better than Aegis!
note weight = very solid, Aegis maybe slightly better, but that's a maybe
impact = tie!
deep holographic staging = tie!
resolution = Homage believe it or not!

Just buy the Homage, it's crazy good with the Bokeh Open! Now I understand @robo24 's post here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-bokeh-open-back-headphones.974425/post-18644458

 

[cdiaz1069]

My wife and I working together, can get one of these pads on in under 15 seconds. One person holds the pad in place and rotates the Bokeh and the other drops the material down in place. I'm thinking about petitioning for this to be an Olympic sport.

I decided to put the adapter rings in both Bokehs today and I am glad I did. The biggest improvement for me was even more comfort. I have large ears and the added space inside is welcome. I also like that the rings make the pads stiffer. I don't pick up any change to the sound signature but they do sound a tad fuller. I guess a little more sound stage.

Just went through a nice chunk of Tool's library on my Nocturne. Holy hell.

Family portrait.

 

[andrewchoppa]

Question for everyone, my BOp arrived today. Its been glued to my head for the last 6 hours. I have to ask, and is probably a very dumb question, the treble is meant to be slightly recessed right? I am probably overthinking it and I am used to Grado's and my HD800S but things like cymbals and trumpets dont have much attack or ear stabbing that I am used to. I tried some other ZMF's last year at CanJam and remember being incredibly impressed, but I cannot for the life of me remember anymore if I am going mad. The rest of the headphone sounds insane, American Football's LP1 on these is just singing.

I worry that I might end up falling down a rabbit hole if things can only get better from here.

It may just need time to burn in or for your brain to adjust. I';=m an old fart and am losing a bit of hearing up top, but when I demoed the Smelly Underarms at Melbourne Hifi show, there was plenty of treble for my old ears. Be interested to see if anything changes for you.
And is there a removable mesh? I did that on my BCs and it opened them right up for me. Good luck.

 

[LizFlamingo]

It may just need time to burn in or for your brain to adjust. I';=m an old fart and am losing a bit of hearing up top, but when I demoed the Smelly Underarms at Melbourne Hifi show, there was plenty of treble for my old ears. Be interested to see if anything changes for you.
And is there a removable mesh? I did that on my BCs and it opened them right up for me. Good luck.

I do have a mesh on I believe, its completely stock at the moment with the caldera pads on them. I'll take the mesh out, see if it is any better, it does mean having to wrestle with the pads again, gah, they were annoying to put on! I am going to sit with just these for the next few days to let my brain burn in, my 64 Audio U12T sounded weird and rubbish for about a week for me before I they finally clicked for me. I don't get audio sometimes, its either cope and stockholm syndrome or genuine wizard stuff.

You have no idea. My Bokeh Closed arrived on Monday. By Friday I had ordered a Bokeh Open. Today I bought a ZMF pro cable. I'm already contemplating what to purchase later this year. Abandon all hope.

Dude! Slow down! Holy cow! These things cost nearly a month's wage for me and then some! I have to admit though, I bought these off eBay for £950, which, I know is a lil bit of overpay but it meant I didn't have to wait 4-12 weeks, deal with import taxes or shipping. But there was also a ZMF VO and I am very unsure if the BOp was the right call when the VO was £1300. It will sit and eat away at my brain.

 

[Rowethren]

Question for everyone, my BOp arrived today. Its been glued to my head for the last 6 hours. I have to ask, and is probably a very dumb question, the treble is meant to be slightly recessed right? I am probably overthinking it and I am used to Grado's and my HD800S but things like cymbals and trumpets dont have much attack or ear stabbing that I am used to. I tried some other ZMF's last year at CanJam and remember being incredibly impressed, but I cannot for the life of me remember anymore if I am going mad. The rest of the headphone sounds insane, American Football's LP1 on these is just singing.

I worry that I might end up falling down a rabbit hole if things can only get better from here.

I've never tried any Grado headphones or the HD800S but I definitely wouldn't describe the BO's treble as recessed. If anything I find them right on the upper limit of how much treble I want from a headphone. Everyone's ears and preferences are different but I'm not sure I would ever want treble that felt like it was stabbing me

 

[andrewchoppa]

I do have a mesh on I believe, its completely stock at the moment with the caldera pads on them. I'll take the mesh out, see if it is any better, it does mean having to wrestle with the pads again, gah, they were annoying to put on! I am going to sit with just these for the next few days to let my brain burn in, my 64 Audio U12T sounded weird and rubbish for about a week for me before I they finally clicked for me. I don't get audio sometimes, its either cope and stockholm syndrome or genuine wizard stuff.

Dude! Slow down! Holy cow! These things cost nearly a month's wage for me and then some! I have to admit though, I bought these off eBay for £950, which, I know is a lil bit of overpay but it meant I didn't have to wait 4-12 weeks, deal with import taxes or shipping. But there was also a ZMF VO and I am very unsure if the BOp was the right call when the VO was £1300. It will sit and eat away at my brain.

Haha - Oh well, you have one now and that is the main thing!!!
Enjoy them, that I'm sure you will!.

 

[betula]

Had some fun with @Basstutum with Bokeh Open (stock hybrid pads and stock mesh) with the ZMF Homage and Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC (NOS only).

TLDR: The synergy between Bokeh Open and ZMF Homage is OUTSTANDING! Definitely get the Homage if you're looking for an exceptional sounding SS amp for BO!

ZMF Homage (47-ohm impedance switch) has this "sweetness" or warmth to its character that brings fullness to Bokeh Open's sound while at the same time eliminating any treble harshness and upper mid "shout" that BO can exhibit if it's not on tubes or a less compatible/synergistic SS amps. Aside from that, Homage is pretty holographic sounding for a SS amp which BO easily reproduces. The black background / dynamic presentation of the Holo Cyan 2 is also present and is definitely contributing to the overall fun sound with the Bokeh Open.

In comparison with DIY Aegis, I seriously think Homage has taken the place for me by a small margin. The biggest reason is that while Aegis presents a rounder, larger volume of bass, it did not have that level of treble control that the Homage did with Bokeh Open, making some of the tracks slightly thinner sounding with the Aegis! On the first few seconds of listening, I told Basstutum, I cannot believe how warm sounding Bokeh sounds like through the Homage, so much so that I think it did definitely out-synergize both Aegis and ampsandsound Forge!

What can I say more,

texture = wow, better than Aegis!
note weight = very solid, Aegis maybe slightly better, but that's a maybe
impact = tie!
deep holographic staging = tie!
resolution = Homage believe it or not!

Just buy the Homage, it's crazy good with the Bokeh Open! Now I understand @robo24 's post here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf-bokeh-open-back-headphones.974425/post-18644458

I love your enthusiasm, and the Homage is indeed a really lovely amp, but I don't think it is quite in the same ballpark as the Aegis. Perhaps the great level of enjoyment the Homage provides made you exaggerate a bit, just like when you said the BO is more detailed than the AO?

 

[Deleeh]

Purely in terms of hardware synergy, I would still agree with him, also because the Hommage has enough power to drive the BO.
This is very often a decisive factor that has to be mentioned.
Which doesn't automatically mean that more power is better, it's more about raising the headphones to a level apart from the amplifier implementation and pushing them to their limits, nothing more.
I don't want to judge Aegis vs Hommage, there are simply too many differences between SS amps and tube amps for me.
In terms of sound, the difference is there for me.
But not always.
There are indeed SS amps that can have a kind of tube sound and at the same time are very good in their technical capabilities such as resolution, transparency, sophistication, etc.
The question in the end is for how much $ you are willing to go that mile, comparing purely the hardware side, the bokeh plus homage with a solid dac would be a home run.
What he might mean by the Aegis as a comparison and let's leave the emotions aside, the Bokeh would be a more than happy position with the Aegis.
However, I'm afraid that the bokeh with such a dead amplifier will reach its limits.
This can give the impression that the bokeh cuts off ‘worse’, which is not the case, but simply reaches its audible limits.
This can finally leave a bad impression, the question is whether the listener can also hear this?

 

[betula]

Purely in terms of hardware synergy, I would still agree with him, also because the Hommage has enough power to drive the BO.
This is very often a decisive factor that has to be mentioned.
Which doesn't automatically mean that more power is better, it's more about raising the headphones to a level apart from the amplifier implementation and pushing them to their limits, nothing more.
I don't want to judge Aegis vs Hommage, there are simply too many differences between SS amps and tube amps for me.
In terms of sound, the difference is there for me.
But not always.
There are indeed SS amps that can have a kind of tube sound and at the same time are very good in their technical capabilities such as resolution, transparency, sophistication, etc.
The question in the end is for how much $ you are willing to go that mile, comparing purely the hardware side, the bokeh plus homage with a solid dac would be a home run.
What he might mean by the Aegis as a comparison and let's leave the emotions aside, the Bokeh would be a more than happy position with the Aegis.
However, I'm afraid that the bokeh with such a dead amplifier will reach its limits.
This can give the impression that the bokeh cuts off ‘worse’, which is not the case, but simply reaches its audible limits.
This can finally leave a bad impression, the question is whether the listener can also hear this?

Well, a good synergy is indeed priceless. While I haven't heard the Bokeh on the Homage, I heard most other ZMF headphones on it. I have also been enjoying the BO out of my Aegis for a few months. Have to say, the Aegis/BO synergy is no slouch either.
I don't have the Homage at hand, but my impression from previous auditions was that it is a lovely, nicely balanced amp with good tonality and great bang for your buck, but IMO Aegis is simply another league. Note weight, textural information, spaciousness, articulation, black background and so on are all next level. At least to my ears.
I will certainly keep in mind to try the BO on the Homage though, next time I have a chance. For $2K Homage and BO is hard if not impossible to beat.

 

[Deleeh]

There is nothing to disagree with in this respect either.
The proportion of Zmf listeners is certainly on the side of the tube amplifier.
Also because the mix of digital, vintage is there, as well as that all Zmf headphones are different in the wooden cup than any plastic or other material where you find other headphones.
It's like a good stereo speaker system from the old days only it's on your head.
At least that's how it feels to me, and it's good that the bokeh is generally successful.

I'm sure there are some good SS amps out there that compete with tube amps.
It's just that there are usually a handful that can reproduce that.
But I too am a tube hare who prefers a tube amp rather than an SS amp.
I don't want to hide that, it gives me that certain something in the music that I just prefer and appreciate more.
A cold or analytically tuned SS amp can't give me that.
In the past I got bored of SS amps pretty quickly and sold them after 6-9 months.
That's not the case for me with tube amps.

 

[andrewchoppa]

There is nothing to disagree with in this respect either.
The proportion of Zmf listeners is certainly on the side of the tube amplifier.
Also because the mix of digital, vintage is there, as well as that all Zmf headphones are different in the wooden cup than any plastic or other material where you find other headphones.
It's like a good stereo speaker system from the old days only it's on your head.
At least that's how it feels to me, and it's good that the bokeh is generally successful.

I'm sure there are some good SS amps out there that compete with tube amps.
It's just that there are usually a handful that can reproduce that.
But I too am a tube hare who prefers a tube amp rather than an SS amp.
I don't want to hide that, it gives me that certain something in the music that I just prefer and appreciate more.
A cold or analytically tuned SS amp can't give me that.
In the past I got bored of SS amps pretty quickly and sold them after 6-9 months.
That's not the case for me with tube amps.

I am 100% with you mate. I have 3 tube amps and am about to get 2 more. I have 1 soloid state I use just for reference (and I'm certainly not married to it in any way shape or form).
I'm deliberately going down the hihm ohm path. Just bought Sivga SV023s and they are magic at the price and now seeking Beyer DT 880PRO 600 ohm. Lots of fun to be had.
I'll also be getting the BOs soon too!!!!

 

[devilboy]

Having owned many SS amps over the years (Luxman p-750u, Holo Bliss KTE, Headamp mkii and mini, Benchmark AHB2 and HPA-4, Pass HPA-1, Schiit Mjolnir 3, Audio GD Master 9, Questyle, et al), I can say my transformer coupled Cayin HA-2A gives a more rich, articulate, textured and lush sound than the others.

I can only imagine what some gorgeous OTL or some other single-ended triode amps would sound like...

 

[andrewchoppa]

Having owned many SS amps over the years (Luxman p-750u, Holo Bliss KTE, Headamp mkii and mini, Benchmark AHB2 and HPA-4, Pass HPA-1, Schiit Mjolnir 3, Audio GD Master 9, Questyle, et al), I can say my transformer coupled Cayin HA-2A gives a more rich, articulate, textured and lush sound than the others.

I can only imagine what some gorgeous OTL or some other single-ended triode amps would sound like...

Agree. I bought a friend's Crackatwoa and love it (although I'm not a fan of the 1.5db attenuator. It's stiff and you can pick the wrong one if not looking so deafen your self with 9 extra db by mistake. But great sound. All my other tube amps are and will be OTCs. I want to delve more deeply into OTLs........

 

[devilboy]

I also have to clarify that those SS amps I mentioned all drove low impedance planar magnetics so take that with a grain of salt. My current Bokeh Open is my first commitment to dynamic headphones.
I had Focal Stellia and Clear OG but that was a long time ago.

All that being said, I really don't see myself going back to solid state amplification.

 

[andrewchoppa]

I also have to clarify that those SS amps I mentioned all drove low impedance planar magnetics so take that with a grain of salt. My current Bokeh Open is my first commitment to dynamic headphones.
I had Focal Stellia and Clear OG but that was a long time ago.

All that being said, I really don't see myself going back to solid state amplification.

We have a similar journey I think. I started with Hifiman planars, then other planars (no dynamics). My 1st tube was a OTC ( I'd had numerous solid states), so was my 2nd tube amp. I then got my Crackatwoa for my VOs, and now I'm going down the high ohm hole. Sivga SV023, Beyer DT880 600, now looking at another OTL, even if it's just the XDuoo ta66 (I love XDuoo!). Anyway, what a great hobby!! And yes, I do listen to the music. I listen every single night and pretty much all my spare time on weekends.