[Klmahnn]

I don't have a great picture of it, but I hope this gives you an impression. I think this is a one-off limited version made for Canjam NY.



Edit: better pics. It's a lot less red in reality / daylight.

Very nice! Lighting does make a huge difference, it's hard to get close to how they look in person. The difference between those pictures for example is massive!

 

[MatW]

Very nice! Lighting does make a huge difference, it's hard to get close to how they look in person. The difference between those pictures for example is massive!

Yes, indeed. You should really disregard the first photo...

 

[Klmahnn]

Yes, indeed. You should really disregard the first photo...

Sure, but I wouldn't discount that it's another part of their charm. Sometimes I do a double take when I see mine in a different room with different lighting

 

[believehifi]

Hey guys I just posted my zMF Verite Closed review on YouTube, it’s my first headphone review but I hope you enjoy it.
I’m trying to be critical and as honest as possible as it is a flagship. However overall of course it gets a positive review!


Looking forward to any feedback and thoughts

 

[Klmahnn]

Great review . I agree that you could possibly nitpick the final “fit and finish” at the price point. However, where laser precision build might be found in other offerings, I just don’t see them aging anywhere near as gracefully.

Guess it boils down to how fussy you are and whether you’re going for a keeper or something to swap out when the next shiny thing comes along.

 

[believehifi]

Thanks mate,
I appreciate it
I’m potentially going in to the Arya or the d8k pro as a great option offering a different signature.

 

[believehifi]

And for the channel I’m just going to focus on improving my quality and getting in a wide range of gear in

 

[jinxy245]

Hey guys I just posted my zMF Verite Closed review on YouTube, it’s my first headphone review but I hope you enjoy it.
I’m trying to be critical and as honest as possible as it is a flagship. However overall of course it gets a positive review!


Looking forward to any feedback and thoughts

I agree that you could possibly nitpick the final “fit and finish” at the price point.

A nice thoughtful review thanks! keep it up.

As far as the fit & finish, your point is relatively valid. I'm sure Zach could achieve that level of consistency, but keep in mind that these are handcrafted. Zach could invest in the latest tech, laser etching or whatever, but I don't think that's the target (I don't want to speak for him of course). These headphones have a different charm IMO, especially the imperfections that highlight that these were made. By hand. For me. Personally that means a lot, but of course YMMV.

Again, I enjoyed the review...I look forward to more!

 

[Zachik]

These headphones have a different charm IMO, especially the imperfections that highlight that these were made. By hand. For me. Personally that means a lot, but of course YMMV.

I totally agree!
Would you rather have an original Van Gogh painting, with whatever minor imperfections, or a perfect photoshop'd reproduction?
Knowing Zach himself has built my headphones, by hand, and Bevin hand braided my cable - adds to their value in my book

 

[zach915m]

A nice thoughtful review thanks! keep it up.

As far as the fir & finish, your point is relatively valid. I'm sure Zach could achieve that level of consistency, but keep in mind that these are handcrafted. Zach could invest in the latest tech, laser etching or whatever, but I don't think that's the target (I don't want to speak for him of course). These headphones have a different charm IMO, especially the imperfections that highlight that these were made. By hand. For me. Personally that means a lot, but of course YMMV.

Again, I enjoyed the review...I look forward to more!

I totally agree!
Would you rather have an original Van Gogh painting, with whatever minor imperfections, or a perfect photoshop'd reproduction?
Knowing Zach himself has built my headphones, by hand, and Bevin hand braided my cable - adds to their value in my book

I would argue that build quality may not be the correct term for what we're talking about here. As the difference is an aesthetic choice that I've made in how we build our headphones. I could easily use plastic finishes like poly and use laminates and wood types that aren't solid and get a much cleaner look, but i really don't value products that look and feel like that.

The difference of our products vs mass produced ones is really the difference between buying furniture from Ikea vs from a custom furniture maker. They may both serve the same purpose, but one was crafted in a factory by machines and may look cleaner but lack soul, while the other is poured over by a human and made from better materials with love and affection.

I realize just about every other headphone brand strives to make a mass produced product that they can get to the masses, but that's certainly not what we're doing at ZMF and the look and feel of our headphones is 100 percent a choice and has nothing to do with the actual build quality of our work.

Furthermore we strive to be easily accessible and add personal interaction along with the upkeep of your headphone, which should last long enough to be an heirloom type product. If anyone ever needs help with their headphone we're here to support and help!

 

[chrisdrop]

I would argue that build quality may not be the correct term for what we're talking about here. As the difference is an aesthetic choice that I've made in how we build our headphones. I could easily use plastic finishes like poly and use laminates and wood types that aren't solid and get a much cleaner look, but i really don't value products that look and feel like that.

The difference of our products vs mass produced ones is really the difference between buying furniture from Ikea vs from a custom furniture maker. They may both serve the same purpose, but one was crafted in a factory by machines and may look cleaner but lack soul, while the other is poured over by a human and made from better materials with love and affection.

I realize just about every other headphone brand strives to make a mass produced product that they can get to the masses, but that's certainly not what we're doing at ZMF and the look and feel of our headphones is 100 percent a choice and has nothing to do with the actual build quality of our work.

Furthermore we strive to be easily accessible and add personal interaction along with the upkeep of your headphone, which should last long enough to be an heirloom type product. If anyone ever needs help with their headphone we're here to support and help!

I love that. In my own choices for headphones, amps, and DAC, I have wanted that bespoke, personalised, loved, "made feel". "Made" in connection the people making them feels better than "bulk produced impersonal" fo some reason. I also love the Wabi-sabi of made objects mass produced objects.

 

[Klmahnn]

I love that. In my own choices for headphones, amps, and DAC, I have wanted that bespoke, personalised, loved, "made feel". "Made" in connection the people making them feels better than "bulk produced impersonal" fo some reason. I also love the Wabi-sabi of made objects mass produced objects.

"Wabi-sabi" love that!

I would argue that build quality may not be the correct term for what we're talking about here.

Yeah build quality is exceptional. Probably not what he was really going for. I've certainly found that some people cannot get past the fact that the end product may look different to what they expect and so they'd only buy in person or second hand, or go with another option. Some people can't get past some minor imperfections or what they perceive as imperfections. Again, I think if you're buying with the view to sell on later this may factor more heavily as you might have to make more of a concession to the selling price than you'd otherwise have to (perhaps to appease potential buyers less familiar with ZMF). In this case, you're also disregarding driver warranty, which is a great bonus.

I've had my ZMFs compared unfavourably (their loss!) to the Z1R for example, where it does have that fit and finish part absolutely nailed down to a T with not a stitch out of place, and a lot of people seem to prioritise that. In the long term, however, support may be hard to come by. Just try to look for spare pads for example...

Despite some niggles I may have had previously, I made a blind pre-order for the VC with 0 qualms and I don't regret that decision at all. Other than requesting my wood choice and hardware colour, I had 0 input in the outcome. When I opened my box I was stunned. I remember thinking as I ordered "I'd love it if my pair had a few more stripes" and I don't think you could get any more stripes in if you tried! So I thank Zach and Co. and also scold him for reading my mind without permission . I've already made good progress selling off my whole collection other than my 800S, Nightowl, and Aeolus which I expect to go soon so that I can focus on the VC and building a system around it. Unless I fall on hard times, I'm very much hoping for a "Till death do us part" scenario.

 

[jinxy245]

I would argue that build quality may not be the correct term for what we're talking about here. As the difference is an aesthetic choice that I've made in how we build our headphones. I could easily use plastic finishes like poly and use laminates and wood types that aren't solid and get a much cleaner look, but i really don't value products that look and feel like that.

The difference of our products vs mass produced ones is really the difference between buying furniture from Ikea vs from a custom furniture maker. They may both serve the same purpose, but one was crafted in a factory by machines and may look cleaner but lack soul, while the other is poured over by a human and made from better materials with love and affection.

I realize just about every other headphone brand strives to make a mass produced product that they can get to the masses, but that's certainly not what we're doing at ZMF and the look and feel of our headphones is 100 percent a choice and has nothing to do with the actual build quality of our work.

Furthermore we strive to be easily accessible and add personal interaction along with the upkeep of your headphone, which should last long enough to be an heirloom type product. If anyone ever needs help with their headphone we're here to support and help!

Your point is well taken, that does more encompass what I was referring to. Build quality/fit & finish are solid-screws are tight, gimbals aren't misaligned. It is more of an aesthetic choice. Obviously you're not alone in your preference.

 

[Klmahnn]

Please post your impressions of the A20 once you get some time with it. I have had that amp on my radar for awhile as a small secondary amp I can use around the house with a small dac like a Modi.

So I managed to get some listening in with this and the Element's dac vs the 789/RME as well as directly switching between the Element and A20 (with Element's dac feeding it).

Long story short, I like it. Looks and feels great. Compared to the other amps I had at the time, I would say the mid-bass is slightly elevated and the highs seemed softer. Overall, it sounds very smooth and laid-back. The only thing stopping me from keeping it is that I don't think its strengths play as well to my preferences (electronic music) where more driver control may be desirable along with a crisper/sharper sound. Also I prefer the all-in-one form factor of the Element. It would have to be a significant sound upgrade to tempt me away from that.

As a secondary amp I think it will stack nicely with the Modi (visually at least) and prove a solid, reliable option. At £300 from Thomann with 3 year warranty I think it's a good buy. I'm still going back and forth on whether to try the A2 as it should be even better and I like that you can adjust the OI and voltage. Should pair very nicely with a Bifrost 2

 

[Klmahnn]

Your point is well taken, that does more encompass what I was referring to. Build quality/fit & finish are solid-screws are tight, gimbals aren't misaligned. It is more of an aesthetic choice. Obviously you're not alone in your preference.

Not to mention driver problems, which seem to be all too common at the TOTL level and practically non-existent with ZMFs.