[Monsterzero]

PLEASE do NOT post photos!!!!!

Too late! This was in my private message box.

 

[kumar402]

What genre of music works best in bath
I can only imagine all the warmth out of tube amp in bath

 

[Zachik]

Too late! This was in my private message box.

I wish Head-Fi team would finally add the "dislike" button I have asked for...

 

[Zachik]

What genre of music works best in bath

Bubbles!!! That should have been obvious

 

[Uncle Monty]

I wish Head-Fi team would finally add the "dislike" button I have asked for...

I know - these white 'phones are embarrassing..

 

[Uncle Monty]

PLEASE do NOT post photos!!!!!

I'll PM you a Link to a specialist website.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

So, at the end of the day, what was your impression of the hybrid pads? Still not quite as good as the auteurs? Or just different?

Apologies for the very late response just returned from a long holiday in Arizona.

I prefer the Hybrids with classical music and the Auteurs with everything else. Happy New Year!

 

[Wildcatsare1]

So, an unforseen consequence of owning the VC is that I am now seriously considering scaling down the collection to just the VC and an open back ZMF.
For the longest time I have wanted to get a Ziricote Aeolus. But first I wanted to check with you guys, which ZMF open back do you like as a complement to your VC?

I believe they do, I use the VO with classical and jazz (though the Hybrid Pass challenge this preference) and the VC for everything else.

 

[bmichels]

I just received my DHC Silver cable re-wired with mini-XLR instead of the original 2,5 mm used in the past for my HE-X.

And... I confirm that with the pure DHC Silver cable, the VC sound much better than with the ZMF Copper cable.

This " Molecule Elite Silver - 8 wires » DHC cable was very expensive but...is a killer ! With the SP1000 + SP1000AMP, it is adictive....

 

[heliosphann]

ZMF VÉRITÉ CLOSED vs. ZMF VÉRITÉ OPEN​

This is for anyone out there who is having a hard time deciding which ZMF Vérité model to go with, Open or Closed. You’ve already made a good decision by just reading this, as both Vérité models are world class headphones. Still, it’s a difficult choice to decide which one to go with, much like vanilla or chocolate, red pill or blue pill, or Ginger or Mary Ann. Let me make it ridiculously simple for you. Get both! Okay, that’s probably not a reasonable option for a lot of people, but I wouldn’t dismiss it outright if it’s within your means and desires. More on that later…

I’ve had my personal Vérité Open (Zircote) for about seven months and I’ve spent the last three months with a loaner Vérité Closed (Manchurian Ash) provided by @zach915m. My listening setup that I primarily used is as follows:

FLAC & TIDAL>Singxer SU-1>Yggdrasil A1>Cavalli Liquid Gold, GOTL and DNA Stratus

Also of note is with the Vérité Open I primarily used the ZMF Vérité Silver cable along with perforated Universe pads and the BE2 (in between) pads. For the Verite Closed, I used a ZMF 2K Copper cable and mainly the Hybrid pads with the Universe pads as a change of pace. I also consider both units to be fully broken in with several hundred hours on both. Of course there are a lot of different factors at play that will influence the end result, including your upstream gear and individual listening preferences. That’s why I always urge a potential buyer to personally demo headphones if at all possible.

“TO C, OR NOT TO C? THAT IS THE QUESTION”​

I’m going to mainly focus on the Vérité Closed in this write up. After all, it’s the new kid on the block, and also the headphone I’ve spent the majority of my listening time with over the last 3 months. The VC is a fully closed headphone that utilizes the exact same beryllium coated PEN driver that the VO uses. You also get the same lightweight magnesium chassis the VO has with your choice of several different hardware options. Monkeypod is the standard wood option for the VC (as of writing this), but Zach periodically does LTD runs of different woods. Take note that the type of wood on the VC will affect the attack/transients according to Zach. I haven't personally heard two different VC’s side by side, but this is consistent with experiences I’ve had with some other closed back wood cup headphones. Plus Zach just might know what he's talking about…

While the VC mostly retains the classic ZMF “house tuning”, it might be Zach’s overall best effort to date. There’s an effortless delivery that I think most people will really enjoy. I’m not personally big on measurements, but I would imagine it’s one of the top measuring closed backs out right now. Bass is robust and slightly elevated, but thanks to the BE coated driver it’s speedy and well controlled. The VC’s closed back design does help boost sub bass over the VO, which certainly makes some genres more appealing with the VC (electronic, hip hop, etc…). Mids like in pretty much every ZMF headphone, are outstanding. I do think the VO gets a slight nod in this area, but not by a large margin. Which pads you decide to go with can slightly alter the placement of the mids (more on that later). Surprisingly despite having a little more top end extension compared to the VO, the VC’s treble seems a tad smoother than it’s open backed counterpart. Personally, I quite enjoy the extra sparkle the VC provides over the VO. However, there is no need to worry if you’d prefer a darker signature on the VC. Pad swapping is an easy way to tweak the signature to your liking, and one of the VC’s biggest advantages. You can certainly pad swap with the VO, but the VC has a few more viable pad choices and I believe the sonic changes are more prevalent. Last year I did a comparison of the VC pads options that you can find here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf...ck-zmf-flagship.911505/page-100#post-15296496

One question many people will no doubt have is, how does the Verite Closed’s soundstage compare to the Verite Open’s? Quite well to say the least. You don’t end up losing much sense of space, which is an impressive achievement. You of course won’t get the opened back airness that the VO provides, but that’s to be expected. I will say that the VO and VC do provide a somewhat different sounding experience. Despite the VC’s soundstage being exceptionally large for a closed back, it’s presentation is much more traditional sounding. Whereas the VO has an almost 3D sounding, holographic delivery. Both still provide exceptional imaging, and I find myself switching between them depending on mood or specific music I want to listen to. For example, I prefer to use the VO when I’m listening to acoustic and vocal heavy music. This is another viable reason why you could justify owning both a VC and VO. Also earpad selection will play a role in soundstage on both Vérité models.

The most obvious choice to select the Vérité Closed over the Vérité Open is the isolation it provides. Some of you might have this as a requirement, and VC does provide quite excellent isolation. This is especially so when using solid pads, as suede and hybrid varieties will leak slightly. The other benefit of the VC being an almost completely closed design (it does have one vent), is the breathtaking wood cups! As fantastic as the VO looks with it’s wood cup/grill combination, it’s hard to compete with that huge chunk of glorious wood treated by Zach and Co. Alas, this feature does come with a price as it will generally add extra weight to the headphone. The weight difference will vary depending on the hardware and wood you chose for both the VC and VO. I weighed my test units and the VO came in at 545 grams, while the VC was 569 grams. What surprised me was how small that disparity was. When I swap out the VC for my VO, I can immediately tell the weight difference. Most likely this is because the majority of the weight of the VC is contributed to the solid wood cups. Where my VO has heavier stainless steel hardware (as opposed to the aluminum rods on the VC) and denser wood in it’s smaller cups. That being said, the 100+ hours I wore the Ash VC I never once felt fatigued by it.

BOSOM BUDDIES OR PERFECT STRANGERS?
​

This beautiful Manchurian Ash Vérité Closed will head back to Zach, but I plan on replacing it ASAP with my own unit. And yes, that will leave me with a pair of VC’s AND VO’s. I’ve touched briefly on whether or not it’s worth owning both Verite models, and I believe it is under the right circumstances. With the multitude of pad options, both headphones can be altered enough sonically to provide a different enough listening experience. Even more so when you factor in their open/closed attributes. And as you probably already know with ZMF headphones, you are getting a handcrafted heirloom quality piece as opposed to a mass produced product.

On the other hand, there is the issue of cost. Both models are rather on the expensive side, and just one headphone might be a stretch for some people. This brings up what that extra money could be used for, in particular a better chain if needed. While both Verite’s perform well on a wide range of amps/dacs, I’ve found they do scale well with higher end gear. Most notably both the VC and VO LOVE tubes. Both SET and OTL amps seem to further bring these already great headphones to life. I’ve also found that the speedy BE driver in the Verite’s pairs well with a powerful SS amp. I would also consider getting a good quality DAC to maximise the capabilities of a flagship caliber headphone.

“THIS IS THE END, BEAUTIFUL FRIEND”
​

I hope that I’ve helped answer some of your questions regarding the Vérité Open vs Vérité Closed. You really can’t go wrong with either of these amazing offerings from ZMF. Hopefully you can (or already have) add a Vérité Open or Vérité Closed to your listening setup. If you have any additional questions feel free to reply to this post or PM me directly. Cheers!

 

[Monsterzero]

ZMF VÉRITÉ CLOSED vs. ZMF VÉRITÉ OPEN​

This is for anyone out there who is having a hard time deciding which ZMF Vérité model to go with, Open or Closed. You’ve already made a good decision by just reading this, as both Vérité models are world class headphones. Still, it’s a difficult choice to decide which one to go with, much like vanilla or chocolate, red pill or blue pill, or Ginger or Mary Ann. Let me make it ridiculously simple for you. Get both! Okay, that’s probably not a reasonable option for a lot of people, but I wouldn’t dismiss it outright if it’s within your means and desires. More on that later…

I’ve had my personal Vérité Open (Zircote) for about seven months and I’ve spent the last three months with a loaner Vérité Closed (Manchurian Ash) provided by @zach915m. My listening setup that I primarily used is as follows:

FLAC & TIDAL>Singxer SU-1>Yggdrasil A1>Cavalli Liquid Gold, GOTL and DNA Stratus

Also of note is with the Vérité Open I primarily used the ZMF Vérité Silver cable along with perforated Universe pads and the BE2 (in between) pads. For the Verite Closed, I used a ZMF 2K Copper cable and mainly the Hybrid pads with the Universe pads as a change of pace. I also consider both units to be fully broken in with several hundred hours on both. Of course there are a lot of different factors at play that will influence the end result, including your upstream gear and individual listening preferences. That’s why I always urge a potential buyer to personally demo headphones if at all possible.

“TO C, OR NOT TO C? THAT IS THE QUESTION”​

I’m going to mainly focus on the Vérité Closed in this write up. After all, it’s the new kid on the block, and also the headphone I’ve spent the majority of my listening time with over the last 3 months. The VC is a fully closed headphone that utilizes the exact same beryllium coated PEN driver that the VO uses. You also get the same lightweight magnesium chassis the VO has with your choice of several different hardware options. Monkeypod is the standard wood option for the VC (as of writing this), but Zach periodically does LTD runs of different woods. Take note that the type of wood on the VC will affect the attack/transients according to Zach. I haven't personally heard two different VC’s side by side, but this is consistent with experiences I’ve had with some other closed back wood cup headphones. Plus Zach just might know what he's talking about…

While the VC mostly retains the classic ZMF “house tuning”, it might be Zach’s overall best effort to date. There’s an effortless delivery that I think most people will really enjoy. I’m not personally big on measurements, but I would imagine it’s one of the top measuring closed backs out right now. Bass is robust and slightly elevated, but thanks to the BE coated driver it’s speedy and well controlled. The VC’s closed back design does help boost sub bass over the VO, which certainly makes some genres more appealing with the VC (electronic, hip hop, etc…). Mids like in pretty much every ZMF headphone, are outstanding. I do think the VO gets a slight nod in this area, but not by a large margin. Which pads you decide to go with can slightly alter the placement of the mids (more on that later). Surprisingly despite having a little more top end extension compared to the VO, the VC’s treble seems a tad smoother than it’s open backed counterpart. Personally, I quite enjoy the extra sparkle the VC provides over the VO. However, there is no need to worry if you’d prefer a darker signature on the VC. Pad swapping is an easy way to tweak the signature to your liking, and one of the VC’s biggest advantages. You can certainly pad swap with the VO, but the VC has a few more viable pad choices and I believe the sonic changes are more prevalent. Last year I did a comparison of the VC pads options that you can find here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf...ck-zmf-flagship.911505/page-100#post-15296496

One question many people will no doubt have is, how does the Verite Closed’s soundstage compare to the Verite Open’s? Quite well to say the least. You don’t end up losing much sense of space, which is an impressive achievement. You of course won’t get the opened back airness that the VO provides, but that’s to be expected. I will say that the VO and VC do provide a somewhat different sounding experience. Despite the VC’s soundstage being exceptionally large for a closed back, it’s presentation is much more traditional sounding. Whereas the VO has an almost 3D sounding, holographic delivery. Both still provide exceptional imaging, and I find myself switching between them depending on mood or specific music I want to listen to. For example, I prefer to use the VO when I’m listening to acoustic and vocal heavy music. This is another viable reason why you could justify owning both a VC and VO. Also earpad selection will play a role in soundstage on both Vérité models.

The most obvious choice to select the Vérité Closed over the Vérité Open is the isolation it provides. Some of you might have this as a requirement, and VC does provide quite excellent isolation. This is especially so when using solid pads, as suede and hybrid varieties will leak slightly. The other benefit of the VC being an almost completely closed design (it does have one vent), is the breathtaking wood cups! As fantastic as the VO looks with it’s wood cup/grill combination, it’s hard to compete with that huge chunk of glorious wood treated by Zach and Co. Alas, this feature does come with a price as it will generally add extra weight to the headphone. The weight difference will vary depending on the hardware and wood you chose for both the VC and VO. I weighed my test units and the VO came in at 545 grams, while the VC was 569 grams. What surprised me was how small that disparity was. When I swap out the VC for my VO, I can immediately tell the weight difference. Most likely this is because the majority of the weight of the VC is contributed to the solid wood cups. Where my VO has heavier stainless steel hardware (as opposed to the aluminum rods on the VC) and denser wood in it’s smaller cups. That being said, the 100+ hours I wore the Ash VC I never once felt fatigued by it.

BOSOM BUDDIES OR PERFECT STRANGERS?
​

This beautiful Manchurian Ash Vérité Closed will head back to Zach, but I plan on replacing it ASAP with my own unit. And yes, that will leave me with a pair of VC’s AND VO’s. I’ve touched briefly on whether or not it’s worth owning both Verite models, and I believe it is under the right circumstances. With the multitude of pad options, both headphones can be altered enough sonically to provide a different enough listening experience. Even more so when you factor in their open/closed attributes. And as you probably already know with ZMF headphones, you are getting a handcrafted heirloom quality piece as opposed to a mass produced product.

On the other hand, there is the issue of cost. Both models are rather on the expensive side, and just one headphone might be a stretch for some people. This brings up what that extra money could be used for, in particular a better chain if needed. While both Verite’s perform well on a wide range of amps/dacs, I’ve found they do scale well with higher end gear. Most notably both the VC and VO LOVE tubes. Both SET and OTL amps seem to further bring these already great headphones to life. I’ve also found that the speedy BE driver in the Verite’s pairs well with a powerful SS amp. I would also consider getting a good quality DAC to maximise the capabilities of a flagship caliber headphone.

“THIS IS THE END, BEAUTIFUL FRIEND”
​

I hope that I’ve helped answer some of your questions regarding the Vérité Open vs Vérité Closed. You really can’t go wrong with either of these amazing offerings from ZMF. Hopefully you can (or already have) add a Vérité Open or Vérité Closed to your listening setup. If you have any additional questions feel free to reply to this post or PM me directly. Cheers!

Great write up dude!

 

[spanyam]

ZMF VÉRITÉ CLOSED vs. ZMF VÉRITÉ OPEN​

This is for anyone out there who is having a hard time deciding which ZMF Vérité model to go with, Open or Closed. You’ve already made a good decision by just reading this, as both Vérité models are world class headphones. Still, it’s a difficult choice to decide which one to go with, much like vanilla or chocolate, red pill or blue pill, or Ginger or Mary Ann. Let me make it ridiculously simple for you. Get both! Okay, that’s probably not a reasonable option for a lot of people, but I wouldn’t dismiss it outright if it’s within your means and desires. More on that later…

I’ve had my personal Vérité Open (Zircote) for about seven months and I’ve spent the last three months with a loaner Vérité Closed (Manchurian Ash) provided by @zach915m. My listening setup that I primarily used is as follows:

FLAC & TIDAL>Singxer SU-1>Yggdrasil A1>Cavalli Liquid Gold, GOTL and DNA Stratus

Also of note is with the Vérité Open I primarily used the ZMF Vérité Silver cable along with perforated Universe pads and the BE2 (in between) pads. For the Verite Closed, I used a ZMF 2K Copper cable and mainly the Hybrid pads with the Universe pads as a change of pace. I also consider both units to be fully broken in with several hundred hours on both. Of course there are a lot of different factors at play that will influence the end result, including your upstream gear and individual listening preferences. That’s why I always urge a potential buyer to personally demo headphones if at all possible.

“TO C, OR NOT TO C? THAT IS THE QUESTION”​

I’m going to mainly focus on the Vérité Closed in this write up. After all, it’s the new kid on the block, and also the headphone I’ve spent the majority of my listening time with over the last 3 months. The VC is a fully closed headphone that utilizes the exact same beryllium coated PEN driver that the VO uses. You also get the same lightweight magnesium chassis the VO has with your choice of several different hardware options. Monkeypod is the standard wood option for the VC (as of writing this), but Zach periodically does LTD runs of different woods. Take note that the type of wood on the VC will affect the attack/transients according to Zach. I haven't personally heard two different VC’s side by side, but this is consistent with experiences I’ve had with some other closed back wood cup headphones. Plus Zach just might know what he's talking about…

While the VC mostly retains the classic ZMF “house tuning”, it might be Zach’s overall best effort to date. There’s an effortless delivery that I think most people will really enjoy. I’m not personally big on measurements, but I would imagine it’s one of the top measuring closed backs out right now. Bass is robust and slightly elevated, but thanks to the BE coated driver it’s speedy and well controlled. The VC’s closed back design does help boost sub bass over the VO, which certainly makes some genres more appealing with the VC (electronic, hip hop, etc…). Mids like in pretty much every ZMF headphone, are outstanding. I do think the VO gets a slight nod in this area, but not by a large margin. Which pads you decide to go with can slightly alter the placement of the mids (more on that later). Surprisingly despite having a little more top end extension compared to the VO, the VC’s treble seems a tad smoother than it’s open backed counterpart. Personally, I quite enjoy the extra sparkle the VC provides over the VO. However, there is no need to worry if you’d prefer a darker signature on the VC. Pad swapping is an easy way to tweak the signature to your liking, and one of the VC’s biggest advantages. You can certainly pad swap with the VO, but the VC has a few more viable pad choices and I believe the sonic changes are more prevalent. Last year I did a comparison of the VC pads options that you can find here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/zmf...ck-zmf-flagship.911505/page-100#post-15296496

One question many people will no doubt have is, how does the Verite Closed’s soundstage compare to the Verite Open’s? Quite well to say the least. You don’t end up losing much sense of space, which is an impressive achievement. You of course won’t get the opened back airness that the VO provides, but that’s to be expected. I will say that the VO and VC do provide a somewhat different sounding experience. Despite the VC’s soundstage being exceptionally large for a closed back, it’s presentation is much more traditional sounding. Whereas the VO has an almost 3D sounding, holographic delivery. Both still provide exceptional imaging, and I find myself switching between them depending on mood or specific music I want to listen to. For example, I prefer to use the VO when I’m listening to acoustic and vocal heavy music. This is another viable reason why you could justify owning both a VC and VO. Also earpad selection will play a role in soundstage on both Vérité models.

The most obvious choice to select the Vérité Closed over the Vérité Open is the isolation it provides. Some of you might have this as a requirement, and VC does provide quite excellent isolation. This is especially so when using solid pads, as suede and hybrid varieties will leak slightly. The other benefit of the VC being an almost completely closed design (it does have one vent), is the breathtaking wood cups! As fantastic as the VO looks with it’s wood cup/grill combination, it’s hard to compete with that huge chunk of glorious wood treated by Zach and Co. Alas, this feature does come with a price as it will generally add extra weight to the headphone. The weight difference will vary depending on the hardware and wood you chose for both the VC and VO. I weighed my test units and the VO came in at 545 grams, while the VC was 569 grams. What surprised me was how small that disparity was. When I swap out the VC for my VO, I can immediately tell the weight difference. Most likely this is because the majority of the weight of the VC is contributed to the solid wood cups. Where my VO has heavier stainless steel hardware (as opposed to the aluminum rods on the VC) and denser wood in it’s smaller cups. That being said, the 100+ hours I wore the Ash VC I never once felt fatigued by it.

BOSOM BUDDIES OR PERFECT STRANGERS?
​

This beautiful Manchurian Ash Vérité Closed will head back to Zach, but I plan on replacing it ASAP with my own unit. And yes, that will leave me with a pair of VC’s AND VO’s. I’ve touched briefly on whether or not it’s worth owning both Verite models, and I believe it is under the right circumstances. With the multitude of pad options, both headphones can be altered enough sonically to provide a different enough listening experience. Even more so when you factor in their open/closed attributes. And as you probably already know with ZMF headphones, you are getting a handcrafted heirloom quality piece as opposed to a mass produced product.

On the other hand, there is the issue of cost. Both models are rather on the expensive side, and just one headphone might be a stretch for some people. This brings up what that extra money could be used for, in particular a better chain if needed. While both Verite’s perform well on a wide range of amps/dacs, I’ve found they do scale well with higher end gear. Most notably both the VC and VO LOVE tubes. Both SET and OTL amps seem to further bring these already great headphones to life. I’ve also found that the speedy BE driver in the Verite’s pairs well with a powerful SS amp. I would also consider getting a good quality DAC to maximise the capabilities of a flagship caliber headphone.

“THIS IS THE END, BEAUTIFUL FRIEND”
​

I hope that I’ve helped answer some of your questions regarding the Vérité Open vs Vérité Closed. You really can’t go wrong with either of these amazing offerings from ZMF. Hopefully you can (or already have) add a Vérité Open or Vérité Closed to your listening setup. If you have any additional questions feel free to reply to this post or PM me directly. Cheers!

Thanks for that superb write up! You probably helped a good many people decide their way to satisfaction.

 

[jinxy245]

Well, timing is everything isn't it? Now it looks like I'm copying heliosphann, but I too had these headphones on loan for a while...this writing is difficult for me and has been a long time coming (thanks for your patience Zach!!)

Anyway...

The Truths of ZMF


I fell in love with the ZMF “house sound” when I heard the Vibro MKii at my first Head-Fi meet in 2015. That led me to becoming a ZMF owner in 2017 when I received my order for the 1st run of the cherry Eikon. There’s something about Zach’s tuning that just resonates with my preferences, and the Verite series is no exception. I was quite fortunate that Zach was able to lend me a Silkwood Verite Open (VO)& a MonkeyPod Verite closed (VC) for an extended listen.

The looks are striking, IMO quite beautiful, but I imagine not everyone would agree. It seems to me however that the excellence in build quality is all but undeniable. It’s no secret that Zach loves working with wood, and that passion shows. The fit and finish is top notch, and comfort is deceptively good for the weight of the headphone. I never had any issues other than warm ears to distract me from the listening experience, that includes the VC (approximately 450-475g) which is heavier than the VO (approximately 410-420g).

Before I offer my listening impressions, I’ll start with a little about myself and other points of interest. I’m over 50 years old and have less than perfect hearing. I’ve been a music lover for as long as I can remember, and my preferences lean toward the warm side of neutral. I’m a huge believer in the “my ears/your ears” axiom, and I believe the signal chain makes a difference. Feel free to liberally add as many mental IMOs and YMMVs as you want while reading.

My chain for playback is various WAV, FLAC, & MP3 files from my refurbed HP Elite Desk via USB to a Gungnir D/S (Gen5 USB) to either my ifi Pro iCan or DNA Sonnet 2. Although both headphones have a distinct preference for tubes, they both sounded fantastic from the ifi. I burned in both headphones for over 200 hours before critical listening. Whereas both are relatively easy to drive for 300 ohm headphones, they definitely benefit from better amplification and scale with more revealing sources as well.

Isolation with the VC is top tier in my experience, blocking at least as much noise as any other headphone I’ve heard. This isn’t surprising since Zach has stated this is the most “closed” headphone he’s made with only one port on each earcup. The VO of course doesn’t isolate at all, being Zach’s most “open” headphone to date. Even though that is the case, it seems obvious that this is a partially open design. Cup reverb is indeed part of the charm of the sound signature, but it doesn’t sound claustrophobic either. Obviously the VO has minimal isolation being a mostly open backed headphone.

The Pads

Before I go any further, any discussion of ZMF headphones in general, and the Verite series in particular would be incomplete with out at least touching on the pad choices. The different pads don’t change the personality of the headphone if you will, but they can fine tune the listening experience significantly. The different pad options can be confusing, but one rule of thumb makes it a little easier: Perforated pads match with the open headphones, and the solid pads with the closed back variety. Using that rule, I’ll forego using “perforated” & “solid” when referring to the pads on a particular headphone for the sake of brevity.

With the Verite Open, the pads on hand were the stock Universe pads, the Verite pads & the Universe suede pads, each bringing a slightly different sonic flavor. I quickly settled on the Universe (lambskin) pads as my favorite sounding. They made the VO the most open and spacious sounding, and they gave the mids the most lush presentation of the 3 (which aligns best with my preferences). The Verite pads brought the midbass down a notch or two, keeping the subbass in tact. It also closed in the headstage a bit without collapsing it. The Universe suede was somewhat of the middle ground, with a touch more mid bass added and “opening up the venue” a bit. The attack of the notes were also just a touch slower to my ear.

The pad options for the Verite Closed were the Auteur pads and the Universe pads. My preference was for the Auteur pads as they have the larger headstage, and has the more lush presentation of the mids. I thought that the Universe pads were the more “alive” of the two, faster and more “in your face”. Whereas I think I could live with any of the open pads, I just wasn’t enamored with the Universe pads.

The Usual Rundown

Both the VO & the VC have a wide and expansive headstage, not sounding exaggerated, nor too narrow in any direction. Very Goldilocks for my tastes. The VC is quite notable for being the most spacious sounding closed back headphone I’ve ever heard. I don’t like to say it sounds “open” because there is little air movement passing through the headphone, however the sense of space is beguiling. The headstage actually sounds about the same size to me, maybe the VO being a little wider but it sounds as if the VC puts you in a larger venue if that makes sense.

Resolution is among the best I’ve heard from any headphone. Many people seem to be looking for the 2nd coming of the HD650 and attribute that moniker on many headphones. The Verite is not that headphone. At all. The similarity I do hear between them is in how delicately nuances are translated to the ear. There is a ton of information with either headphone, but for the most part it’s not “in your face”, despite the speed of the Verite(s) driver(s).

Bass is very well extended, rather tight, and impactful. More of a sub bass emphasis than mid bass, though bass as a whole is very well represented. This is not strictly what most would call a neutral tuning, but I found it very tastefully done, as well as addicting to listen to. Not surprisingly, the VC is the more hard hitting of the two, but the VO is no slouch at all. Everything from acoustic bass, which was a joy to listen to, to all matter of EDM was wonderfully engrossing for my tastes.

The midrange I found lush overall, The VO a little dip in the upper mids/lower treble, but nothing egregious to my ear. The VC has a bit more of a pronounced dip and a rise in the trebles compared to the VO, but again the tonality is very similar between the two. I found no fault to male nor female vocals, though those who prefer the linearity of the Auteur may be disappointed to a degree.

Treble seems to be a bit more rolled off with the VC, but not a bother at all to my ears definitely smoother, less rough. Either the VO or the VC seem to be extended well enough, certainly past the limits of my aging ears. There was sufficient air and shimmer, but never passing into glare nor sounding strident excepting maybe the most poorly recorded songs, and this could easily be revealing the limits of my D/S DAC.


Some Comparisons

I thought it might be helpful to throw in a couple of comparisons with the two ZMFs I personally own. Since those headphones are the previously mentioned Cherry Eikon & a Sapele Aeolus, it follows that I’d compare the Eikon to the VC & the Aeolus to the VO.

To start with the VO/Eikon, I’ll say that though the VC is definitely a class above, the comparison was closer than I thought that it would be. The most notable difference is that the VC has a wider headstage, seemingly throwing sound around my head in a manner that belies a closed back headphone. The Eikon is indeed not deficient to my ears in this regard, in fact it was the widest sounding closed back I’d heard until the VC. The VC also had the distinction of handling busy passages better as well as bit better detail retrieval overall.

The Eikon on the other hand has more of a sub bass kick that I still enjoy. Mid bass is somewhat on par level wise, though the VC is tighter. Eikon also has a more hollow sounding female vocal range with some recordings, as well as more incisive treble, in particular around 5khz. Unfortunately that’s a double edged sword for me since I find it can be a bit fatiguing with the wrong recording, though that’s not often in my case. Both are indeed a very enjoyable listen, but the VC would be my preference.

Moving on to a comparison of the VO/Aeolus, the VO’s speed is the 1st thing I think of. The fast attack (guitar/violin string bite, drum snap) is the most lively I’ve heard from a dynamic driver headphone (though by all reports Focal’s Utopia either matches it or beats it). The Aeolus is more smooth sounding, though not smeared nor indistinct. This is most obvious with a direct comparison I think, since the VO is sharper, but not sharp per se. The VO has more detail but I don’t think it’s by a wide margin. More sub bass with the VO, though the Aeolus does have good extension even if it doesn’t hit as hard.

Aeolus is more lush sounding overall, but again I never find it to be mushy. There’s more mid bass here, but it’s not overpowering. Bass doesn’t bleed into the mids, which are lush yet detailed. There’s also less treble here in comparison with the VO, but I rarely find it to be lacking. The VO isn’t too sharp, just more present in comparison. I definitely wouldn’t call the headstage small but when being compared to the VO, which is more expansive, you can’t help but notice the difference. The most welcome benefit of the Aeolus’ tuning is that it’s more forgiving of poor recordings and is never sibilant.

Zach has outdone himself with his latest creations. The VO/VC are beautiful looking and incredible sounding headphones. Between the beautiful craftsmanship and enrapturing sound ZMF has created both an open back & closed back flagship that I’d personally love to own.

 

[erics75]

Got the Auteur Hybrid (AH) pads in yesterday. Spent the day listening to them with the occasional roll to the Auteur and Universe leather pads. I like the AH pads quite a bit. I won't say i prefer them to the Universe pads, but it's close. They seem to be a decent marriage of the two leather pads. You have a soundstage that's between the Auteur and Universe leathers. it's not as expansive as the Auteur pads, but not as intimate as the Universe pads. I found the Auteur leather pads to sound too distant, like i was towards the back of the venue. The Universe brings you much closer to the stage, which I like. the AH pads split the difference. you're closer than the Auteur, but farther back than the Universe. I still prefer the Universe, but that's just personal preference.

Bass feels a bit lighter than either pad. this is where i'm struggling to enjoy them at times. on some of my more bass heavy music like Random Access Memories, it has decent punch and slam, but nothing as strong as the Universe leathers. Even the Auteur leathers have stronger bass by a slight degree.

Treble with the AH pads seems softest of the three, surprisingly. Normally velour pads brighten the signature a touch. Definitely does with the Atticus, Eikon, and Autuer. But the AH pads seems to have a slight softening up top, which i actually like a lot. i listen loud so the VC (and Auteur) can occasionally zing my ears on bad recordings. all day i've been listening a few db louder than usual with no fatigue. i'm two clicks louder on my RS-08 amp compared to what i can tolerate with the leather pads. this aspect i like a lot, as i love loud music. i don't notice any lowering of resolution with the AH pads, mind you, it's just smoother somehow. maybe placebo, or my ears have more wax than usual. or i'm short a few more brain cells.....

Mids are also a touch softer with the AH pads, but not to the degree the treble is. the mids on the AH pads seem more or less in line with the Auteur leather pads, but with a slight softening, and slight bass decrease. very close though, and incredibly addicting.

All in all they're a very nice set to have as an extra option for sound tweaking. anyone finding the VC a touch shouty might want to give them a try. Also, anyone finding the leather pads too bassy might like them. They won't replace the Universe leathers for my main pads, but they definitely displaced the Auteur leather pads as my 2nd favorite. i don't know why, but i'm just not liking the Autuer leathers the more i listen to them.

One last thing, I need help from those who either have owned the Decware CSP3, or have had extended time with it. How did you like it, and especially how did you like it if you ran any ZMFs from it? i'm on the fence on an OTL, and my budget taps out at $1500. I'm narrowing the list to the CSP3, a Glenn if he'll build one and i can be patient enough, and the solid state Headamp GSX Mini. the last one just hit my radar, after a friend i trust heard it and said he liked it more than his Dragon Inspire, which i respect a lot. i like the CSP3 design, and Decware as a company, so i'm leaning that way, but not fully yet.

 

[LoryWiv]

Got the Auteur Hybrid (AH) pads in yesterday. Spent the day listening to them with the occasional roll to the Auteur and Universe leather pads. I like the AH pads quite a bit. I won't say i prefer them to the Universe pads, but it's close. They seem to be a decent marriage of the two leather pads. You have a soundstage that's between the Auteur and Universe leathers. it's not as expansive as the Auteur pads, but not as intimate as the Universe pads. I found the Auteur leather pads to sound too distant, like i was towards the back of the venue. The Universe brings you much closer to the stage, which I like. the AH pads split the difference. you're closer than the Auteur, but farther back than the Universe. I still prefer the Universe, but that's just personal preference.

Bass feels a bit lighter than either pad. this is where i'm struggling to enjoy them at times. on some of my more bass heavy music like Random Access Memories, it has decent punch and slam, but nothing as strong as the Universe leathers. Even the Auteur leathers have stronger bass by a slight degree.

Treble with the AH pads seems softest of the three, surprisingly. Normally velour pads brighten the signature a touch. Definitely does with the Atticus, Eikon, and Autuer. But the AH pads seems to have a slight softening up top, which i actually like a lot. i listen loud so the VC (and Auteur) can occasionally zing my ears on bad recordings. all day i've been listening a few db louder than usual with no fatigue. i'm two clicks louder on my RS-08 amp compared to what i can tolerate with the leather pads. this aspect i like a lot, as i love loud music. i don't notice any lowering of resolution with the AH pads, mind you, it's just smoother somehow. maybe placebo, or my ears have more wax than usual. or i'm short a few more brain cells.....

Mids are also a touch softer with the AH pads, but not to the degree the treble is. the mids on the AH pads seem more or less in line with the Auteur leather pads, but with a slight softening, and slight bass decrease. very close though, and incredibly addicting.

All in all they're a very nice set to have as an extra option for sound tweaking. anyone finding the VC a touch shouty might want to give them a try. Also, anyone finding the leather pads too bassy might like them. They won't replace the Universe leathers for my main pads, but they definitely displaced the Auteur leather pads as my 2nd favorite. i don't know why, but i'm just not liking the Autuer leathers the more i listen to them.

One last thing, I need help from those who either have owned the Decware CSP3, or have had extended time with it. How did you like it, and especially how did you like it if you ran any ZMFs from it? i'm on the fence on an OTL, and my budget taps out at $1500. I'm narrowing the list to the CSP3, a Glenn if he'll build one and i can be patient enough, and the solid state Headamp GSX Mini. the last one just hit my radar, after a friend i trust heard it and said he liked it more than his Dragon Inspire, which i respect a lot. i like the CSP3 design, and Decware as a company, so i'm leaning that way, but not fully yet.

FWIW I bought a Feliks Audio Elise OTL in that price range and have been incredibly pleased with its performance out to Auteur.