[Pharmaboy]

Everyone who conisiders buying headphones with wooden earcups should read your post--it's pure wisdom. Anyone who manages to at the wood and somehow not see its beauty, should probably stick to aluminum, plastic, or stainless steel (they're beautiful, too, in their own ways).

My ormosia henryi is not just a sonically accomplished design--it's an object of beauty. This wood is made to be touched, as well as looked at.

 

[4krow]

Thank you for your kind words.
I will readily say that metal, though being so completely different a medium from wood as one can imagine, also can posses beauty. I think that it is not so much a beauty exposed as a beauty created. A real pocket watch for example (if I must, then that is a watch with gears, springs, and jeweled bearings) exudes precision in a way that only a craftsman could produce. Tolerances, machining, buffing, are all layered against the final goal... keeping time. Odd then that in the bigger scheme of things all of these watch's are inaccurate. Compared to a sundial they are. A sun dial will show the exact time of day for that day, at that exact location, and not just within an hour of a time zone. Regardless, it makes the watch no less a creation of beauty to me.

 

[whirlwind]

New amp made its way to me.

Going to take the ZMF Ori a test spin right now

 

[Pharmaboy]

Wow--beautiful amp! (envy attack)

I just finished burning in a new Audio GD DAC-19, one of the last available. It takes over 400 hrs for these DACs to finish burning in. So yesterday I replaced my current DAC (Audio GD NOS 19, the non-oversampling variant of the DAC-19, which happened to be the one I bought first) w/the DAC-19. Did some listening on speakers yesterday, Any day now, will crank up my ZMF Ori (ormosia henryi wood, like yours), probably through the V281, and try to really figure out what's happening w/this new DAC.

[either of these R2R DACs can really "rock your world"...they certainly did mine!]

Funny how the Ori always sounds "just like itself," even though it clearly sounds different w/difference sources and/or amps (ie, V281 vs LC--clearly different). I've had these headphones for ~5 months & still feel like I'm just scratching the surface re what they can really do. Wonderful headphones.

And a shout-out to Zach, who's the most pleasant & knowledgeable audio pro I've encountered--also by far the most customer-service oriented mfr I've ever run into. I'm interested in the Atticus & Eikon not just because the Eikon I heard sounded so good--but because both are evolving examples of Zach's distinctive, "friendly" headphone voicing.

 

[whirlwind]

Wow--beautiful amp! (envy attack)

I just finished burning in a new Audio GD DAC-19, one of the last available. It takes over 400 hrs for these DACs to finish burning in. So yesterday I replaced my current DAC (Audio GD NOS 19, the non-oversampling variant of the DAC-19, which happened to be the one I bought first) w/the DAC-19. Did some listening on speakers yesterday, Any day now, will crank up my ZMF Ori (ormosia henryi wood, like yours), probably through the V281, and try to really figure out what's happening w/this new DAC.

[either of these R2R DACs can really "rock your world"...they certainly did mine!]

Funny how the Ori always sounds "just like itself," even though it clearly sounds different w/difference sources and/or amps (ie, V281 vs LC--clearly different). I've had these headphones for ~5 months & still feel like I'm just scratching the surface re what they can really do. Wonderful headphones.

And a shout-out to Zach, who's the most pleasant & knowledgeable audio pro I've encountered--also by far the most customer-service oriented mfr I've ever run into. I'm interested in the Atticus & Eikon not just because the Eikon I heard sounded so good--but because both are evolving examples of Zach's distinctive, "friendly" headphone voicing.

Congrats on your new dac....I have a Holo Springs coming, but it is probably 4 week out yet...so i will have a nice amount of time with my current dac to get used to the sound.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Yes, Holo Springs--was very interested in that, but it was ~2X the $$ I could see spending on a DAC. No regrets, though: these Audio GD boxes really give me the R2R sound. Also, I'm addicted to the convenient of 2 RCA outputs on each of these DACs (an inexpensive option during ordering). That enables me to have 2 quality HP amp/preamps connected at all times (usually the LC + the V281, w/the latter doing preamp duties).

Come to think of it, what I hear in R2R designs closely parallels the "ZMF house sound." It's no accident I fell so hard for the tuning of the Ori, which emphasizes natural, organic tonality, unforced treble, and great soundstaging (same things I hear in R2R digital).

 

[Odin412]

And a shout-out to Zach, who's the most pleasant & knowledgeable audio pro I've encountered--also by far the most customer-service oriented mfr I've ever run into. I'm interested in the Atticus & Eikon not just because the Eikon I heard sounded so good--but because both are evolving examples of Zach's distinctive, "friendly" headphone voicing.

The ZMF sound is musical, non-fatiguing and engaging. "Friendly" is a really good description. Like you, I love my Omni and I was very impressed with the Eikon and Atticus at CanJam SoCal.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Well, the Eikon is IMHO shockingly good. It just does everything so well, so right. I can characterize its sound, but can't begin to criticize it in any meaningful way.

That leaves the Atticus, about which I'm intensely curious (reviews & user comments suggest it's the "dream headphone" for my sonic tastes). But I really have to hear it, to contrast/compare w/Eikon. I was able to audition the Eikon at length in my system thanks to a very helpful local Head-Fi pal, but no one I know owns an Atticus. I missed CanJam/NYC earlier this year due to injury, and just missed the meet in Long Island today (other reasons). Also, I've also been holding out in the hope Zach will offer other woods for each...

For me, I suspect A or E will happen later this year or sometime next year (one way or the other).

Besides, I just ordered an E MU Teak direct from China (not Massdrop). That's an itch I've been trying to scratch for 6-8 months. It's made of teak, for god's sake (how could I not?).

(all in good time...)

 

[whirlwind]

After hearing the ZMF Ori with my new amp, I am sort of starting to change my mind and toy with the idea of tying the Eikon first.

 

[gug42]

For my curiosity, is there any frequency response graph ?
Didn't find any

 

[mysticstryk]

For my curiosity, is there any frequency response graph ?
Didn't find any

Yes, but you'll have to Google Omni/Ori measurements because HF doesn't allow links to the site for some reason.

 

[George Taylor]

I think I've finally found a pairing for my Ori that makes me happy. I bought a ifi micro black label last week, and have been impressed with it all around. I know it's small, portable even. But the power this thing puts out is amazing, enough to work with any and all of my cans. That said, with the 3D setting turned on, and no Bass Boost (dear god no), the Ori's sound amazing. I've never been happy with the highs out of them matching them with any of my other amps. With this little wonder though, I've finally found bliss.

 

[Hansotek]

I think I've finally found a pairing for my Ori that makes me happy. I bought a ifi micro black label last week, and have been impressed with it all around. I know it's small, portable even. But the power this thing puts out is amazing, enough to work with any and all of my cans. That said, with the 3D setting turned on, and no Bass Boost (dear god no), the Ori's sound amazing. I've never been happy with the highs out of them matching them with any of my other amps. With this little wonder though, I've finally found bliss.

The Black Label is a monster. Impressive as the amp might be, the DAC is the real gem. It may very well be the best sounding DAC under $600 right now, beating out the Bimby and the Mojo pretty decisively, IMO (I've owned all three and still own the Mojo). I overlooked this one out of the gate, but it is an absolute winner in every regard.

 

[soundfanz]

Been a while since I've browsed this thread, but still love my Omni cherries. Through my R2R Denafrips Ares DAC and my Bakoon Headphone amp they sound amazing.

 

[Pharmaboy]

I think I've finally found a pairing for my Ori that makes me happy. I bought a ifi micro black label last week, and have been impressed with it all around. I know it's small, portable even. But the power this thing puts out is amazing, enough to work with any and all of my cans. That said, with the 3D setting turned on, and no Bass Boost (dear god no), the Ori's sound amazing. I've never been happy with the highs out of them matching them with any of my other amps. With this little wonder though, I've finally found bliss.

Just curious--why have you never been happy with the highs out of the Ori?

FYI, after weeks of initial listening to my then-new Ori, I found the highs to be a little bright in upper midrange/lower treble. They sounded quite good in every other way--just were slightly higher in level than frequencies above & below.

Inserting one square of polyester fabric Zach sent (same stuff he tunes each earcup with before shipping) over the driver of each earcup took care of that.

I've read various user comments about the Omni/Ori having less-than-ideal treble, which some attribute to the Fostex planar driver. I do not hear the Ori's treble as being deficient or unpleasant at all. Though I admit the real magic of this headphone is the spectacular bass and spacious, "friendly" midrange. They really do sound like live music.