[kRed]

With my VCs, I received 5 sets of pads (none perforated though). Question: How do I tell them apart? Any signs/measures that'll help?

Hello,
in this video I make a pretty direct physical comparison of the Universe, Auteur and BE2 pads. It may help you identify them.

You can skip to the 4:40 mark (and remember to turn subtitles on).

If you want you can also post a picture here, i'll be happy to help!

 

[BooUrns]

Hello Firstlady from Zmf,.
I wrote you an email yesterday, did you receive it?
You are probably inundated with emails I guess.

Oh yes- I am at my computer surfing my inbox now
Back to you soon as I make my way through!

 

[Failed Engineer]

If someone has one of the Macassar Ebony VCs and is considering selling or trading for my stabilized VC, please PM me.

 

[geoffalter11]

I can see the VC being a great all around headphone as it sounds fantastic on all 3 of my amps. Each accentuating a different part of the tuning, but all providing extreme musical enjoyment. Admittedly, I went straight for my EC Aficionado being that I always tend to lean towards tubes with my ZMFs. But, just like the AC, the VC is wonderful on all of my amps. It sounds the most lit up on my Aficionado, everything is just more pronounced and dynamic. On my CFA3 it is extremely balanced with incredible top end extension. On the Meier Corda Soul the stage opens up and the amps affinity for high impedance dynamics comes through with extremely fast transience and slew giving the VC power everywhere it needs it. Resulting in an extremely detailed and open sound with incredible extension.

The Winner? ME!

 

[adydula]

All this is great for identifying pads after the fact..
But wouldnt it make sense for ZMF to put a small marking on the inside of the pads when they are made?
Simple I would think, a white marker with some small markings indicating what they are.

Hmmm.
Alex

 

[whirlwind]

I can see the VC being a great all around headphone as it sounds fantastic on all 3 of my amps. Each accentuating a different part of the tuning, but all providing extreme musical enjoyment. Admittedly, I went straight for my EC Aficionado being that I always tend to lean towards tubes with my ZMFs. But, just like the AC, the VC is wonderful on all of my amps. It sounds the most lit up on my Aficionado, everything is just more pronounced and dynamic. On my CFA3 it is extremely balanced with incredible top end extension. On the Meier Corda Soul the stage opens up and the amps affinity for high impedance dynamics comes through with extremely fast transience and slew giving the VC power everywhere it needs it. Resulting in an extremely detailed and open sound with incredible extension.

The Winner? ME!

So true, some people think you must have a tube amp for the VC to sound good. This is far from the truth, I prefer mine with tubes but it sounds outstanding with a nice SS amp.

Listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents Album and the detail is just mind blowing.

 

[geoffalter11]

So true, some people think you must have a tube amp for the VC to sound good. This is far from the truth, I prefer mine with tubes but it sounds outstanding with a nice SS amp.



Listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents Album and the detail is just mind blowing.

Love that album

 

[geoffalter11]

All this is great for identifying pads after the fact..
But wouldnt it make sense for ZMF to put a small marking on the inside of the pads when they are made?
Simple I would think, a white marker with some small markings indicating what they are.

Hmmm.
Alex

I get your conundrum. I also struggle with pads as it is the #1 way to affect the sound. I have three rules I live by.

1. I generally trust Zach and the pad he chooses for the headphone as stock. It is usually the pad I like the most.
2. I almost always stay away from suede as I don’t like the mid bass hump as I find suede slows down the sound. Only caveat being the AC where I like it more but mostly this is due to comfort. The suede also get really hot on my ears generally. However with the AC the thin Caldera’s are too thin for my gigantic ears and they hurt me.
3. I tend to always go with lambskin and I stay away from the the thinnest pads so I don’t have any discomfort. Be2s sound best to me in most instances but they are too thin for my gigantic ears.

My favorite pads are the Auteur Solid for the VC thus far and the Auteur Lambskin Perf for the Auteur. For the Atrium the universe Lambskin Perfs and the Suede calderas for the AC. It is also the only headphone where I hear the bass as more linear with the suede. Thank you @goldwerger.

Comfort is #1 for me which generally is Lambskin and then sound which I almost always find the lambskin more to my liking. I tend to not EQ so I trust the ears of the designer and try to listen as they are intended. Ymmv… just one audio nerds philosophy… roll til you find your bliss and keep notes.

 

[geoffalter11]

So true, some people think you must have a tube amp for the VC to sound good. This is far from the truth, I prefer mine with tubes but it sounds outstanding with a nice SS amp.



Listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents Album and the detail is just mind blowing.

Those VCs are beautiful.

 

[TooFrank]

Fwiw; this is an evening showing that the VCs are doing very well with the iDSD black label

 

[geoffalter11]

So true, some people think you must have a tube amp for the VC to sound good. This is far from the truth, I prefer mine with tubes but it sounds outstanding with a nice SS amp.



Listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents Album and the detail is just mind blowing.

You couldn't be more right, but wow do I love my VC on my Aficionado. I would happily live with my SS amps with all of my ZMFs. But, I am so glad I don't have to. BTW, the color of your GS-X-MK2 and your VCs really is quite attractive. The cable is the perfect accent and the exact cable I use with my HEKv2s.

 

[AcousticMatt]

VC with the Feliks Envy. Holy crap! Amp sounds amazing with all my headphones, but the VC scales like crazy on this thing.

 

[dkalgray]

All of my vintage receivers bring incredible bass slam and musicality to my ears, not only with my more powerful TOTL recievers, but also with some of the mid-tier vintage pieces I have.

3D-ness trophy goes to my OTL. Separation, staging, technical performance goes to my v550, but for raw, unabashed power, bass response and foot tapping capabilities, my vintage receivers take the prize. I don't keep two in my chain just for nostalgia sake.

I know this post was a while ago, but I've had my ZMF VCs for a couple of months now and TBH, I've been a bit disappointed, however, last weekend I decide to try them with a vintage amp (that I had in the shed just for background music) and since then I haven't been able to stop listening to them. I'm only using what I believe is a mid-tier vintage receiver (a Sanyo DCX 200K) but I agree with Monsterzero that the power, bass slam and pure musicality is fantastic. Was about to buy a BHC tube amp, but I've decided I will just save my money and go with what I've already got. Up to now been trying them on mainly SS amps that I own.

Also, a bit off topic, but at the same time I bought the ZMF VCs I also took a punt and bought some JM Audio XTC 1.5 closed back headphones. I was going to keep the pair that I liked the best and sell the other one. For half the price the XTCs sound pretty much as good as the ZMF VCs (IMHO), just a different more precise sound (that surprisingly sounds the best on my Fidelizer modified ibasso DX200 with Amp 1 Mk II). Thought I was going to sell the ZMF VCs until I heard them through the vintage amp, but will keep both now.

 

[TooFrank]

FWIW: Just received my new Gladius from Arctic Cables. Only had a short listen with the VCs, but compared with the stock cable, it really opens up the (already wonderful and detailed) sound. With my limited vocabulary, this is the best way to describe it Pictures to come.....

 

[David222]

So true, some people think you must have a tube amp for the VC to sound good. This is far from the truth, I prefer mine with tubes but it sounds outstanding with a nice SS amp.



Listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents Album and the detail is just mind blowing.

+1

I'm a lover of tubes, but also a strong proponent for ZMF + Solid State