[nicholas1213]

Fedex just dropped this bad boy off. It's Rigel from this latest drop. Zack and his team did an amazing job, it really is a work of art.

Oh dear! Now I hate my slow finger more And the cable adds a nice touch and match so well.. I'm in awe..

 

[chrisnyc75]

Fedex just dropped this bad boy off. It's Rigel from this latest drop. Zack and his team did an amazing job, it really is a work of art.

Holy moly those are gorgeous!

 

[Dolfiend]

I'm so confused, is it blue, green, brown or all of the above? I'd love to see a short video or GIF of them as you rotate them in front of the camera or pan around them, to get a better sense of how the light interacts with them. Looks promising, congrats!

Sunlight makes it look like a brighter color, so it's like getting two headphones in one. My Mantis is a vibrant emerald green in direct sunlight (more/deeper green than the photos), teal in room lighting and slightly darker in warm lighting like the promo pics (please forgive the photo quality).

I actually received it Sunday but haven't had too much time with it. Mantis is the perfect representation of the Sunshine State. The brass rods matching the sun above. The streaks of yellow-orange wood raining down like sunrays hitting the water. The black and teal alternate when tilting, giving the illusion of shimmering waves. It's everything I wanted. Thanks to Zach, Bevin, and the rest of the team for their hard work.

When I started buying audiophile headphones over a year ago, I didn't think I would go this far. I bought the Eikon and Aeolus used, loved them, and told myself to support the company by buying one directly. Thought about the Auteur but decided to leap-frog it since the Eikon is close enough. There's always going to be more expensive and better performing headphones, I'm sure, but outside of upgrading my DAC/Amp or stabilized upgrades of Eikon/Aeolus, this might be it; the VC is my holy grail. Out of all the companies, ZMF has the best balance of sound quality, build quality, aesthetic beauty, and longevity. I don't know if Focal is going to make replacement earpads for my Clear MG in five to ten years (especially the color), but I'm more confident that ZMF will be there if I ever need earpads or a driver fix. There was a little bit of squeaking from the gimbal gaskets out of the box, but the Mohawk polish did its job. The Tru-Oil varnish is so shiny that I can see my reflection. There's also nothing wrong with supporting "made in USA" when it's so rare these days.

I'm not knowledgeable enough to participate in these threads, so rather than muddy the waters, I'll mostly stay out of the way like I usually do. I haven't gotten through 500+ pages yet, but I appreciate all the info everyone has provided. Congrats to all the owners, stabilized or not. If you're still looking for the stabilized, there's no reason to stop trying. Three attempts were needed to get my hands on this one. It's only a matter of when, not if. Good luck.

 

[jinxy245]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to participate in these threads

You don't need knowledge so much as ears IMO...another perspective is usually welcome around these parts. I'm fairly confident you'll enjoy them...congrats on snagging a beautiful set!

 

[Busyman201]

Is the VC any good for metal music? since I find my hd800 lacks emotion and weight with guitar riffs/drum hits

 

[DeniPhantom]

Is the VC any good for metal music? since I find my hd800 lacks emotion and weight with guitar riffs/drum hits

I'd like to know this too! I listen to stuff like Opeth, Gojira, Spiritbox, Splipknot etc and I'm super curious to hear how those will sound.

I really like Opeth's Damnation and Blackwater Park on my Auteur because of those albums feature some songs with acoustic guitar and the Auteur's natural timbre really makes them come alive for me.

For stuff like Gojira and Slipknot though I've been using my Clear OG as they feel a bit more dynamic and quicker; I'm basically hoping the VC will replace my Clear for metal while also providing a more natural timbre than them as well. I know part of the Auteur's timbre is due to its biocellulose driver but I've heard that the VC's beryllium-coated PEN driver has timbre that's closer to the Auteur's than the Clear's (with the Auteur still having the most natural timbre though).

 

[Renexx]

Is the VC any good for metal music? since I find my hd800 lacks emotion and weight with guitar riffs/drum hits

The VC is very good for metal especially with universe lambskin or hybrid pads. Good punch and mids but a little fatigue on the long term. Hopefully that will settle since mine might not be fully burned in yet.

But I must say the Aeolus (universe suede pads) is just a notch more emotion and pleasing for metal. Wonderful voices, guitars and just the same punch like the VC.
I prefer the decay of the driver aswell.
The Aeolus scales so well will my tube amp.

I guess "non audiophile music" doesn't call for the resolution the VC provides.

 

[ptr516]

I'd like to know this too! I listen to stuff like Opeth, Gojira, Spiritbox, Splipknot etc and I'm super curious to hear how those will sound.

I really like Opeth's Damnation and Blackwater Park on my Auteur because of those albums feature some songs with acoustic guitar and the Auteur's natural timbre really makes them come alive for me.

For stuff like Gojira and Slipknot though I've been using my Clear OG as they feel a bit more dynamic and quicker; I'm basically hoping the VC will replace my Clear for metal while also providing a more natural timbre than them as well. I know part of the Auteur's timbre is due to its biocellulose driver but I've heard that the VC's beryllium-coated PEN driver has timbre that's closer to the Auteur's than the Clear's (with the Auteur still having the most natural timbre though).

One factor that needs to be considered with VC for metal is its reverberant quality. The VC imparts an extended decay to music that provides a weight and sense of fullness that is incredibly unique. However, this can also cause some congestion where notes start to overlap a bit when there is a lot going on in a song. Harder wood models and pads that bring the driver closer to the ear can tame this effect a bit, but I think it's good to be aware of this before purchasing.

Definitely demo the VC (with different pads) beforehand if you can.

P.S. Eternal Blue is an incredible album.

 

[DeniPhantom]

One factor that needs to be considered with VC for metal is its reverberant quality. The VC imparts an extended decay to music that provides a weight and sense of fullness that is incredibly unique. However, this can also cause some congestion where notes start to overlap a bit when there is a lot going on in a song. Harder wood models and pads that bring the driver closer to the ear can tame this effect a bit, but I think it's good to be aware of this before purchasing.

Definitely demo the VC (with different pads) beforehand if you can.

P.S. Eternal Blue is an incredible album.

Appreciate the reply! I do have a stabilized VC (Vishanti) ordered which I'm hoping will ship soon seeing as how it looks like others are getting theirs now.

Would stabilized maple have a higher janka rating than the current (Sapele?) offering?

I'm loving Eternal Blue, I actually ordered the vinyl after giving it a listen, super excited for it to arrive!

 

[Renexx]

Appreciate the reply! I do have a stabilized VC (Vishanti) ordered which I'm hoping will ship soon seeing as how it looks like others are getting theirs now.

Would stabilized maple have a higher janka rating than the current (Sapele?) offering?

I think because of the added dye filling the pores of the wood it will sound harder than pure maple.

On my OTL amp I definitely prefer harder woods because the cup reverb and soft tone of the tubes was too much on the VC loaner in stock wood. Bass was loose and not impressive.
My Olive VC slams very hard especially with stock pads and I really like that. But also I can't recall that fatigue treble on the loaner unit. So the highs might be affected also.

Using a SS amp I would go for a softer wood to keep some of the wood reverb which is really unique and relaxing.

On my Aeolus having a hard wood was a big step up compared to the stock wood Loaner aswell. But if you can't compare it side by side you won't notice anyway. Just buy the wood based by looks and enjoy the music.

Listening to that Eternal Blue album now

 

[ptr516]

Appreciate the reply! I do have a stabilized VC (Vishanti) ordered which I'm hoping will ship soon seeing as how it looks like others are getting theirs now.

Would stabilized maple have a higher janka rating than the current (Sapele?) offering?

I'm loving Eternal Blue, I actually ordered the vinyl after giving it a listen, super excited for it to arrive!

Congrats on the stabilized maple VC! As @Renexx mentioned, I think the stabilization process made make it have a faster sound than Sapele. However, your choice of pads will have a much better effect on the overall sound. I would look around this thread to see what people are using. I know Be2 lambskin/hybrids and Universe hybrids are popular options. I personally use the Auteur hybrid pads on camphor burl VC for every genre now because I think it has the best combination of tonality, presentation, and comfort.

 

[DeniPhantom]

I think because of the added dye filling the pores of the wood it will sound harder than pure maple.

On my OTL amp I definitely prefer harder woods because the cup reverb and soft tone of the tubes was too much on the VC loaner in stock wood. Bass was loose and not impressive.
My Olive VC slams very hard especially with stock pads and I really like that. But also I can't recall that fatigue treble on the loaner unit. So the highs might be affected also.

Using a SS amp I would go for a softer wood to keep some of the wood reverb which is really unique and relaxing.

On my Aeolus having a hard wood was a big step up compared to the stock wood Loaner aswell. But if you can't compare it side by side you won't notice anyway. Just buy the wood based by looks and enjoy the music.

Listening to that Eternal Blue album now

Awesome, that's what I was hoping for, I was reading a thread from a few months ago where Zach did confirm that stabilized Maple sounds closer to their harder woods!

I'm currently using an SS amp (Atom), but I've had a BH Crack with the Speedball kit ordered, it looks like it'll take longer to arrive than the VC though but I can't wait to hear how both the VC and my Auteur sound out of that.

Hell yeah! What's your favorite song on it? I've already heard Holy Roller and Circle With Me before the album drop but those two are in my top three with Sun Killer and Yellowjacket competing for third

Congrats on the stabilized maple VC! As @Renexx mentioned, I think the stabilization process made make it have a faster sound than Sapele. However, your choice of pads will have a much better effect on the overall sound. I would look around this thread to see what people are using. I know Be2 lambskin/hybrids and Universe hybrids are popular options. I personally use the Auteur hybrid pads on camphor burl VC for every genre now because I think it has the best combination of tonality, presentation, and comfort.

Thank ya! I'll definitely play around with the pads, I think it comes with Auteur, BE-2, and Universe pads though I'm not sure if they'll be the lambskin, suedes, or hybrids. Thank you for the tips!

 

[MatW]

One factor that needs to be considered with VC for metal is its reverberant quality. The VC imparts an extended decay to music that provides a weight and sense of fullness that is incredibly unique. However, this can also cause some congestion where notes start to overlap a bit when there is a lot going on in a song. Harder wood models and pads that bring the driver closer to the ear can tame this effect a bit, but I think it's good to be aware of this before purchasing.

Thanks very much for this. I fully recognize what you describe, but could not figure out what was going on until I read this. The VC sounds great for me with slower music, but as soon as it gets faster and more complex it sounds somewhat congested indeed ... I do feel that the universe pads help though.

 

[whirlwind]

Fedex just dropped this bad boy off. It's Rigel from this latest drop. Zack and his team did an amazing job, it really is a work of art.

Awesome pics....one of my favorite looking pairs ever....love the pairs where the colors blend seamlessly,,,,blues...blacks...whites...browns

Congrats and nice amp too. Enjoy the music and be sure to stare at them before you put them on every time

 

[YtseJamer]

The VC is very good for metal especially with universe lambskin or hybrid pads. Good punch and mids but a little fatigue on the long term. Hopefully that will settle since mine might not be fully burned in yet.

But I must say the Aeolus (universe suede pads) is just a notch more emotion and pleasing for metal. Wonderful voices, guitars and just the same punch like the VC.
I prefer the decay of the driver aswell.
The Aeolus scales so well will my tube amp.

I guess "non audiophile music" doesn't call for the resolution the VC provides.

+1

I'm only listening to Prog-Rock and Metal with the VC. (Universe Hybrid pads)

The VC sound amazing with well recorded music, but sometimes I prefer the more relax and engaging presentation from the Aeolus (or the Atticus).