[Karnicopia]

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 really liked it I thought you were well organized with your thoughts and I liked how specific you were with what you were hearing specifically using your hands to give an idea of what you were talking about with soundstage. I also enjoyed your comparison part because I agree sometimes that may be the only thing you can do is read or listen to comparisons to headphones you have experience with so I thought that was excellent.

I'm in toastmasters and we try to give some constructive feedback and I think the lighting and background were much better in the second video than your first video so I'd try and find a location with a lot of natural light like you did in the second video rather than rely on indoor lighting as it looks more natural. Seems like you may have already figured that out or known that but I thought that made a big improvement.

Overall I thought you did a great job with both videos and I would really value either review if I was getting ready to purchase and the other thing that was nice is it went by pretty quick so what you were talking about was interesting and you had good pace. Some reviews can kind of wander off or get stuck into one topic for a while where I thought you kept things detailed enough but also kept it moving well which can be hard to balance.

 

[elira]

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!

My only complain regarding build is with the screws, most of them are misaligned and seem to have been inserted carelessly.

 

[zach915m]

My only complain regarding build is with the screws, most of them are misaligned and seem to have been inserted carelessly.

I'm not sure which screws you're referring to - but one thing to keep in mind about our headphones, is that each one has to be hand fit due to the nature of wood shrinking, which is moving etc etc. If we made the headphones out of plastic then all the screws would go straight in and look the same every time, but because we use 100 percent wood for the enclosure, each set has to be hand fit, and sometimes that means screws not going in 100 percent straight to make sure everything mates correctly. We probably spend 2 to 3 times the amount of time fitting everything that we would if we made an injection moulded plastic or all metal headphone, but again I have no interest in that as a craftsman.

One thing I would urge anyone interested in how we build to do, is to go look inside a handcrafted, and not CNCd acoustic guitar. You'll find the polish on the outside is nice, but the innerworkings show hand tool craft marks in order to make everything work since it's a wood box. Our headphones are very much the same way.

If there's something wrong with your specific set ofcourse send me an email and we will help you out!

 

[Zachik]

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.

Zach - in case it was not clear from my previous post, I have NO issue with the quality of your amazing creations
I totally agree with you and jinxy about your design choices being exactly that, and very tasteful IMHO.

 

[saidentary]

Zach - in case it was not clear from my previous post, I have NO issue with the quality of your amazing creations
I totally agree with you and jinxy about your design choices being exactly that, and very tasteful IMHO.

I can't speak for Zach (he can do that just fine), but I thought your original post was quite favorable and I understood what I think was your intent and agree with it. That's why I gave it a like.

For what it's worth (from someone in the pre-ownership phase of ZMF headphones), I am stunned and flabbergasted that there would be any complaints whatsoever about "build quality" of Zach's headphones. However, there have been several well thought out and measured responses and I've "liked" several of them.

To state the obvious, the story of ZMF's success (via craftsmanship, knowledge, talent, honest hard work and other virtues) is a welcome one -- especially in this day and age of mass production and outsourcing. Here we have a person who has created and grown a magnificent company with a devoted and growing following, which includes some very highly discerning audiophiles. I personally at least wouldn't expect his fine, handcrafted headphones to have have cookie cutter uniformity. The absence of such uniformity certainly won't dissuade me from making a future purchase. If anything it makes them even more desirable.

 

[zach915m]

Zach - in case it was not clear from my previous post, I have NO issue with the quality of your amazing creations
I totally agree with you and jinxy about your design choices being exactly that, and very tasteful IMHO.

Oh - yes it was clear - sorry I just used your guys posts as a way to add on to your words instead of dispute them. I should have been clearer about that! ❤

 

[Klmahnn]

I am stunned and flabbergasted that there would be any complaints whatsoever about "build quality" of Zach's headphones.

I think the confusion is stemming from the fact that this term was used in the video and given the touchy subject perhaps more nuance is required. After all we’re not talking about driver failure here or shoddy craftsmanship.

As someone who has sent back two units because of issues more QC than BQ related, however, and have had my hands now on 4 units, I don’t think it’s fair to completely discredit the reviewer’s comments or bend them - after all it’s a forum for discussion and there’s universal value in these threads not becoming echo chambers of flattery.

At the end of the day, you’re getting a fantastic headphone (whatever model you pick) that all considered is very reasonably priced, can be crafted to your preference and be completely unique to you, plenty of parts to swap out to tinker with, first class support and warranty. If there’s a problem it WILL get sorted so really no need for any prospective buyers to be dissuaded.

 

[whirlwind]

I have always thought the build quality of ZMF headphones to be impeccable ...built by hand and just holding them the feel of them is as impressive as the looks.
Then you hear them and reap the reward

 

[saidentary]

I think the confusion is stemming from the fact that this term was used in the video and given the touchy subject perhaps more nuance is required. After all we’re not talking about driver failure here or shoddy craftsmanship.

As someone who has sent back two units because of issues more QC than BQ related, however, and have had my hands now on 4 units, I don’t think it’s fair to completely discredit the reviewer’s comments or bend them - after all it’s a forum for discussion and there’s universal value in these threads not becoming echo chambers of flattery.

At the end of the day, you’re getting a fantastic headphone (whatever model you pick) that all considered is very reasonably priced, can be crafted to your preference and be completely unique to you, plenty of parts to swap out to tinker with, first class support and warranty. If there’s a problem it WILL get sorted so really no need for any prospective buyers to be dissuaded.

I'm not dissuaded, and I agree with your statement that nobody else should be either. Nothing is perfect on this earth, not even ZMF headphones. However, I believe most of us if not all of us agree his headphones are, as you say, fantastic. Furthermore, it certainly looks like there's a growing consensus that the closed back Verite is a truly special headphone.

Another point of agreement would be that the main contentious issue seems to be merely of terminology. It's one thing to say that there's an occasional minor flaw, inherent in any hand manufactured item of any type, anywhere. Such events are, to my way of thinking, unavoidable. But I do take issue with the notion that there's any lack of quality or build quality in the ZMF headphone line overall. But, again, it would appear as though that's not what is being said. In any case, at this point I'm planning to buy a pair and see for myself. I don't expect any problems.

 

[believehifi]

I really liked it I thought you were well organized with your thoughts and I liked how specific you were with what you were hearing specifically using your hands to give an idea of what you were talking about with soundstage. I also enjoyed your comparison part because I agree sometimes that may be the only thing you can do is read or listen to comparisons to headphones you have experience with so I thought that was excellent.

I'm in toastmasters and we try to give some constructive feedback and I think the lighting and background were much better in the second video than your first video so I'd try and find a location with a lot of natural light like you did in the second video rather than rely on indoor lighting as it looks more natural. Seems like you may have already figured that out or known that but I thought that made a big improvement.

Overall I thought you did a great job with both videos and I would really value either review if I was getting ready to purchase and the other thing that was nice is it went by pretty quick so what you were talking about was interesting and you had good pace. Some reviews can kind of wander off or get stuck into one topic for a while where I thought you kept things detailed enough but also kept it moving well which can be hard to balance.

Thanks so much for the feedback, I will dfinately try to improve moving forward. I was just happy to review my favourite headphone, even if i did seem a little critical at times. I just brought it down to my friend who is a mastering engineer and he just loved them. Hes a bassist too and played some tracks from George Duke and was really amazed.

 

[Karnicopia]

Thanks so much for the feedback, I will dfinately try to improve moving forward. I was just happy to review my favourite headphone, even if i did seem a little critical at times. I just brought it down to my friend who is a mastering engineer and he just loved them. Hes a bassist too and played some tracks from George Duke and was really amazed.

You're welcome and I don't think there is much you need to improve on that was just more something I noticed from photography is you have to fight to get indoor light to look natural but outdoor light just already looks natural so it's a lot easier to work with. I also thought you did an awesome job with both videos I really enjoyed your RME review too and I own that one as well. Honestly if I was looking to buy either I think your review would be up there as some of the most helpful and it was impressive how you made a 15 minute technical discussion go by quickly and I appreciated everything you covered. I think you have a real talent for this and after watching these and owning both I value hearing your opinion this stuff.

These amaze me too and I think you said a lot of this in the video too the midrange and timbre are natural, the bass is dynamic and it's fast and detailed, there are headphones that do some of those better but these just do so well in so many areas that it adds up to a really impressive sound. That's part of what drew me to ZMF too is it seems like there are a lot of musicians and audio professionals struck by how natural they sound. These just seem like there is some tradeoff that Zach was supposed to make but he somehow got around having to make it. I think it's how it's using reflections in the cup to make the soundstage large but still keep accurate imaging. When I heard the Verite Open with the universe pads it created similar enhanced soundstage but it hurt the imaging a bit here it seems like he nailed it and it keeps the enhanced soundstage and the imaging. It keeps the rest of the benefits of a closed back but gets around that one big tradeoff in soundstage.

 

[saidentary]

.......That's part of what drew me to ZMF too is it seems like there are a lot of musicians and audio professionals struck by how natural they sound.......

This would seem to be something to keep in mind when considering these headphones. It's one thing for a non-musician audiophile like me to think something sounds good and natural. I feel like I have pretty good ears and I do trust what I hear, but I'm not a musician. When musicians and audio professionals say that they sound natural that has a certain credibility to it and I tend to listen to those people.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

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

Feedback - wow, well done. It is by no means easy to do these YouTube reviews, and you did great work there. I especially enjoyed the references to the utopia for content which were new to me. But besides that, it flows really nicely. I once did a couple on the abyss and utopia and ended up never posting them. I knew why but yours are well worth to be seen.

 

[believehifi]

Thanks all means a lot. I look forward to doing some shootouts too. I really think ZMF will continue to grow. There’s a guy who heads to my local store who is the most nit picky person when it comes to headphones and gear and he really was impressed with the VC. He’s usually got a complaint about everything.
next review is the Bricasti M3H btw

 

[believehifi]

Also Zach is such a legend he said he would send me out a threadlocker to fix the cup issue I’m having and maybe some pads.
I’m considering just doing a video on the pads if I had enough to make decent content and discuss them.