[Homrsimson]

Total aside but stumbled on this gem inadvertently in running an eBay search, coincidence?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ZMF-Bass-To-The-Future-A-Techno-Bass-Odyssey-Attitude-Records-/392517820000

 

[Strayngs]

Question... anyone live in a dry climate? Here in Denver it can get in the 10%-15% humidity range indoors in the winter. Any worry about what lack of humidity might do with the wood cups? any treatment I may need to get to protect them?

 

[RobertSM]

Question... anyone live in a dry climate? Here in Denver it can get in the 10%-15% humidity range indoors in the winter. Any worry about what lack of humidity might do with the wood cups? any treatment I may need to get to protect them?

Great topic that I don't think has been discussed.

I too live in an arid climate. Los Angeles, though a city by the Pacific, is basically a desert city, by the ocean. We get a marine influence, but can also get very dry conditions when the east winds pick up with humidity less than 10%.

I know Denver and the charming mountain towns that draw those of us that like to play in the snow can have very low humidity for weeks and months at a time.

In terms of tips and tricks to look after our wooden ZMF headphones...

I have my headphone listening station in a small room by two windows. One gets a strong morning sun the other a strong late afternoon sun. During the strongest hours of sun, I keep the shades drawn and try to keep the direct and indirect sunlight off of my ZMFs. This just seems like a good idea to me.

In terms of low humidity and keeping the cups in good shape, I'd say that depends on how your ZMFs were finished. I know some ZMFs, depending on wood type are finished with a wax treatment. My purpleheat Verite, were finished in a oil varnish. They look, to me to have a very thick coat of this varnish and my thoughts are they will be fine even in dry conditions. They look very well sealed to me.

That said, I think it all depends on what wood type your ZMFs are made of. How your ZMFs were finished? Some of these things we can't control.

Some things we can control. Sunlight exposure. Not keeping your ZMFs close to the HVAC vents. Extreme hot/cold-dry/humid fluctuations.

Anyone else? Any other tips to keep our ZMFs in great condition?

 

[Strayngs]

great info. Mine will be camphor burl And treated just however Zach usually treats them. Will be interesting to see if he chimes in with any recommendations or tips.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Great topic that I don't think has been discussed.

I too live in an arid climate. Los Angeles, though a city by the Pacific, is basically a desert city, by the ocean. We get a marine influence, but can also get very dry conditions when the east winds pick up with humidity less than 10%.

I know Denver and the charming mountain towns that draw those of us that like to play in the snow can have very low humidity for weeks and months at a time.

In terms of tips and tricks to look after our wooden ZMF headphones...

I have my headphone listening station in a small room by two windows. One gets a strong morning sun the other a strong late afternoon sun. During the strongest hours of sun, I keep the shades drawn and try to keep the direct and indirect sunlight off of my ZMFs. This just seems like a good idea to me.

In terms of low humidity and keeping the cups in good shape, I'd say that depends on how your ZMfs were finished. I know some ZMfs, depending on wood type are finished with a wax treatment. My purpleheat Verite, were finished in a oil varnish. They look, to me to have a very thick coat of this varnish and my thoughts are they will be fine even in dry conditions. They look very well sealed to me.

That said, I think it all depends on what wood type your ZMfs are made of. How your ZMFs were finished? Some of these things we can't control.

Some things we can control. Sunlight exposure. Not keeping your ZMfs close to the HVAC vents. Extreme hot/cold-dry/humid fluctuations.

Anyone else? Any other tips to keep our ZMfs in great condition?

Probably the single most important thing with any finished wood item is to not keep it in direct sunlight, which can cause the wood to darken (much more noticeable for certain species, such as cherry, than others). Even strong indirect sunlight will add up & cause darkening.

My home office is always dark thanks to light-blocking blinds + curtains. I like it that way for work comfort (strong incoming light aggravates my headaches). Low light also helps keep the headphones stable. I keep several in drawers; others hang on the side of the desk in very dim lighting.

If I ever become a vampire, next to no "lifestyle adaptations" will need to be made...

 

[fleo815]

I have a set on order that should be shipped early Sept..I appreciate the tips on proper care of the wood.

 

[endre83]

"Although we build ZMF Headphones with a robust design and wood thickness, we do recommend humidity control for extreme environments. For locations where the humidity is consistently below 25% or above 60% we recommend Boveda Humidity control packs.

The 49% pack will work great for 1-3 months of humidity control. The pack will last longer if you leave the pack in the case with your ZMF Headphone.

https://www.amazon.com/Boveda-Music...ords=Boveda+guitar+pack&qid=1571598232&sr=8-5 ”

 

[Little Bear]

I think for those packs to work, you have to keep the headphones and the humidity packs together in a sealed container, such as the storage case. But I also live near Denver, and I plan to use my headphones every day, which means they would be subjected to constantly changing humidity levels, which I think would be worse than just keeping them in a constant low(er) humidity environment.

 

[DitheringFool]

This is an interesting topic as I am on the other side of the spectrum. I am very close to the beach, and my humidity level is almost always above 70-80%.

I wonder if Cocobolo & Camphor burl are resistant to humidity?

 

[Little Bear]

Sorry to shift gears for a moment, but does anyone know what it means when one or more lines on Zach's order spreadsheet have colored highlights?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Low humidity is much more helpful than harmful for most gear and even wood is happy at low humidity. What is troublesome is humidity variation. If your climate is dry all the time I think there is no concern. It would be more problematic for people who live in dry climates and have humidifiers in the house or vice versa.

 

[sqz0914]

Can we try to put a layer of wax that covers the wood?

 

[smallcaps]

Walked by this and wondered if I could strap it to my head and hear the ZMF house sound.

 

[Barone Birra]

I use this in the headphones cabinet, because I live near the sea. Usually, I leave slightly open the ZMF case.

 

[RobertSM]

Can we try to put a layer of wax that covers the wood?

I don't think that's a good idea. My thoughts are just keeping mindful about the direct and indirect sunlight exposure will really go a long way.